Night time eating

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RebeccaMaunder
RebeccaMaunder Posts: 171 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just wondering if anyone else struggles with getting really hungry at night and how you over come that. I can be great all day and then binge really bad from supper on.
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  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    How much are you eating during the day?
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    I'm hungrier at night than I am during the day so I just usually eat less during the day and do the bulk of my eating at night. Your calorie budget is what it is. It doesn't matter WHEN you eat it up...just that you do.
  • RebeccaMaunder
    RebeccaMaunder Posts: 171 Member
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    I have a really bad habit of skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch. I know that is a huge problem... I'm working on that but I find even on the days I eat breakfast.
  • shortntall1
    shortntall1 Posts: 333 Member
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    I save about 300 to 350 calories for my night time tv snacking..I have to. If I cant snack at night..game over.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    RebeccaMaunder wrote: »
    I have a really bad habit of skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch. I know that is a huge problem... I'm working on that but I find even on the days I eat breakfast.

    This is the first fix to nighttime binging, you need to consistently eat enough during the day. And then budget out some food for a snack at night.

    So if your calorie goal is 2000 then something like breakfast 500, lunch 500, snack 200, dinner 500, after dinner snack 300. Try that eating pattern for a couple of weeks and I think it will help a lot with nighttime binging. If you have trouble sticking with it, I'd advice find a psychologist or dietitian who works with binge eating who can help you make the transition. Good luck!
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
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    girlviernes wrote: »
    This is the first fix to nighttime binging, you need to consistently eat enough during the day. And then budget out some food for a snack at night.

    So if your calorie goal is 2000 then something like breakfast 500, lunch 500, snack 200, dinner 500, after dinner snack 300. Try that eating pattern for a couple of weeks and I think it will help a lot with nighttime binging. If you have trouble sticking with it, I'd advice find a psychologist or dietitian who works with binge eating who can help you make the transition. Good luck!

    I agree. A few other tips that might help:
    1. Don't snack standing up - sit down to eat
    2. No open bags or containers when you snack - weigh and measure your snack before indulging
    3. Limit your snack to stay within your total calories allowed
    4. Put a time limit on when - like no eating after 8pm
    5. Pre-log your snacks earlier in the day - give yourself permission, but you're in control
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    asflatasapancake wrote: »
    Try eating a little more consistently throughout the day, like many have already suggested. If I don't eat as much or skip a meal during the day, I get a little hangry and am more likely to eat the cupboard doors by the time I get home for dinner.

    snickers are tastier than cupboard doors.

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited April 2015
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    While I empathize with your situation, I think you need a dose of honesty here. Not eating anything at all during the day does not equal "Doing great all day". I think that's the first thing you need to assimilate. Starving yourself is not "good". From the repercussions you're describing you're just setting yourself up for failure by allowing yourself to get too hungry. This type of behavior can lead to a truly awful lifelong cycle... you don't want to go there.

    There's nothing wrong with skipping breakfast and lunch if you can stay within your calorie goal once you do eat. The time of day you eat your calories has no bearing on weight loss. I eat more at night than I do the rest of the day, I just plan for it. There are plenty of people who practice intermittent fasting successfully on a daily basis.

    If, however, you let yourself get so hungry by the time you finally do eat that you go absolutely crazy eating everything in sight all night long... well, that's a problem you need to solve. How you solve it is up to you.
    • You could make a plan to not eat during the day, pre-log what you're planning to eat at night and then stop after you've eaten what you planned.
    • If you haven't been eating breakfast and lunch because you aren't bringing them to work/school then start packing a lunch and a small snack.
  • RebeccaMaunder
    RebeccaMaunder Posts: 171 Member
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    I should probably clarify that by doing good I mean actually eating during the day. These are some great suggestions though thank you. I'm stifling to find what works for me and is sustainable
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    RebeccaMaunder wrote: »
    I should probably clarify that by doing good I mean actually eating during the day. These are some great suggestions though thank you. I'm stifling to find what works for me and is sustainable

    Sometimes it is just a matter of really giving the new pattern enough time to be helpful. It isn't a day by day thing, but a week by week thing. Good luck :)
  • lautour
    lautour Posts: 89 Member
    edited April 2015
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    OK, first I don't think there's anything wrong with eating more at night. I think what helps is having some structure rather than mindless grazing. I honestly don't think it matters as much what/when the food is, it's the lack of mindfulness that causes problems.

    Second, if you are not a breakfast person and don't desire to consume as much calories early in the day, then you can structure your diet around that. Some people wake up and feel like they're starving if they don't eat within the hour, while others can go 5 or 6 hours and only eat a bit (then in the evening want to eat more). This is what the majority of intermittent fasters do and you might want to look into that as an alternate way to structure your eating.

