Late Night Snacking!

HMonsterX

I skip breakfast.

I have a small, protein laden lunch around 400 cals.

I then have dinner around 11pm, normally 1100 cals ish. The rest goes on snacks before bed. I've never been so fit, full of energy, and feeling great!

katiedidd66

I have always been a late night "crunch" snack eater, ex. chips, popcorn, etc. Now my late night go to snacks are sugar snap peas, baby carrots, sliced apple with peanut butter or almonds. If I do have a sweet tooth I eat yogurt w/ blueberries or sunsweet prunes. (I know that sounds like a "nursing home" snack, but they are really awesome)

zuzuanne88

I read The Hunger Games,and in the book Katniss chews mint leaves to tell her stomach that it's time to stop eating because she drinks tea at home after dinner...I started this routine with green tea after dinner...It works for me unless m daughter keeps me up late and I have hunger pains...I have a apple or cereal...I think as long as the late night snacks are healthy you will bw fine.You should also read The Hunger Games,reading distracts me from eating

Uglyduckling2swan

I'm guilty too especially when I'm watching tv. I now drink hot Pu Erh tea that I bought in China at night after dinner and it effectively reduce my night grazing.

zuzuanne88

does the tea do anything for your metabolism?

HonkyTonks

Try to avoid simple sugars before sleep. They give you an energy boost that will make it harder to fall asleep and will also be stored by your body as fat because of inactivity.

You won't store fat eating at a deficit regardless of what you eat and when you eat it.

Robin_Bin

Track it.
I find that occasionally when I didn't eat enough of something during the day, I get a strong craving before I sleep. Most often it's protein, and it only takes a small amount to help - a spoonful of peanut butter, a slice of cheese, yogurt or warm milk.
Sometimes it's a sweet (fruit) or chocolate craving. As Uglyduckling2 suggested tea can be good. Some teas are naturally sweet (licorice) and some can help you relax (lavender, camomile).
It's much better to eat one small piece of chocolate than to graze... eating everything but what my body wants.
But learn to recognize the difference between a craving that can be satisfied and a general desire to do something (which translates to eating) while you settle down. If you just need something to help you settle down, try reading or listening to music, the radio, etc. Or a gentle activity like meditation, stretching, writing a gratitude journal. TV tends to have too many food oriented things, especially the commercials.
Good luck!

jrhodges20

So my dilema is kind of the opposite, I am on a night shift, right now I can say I am liking it. But I find myself getting up more during the middle of the day and wanting to eat something, anything. I just want to grab something quick, and go right back to bed. I seem to get up every couple hours or so. Part of it is the dogs, my oldest knows and can sleep most of the day, my youngest one though, just over a year, maybe two and new to our clan. He just doesn't get it...with time. I'll be on this shift till at least the end of June. The other part I just don't think a body is meant to sleep during the day. The funny thing about this is that when I go back to a normal sleep schedule and sleep at night, I don't hardly ever get up, and when I do it's a quick run outside and right back to bed. Any thoughts?

OpenHeaven

I really try to stop eating at least 2 hours before bed - not because Oprah started a craze a decade ago, but simply because I sleep better, and honestly, if I eat late, I am really tired and tend to binge!! :noway:

I can gauge if I am truly hungry by drinking a large glass of water, and then waiting at least 15 minutes - usually the cravings subside. Often, when I think I am hungry, I am actually dehydrated!! What I do (and I know this sounds silly) when I REALLY want to eat something, but know I shouldn't, is brush my teeth! Or pop in some minty gum if it happens to be during the day when I am out and about. If you HAVE to have something, go with some veggies.

You can do it!!! Make it a goal! Start training yourself to not snack so late...

Additionally, try going to bed earlier...I know it's not fun, but your body needs rest!!! Bonus - if you are sleeping, you won't be snacking!! AND you will have more energy to exercise and have fun looking hot!!!

rawhidenadz

I save calories for night time, and then I eat at night.

I stay at my calorie goal for the day.

Try it!

I do this too.

Me too. I do IF and it's really helped me a lot

HonkyTonks

I save calories for night time, and then I eat at night.

I stay at my calorie goal for the day.

Try it!

I do this too.

