Late night munchies HELP!

mamasooze
mamasooze Posts: 4
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a problem with eating late at night, anyone else have a problem with this. Does it matter when you get the calories? If I save some for late night eating is that ok?

Replies

  • ketorach
    ketorach Posts: 430 Member
    I really have been struggling with this lately. I need to think about reorganizing my day to save calories for after 8.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    It doesn't matter when you get your calories, so you can rest easy with that. Are you hungry or wanting to munch? I feed my hunger and hold off on munching if I can.

    I am slowing down at night so I pick light snacks or skip them altogether these days. I will keep my hands busy knitting or something.

    Popcorn is good, and it's got volume. For taking care of munching. Pre-measure to make sure you don't go over.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    mamasooze wrote: »
    I have a problem with eating late at night, anyone else have a problem with this. Does it matter when you get the calories? If I save some for late night eating is that ok?

    Perfectly fine:
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Timing is irrelevant. It's CICO, (unless one has a medical condition).
  • Cc215
    Cc215 Posts: 228 Member
    I usually eat my main meal late at night. The timing of food doesn't matter - I just make sure I save myself enough calories for whateever I'm eating that evening.
  • mamasooze
    mamasooze Posts: 4
    Thanks this helps! Usually I am wanting something sweet and crunchy. Tried celery and hummus last night then just wanted to eat the hummus that I made! LOL
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Timing is irrelevant. It's CICO, (unless one has a medical condition).

    Even with a medical condition, it still comes down to CICO... Medical conditions may affect how the body processes certain foods or macronutrients, but weight loss still boils down to more calories burned vs stored.
  • knitcandi
    knitcandi Posts: 9 Member
    edited January 2015
    My late night snack is always air popped popcorn with a tbl spoon of melted margarine and some flavor shaker on top. I find it in the popcorn section of the grocery store and their are lots of different flavors.
    My popcorn machine doesn't leave the counter top because I use it probably five nights a week!
  • lasarabande
    lasarabande Posts: 22 Member
    edited January 2015
    Try to eat your last meal of the day before 8 pm and set an earlier bedtime for yourself. If you do this for yourself more frequently weight loss will be much easier in the long run. Having a good night's sleep (Min. 6 hours) will also help your metabolism.

    Have no snacks after 8 and if it helps you might also want to purge the pantry. I know it sounds easy to say but it has helped me when I have no easy access to snacks. Environmental control is everything at home!

    I also agree with jgnacta - distract yourself with something non-food related... like a fun hobby alternative. Read a book, make something, etc. If you don't have one, pick a hobby that requires you to be off the computer. I notice that doing nothing watching Youtube or browsing social media (i.e. Facebook, instagram etc) makes me hungry.

    One time I had to hem a bunch of pants on the sewing machine, and I ended up crashing to sleep at 9 so I didn't even have time to think about snacking...
  • jazzine1
    jazzine1 Posts: 280 Member
    I was so guilty of this. So now I just go to bed early not to have to deal with the late cravings.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    MY opinion and experience only. As long as it does not put you over your calories, I don't see the problem. I've never noticed a difference in my loses no matter what time I eat. Again, my experience only.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I usually go to the gym around 8:30pm. This has helped me alot. If I'm not sitting around watching TV I'm usually good without a snack. If I really want one after the gym, then I have a small one right before bed. Usually something like almond butter on a coco lite pop cake.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    CICO is key. I still have problems with wanting to snack at night. I keep it to tea or those 100 calorie bags of popcorn.
  • k9subsea
    k9subsea Posts: 21 Member
    Regular goldfish crackers.... 55 pcs @ 140cal and you get some carbs that sometimes cures the craving.... sugar free Popsicle are good too, you can pick up some tasty ones for about 35 cals each and can help with the sweet tooth! plus you can take your time while you eat them!!! Oh and Pop Corn but yea pre-measure the servings.....
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    lasarabande wrote: »
    Try to eat your last meal of the day before 8 pm and set an earlier bedtime for yourself. If you do this for yourself more frequently weight loss will be much easier in the long run. Having a good night's sleep (Min. 6 hours) will also help your metabolism.

