Overeating at night

ToniK1957
ToniK1957 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Anyone have any good strategies. I am good all day and go wild at night with food!

Replies

  • Karynsmom
    Karynsmom Posts: 1
    i have hot tea with splenda and sugar free vanilla powdered creamer...total of 30 cals.... works for me !!! if i'm still hungry, i'll have another cup !!!
  • ToniK1957
    ToniK1957 Posts: 2
    Thanks!
  • miasapearl
    miasapearl Posts: 38 Member
    I like sliced cucumbers or hot herbal tea to satisfy my nighttime cravings.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    skip breakfast and eat more at night , this way it will still fit into your calorie limit
  • 1mailgal1
    1mailgal1 Posts: 2
    I have the same 'overeating at night' problem. It's my strongest weakness. It's the one thing I would like to get a handle on as I start this weight loss journey.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    SAME!!! I found that green tea with some honey and sugar free mints by the bed helps. Also, make sure you aren't going to bed more than 4 hours after eating something. That was always a problem for me.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
    Maybe try saving some calories to eat at night. When you eat doesn't matter as long as your calories overall are constant.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Maybe try saving some calories to eat at night. When you eat doesn't matter as long as your calories overall are constant.
    ^^^
    this and again eat less for breakfast or skip it... maybe do some extra cardio, just save plenty of calories for late at night !
  • eagle1elitepro
    eagle1elitepro Posts: 5 Member
    Sometimes the fix is not something physical like food or a special imported Chinese tea.... it could be physiological. i would get anxiety at night for whatever reason and i would use food as a void filler. once i got in a right frame of mind i wouldn't need the food at night.. find out whats your deal.. try hypnosis, meditation, counseling or a diet audio book.. DO you have a goal, a wedding or a trip coming up soon? print it out and pin it up near your computer or wallet.. to remind you.. finding your issue is a task but once you find out why, you will Concur it!! good luck..
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I have to leave the majority of my calories for late afternoon/evening - that's when I'm hungriest. I just eat small in the morning.
  • xSveltex
    xSveltex Posts: 18 Member
    I have this problem too. I'll be great all day, then suddenly its time to triple check the fridge.

    I think it would depend on what your having a craving for.

    Sweets?
    Have you tried frozen grapes. Freezing them always makes the grapes taste sweeter so it seems as if you get more bang for your buck.

    Vinegar?
    Addicted to pickled everything. Try kosher dill pickles, onion pickles, pickled okra, etc.

    Salt?
    Try umeboshi (pickled plums), or even kimchee.

    All of these fill the cravings with very little damage to your intake. I think it just depends a lot on what you have on hand when the urge hits you.
  • SilentMelody
    SilentMelody Posts: 57 Member
    First, do NOT skip a meal. Maybe downsize or something on breakfast if that's something you want to work towards but don't ditch it altogether. If you find yourself mostly snacking at night try to find some healthy alternatives. I keep a bag of baby carrots in the fridge for that. Or some sugar snap peas, apples are good for an in-between meal snack. For something salty, edamame with some salt sprinkled on top helps. Mixed nuts are great, especially right now that they have the whole ones in the shell so you have to work for it a little more and eat less.

    Just change it up. See what your problem meals/foods are and come up with options to fix it :) best of luck
  • cindywomack1
    cindywomack1 Posts: 33 Member
    Don't skip breakfast! That is the most important meal of the day. How much water are you drinking? After dinner, and before bed, I try to drink at least 4 glasses of water to help keep me feeling more full and less likely to snack. Maybe adjust your meal times so that there is less time between dinner and bed?
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Don't skip breakfast! That is the most important meal of the day. How much water are you drinking? After dinner, and before bed, I try to drink at least 4 glasses of water to help keep me feeling more full and less likely to snack. Maybe adjust your meal times so that there is less time between dinner and bed?

    why is breakfast so important? I would love to hear why ... and the post above yours who is saying the same thing .. either of you care to tell me why
  • cindywomack1
    cindywomack1 Posts: 33 Member
    Don't skip breakfast! That is the most important meal of the day. How much water are you drinking? After dinner, and before bed, I try to drink at least 4 glasses of water to help keep me feeling more full and less likely to snack. Maybe adjust your meal times so that there is less time between dinner and bed?

    why is breakfast so important? I would love to hear why ... and the post above yours who is saying the same thing .. either of you care to tell me why

    Reduced hunger. Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office. In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.
    Healthy choices. Eating breakfast may get you on track to make healthy choices all day. When you eat breakfast, you tend to eat a healthier overall diet, one that is more nutritious and lower in fat. When you skip breakfast, you're more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day, too.
    More energy. Eating breakfast may give you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the glycogen stores that supply your muscles with immediate energy. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity.

    Eating early in the day keeps us from "starvation eating" later on. But it also jump-starts your metabolism, says Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, nutrition manager for the Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School. "When you don't eat breakfast, you're actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you're not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight."

