Late night hunger. How do you deal with it?

dennis_n

This is the part of the day that is the most dangerous for me to eat something stupid. It's the time I finally get to sit and relax, watch my favorite show etc. unfortunately my stomach knows it. So after I started dieting this relaxing time of the day has become a bit of a struggle. So is there any cheap trick to cheat my stomach to sleep? I don't always have exercise "bonus" calories to indulge in, unless I devote more than an hour to jogging etc, but I usually don't have that much time or energy for prolonged exercise. Any ideas?

NICOLEMC1980

I need help in this area too! It's when I usually dive into the sweets which is awful.

I can't wait to see what people suggest.

mom2_4gr8kids

Save some calories for the time of day you know you'll want to eat something. I know I want to eat after the kids are in bed, so I usually skip breakfast and save the calories. You could also try a lighter breakfast or lunch.

If I'm wanting something late, and I have no calories left, I'll drink a lot of water. Brushing my teeth or chewing mint gum also helps.

FindingAmy77

well you can either plan for this snack time or you can call it an early night. you can try some herbal tea, you can have a big glass of water, etc I like to have noncaffeine coffee myself but sometimes I do the tea. I like the celestials brand.

MelodyandBarbells

I did single serving snacks for a while - drive out and get the one serving of ice cream from walgreens, make one serving of brownie, mug cake, oatmeal, couple hard boiled eggs, etc. Options that took a while to prepare and really think about how many calories seemed to work best. The anticipation of the snack itself provided some satisfaction and obviously would kill some time as well, which helps delay my interest in the next snack. Also sometimes complicated planning becomes too damn much for my sleepy head and I just say to heck with it and go to sleep. I tracked those items under midnight snack categories just to separate them out from normal snacks and analyze them as time went on. I don't use the category as often anymore.

One thing to realize is that food timing has no impact on weight loss. There's nothing wrong with liking to get up and grab a meal or snack in the evening or night. It's getting everything to fit within your reasonably chosen goals that should be the challenge.

Nowadays I keep a bottle of Crush enhancer water beside me all day and night. It probably contributes to the fact that I'm not snacking in the middle of the night anymore. But if I really wanted the food, I'd get up and get it

cuckoo_jenibeth

Try frozen grapes. They are sweet and take a long time to eat!

Kalikel

I try not to eat for a few hours before bed, but if I'm hungry, I eat.

Have some strawberries or kiwi or something. You can have five strawberries for 20 calories.

dsalveson

When I don't have any calories left I brush my teeth which actually seems to help. Or drink hot tea

CrimsonDiva7

Hot green or ginger tea.

CariJean64

These are all good tips. I brush my teeth as soon as my calories for the day are gone, and generally stick with water for the rest of the evening. Ice water seems to satisfy me more than just tepid/cold water, but if you need more water to fill out your day, don't ice it! You'll drink more, and faster, if it isn't icy cold.

If you must have SOMETHING, try to find something with a bit of protein in it, like an ounce of cheese on a few crackers, or peanut butter.

Is it possible to move your dinner hour to a bit later in the day? That might prevent the hunger until you're asleep.

Liftng4Lis

Just save some of your calories for night time snacks. Hummus is great with cucumbers or pitas, peanut butter and apples, popcorn (you get more bang for your buck).

Branstin

Try reducing your weekly weight loss goal so you will have more calories to allocate to night time eating.

BusyB223

If the TV is your trigger... stay away from it. Find another way to relax. What is more important to you, the tube or getting your health in order?

I used to have the same issue. Favorite show coming on, gotta get my snacks together. It got me a useless spare tire around my middle that I allowed to grow. For that reason and others I stopped watching television.

The sacrifice is well worth it.

biddie1

I was doing the same thing; night time was the most difficult for me. These things I used to break the habit but on different nights. 1. Drink Metamucil, 2. Chew gum, 3, eat fruit, strawberry and banana with yogurt or 3.drink water and go to bed..
These things help me. Good luck!!

cwolfman13

I plan that kind of stuff into my day. I enjoy an evening snack while I'm watching television...I just plan for it.

CleanUpWhatIMessedUp

Go to sleep.

jdhcm2006

Pre-log the day before so you can allocate snacks for the evening. I always snack at night, but then I make sure that I have the calories available to do that.

I personally don't eat while watching tv, bc I feel like chewing distracts me from watching what's happening on my show, strange I know.

Holla4mom

I'm so glad you posted this. I am sitting here thinking about going to the pantry, lol.

If I would have gone to sleep 30 minutes ago, I would have been fine, but the longer I sit up and watch TV/ play on the computer, the more likely I am to get hungry again.

Last night, I made popcorn on the stove with olive oil/ sea salt for about 100 calories or so. Right now I'm eating hard peppermint candy and going to try to ride out the craving for more for 10-15 minutes and turn in.

alereck

When I am stressed out I tend to binge more and eat when I am alone at home. So anytime I realize what is happening I eat something that fills me up a lot and makes me feel bloated.

