Late night eating is blowing my calorie intake!

CatherineD9889
CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Help! I am a super healthy eater all day long but on the nights I have insomnia (most nights!) I find myself snacking!!
I've tried drinking extra water and even chewing gum....but when I'm half asleep I keep making choices that cut into my calories for the next day! Help!!!

Replies

  • terricherry2
    terricherry2 Posts: 222 Member
    I just try not to keep stuff in the house as I eat mindlessly, late at night as well. Last night I was craving chocolate but couldn't have it as I didn't have any in. Was a good job as I was all out of calories!
  • CatherineD9889
    CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
    I honestly don't have any junk in the house. My snacking last night consisted of rice cakes and peanut butter! But those calories add up....
    I'd like to eliminate this type of eating altogether!
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    At the end of the day-calories in, calories out and it doesn't matter when you eat them. However, like you I used to have a night time snacking problem and it had a significant impact on my weight gain. When I was in active weight loss phase I implemented a 7pm cut off time for eating (started at 10pm and then slowly worked my way to 7pm). I've done this for a few years now and it's worked really well for me. I'm not as strict with it now that I'm in maintenance, and I've got a better handle on my relationship with food, but I still follow this rule most days :)
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Either plan for it in your day - leave extra calories. Or stop. :)
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    You can try to start counting your day at night. It may help you balance your days better. Too much food one night means less food the next morning/day.

    I really like to plan my day ahead of time, though. Then I just stick to the plan (most of the time!)
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    Sounds like maybe you need to treat the insomnia first. Do you take sleep aids? Have you seen a doctor?
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    I leave a bunch of extra calories for the end of the day. Yesterday at 6pm, I still had 1200 of my 1530 calorie goal left. I eat a TON between 7-11pm. I know I will (always have), so I plan for it and save the calories.

    I get up at 6:45am, eat something small around 9am usually. A snack around 2, then dinner at 5:30 and more snacks from 7-11.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    With out of control eating, treating the source is sometimes a lot easier than stopping the eating. If you can't leave enough calories in the evenings to have those snacks and water, gum, etc don't help, then it certainly sounds like treating the insomnia might be the next step.

    I also want to add that you might check your goals and make sure you aren't at a deficit that's too aggressive. Choosing a smaller weight loss goal might take some of the pressure off and let you fit more snacks in.
  • bluworld
    bluworld Posts: 135 Member
    I eat less in the am to accomodate 4th meal. I'm like the chic from The Ring - I never sleep. 5 or 6 hours after supper, understandably, I'm hungry.
  • 1pjah7
    1pjah7 Posts: 24 Member
    I have that same problem....good all day then undo it at night. I finally started scheduling my dinner around 7:30 or so, and a snack somewhat later. Since I'm usually in bed by 10, I was able to avoid the mindless snacking since I was still full.
  • peterjens
    peterjens Posts: 235 Member
    Log your snacking as Post Midnight Snacks (or Pre Breakfast) and have them count for either for past day or the next day. When I wake up from sleep and snack I log the calories for the actual day. I simply have a 1/2 cup of Fiber One (sometimes dry or sometimes with 1/4 cup skim milk), log it and go back to bed. Good luck
  • abetterluke
    abetterluke Posts: 625 Member
    I have the same issue. In fact it's probably the second biggest issue for me behind too much junk food.
  • CatherineD9889
    CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
    It's maddening!!!
  • CatherineD9889
    CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
    1pjah7 wrote: »
    I have that same problem....good all day then undo it at night. I finally started scheduling my dinner around 7:30 or so, and a snack somewhat later. Since I'm usually in bed by 10, I was able to avoid the mindless snacking since I was still full.

    I think I'll try eating dinner later! See if that helps! Thank you!
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    How much is your deficit set to? If the night snacking is nre and only emerged when you started losing, you might be being too aggressive with your goal and perhaps your body is hollering out for FOOD by the end of the day of being "good."

    Or, if night snacking has always been your nemesis, try herbal tea and perhaps an extra workout to earn some extra snack cals.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    1pjah7 wrote: »
    I have that same problem....good all day then undo it at night. I finally started scheduling my dinner around 7:30 or so, and a snack somewhat later. Since I'm usually in bed by 10, I was able to avoid the mindless snacking since I was still full.

