Late Night Snacking

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  • secondhandaddictionsmg
    secondhandaddictionsmg Posts: 14
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    How about snacking on a bunch of veggies? Most veggies have "negative" calories, meaning it takes more to digest them then the amount you get from eating them. Or a nice big salad....same idea with "negative" low calories and then your body is getting nutrients it's probably craving from cutting your calories with dieting.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I've been there!
    I had to get away from the mindset that I needed food late at night. I had subconsciously made the connection of eating and preparing for sleep. I was so hungry at nigh, because I was really just so tired.
    Here are some things to try
    - Think about not what you could eat now but what you will eat for breakfast! they call it breakfast because you are literally breaking a fast. We are designed to do this at night so that are bodies can get enough sleep
    - only eat at kitchen table, no tv, no music, no distractions. If you commit to doing this you might find, like I did, that I wasnt truly hungry before bed just bored.
    -d something else between eating and sleeping, journaling, reading, something.
    - go to bed hungry, if you find it difficult to fall asleep, you may have connected food and sleep like I did.

    or you could save some calories and enjoy a little something in the evening before bed.... as long as you still have a deficit you will still lose weight
  • crandos
    crandos Posts: 377 Member
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    I just ate 700 calories laying here in bed watching tv, I guarantee you meal frequency has no bearing on weightloss. If you maintain a calorie deficit you will lose weight. I have eaten this way since I started and have lost a couple pounds..... Best of Luck

    Wow man 300+ lost thats amazing well done!
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    I eat a big lunch 800 cals and a big dinner 1000 cals or so at 7 - 8 pm. Still struggle with late night munching. It gets easier and then harder. Lol good luck:)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    How about snacking on a bunch of veggies? Most veggies have "negative" calories, meaning it takes more to digest them then the amount you get from eating them. Or a nice big salad....same idea with "negative" low calories and then your body is getting nutrients it's probably craving from cutting your calories with dieting.
    Uhhh no. No such thing as negative calorie foods. That's an old, silly myth.
  • sarahkay2007
    sarahkay2007 Posts: 42 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel! It is my number 1 problem especialy because I am a night owl too....you've just gotta try and occupy your mind with other things and make sure you have enough for dinner and you can snack just don't go over your calories. Healthy snacks are okay too and if you get to bed earlier you won't want to to eat. Good luck babe x
  • clo92boom
    clo92boom Posts: 20 Member
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    Why don't you just try going to sleep earlier so there's no time to binge? Unless you mean that hunger keeps you awake, if that's the case i would suggest having a small glass of milk, it's gentle on the stomach and quite soothing before bed and also quite filling i find
  • bbuttonfuzz
    bbuttonfuzz Posts: 2
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    Late night snacking was always tied to me "vegging out in front of the TV" and really mindlessly munching on a large bag of chips. Just thinking about it reminds me of the feeling. I could devour a whole bag, but leave just a little in the bottom to mentally comfort myself that I didn't eat the whole thing, what a farce. The best thing that helped me was to eat enough veggies during dinner that created enough "bulk" to make me feel full.
    Recently I have been eating Kale which seems to really help keep me feeling full. This has removed my craving and mindless eating habit. Along with this I have added flax seed to shakes, cereal, soup, and since doing this my late night cravings have subsided and actually gone away.
    Also, what has helped me is just taking some exercise like a walk, vigorous mind you and not a snails pace.

    Good luck, stay busy (even read a book) and hoping you find your way to stay away from the mindless munchies :)
  • elizabethpais
    elizabethpais Posts: 2 Member
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    this used to happen to me a lot. i always seem to crave something a little sweet before bed. i bought a bag of small candies like werthers or reisens, something i really enjoy, and just have one or two. that way you're only consuming a few calories but having a bit of an indulgence at the same time. kept me from reaching for ice cream, or binging on something just out of habit. also i think we've all been there. and like others have said if you're keeping within your daily calories don't fret :)
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
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    I have always been a 'snacker', so I divide my calories into 5 or 6 meals a day, including one or two snacks in the evening. I work 12 hour night shifts 3 nights a week, so I think this has a lot to do with it also. Allow yourself the calories you need to have a snack you will enjoy in the evening, that way instead of consuming 'extra calories', they are already banked for you to enjoy!!
  • kat_lifts
    kat_lifts Posts: 56
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    Well late night snacking isn't always the best idea, I think it's great that you want to try to solve this dilemma. Our metabolism is slowed down in the evening.. And at least for me I'm always in the mood for something sweet. Last night for example, I brewed some herbal tea (non caffeine) and going through that process of steeping it, then waiting for it to cool and then sipping on something warm... Just calmed me and put me to sleep. My stomach was full of this warm tea and I didn't feel all that hungry.