    Have no snacks after 8 and if it helps you might also want to purge the pantry. I know it sounds easy to say but it has helped me when I have no easy access to snacks. Environmental control is everything at home!

    I also agree with jgnacta - distract yourself with something non-food related... like a fun hobby alternative. Read a book, make something, etc. If you don't have one, pick a hobby that requires you to be off the computer. I notice that doing nothing watching Youtube or browsing social media (i.e. Facebook, instagram etc) makes me hungry.

    One time I had to hem a bunch of pants on the sewing machine, and I ended up crashing to sleep at 9 so I didn't even have time to think about snacking...

    What happens at 8 pm?
  • FrancesAnnLFM
    FrancesAnnLFM Posts: 23
    i have the opposite problem as a diabetic i am suppose to eat some cheese and protein really late at night to stop my liver from dumping sugar while i sleep...i am a never eat anything past 6pm person wish i did have late night munchies..so 12 hours no food and yep my liver dumps sugar while i sleep.. I think eating protein or cheese or nuts at night affects anyone s blood sugar while you sleep..it all depends on what you reach for..my pov only everyone is different hubby is a night person and eats his big meals at 3am akkkkk
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    lasarabande wrote: »
    Try to eat your last meal of the day before 8 pm and set an earlier bedtime for yourself. If you do this for yourself more frequently weight loss will be much easier in the long run. Having a good night's sleep (Min. 6 hours) will also help your metabolism.

    Have no snacks after 8 and if it helps you might also want to purge the pantry. I know it sounds easy to say but it has helped me when I have no easy access to snacks. Environmental control is everything at home!

    I also agree with jgnacta - distract yourself with something non-food related... like a fun hobby alternative. Read a book, make something, etc. If you don't have one, pick a hobby that requires you to be off the computer. I notice that doing nothing watching Youtube or browsing social media (i.e. Facebook, instagram etc) makes me hungry.

    One time I had to hem a bunch of pants on the sewing machine, and I ended up crashing to sleep at 9 so I didn't even have time to think about snacking...

    Um, no... there is no need to stop eating after 8pm. CICO.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    edited January 2015
    dieselbyte wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Timing is irrelevant. It's CICO, (unless one has a medical condition).

    Even with a medical condition, it still comes down to CICO... Medical conditions may affect how the body processes certain foods or macronutrients, but weight loss still boils down to more calories burned vs stored.

    Agree, just didn't feel like elaborating, so I will stand corrected here.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    My doctor's advice is don't eat less than 2 hours before you go to bed, but for me that's about 10-11pm. Popcorn works well for me. It is oil popped, but I've cut down the butter over it to about a teaspoon and with salt, that works for me.
  • xMrBunglex
    xMrBunglex Posts: 1,121 Member
    If you're a coffee drinker, try the "decaf nightcap."

    Brew a small pot of decaf while sit down to eat dinner. Add an extra Equal to make it "sweet" - it completely obliterates the snack cravings. I do this all the time & it works!
  • keziak1
    keziak1 Posts: 204 Member
    The problem I've always had with night time eating was ending up grazing and binging. Eating a little led to eating a lot. I'm trying these days to have a very light snack around 9pm.
  • caro123shepp
    caro123shepp Posts: 59 Member
    Have a look at the (Challenge no late night snacking) thread on the Motivation board! It might help!
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,426 Member
    One more for popcorn. My air-popper was the best investment in weight loss I've made, besides my scale and running shoes.

    That, and tea with sugar free sweetener. Monin makes some great sugar-free syrups, so I can make peppermint tea and put sugar free peppermint-mocha syrup in there for a sweet treat later in the evening for effectively no calories.
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