For me a good protein shake does it. I freeze fruits of all sorts and guacamole to have ready. Then I blend one of a choice with lots of ice, protein powder, some almond and whole milk and I feel bloated/full for hours. Sometimes I have a few crackers with it. After this even if I feel like snacking I don't because my stomach feels like it can't take in anything.

I'm not sure if everyone feels as full and bloated as I do with protein shakes but find something that really fills you up but is healthy and try having that before you settle down.

Good luck, food is such good confort it's hard keeping it away.

Archon2

It gets easier as you get used to not snacking late night.

Just think: you body "knows" when it is mealtime. I used to eat some stuff most nights at 10-11pm. It takes a while to unlearn that expectation. You'll be hungry a lot for some time. Eventually you won't. If you have to eat something, then keep some stuff at hand you can eat without adding many calories. I used to make a big salad with a small amount of low cal dressing on it. It was enough to help.

Hynniew

Oh, I am soooo familiar with this problem! I can eat well all day, but once 10 pm rolls past, I have no will power at all...

Here's what worked really well for me: I get up super early (like 5:30 or 6) in the morning and exercise for an hour before anyone else is up. That way, I burn a lot of extra calories - and the night time snacking problem solves itself, since I'm so tired by 10 pm I just go to sleep.

QuillensMom

as others have suggested, save calories for then. I am back to writing out my actual menu for the day at least the day before, just easier for me to not go looking for food when Im hungry. I actually have my dinner between 8 and 9 pm. then have something else about an hour later. I lost over 100 pounds before last pregnancy and that is what I did then as well. Did the whole no eating 3 hrs before bedtime-would make me binge or couldn't go to sleep hungry and would wake up so f'n grumpy. I have been eating a cheeseburger or similar around 9pm for awhile now.

elisa123gal

I visualize that my body is getting thinner when i'm hungry late at night or in the middle of the night.…I just focus on the fact that breakfast will be coming soon enough. I might drink a hot tea..but typically ignore it..cause who wants to ruin a great day of staying on track to blow it at midnight.

Eselte

Great thread.. My sweet tooth likes to wake up in the evenings also

sadgay69

I'm the same way. I just recently started dieting, and although I normally do have "bonus" calories, I hate to eat past 7 in the evening. But yet, every time I sit down to watch some Workaholics or Shameless, I get this annoying thing in the back of my mind telling me to go get some unhealthy snack. So I just like to sit back and tell myself that enjoying the late night food that I'm craving would only make me happy until it's gone. But losing weight and being a better version of myself will last a life time if I stay strong. Just giving yourself a little pep talk, or telling yourself you don't need that snack really does wonders, even if it is so simple.

seidel1325

I eat a pack of sunflower seeds and drink two cups of water.

cattitude123

Decaf coffee and sugar free caramel syrup

ironheartwarrior1

in the evening i eat my largest meal. it is usually comprised of a large amount of sauteed or steamed vegetables with a cup of rice or barley and a serving of protein, usually chicken. the calorie count is low, but the amount i can eat is extremely filling. i usually have a little left over to nibble on between dinner and 7:30, when i stop eating for the day. then i always eat breakfast, usually a protein shake and a banana. but i find eating small amounts regularly during the day, and then enough dinner to get me through the night really helps. also, i find that he more nutritious the food is, the less likely i am to have cravings of any kind. for the most part i eat actual foods, not packaged, and it seems to make me feel better and more able to eat a low calorie diet without starving or craving too much food or the wrong foods.

TomAJeffs

I fill myself up with raw vegetables. White cabbage - love it. Sugar Snap Peas - fantastic. My other fancy is Haywards Sweet onions (pickled) - I love them.

Your bed will become a bit of a dutch oven but at least you won't be eating anything bad.

Shereewhitney88

This is an issue of mine as well. I find that if I save 200 calories for my bedtime snack I can fit in a bag of popcorn and a fiber one brownie, hitting my salty and sweet snack craving and also filling me up. It also take a while to finish the popcorn so I am snacking throughout my show. Good luck!

Edited to say that I know this probably isn't the most healthy choice but it's working for me and 100% doable!

missyme10

My hunger is worse in the evening. If I go to bed hungry, I wake up constantly hungry and it makes me a crabbed cow the next day. I thought I'd learn to sleep with the hunger but I haven't.

I always keep a minimum of 200kcal for supper, or have a snack around dinner time and a late dinner that will take me through the night.

I think people are different. I am never hungry on a morning, in fact I usually have to be up and about a good 2 hours before I am hungry, so I've come to realise that it's just the way I am and trying to fight what my body wants naturally isn't going to work ie. eat a good breakfast and stop eating at a certain time in the evening - my body wants food later in the day, so I let it have what it wants, ie. eat less in the morning and more in the evening.