    But I'm not perfect! On the days I do crave my sweet night treat, I blend up a frozen banana and eat it like icecream. I'm not quite sure what you crave at night but there's a clean food for every junk food.

    And become a morning person too, that way you'll go to bed earlier and not lurking around in the kitchen late at night. Hope all this helps , it really sounds like your on the right track! Good luck
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
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    Late night snacking definitely is a huge enemy to me. But I've gotten better by looking at my daily intake, by thinking about what I'd have to do to work it off, by looking at inspiration, by reminding myself of my goal and asking, "Is this food worth it?".
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    Well late night snacking isn't always the best idea, I think it's great that you want to try to solve this dilemma. Our metabolism is slowed down in the evening.. And at least for me I'm always in the mood for something sweet. Last night for example, I brewed some herbal tea (non caffeine) and going through that process of steeping it, then waiting for it to cool and then sipping on something warm... Just calmed me and put me to sleep. My stomach was full of this warm tea and I didn't feel all that hungry.

    But I'm not perfect! On the days I do crave my sweet night treat, I blend up a frozen banana and eat it like icecream. I'm not quite sure what you crave at night but there's a clean food for every junk food.

    And become a morning person too, that way you'll go to bed earlier and not lurking around in the kitchen late at night. Hope all this helps , it really sounds like your on the right track! Good luck

    Late night eating has nothing to do with fat loss. You can eat at any time of the day.
  • jgal86
    jgal86 Posts: 77
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    Are you okay with drinking diet sodas? If I am feeling a huge late-night craving coming on, I drink one of those mini cans of diet pepsi. It makes the hunger pangs less sharp and its a sweet treat.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    Are you okay with drinking diet sodas? If I am feeling a huge late-night craving coming on, I drink one of those mini cans of diet pepsi. It makes the hunger pangs less sharp and its a sweet treat.

    +1

    Caffeine is a very good appetite suppressant.
  • gigi_RN2013
    gigi_RN2013 Posts: 141 Member
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    this happens to me to so i don't even fight it :) i just allot calories so that i don't go over for the day ...
    some things that i eat that satisfy my hunger pangs are: coconut juice, glass of milk, celery w/ peanut butter, fruits, granola bar, oatmeal ... try to eat something healthy if i can ... but if not, ice cream always works :)

    ps. i used to drink green tea but i had a hard time going to bed ...
  • achantee
    achantee Posts: 18 Member
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    I normally do a cold cut like turkey and string cheese (weight watchers smoked mozzarella). It's only about 100 calories and all protein so it won't turn in to fat. Its actually good to eat a little something before bed. I don't know if you're up for it, but if it makes you feel any better, as soon as you get up do like 15 minutes of cardio in the morning. That way you burn whatever you ate the night before. I usually do a run, and actually need to eat a little something before bed for fuel
  • wannabpiper
    wannabpiper Posts: 402 Member
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    By the way, I try to drink water instead....
    I still can't get the thoughts out of my head that I'm "hungry"....
    I need so much help in this area. I could lose so much weight if I eliminated late night snacking.

    Please do not take this unkindly; it really happened to me and it worked out well. I went to a therapist for some "issues" that I was having that were making me sick. She worked with me on four different occasions, and each time her bottom line answer was to start taking responsibility for my actions. One of those was that I - and ONLY I - have control over my mind. If I eat late at night, and that was a big issue for me, then I CHOSE to do that.

    I bought a pretty leather bound journal and started journaling whenever I had that urge to graze at night. I'm not a big believer in all of that touchy-feely stuff like journaling, but I was desperate. I found that when I journaled I wrote all sorts of things - just thoughts in my head, whether they were angry, frustrated, bored, tired, or just plain mundane.

    It really did help, and now when I'm beginning the power-eating ritual at night, I pull out my pretty little journal and get control over my actions.

    Best wishes!
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 672 Member
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    Make room for it in your total daily caloric intake. Snacking at night is not going to cause you to gain weight. It's total calories for the day, not if you eat after 8-9 PM.
    Personally, I would rather eat a snack than drink something that contains caffeine before I am going to bed for two reasons.
    1) it would keep me awake and
    2) the middle of the night need to get up and pee.
    *sleep is also an important part of any healthy living plan

    Eat something! Just make sure you leave room for it, since you know you are going to want it.
  • NerdyTXChick
    NerdyTXChick Posts: 155 Member
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    I have trouble with getting the munchies at night, so I plan an after dinner snack, working it into my calories. Lately I've been stuck on air popped popcorn. I also always plan a fruit with supper (usually strawberries), and sometimes I'll eat half and save the other for later that night when I suddenly want something sweet.

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