    I took breakfast out of my MFP settings because I rarely eat it. It's more important that I eat actual balanced meals rather than having snacks as meals, but when this happens doesn't matter at all.
  • Amerielle
    Amerielle Posts: 153 Member
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    For me, skipping breakfast and having a small lunch are good habits. Saves calories for when I really want to eat...at night.
  • KathyMBragg
    KathyMBragg Posts: 48 Member
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    I have to have a snack at night too. A protein snack like Greek yogurt helps me a lot.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    I am a night snacker too.

    So since 5 months i save 200 to 300 calories for the evening.

    Every night between 9 and 10 AM i eat a huge bowl of air popped kernel's popcorn.
    For 240 calories you have really a big bowl ( not like the microwave bags it is really much more) of popcorn
    Add to that some kernels butter spray and their lovely seasonings ranging from the taste sweet/bacon/parmesan/white cheese/cheddar/caramel/chocolate/ranch and you have a real treat. And great when you love to eat a couple of hundred of something ;)

    I do this since months now and my weight loss goes excellent.

    Besides that the seasoning is also lovely on salads, meats and other recipes and a tsp is only 2 calories!
  • RebeccaMaunder
    RebeccaMaunder Posts: 171 Member
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    I tried If before and I liked it...I may have to look into it again.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    I am a night snacker too.

    So since 5 months i save 200 to 300 calories for the evening.

    Every night between 9 and 10 AM i eat a huge bowl of air popped kernel's popcorn.
    For 240 calories you have really a big bowl ( not like the microwave bags it is really much more) of popcorn
    Add to that some kernels butter spray and their lovely seasonings ranging from the taste sweet/bacon/parmesan/white cheese/cheddar/caramel/chocolate/ranch and you have a real treat. And great when you love to eat a couple of hundred of something ;)

    I do this since months now and my weight loss goes excellent.

    Besides that the seasoning is also lovely on salads, meats and other recipes and a tsp is only 2 calories!

    You must really like your popcorn. 150 calories worth about does it for me.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    I am a night snacker too.

    So since 5 months i save 200 to 300 calories for the evening.

    Every night between 9 and 10 AM i eat a huge bowl of air popped kernel's popcorn.
    For 240 calories you have really a big bowl ( not like the microwave bags it is really much more) of popcorn
    Add to that some kernels butter spray and their lovely seasonings ranging from the taste sweet/bacon/parmesan/white cheese/cheddar/caramel/chocolate/ranch and you have a real treat. And great when you love to eat a couple of hundred of something ;)

    I do this since months now and my weight loss goes excellent.

    Besides that the seasoning is also lovely on salads, meats and other recipes and a tsp is only 2 calories!

    You must really like your popcorn. 150 calories worth about does it for me.

    Yes i reallyyyyyyyyyyyy like my popcorn lol
    And it keeps me from snacking other things.

    So in the evening after working i sit down with my popcorn and tea and enjoy it :) Just like a big bowl at the movies hehehe.


  • it8txs
    it8txs Posts: 21 Member
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    I also snack at night on flavored popcorn. Personal preference is any type of cheese flavoring. But along with it I drink a large glass of water which helps both fill me up and premeasuring makes certain that I stick to the calories I'm allowed.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,489 Member
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    BRaye325 wrote: »
    I agree. A few other tips that might help:
    1. Don't snack standing up - sit down to eat
    2. No open bags or containers when you snack - weigh and measure your snack before indulging
    3. Limit your snack to stay within your total calories allowed

    Night time snacking has always been my downfall and the three tips above are what helped me immensely. In addition to those tips, here are a few others that help me:
    1. Have low calorie or filling snacks available to eat at night...popcorn, baby carrots and other veggies, tuna, oatmeal, apples, etc.
    2. Instead of putting a time limit on when you can eat, try to delay your nighttime snacking as long as possible, particularly if you're going to stay up late. A rule that you can't eat after 8pm is mighty hard to follow if you're up until midnight. Instead, push off your night snacking until an hour before you go to bed.
    3. Drink water before, during, and after your snack to help suppress your appetite and get the water you need.
    4. Go to bed earlier.
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    I am a night snacker too.

    So since 5 months i save 200 to 300 calories for the evening.

    Every night between 9 and 10 AM i eat a huge bowl of air popped kernel's popcorn.
    For 240 calories you have really a big bowl ( not like the microwave bags it is really much more) of popcorn
    Add to that some kernels butter spray and their lovely seasonings ranging from the taste sweet/bacon/parmesan/white cheese/cheddar/caramel/chocolate/ranch and you have a real treat. And great when you love to eat a couple of hundred of something ;)

    Air-popped popcorn is a great option. It's filling, low cal (if you watch what you put on it) and full of fiber. I also use spray butter but have been meaning to try using an olive oil mister. I only want it so the seasoning sticks to it.

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