Gorging at night

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CH71S
CH71S Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having a problem eating too much at dinner and before i go to bed. I am doing good on my calorie intake at breakfast and lunch. I'm not really even hungry when I eat. I guess I just do it for the taste of something. I would welcome any suggestions as I have gained 7 lbs back. I've lost 60 total and can't go back to being like I was before. On tons of medication and feeling like crap. Please help.
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  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    If you like to snack at night then you might want to consider eating less earlier in the day. Maybe delaying your breakfast for a while - especially if you aren't hungry. There is no law that says you have to eat breakfast / lunch OR dinner as long as you are meeting your calories and macros it makes no difference when you eat.

    I am having to do this myself as I also like to snack before bed and have been missing it since I have had to drop my calories a little in order to continue losing. So instead of eating 1000 calories before 1 pm I am cutting back so that I can have my snack after dinner.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    Same here. I have never eaten a lot at night and just started doing that. Sometimes I just try to drink a glass of milk and that seems to help. Good luck to ya!!!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    I agree with cutting back during the day and saving those cals for at night, esp if you feel you're eating just because you feel you have to but aren't really hungry. I was doing the same thing, eating breakfast, lunch and a snack then feeling ravenous the rest of the night going over my allowance often. Since delaying breakfast a few hours and not eating as much (sometimes I skip breakfast and start with lunch) my days have been so much better and I'm almost always within my allowance nor do I feel the need to binge at night. Meal timing does not matter, calories in vs. calories out does.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    I am having a problem eating too much at dinner and before i go to bed. I am doing good on my calorie intake at breakfast and lunch. I'm not really even hungry when I eat. I guess I just do it for the taste of something. I would welcome any suggestions as I have gained 7 lbs back. I've lost 60 total and can't go back to being like I was before. On tons of medication and feeling like crap. Please help.
    Have you looked into Intermittent Fasting? There are many plans where you eat most or even all of your calories in the evening. As you know: what works best is something YOU find sustainable. There are IF groups on here and if you google, Eat Stop Eat, Leangains or Warrior diet, you can learn more from those sources as well. I am a night eater too. If you look at my diary from yesterday, you will see that I had most of my calories for supper and dessert. Yesterday is an extreme example for me, as I usually have a bigger breakfast and a small lunch. But you can tailor meal timing and frequency to your own preferences because it makes very little difference in the larger scheme of things.
  • TDiaz214
    TDiaz214 Posts: 108 Member
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    You can try only making less food at night ? Perhaps cook half of what you usually make .
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    Here's a good link from the Eat, Train, Progress group that is worth reading, about meal frequency: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol
  • PaulHalicki
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    When my calories are spent, they're spent. I make a point of putting in my calories when I eat them, and I just don't let myself go negative (well, maybe just a little once in a while... less than 100 calories). But just thinking about entering them, and checking my phone to see how many calories I've got left, is usually enough of a disincentive.

    The only alternative is if I want to eat more than my allotment, I get on my bicycle and ride a few miles to subtract from my calorie total. I regard those calories as not quite real though (in terms of eating them all back), I usually just eat maybe a quarter of exercise calories back. I think the estimates for exercise are not very accurate unless you've had your metabolism checked.
  • CristyinMiami
    CristyinMiami Posts: 61 Member
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    Story of my life.
  • TDiaz214
    TDiaz214 Posts: 108 Member
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    Also you can drink some water during your meal / have a bunch of salad on the side during the meal
  • rmdaly
    rmdaly Posts: 250 Member
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    I'm not really even hungry when I eat. I guess I just do it for the taste of something.

    I often eat in the evening out of boredom or anxiety. Sometimes life at home isn't great and I eat. I'm not hungry. Could that be your issue? If so, find a way to recognize what the problem is and work on that. I've been trying to eat only in the kitchen at the table and doing yoga or meditation in the evening. Some people brush their teeth when they want to be done.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Eat less during the day so you have calories for the evening. I've always prefered to eat a lot in the evening/night. I don't know why and I don't care, I just go with it. I try to start eating later in the day and eat light till dinner. Then I have a late dinner that is a big meal, and I have calories left for a snack / dessert before bed.
  • PaulHalicki
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    Some people brush their teeth when they want to be done.

    I've done that at times. And riding my bicycle is kind of like the yoga/meditation: It takes the distraction of food away and elevates my mood.
  • ashleyinthecold
    ashleyinthecold Posts: 89 Member
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    I used to have this problem pretty severely -- I definitely learned it from my parents. And "snacking" while you're cooking dinner. Wtf is that?

    Anyway, I work out at night because that's the only time I have to do it, and that really seems to cut down on any desire to snack out of boredom.
  • lukasmac
    lukasmac Posts: 216 Member
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    I have struggled with this also. I usually give myself some wiggle room for a small 200 calorie intake after dinner. As they say, once you start, it can be difficult to stop.

