Really sucking at staying under my calorie goal lately...

aliencheesecake
aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
in Motivation and Support
...and need some support and ideas. :(

In general, I have a problem with midnight snacking. I'm just not one of those people that can "stop eating" just because I'm out of calories, and I can't sleep if I'm hungry, so if I have to get up in the middle of the night (which is often, it seems) then I often have to eat a small snack... but even the small snacks add up, and if my daughter has a rough night and I have to be up even longer than a few minutes, I can have up to 500 calories under my belt (pardon the pun) before I even get up in the morning....

So I'm kind of getting dejected at my lack of progress... :/ I keep water by my bed, and sometimes juice, for a quick fix, but it's not always enough to allow me to go back to sleep.

Any ideas or even just support would be appreciated!

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I have trouble with eating at night as well. I try to spread my meals out throughout the day, and plan a 200-300 calorie meal at night, usually about 8-8:30pm. Usually, this is enough to keep me from being hungry when I'm trying to get to sleep.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Reserve 200 calories for midnight snacks. However, I'm concerned that its possible you might be not eating enough throughout the day.
  • rhall9058
    rhall9058 Posts: 270 Member
    Only way others could attempt to help to meet your needs is to open your diary up for suggestions and considerations by others.
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    I used to have the same problem. I've managed to combat it by eating little and often, so instead of having three large meals a day, i'll have six or seven much smaller meals at regular intervals, and a couple of little snacks to keep me going. I save the majority of my calories for the evening when i get home from work. I also find that when i'm tired, my body craves sugar in an attempt to keep it awake, which is bad; now i know this, i just ignore it and take it as a sign i need to go to bed!
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    I didn't think I was a snacker. On here I started eating smaller meals 6 X a day. Because as it turns out i'm hungry at 10am no matter what I eat or don't. Same with between every meal. So just plan on it. Split your calories up to accommodate those midnight snack calories and just count it as a meal. When I don't, I'm overhungry and eat more without being satisfied. And I feel crummy. Your diary can be customized to say whatever you want. I've got mine "Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack". Put your meals where you actually eat them. Just don't starve yourself, then binge a couple times a day. Thats hard on your body and goes against your efforts. Spread it out.
  • Lorie7931
    Lorie7931 Posts: 5
    I have a moderate issue with bingeing when I come home from work. I think the only thing that really helps in just mind control and a conscious effort. Try more water and I find that working out during the day makes me more tired and I don't wake up as much. You said you get up with your child - not sure how old she is...
  • jmb1510
    jmb1510 Posts: 45 Member
    I understand as well. I usually get hungry late at night. I keep lowfat cheese around for such an occasion. 2 ounces of Cabot extra reduced fat cheddar cheese is only 120 calories and quite a bit of hunger staving protein. That or jerky are good snacks to feel full and to keep the calories down.
  • kitticus15
    kitticus15 Posts: 152 Member
    if your on meds that can cause extra eating, like the other posters have said, it would be better for you to eat smaller meals more often, train your body to recognise it is not going to get starved, it doesn't take long, 21 days to create new patterns, 28 days to break old patterns, you can do it :smile:
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    Are you eating a high protein dinner? Maybe even try adding in some extra carbs just to keep you extra full after dinner?
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    I used to have the same problem. I've managed to combat it by eating little and often, so instead of having three large meals a day, i'll have six or seven much smaller meals at regular intervals, and a couple of little snacks to keep me going. I save the majority of my calories for the evening when i get home from work. I also find that when i'm tired, my body craves sugar in an attempt to keep it awake, which is bad; now i know this, i just ignore it and take it as a sign i need to go to bed!
    generally, the smaller more frequent meals are how I eat anyway. with "between meal snacks" that sort of function as smaller meals. I'm thinking the people suggesting I gear the majority of calories for night are prob right. Thanks!
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    I understand as well. I usually get hungry late at night. I keep lowfat cheese around for such an occasion. 2 ounces of Cabot extra reduced fat cheddar cheese is only 120 calories and quite a bit of hunger staving protein. That or jerky are good snacks to feel full and to keep the calories down.
    We practically live off Light Chuck E Cheese String cheese around here...so much so that it disappears fast and seems not to be around when I need it! lol
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    I plan a stack for late at night into every day so that I know I have something to look forward to.
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    I have a moderate issue with bingeing when I come home from work. I think the only thing that really helps in just mind control and a conscious effort. Try more water and I find that working out during the day makes me more tired and I don't wake up as much. You said you get up with your child - not sure how old she is...
    She'll be three in August, and seems to have tummy issues at night sometimes. For my part, I have an anxiety disorder and a bladder disorder so I ALWAYS wake up to pee multiple times a night, which confounds my weight loss efforts, as you can see. :/
  • rach503
    rach503 Posts: 86 Member
    Another way to approach the situation is to look at what may be keeping you up or waking you up at night. I found that I was eating my dinner too late, and that was making it harder for me to fall asleep. I also figured out that when I woke up in the middle of the night the lights from various electronics (clock, radio, wii, etc.) made it hard for me to fall back asleep. There are a lot of great articles about ways to get better sleep - maybe something in one of them will spark an idea. Just a thought!? Not being able to sleep can be so frustrating!
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    Reserve 200 calories for midnight snacks. However, I'm concerned that its possible you might be not eating enough throughout the day.
    This has occurred to me. I try to keep a good balance of fiber and protein in my food throughout the day, but I wonder if in this case, MFP is not accurate in it's assessment of my caloric needs.
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    Me too, that's why I haven't even bothered logging my food intake..... I need my mouth stabled shut
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    Another way to approach the situation is to look at what may be keeping you up or waking you up at night. I found that I was eating my dinner too late, and that was making it harder for me to fall asleep. I also figured out that when I woke up in the middle of the night the lights from various electronics (clock, radio, wii, etc.) made it hard for me to fall back asleep. There are a lot of great articles about ways to get better sleep - maybe something in one of them will spark an idea. Just a thought!? Not being able to sleep can be so frustrating!
    Thanks! Unfortunately, I have some chronic health issues, not serious, but a nuisance, that keep me up. I think I'm pretty much stuck with them... I haven't had an unbroken night's sleep in... I don't remember when!!!
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    Just plan to eat the midnight snack then. Don't use up all your calories by dinner, just think of the late snack as either 1) your last meal of the day, or 2) the first meal of the next day. Log it as appropriate, and cut back elsewhere.
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    Reserve 200 calories for midnight snacks. However, I'm concerned that its possible you might be not eating enough throughout the day.