    This is what I did also, although we typically don't eat until around 8:30 - 9:00. It doesn't really leave time for much snacking.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    I do this all the time, it's my biggest issue. It's a cycle I just cannot seem to kick. I've been trying lately to buy lower-cal snacks so I know that when I inevitably reach for them after midnight, they won't really impact the day ahead, like a prepackaged portion of plain cooked chicken at about 120 cals. I sometimes wonder if my cals are set too low as I'm hungry a lot, but I don't want to increase them in case I stop losing (daily goal is 1220 and my activity level is really sedentary.)
  • JessieLMay
    JessieLMay Posts: 146 Member
    I have the same issue. I go to bed late. I just leave about 600 calories left for my "forth meal", or when I get the munchies or whatever. That way I dont blow it. And if I still go over, it's usually not by much lol.
  • SomeGirlSomewhere
    SomeGirlSomewhere Posts: 937 Member
    mkakids wrote: »
    I leave a bunch of extra calories for the end of the day. Yesterday at 6pm, I still had 1200 of my 1530 calorie goal left. I eat a TON between 7-11pm. I know I will (always have), so I plan for it and save the calories.

    I get up at 6:45am, eat something small around 9am usually. A snack around 2, then dinner at 5:30 and more snacks from 7-11.

    This was going to be my advice. I have the same problem and deal with it the same way since it doesn't matter WHEN one eats their calories, only that they don't eat too many of them.
  • CatherineD9889
    CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
    Thank you, everyone! Definitely going to adjust my meal times!
  • frostedpoptart
    frostedpoptart Posts: 15 Member
    I always eat late at night. I just save calories for it. Usually 200 - 400.

    The foods you eat at night can make a difference too. I aim for high volume foods, like popcorn...or high protein foods like tuna, deli meat, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.

  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    CatherineD9889 wrote: »
    I honestly don't have any junk in the house. My snacking last night consisted of rice cakes and peanut butter! But those calories add up....
    I'd like to eliminate this type of eating altogether!

    Than just don't eat it.....simple as that...Its up to you and your own will power....You need to tell yourself that if you really want to lose the weight you will stop eating if your not hungry...just don't do it...nobody else can do it for you...you need to be the one to determine if eating mindlessly at night is really worth it or not
  • kickassbarbie
    kickassbarbie Posts: 286 Member
    Honestly? Imo You need to find out what is causing the need to eat late at night half asleep and fix that not the actual eating itself. It's more likely to be a reaction to stress, anxiety or depression (Unless your eating too little of course, then your hungry. Eat more.)
    For me it was that I had insomnia/ late night eating because of stress (I didn't notice till I had a really hard look at my life and self.) Worked on the cause of the late night food intake not the food itself. Slowly the 1am sleepy kitchen raids stopped and I also slept better as a bonus.





  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    skip breakfast.

    I don't like breakfast anyway- and I really hate being hungry at night- so I just push all my food back later in the day so I can have a bigger meal later at night.
  • DewMan13
    DewMan13 Posts: 5 Member
    I read somewhere that reducing fats helps hunger later in the day. Just started yesterday so I can't say it works for me -just a thought
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
    I basically had to remove all of the tempting items out of the house (for me chips and dips).
  • unlikelyathlete
    unlikelyathlete Posts: 62 Member
    I (seriously) bought a "kitchen safe" and I put my tempting foods in it. It locks, is tamper-proof, and I can set it for up to a week. I don't always need it, but if I have something extra tasty, that I want to make last, I put it in there. And, honestly, once I have it set, and know it's no longer an option, I move on.
  • norie92
    norie92 Posts: 115 Member
    Whenever I want to accommodate extra meals I simply have oatmeal as a meal replacement for breakfast, lunch, or both (Usually just breakfast). Then I have loads of extra calories later on to eat other relatively healthy things. Or do it backwards, eat a lot early and have oatmeal as a meal replacer for dinner and midnight snack.
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