    What I found out that helped a lot... waking up early, delaying as long as you can, eating lunch, delaying dinner as long as you can, then by the time you hit that pillow you most likely will be pretty tired. It sucks to start feeling hungry about 9pm and can't get to sleep until about Midnight. That's a lot of food to think about.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Try eating smaller (or skipping) breakfasts and lunches thus saving calories for the evening when you're more likely to eat a lot. Some people only eat at night for this very reason.
  • norrisski
    norrisski Posts: 1,217 Member
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    If you like to snack at night then you might want to consider eating less earlier in the day. Maybe delaying your breakfast for a while - especially if you aren't hungry. There is no law that says you have to eat breakfast / lunch OR dinner as long as you are meeting your calories and macros it makes no difference when you eat.

    I am having to do this myself as I also like to snack before bed and have been missing it since I have had to drop my calories a little in order to continue losing. So instead of eating 1000 calories before 1 pm I am cutting back so that I can have my snack after dinner.

    Never skip breakfast. Maybe you are hungry at night because you aren't eating enough filling stuff during the day such as fruits and vegetables. Also step away from the carbs at night and eat a protein source instead.
  • kaned_ferret
    kaned_ferret Posts: 618 Member
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    I prefer to save my calories for the evening, especially as I like a drink after work (though thanks to the car blowing up and finances not being in a good way, that's being knocked on the head for a while too!). So from waking til my evening meal I will often have under 500 calories. And I exercise in the evening as well which tends to suppress any need to snack for the sake of it. Nothing wrong with making the calories fit your eating habits :drinker:
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    If you like to snack at night then you might want to consider eating less earlier in the day. Maybe delaying your breakfast for a while - especially if you aren't hungry. There is no law that says you have to eat breakfast / lunch OR dinner as long as you are meeting your calories and macros it makes no difference when you eat.

    I am having to do this myself as I also like to snack before bed and have been missing it since I have had to drop my calories a little in order to continue losing. So instead of eating 1000 calories before 1 pm I am cutting back so that I can have my snack after dinner.

    Never skip breakfast. Maybe you are hungry at night because you aren't eating enough filling stuff during the day such as fruits and vegetables. Also step away from the carbs at night and eat a protein source instead.
    There are no proven benefits to forcing yourself to eat breakfast. Also, if you've hit your protein and fat goals for the day, there is no reason to avoid carbs at night either. I eat the greater percentage of my carbs at night and have lost 120lbs in 15 months.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    If you like to snack at night then you might want to consider eating less earlier in the day. Maybe delaying your breakfast for a while - especially if you aren't hungry. There is no law that says you have to eat breakfast / lunch OR dinner as long as you are meeting your calories and macros it makes no difference when you eat.

    I am having to do this myself as I also like to snack before bed and have been missing it since I have had to drop my calories a little in order to continue losing. So instead of eating 1000 calories before 1 pm I am cutting back so that I can have my snack after dinner.

    Never skip breakfast. Maybe you are hungry at night because you aren't eating enough filling stuff during the day such as fruits and vegetables. Also step away from the carbs at night and eat a protein source instead.
    There are no proven benefits to forcing yourself to eat breakfast. Also, if you've hit your protein and fat goals for the day, there is no reason to avoid carbs at night either. I eat the greater percentage of my carbs at night and have lost 120lbs in 15 months.

    ^this x 100
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    If you like to snack at night then you might want to consider eating less earlier in the day. Maybe delaying your breakfast for a while - especially if you aren't hungry. There is no law that says you have to eat breakfast / lunch OR dinner as long as you are meeting your calories and macros it makes no difference when you eat.

    I am having to do this myself as I also like to snack before bed and have been missing it since I have had to drop my calories a little in order to continue losing. So instead of eating 1000 calories before 1 pm I am cutting back so that I can have my snack after dinner.

    Never skip breakfast. Maybe you are hungry at night because you aren't eating enough filling stuff during the day such as fruits and vegetables. Also step away from the carbs at night and eat a protein source instead.
    Nothing wrong with skipping breakfast, if it suits your preferences, energy levels etc, and assuming you don't have a medical condition that necessitates eating breakfast. Nothing wrong with eating carbs at night either. I prefer to eat the majority of my day's food after 7 pm, and I skip breakfast probably 5 days of the week. That suits me better and I haven't had any problem losing or maintaining weight. I want to eat late in the day regardless of how much I've eaten earlier, and usually, eating breakfast makes me ravenous around 11am, whereas if I skip it, I'm fine til 1pm. As for carbs at night, the last thing I eat is usually either chocolate, or a piece of toast. This is one of those situations where you need to find what works for you.

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