Me too. I do IF and it's really helped me a lot

Yay, love to hear people finding success with IF.

almaster666

Even at a deficit?
<.<

>.>

Nah!

Good point - but she should still try to avoid simple sugars!

nicholettebell

If I get late night munchies, I have an orange, apple, cottage cheese, or a few (like 8) tortilla chips to satiate the hunger I think I am feeling. Some slices of turkey is good too. Or some low fat cheese.

Honestly, the best thing to do is just deny yourself. It will get easier, eventually.

Best luck.

Brittany

True! It eventually will get easier. I still go through that every once in a while. When I get tired I crave carbs, but I have to tell myself that I'm just tired and need to go to bed instead of snacking.

twilks11

I work a very strange work schedule...7pm to 7am so I am a big night eater. I know how you feel I have always eaten most of my calories at night for as long as I can remember. My new thing is..If I have to eat I try easy things like fruit or even roasted veggies are very good and filling. lately i put green beans on a cookie sheet with garlic and olive oil and roast them and you get alot for very little calories..Of also if you can save just a few calories even if its only 100 or 200 you can even eat ice cream..They have some great new flavor ice cream with half the fat since I don't like fat free..On bowl of that with some syrup is only a 125 calories depending on what brand..Not sure if this helps but I have a huge list of great food to eat at night..Also try not to eat an hour before bed...

Natihilator

I'm pretty bad for late night snacking, some nights more than others. I find that if I eat right when I get up in the morning and resist late night snacks, it helps to regulate my sleep schedule (I work at home and back in the fall was going to be around 7am and getting up at 4pm, not productive or good) Then there are nights when I resist snacking but have trouble falling asleep on an empty stomach and have to have a little something.

I find that having late dinners (between 7:30 and 8:30) helps to not snack later.

Kell_Smurthwaite

I plan for an evening/night snack and logg everything ahead of schedule so it's locked in. Four nights a week I HAVE to have something late at night (after 10.30pm) because I work those evenings and my dinner is at around 3.30pm - I don't get anything else to eat till I get home again, so I have a large dinner and plan a light, late-night snack for when I come home. If yo uknow your tendency is to snack in the late hours, plan for it in your overall choices for the day, If you plan ahead and log things BEFORE you eat them, you can tweak things to make sure you stay within your allowances.


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hunter624

Plan your daily exercise to account for the snacking at night, it works for me....but i prefer a beer of a whisky at night... coming up to 30 days and 5.75 lbs lighter and no diet discomfort. thank you M F P

AntWrig

I'm so bad for it.

Junk food or not, I'm pretty bad for eating in the middle of the night.
My sleep pattern is a bit messed up, but I always eat at night.

and If I don't I will literally sit there and think about eating for hours, or until I eat something..


What are some tricks you do to help with this?

You're snacking because you're hungry. More than likely you're probably UNDER EATING. Create a healthy diet with a modest deficit and you shouldn't have to snack in the middle of the night.

AntWrig

I work a very strange work schedule...7pm to 7am so I am a big night eater. I know how you feel I have always eaten most of my calories at night for as long as I can remember. My new thing is..If I have to eat I try easy things like fruit or even roasted veggies are very good and filling. lately i put green beans on a cookie sheet with garlic and olive oil and roast them and you get alot for very little calories..Of also if you can save just a few calories even if its only 100 or 200 you can even eat ice cream..They have some great new flavor ice cream with half the fat since I don't like fat free..On bowl of that with some syrup is only a 125 calories depending on what brand..Not sure if this helps but I have a huge list of great food to eat at night..Also try not to eat an hour before bed...

I don't understand this post. Your work shift is from 7pm-7am. Why would your food choices magically change, just because it's "night time" or dark outside?

coconutbuNZ

If we could only adjust our body clock and go to sleep at night at the time we should, then it wouldn't be a problem, hence the reason why they say that sleep deprivation causes weight gain.

Jezebel_Barbie

You're snacking because you're hungry. More than likely you're probably UNDER EATING. Create a healthy diet with a modest deficit and you shouldn't have to snack in the middle of the night.

Maybe, maybe not. I can't speak for the OP but if I'm snacking it's usually out of boredom or habit than hunger.