Help! I have been waking up in the middle of the night and eating.

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jacobsl221
jacobsl221 Posts: 75 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else have this problem? I have been eating pudding snacks (60 calories) and Atkins food bars (160 calories), but last night I had severe sugar urges. I have been logging faithfully for 5 months. I am maintaining my weight on 1200 calories a day. But now this night eating is making me gain. Yes I am logging it. How can I stop?

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  • mommamia30189
    mommamia30189 Posts: 82 Member
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    I was having the same issue, i would wake up about an hour after being asleep and go in the kitchen and eat bread. It was like i was sleep walking, but i was awake. My PDoc put me on Topamax and it has stopped me from doing that- It has really helped.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Unless you are some combination of short, older, very small, or physically limited in your activity, it's unlikely 1200 is your maintenance level. I'd suggest an honest look at your logging.

    That aside, if you're waking feeling hungry, consider eating a bit more during the day. Perhaps a snack before bed that will satiate you (some combo of fat, fiber, and/or protein - whatever works best to keep you feeling full). If you're not hungry and it's just a habit to get up and snack when you wake, look to replace it with another habit - read a few pages from a book, listen to music, something non-stimulating so you can go back to sleep. If you're not fully conscious and this is truly some form of sleep-eating, talk to your doctor about possible medical treatments.
  • nevadavis1
    nevadavis1 Posts: 331 Member
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    My mother is older, short, small, sedentary, in heart failure and says her maintenance is 1200. She cannot gain or it messes up all the meds for heart failure and her artificial heart valve. Her doctor put her on one medication that caused her to wake up in the middle of the night and eat, she said it was almost like sleep walking--she was aware but felt unable to stop herself. She had been keeping treats in the house for the grandkids, things they loved but she didn't like that much and didn't normally feel tempted by, but she'd gobble them in the middle of the night. Anyway, she stopped keeping those things around, but also talked to her doctor. He changed her to a different medication and she'd still experience hunger at night but didn't "trance eat" any more.
  • jacobsl221
    jacobsl221 Posts: 75 Member
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    OK, I am 5'4.5", 67, mostly sedentary, and a very slow metabolism. I couldn't lose weight until I went to 900 calories a day. That worked fine. I got to goal weight, and have been maintaining within a pound for a month on 1200. I do read for hours in the middle of the night. I will try peanut butter before bed. Thanks for the insight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    So that I don't wake up in the middle of the night hungry and unable to go back to sleep until I eat, I budget calories for a bedtime snack.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    Years ago I would wake up in the middle of the night, eat two croissants, drink two red bulls and go back to sleep.
    I had to stop buying croissants and red bulls.
    Eventually I stopped.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,692 Member
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    I'll usually eat a piece of cheese before going to bed if I'm hungry. If I don't, I can't sleep.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    Put a lock on your cupboard that requires you to solve a math problem before it will open.
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
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    It sounds to me like you're starving yourself during the daytime so your craving calorie-dense foods at night.

    Try to really see if you are actually logging 1200, maybe you're logging 800. I bet your not eating enough food, but you aren't weighing yourself daily, and think your maintaining, but are actually losing.

    If you really focus on making sure the entries are correct in MFP and making sure you are eating all of your calories for that day, I think you'll be in a much better place.
  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
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    jacobsl221 wrote: »
    OK, I am 5'4.5", 67, mostly sedentary, and a very slow metabolism. I couldn't lose weight until I went to 900 calories a day. That worked fine. I got to goal weight, and have been maintaining within a pound for a month on 1200. I do read for hours in the middle of the night. I will try peanut butter before bed. Thanks for the insight.

    Can you outline what a typical day looks like for you? Activity wise, do you simply wake up and watch TV all day?
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
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    Maybe try adding exercise, walking or something for 30-45 min a day and eating a snack before bed. You could also put an alarm in your door frame so when it open it it dings and makes you fully alert. 1200 does seem low. Are you taking any medications that might be causing this? Try talking with your doctor
  • lilolilo920
    lilolilo920 Posts: 184 Member
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    How do you measure your food? Do you weigh it? This may seem like an insignificant detail but can impact your calories tremendously.
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
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    Don't keep the things you're likely to gorge on in the house. It's the only way I have stopped binge eating.

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