late night snacking??

MICHG16

i've heard it is bad to eat past 8pm or at night because your body holds onto the calories more or things like that but does anyone know the truth about eating late/ on the later side? or helpful tips to not snack at night? im in college so its super hard not to while im up super late doing work.

AJay513

I'm in college too and I do the same thing! All that late night studying really messes up my eating schedule!

mmocarr

Im super bad about night snacking as well! Some days I conquer it by drinking large glass of hot tea with half and half and splenda. Also I try and snack on low cal options i.e. carrots and celery. When all else fails when I used to have to study late I used mints and gum which is not great for you but will work in a pinch.

AppleJuiceMoney

I'm at university too and find it really difficult to keep studying late at night without a snack... I've found that cut up veggies, sugar free jello, 85% dark chocolate and lots of tea help stave off the hunger after dinner without adding very many calories at all

snookumss

Girly, I don't get home until 4-5am every day I run my food cart. Some weekends I don't make it home until nearly 6am! Your schedule varies... every person is different. I don't wake up until 3-4pm on a regular basis! You can't expect me not to eat after midnight, much less 8pm! It doesn't matter what time of day you eat, or really how often you eat. As long as you eat what you are supposed to.

MissMaryMac33

If you have the calories left, it doesn't matter when you eat them.

I have to watch WHAT I eat that late though... but I almost always save some calories so I can eat late at night.

CindiBryce

It doesn't matter at what time you eat your food. Calorie are calories, no matter at which time they eaten.

karyngrace

well i'm a shift worker so I can't help but to eat late at night!! and i have been consistently loosing weight regardless of when I have dinner. I think it doesn't matter what time you eat, as long as you make healthy food choices.

as for not snacking I find distraction works best for me!! go for a walk, chat with a friend, anything to get my mind off food!!!

sarscott

I have a similar situation, except I'm usually asleep when I do that snacking. What a sabotage I am to myself!

shovav91

It really doesn't matter what time you eat. Your body doesn't stop metabolizing food when you fall asleep! I eat the most food a few hours before bed. I hate going to sleep hungry!

Acg67

what time you eat is irrelevant, you can eat right up till you go to bed. Just fit that stuff into your cals and you're good to go

killagb

what time you eat is irrelevant, you can eat right up till you go to bed. Just fit that stuff into your cals and you're good to go

I enjoy falling asleep whilst chewing on white carbs. Delicious!

Lift_hard_eat_big

I enjoy late night snacking. Sometimes I work graveyard shift and eat throughout the night.

it_be_asin

I eat up until 15 minutes until I go to bed - there is nothing worse than waking up hungry. If you are in you calories, what's the problem?

Maryee71

I think that was all thought up for people who go to bed at 10 or 11. Oprah said her trainer told her not to eat after 7. :yawn: For us night owls it's a mute point. It's almost midnight and I'm just finishing a banana and a fiber one bar and a cup of tea that I allowed for in my food diary. If you're up late studying, of course you need something. Just figure it into your days allowance.:drinker:

killagb

For us night owls it's a mute point.

MîîśÊmÿłõü

time is completely irrelevant , calories are calories whether you eat them 1pm or 1am they still total your daily intake. aslong as you dont go over in the day then anything you eat is fine

servilia

Won't make a difference unless you're going over in cals. And if you're going over, doesn't matter what time you're eating those cals.

Beezil

I'm eating a KitKat bar right now >.> and some milk. Probably shouldn't though... chocolate gives me really weird/creepy dreams. lol.

chrisdavey

I think that was all thought up for people who go to bed at 10 or 11. Oprah said her trainer told her not to eat after 7. :yawn:

DON"T listen to Oprah for nutritional advice

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

killagb

I think that was all thought up for people who go to bed at 10 or 11. Oprah said her trainer told her not to eat after 7. :yawn:

DON"T listen to Oprah for nutritional advice

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

I always thought the first and second rules were not to ever talk about your macronutrient targets.

sleepytexan

It is not true; just an old wives' tale.

I'll tell you what, i just came home from a 2.5 hour dance rehearsal and I was hungry! Had 241 cals left, and ate 200 of them in ice cream.

The only reason you might need to avoid a food at night is if it may cause you indigestion or otherwise interfere with your sleep.

blessings.

adross3

Ya, what they said.

fromaquasar

I am currently eating my dinner. In bed.

killagb

I am currently eating my dinner. In bed.

I hope there's naughty white carbs involved.

LiveEnjoyEndure

The main point for anyone is a balanced and sustainable lifestyle. Most people fail to live a healthy lifestyle cos they do not enjoy it, or they feel guilty for eating food at times or of types they feel are wrong. Eating a diet that makes you feel sated and satisfied is really important (and supplies all nutrients your body needs of course). We often feel pressured to do the 'right' thing, learn from your own body, listen to your body, how your metabolism works, we are all different. Some people like early mornings other people like late nights. You can also reprogram your metabolism too, it is a dynamic and cyclic thing and it will adjust to your habits. In the main it takes around 28 days for the cycles in our bodies to change (as a general rule) and our metabolism works on a 20-24 hours cycles through-out the day. So work with your body on a daily basis and if you want to change something then plan for it to take about a month-or-so for your body to catch-up with you.

When studying or doing most desk work we often eat because we are bored or not engaged with what we are doing. Try to work in 20 min periods with a 5 min gap for no more than 2-3 hours at a time, this will help with boredom and improve memory. In the five minute gap you don't want to switch on the TV, or visit Facebook (or other social media sites), but do something that stops your mind working. Juggling was great for me when I was studying, this was repetitive I stopped thinking about study but it did not become a distraction. I would do 5 mins juggling then stop and go back to studying. You could equally rope jump, stationary cycle, jog round-the-block, knit, sew, play Soduko or anything else as a short break that allows you mind time to rest.

Cravings are a learnt behaviour, you can reprogram yourself not to snack when you are studying, if you want to. You could eat a high protein meal/snack before you start studying which will mean you will not feel hungry so quickly. Sweet hot drinks can work well, there is only 15 calories in a spoonful of granulated sugar and 15 calories in a portion of milk. Which is much better than a 150-300 calorie processed snack! For me personally carrot sticks or celery do not cut-the-mustard, but it seems to work for some people. Try to avoid caffeine in high doses as it messes with your metabolism and sleep.

I have changed to eating 6 meals a day, this means I feel sated most of the time, if I do feel hungry it is not too long to wait till the next time I eat which means I am less tempted to do things that would make me feel guilty or break personal boundaries. I limit myself to 200-500 calories in each meal, which gives me around 2000 calories in a day. I have a net 1200 calorie goal so I plan in 800 calories of cardio a day. I usually do this early morning as this gives me a dopamine/adrenaline boost which affects my mood for the rest of the day and means I am less likely to feel low or depressed which is a real trigger for me to eat poorly.

All the best with your study ... feel free to add me as a friend if you want