Pigging out at night!

faely
faely Posts: 144 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so, I have this terrible habit of stuffing my face (and my belly) until I'm ready to explode, and then stuffing some more. This almost always happens at night. I don't believe its just a carb craving because I'll eat anything.

What I DO think it is, is feeling deprived.

My nutrionist gave me 1600 calorie goal; so I broke that down into 400 calories for each main meal, then 200 calories for 2 snacks. Here's a typical day for me foodwise -

Breakfast: Greek lowfat yogurt or Activia lowfat yogurt (60cals), some avocado (200cals if i eat a whole small one), an orange or a banana (~100 cals), or maybe a homemade granola bar (180cals).

Lunch: Salad greens with baked chicken or sliced deli turkey, tomato, sometimes carrots/celery, and lite ranch or viniagrette. (~300cals)

Dinner: We like chicken so I often make baked chicken with veggies like broccoli or brussel sprouts, peas/corn, etc. Sometimes I throw in some brown rice and cream of chicken soup and mix it all together.
Then I have more dinner, and keep eating, or find something else to eat, like Baked chips, or anything I can get my hands on. Or, I'll get baked chicken from the deli, or some chicken strips, fast food now and then (even though it makes me ill afterwards) etc etc. (1,000,000,000,000 cals)

Snacks: orange, celery+peanut butter, chips, candy, beef jerky, mini packs of cookies, (as the day wears on the food choices start getting poorer and poorer)

Beverages: water, cold tea (not so much anymore)

I recently had a terrible bout of cellulitis and was mostly bed-ridden for the better part of 3 weeks, some of that time spent in the hospital. While I was ill I had hardly any appetite and was able to eat small meals, small portions, and feel sated. Now that I'm up and about again it seems like I just can't quit eating! It's like I have no willpower. I lost 10 lbs while I was sick and the weight is slowly creeping back up. I have gained 2 lbs in the 3 weeks since, even though I have added quite a bit more exercise. I used to have a very sedentary life but getting the cellulitis along with the diabetes I already have made me very angry and more determined than ever to continue getting healthier, so I joined a gym and have gone fairly regularly, working with a trainer a few times, who tells me the trick to lose weight (for me) is just calories in vs calories out but that doesn't seem to be working. Even if I come in under my calorie goal I'm still not losing, just maintaining or gaining a lb or 4 then going back down.

Sorry this is so long, I'm just really frustrated!

Thanks for letting me vent.

Replies

  • ixa73
    ixa73 Posts: 24 Member
    Hi

    I don't necessarily have a solution, but have a few suggestions...
    * Psyllium husk, which is a natural fibre serves lots of uses, when you mix a tabelspoon with a glass of water it helps make you feel full for longer, increases your fibre intake and helps bind with fat to lower your cholesterol. Try having a glass before dinner. Drink it quickly after mixing as it becomes jellly-like if you leave it.
    * Drink more fresh water
    * Try juicing green juice - kale/silverbeet/cucumber/ celery/1 apple/1 lemon helps you feel full and really good for you
    * Exercise before dinner - helps burn the calories. Try high intensity training
    * Get enough sleep - go to bed earlier if your snacking late at night. Lack of sleep makes you hungrier as it increases your hormone levels (of Leptin).
    * Empty your pantry of tempting foods like beef jerky, candy, cookies and chips
    * Brazil nuts are lower in carbs than ither buts and help you feel full - but not a bowl full :)
    * I have recently watched a documentary (Eat, Fast & Live Longer) and read about the 5:2 diet which may be worth researching (2 non-consecutive days of fasting and 5 days of normal eating have shown to lower blood-sugar levels quite dramatically over 3 months as well as cholesterol levels and improve weight loss).
    * I find I have less urge to eat everything in sight when I haven't eaten processed foods and sugar for a few days but it's the weening off sugar for more than 2 days that I struggle with :)
  • obrientp
    obrientp Posts: 546 Member
    Maybe try scattering some healthy grains/carbs and fats throughout your day? You seem to be lean toward more unhealthy fats and carbs as the day goes on, Maybe if you had more of the healthy kind throughout the day, you won't feel the need to have the unhealthy kind as the day wears on.
  • faely
    faely Posts: 144 Member
    Maybe try scattering some healthy grains/carbs and fats throughout your day? You seem to be lean toward more unhealthy fats and carbs as the day goes on, Maybe if you had more of the healthy kind throughout the day, you won't feel the need to have the unhealthy kind as the day wears on.

    That's exactly what I was thinking. That I'm feeling deprived and if I had better and more filling healthy stuff earlier in the day then I wouldn't feel so hungry and not sated at night.

    @ixa - some interesting suggestions there as well : )

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