    Here is a livestrong article http://www.livestrong.com/article/398513-why-is-breakfast-important-for-weight-loss/


    Adding steel cut oats with blueberries, cinnamon and honey was definitely instrumental in helping me -- it may not work for everyone.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    so if I eat a big breakfast I will not be as hungry 12 hours later before bed??? make s no sense at all!!!!!!! Maybe some people prefer to go to sleep on a full stomach! If I was trying to lose weight and I knew I am always hungry before bed I would find a way to cut my calories during the day weather it be from breakfast, lunch, or mid day snacks , and feast at night to sleep happy! **** MEAL FREQUENCY AND TIMING DOES NOT EFFECT WEIGHT LOSS .... EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY !!!!!!**** not when people say it is the best time to eat ;-)
  • llaurenmarie
    llaurenmarie Posts: 1,260 Member
    so if I eat a big breakfast I will not be as hungry 12 hours later before bed??? make s no sense at all!!!!!!! Maybe some people prefer to go to sleep on a full stomach! If I was trying to lose weight and I knew I am always hungry before bed I would find a way to cut my calories during the day weather it be from breakfast, lunch, or mid day snacks , and feast at night to sleep happy! **** MEAL FREQUENCY AND TIMING DOES NOT EFFECT WEIGHT LOSS .... EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY !!!!!!**** not when people say it is the best time to eat ;-)
    I agree with this. I used to eat a full breakfast to try and curb cravings until later... I would still get hungry an hour or so later..So I'd put on the big breakfast plus more calories.

    Work out your own plan.
  • skyttles
    skyttles Posts: 33 Member
    There is a lot of conflicting information when it comes to health and nutrition as our bodies are rather complex... there are quite a few articles that support skipping breakfast and the misconceptions surrounding doing so. I think it personally comes down to personal preference. I have tried eating breakfast and found its not for me. I get sluggish and want to go back to bed, i'm also just as hungry throughout the day if not even more so. Skipping breakfast has worked wonders for me. I have more energy in the morning and can consume the extra calories in the evening when i'm starving making me less likely to binge. Definitely not for everyone, but it works for me. I've also found things like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, chia seeds, and then assorted fruits and veggies do a really good job of leaving me feeling full in the evenings.
  • davidsgirl145
    davidsgirl145 Posts: 162 Member
    Eat more fat and protein for breakfast and lunch! Totally works!
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
    I quit eating after 8 but that's mostly because if I don't I get reflux. It sure cuts back on my calorie intake in the evening though especially if I haven't eaten heavily during the day.
  • lookpretty
    lookpretty Posts: 276 Member
    I eat at nite regardless of if Im truly hungry, if I dont eat I feel deprived, Im working on working through this too
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
    Some experts/writers of diet books say never to eat after 8:00 pm, but frankly I'm losing and I exercise from around 9:00 - 10:00 pm and eat after that. So, I might have a couple hundred calories around 10:30 - 11:00 pm. I go to sleep around 12:00 or 1:00. Works for me, we're all wired differently. I stay in my calorie goal and don't worry about what time I'm eating. (In fact, depending on how much I burn on the late workout sometimes I have to make myself eat more than I want to, to get UP to my calorie goal and not have too high a deficit for the day. I could do better with planning that, but I'm always afraid I'll punk out on the exercise and have already eaten the food.)

    Before I started paying attention to calories, I would tear the house apart at night looking for snacks I shouldn't eat. Now, I have food I plan to eat: walnuts, a soy fake chicken nugget, 1/4 an avocado. I find stuff with protein and fat to be very satisfying when I eat them late and I go to sleep not feeling deprived or thinking about food. I even added a meal in my calorie tracker called "Late Snack."

    On days when i don't work out or I use up my calories early, I have to tough it out in the evening and it's still hard. Water helps then.

    I don't skip breakfast either. I used to, and I would run out of energy and have a hard time concentrating. That was one of the bad habits that I believe contributed to my weight gain because I ate much larger meals later. Now, I eat all damn day - smallish meals that keep me in my calorie goal. :) [Today doesn't count.]

    Edit: When I say "all wired differently," I mean our preferences. I am not implying I am "a special snowflake" and my metabolism works differently than anybody else's.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,552 Member
    I plan my meals and snacks in advance trying to make my last meal and snack of the day as late as possible.I never skip a meal.
  • MumOfADuo
    MumOfADuo Posts: 294 Member
    I need support on this too....its NOT because I am 'tummy' hungry....its at the end of my long work day and its the 1st time I can sit and relax, so thats when I tend to MINDLESS eat because I am 'head' hungry......
  • MumOfADuo
    MumOfADuo Posts: 294 Member
    Maybe try saving some calories to eat at night. When you eat doesn't matter as long as your calories overall are constant.
    ^^^
    this and again eat less for breakfast or skip it... maybe do some extra cardio, just save plenty of calories for late at night !
    Never a good idea to skip breakfast....its the jumpstart to your day...which jumpstarts your metabolism.....its breaking your fast...just my thoughts....
  • MumOfADuo
    MumOfADuo Posts: 294 Member
    Really good insight! I know for me this is how it is!!!! Its not actual hunger.....hmmmm...now to figure out 'why' lol
  • selkins1989
    selkins1989 Posts: 1
    Breakfast itself is not important. Its what you eat to break the fast with that matters--not the time of day. If you eat something healthy and nutritious for your first meal of the day (not those sugary carb cereals) it will help to set you up for a pattern of healthier eating throughout the day. The idea is that you will satisfy your bodies nutritional requirements so that you will not crave these unhealthy foods as much and hopefully this will eventually eliminate all cravings. Hope that makes sense!

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