    I think this may be a good idea. I will need to rework my "meal" categories. :/ And figure out how accurate MFP's assessment of my needs is... I mean, there's no way for them to account for lean body mass and individual needs, so maybe I'm not eating ENOUGH!
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    Just plan to eat the midnight snack then. Don't use up all your calories by dinner, just think of the late snack as either 1) your last meal of the day, or 2) the first meal of the next day. Log it as appropriate, and cut back elsewhere.
    I think this may be the ticket... But I'll prob starve throughout the day. LOL. Also, I noticed, the later I eat, the HUNGRIER I am when I wake up in the middle of the night. My body is so weird!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Reserve 200 calories for midnight snacks. However, I'm concerned that its possible you might be not eating enough throughout the day.
    This has occurred to me. I try to keep a good balance of fiber and protein in my food throughout the day, but I wonder if in this case, MFP is not accurate in it's assessment of my caloric needs.

    I had my body composition done through hydrostatic measurement and my BMR is about 100 calories over MFPs. Simple enough fix: I just put myself down as lightly active instead of inactive and add all my exercise calories back. Whether you do something like that depends on your comfort level and current weight loss. You could also eat at maintenance for a week or two and see if the snacking tapers off too.
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    Thanks! And thanks everyone for their advice!
  • blondageh
    blondageh Posts: 923 Member
    I hear you, I have been struggling with this for YEARS! I wake up and feel this instant anxiety that makes me feel like I need food to calm it down and go back to sleep. I did great for two nights in a row and then last night packed on 1300 calories in less then 10 mins. :( I wake up feeling so ashamed and like the biggest failure ever. I am on medication for it now (Trazadone) but it doesn't really seem to help. It just helps me fall asleep, it doesn't keep me asleep. And then, like you, when my 2 yr old daughter wakes up, I get even more frustrated and go eat more. To me, it is a mental issue more than anything else. I did try keeping a peeled orange or other piece of fruit on my nightstand so I don't even have to get out of bed and eat that bread and peanut butter. That seems to help, sometimes.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    I have a moderate issue with bingeing when I come home from work. I think the only thing that really helps in just mind control and a conscious effort. Try more water and I find that working out during the day makes me more tired and I don't wake up as much. You said you get up with your child - not sure how old she is...
    I solved this by putting my "snack" in the car. I look forward to that snack. It keeps me from going through drive through's or ravaging the house when I get there from hunger. I keep it something I like, and something that will not perish in the car (and my purse as well). Even a tasty bag of individual serving "sun chips" is enough for me to think i'm having a great treat, which is better than a 1200 calorie fast food dive.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I have been doing pretty bad lately myself. I know for me, the keys to eating better are easy.

    For me, I need to pre-make meals and have them at work. If not, i tend to over-eat, and eat less healthy foods.

    I need to make sure portions are sizeable of good stuff.

    I need to make sure I reduce carbs a bit more than I really want to (I LOVE bread)

    Log. Log. Log. Log. Esepcailly on "bad" days.

Categories