Discouraged
Shyla57
Posts: 14 Member
Ok now I need some help I need something to snack at night I have this bad habit where I want cookies or other bad stuff. I know you not suppose to eat during the night but is there something I can try since I can't stop.
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Replies
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A protein shake could help, find a flavor that reminds you of a treat, mine is cookies and cream from Dymatize, i like it.6
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I eat Greek Yogurt at night if I'm hungry or fruit if I'm wanting something sweet.
I'm not sure why you're not supposed to eat at night though? I don't think the time of day matters.12 -
Drinking water regularly helps.1
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I drink lots of water just abad habit of getting up and eating. This is why I ask need to find something not fattening0
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I save some of my calories for a late snack and there's nothing wrong with a couple of cookies. A whole sleeve, not good but a couple is fine if it fits in your calories.14
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Um yes it effects me I need something healthier. It actually been putting weight on me9
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I wondering is stevia fattening I don't use much just for coffee or if I have some alcohol drinks14
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If you are needing something salty, I like the SmartPop 100 calorie bags of microwave popcorn. If you are needing something sweet, maybe some fresh fruit? I try to save some calories for the end of the day to allow me snacks. The keys is portion control. I measure out the amount of calories I plan to use and then leave the kitchen so that I am not surrounded by other temptations.4
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There's nothing wrong with eating at night whether it be cookies or anything else. The only thing you need to think about is keeping those snacks within your calorie target.
Even though I'm not in loss phase any more I still like cottage cheese with jelly for my night time snack. It scratches the itch for something sweet at a pretty low calorie load.
Also, you might want to consider cookie thins (or thin cookies). Lots of brands have versions of them but I like Anna's Swedish thins (gingerbread or almond). Something like 25 calories per cookie and one or two will satisfy your cookie craving.4 -
Quest peanut butter cookies are my go to snack. They are 250 calories but packed with protein (15g), only 2 g sugar, 9g fiber, and taste delicious. I also second the people saying to drink more water during the day. Our nutritionist suggests 1/2 your body weight in ounces. I'm still working on that one - it's hard! Don't give up.2
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Sometimes I roll forward a late night snack - I log it as a snack on the next day. But you have to be disciplined enough to really absorb it into the next day, giving up a mid morning snack or having a little less at one or more meals. This is an answer for an occasional urge, not a nightly habit.6
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Snacking at night only makes you gain weight if it puts you in a calorie surplus. I usually save about 200 calories for a snack after dinner. There is nothing wrong with eating cookies if they fit in your calorie goal.11
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I drink lots of water just abad habit of getting up and eating. This is why I ask need to find something not fattening
If you feel it's a bad habit (and I would just because I value my sleep), why are you looking for a different way of going about it? Have you tried eating a more substantial snack before bedtime that will keep you from wanting to get up at night?5 -
I drink lots of water just abad habit of getting up and eating. This is why I ask need to find something not fattening
If you feel it's a bad habit (and I would just because I value my sleep), why are you looking for a different way of going about it? Have you tried eating a more substantial snack before bedtime that will keep you from wanting to get up at night?
This. If it's a habit and not actual hunger, substituting other food isn't going to help. Bad habits can be broken.3 -
I find that chewing gum or brushing your teeth helps. I usually do this right after dinner, or if I'm planning to have dessert, I do it right after that. That way I won't be tempted to have the lingering taste in my mouth to have more than I should.5
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OP - do you mean a bedtime snack, or you are waking up in the middle of the night and eating?5
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Waking up and eating but I been doing it for years so not easy to break but now I putting on too much lol from the cookies.0
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Getting up in the middle of the night to eat cookies? That’s a different story. I guess you’ve tried just not getting up? Maybe have a 60 Cal Sunshine fruit pop sickle or an 80 cal fudgesickle? Just one tho. Hard to eat just one cookie though.5
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You've developed a "bad" habit that is inhibiting a larger goal. ....and this is not hunger, but appetite. You need to replace this "bad" habit with a good one. Build a routine where you read, drink tea, anything else but late night snacking.
There's nothing wrong with the timing of meals, but it sounds like this is inhibiting sleep as well, which is critical to health.5 -
I would say until you can control the habit of getting up in the middle of the night to snack, don’t buy any of the foods you would snack on late at night - or put those snacks somewhere very inconvenient to get to at night like your car (I’ve personally done this!).
If this isn’t possible, perhaps try putting healthier snack options in front of the higher calorie options on the shelf or in the fridge. I keep a lot of veggies around in easy access so I tend to grab those before I would usually make the effort to grab oatmeal or other higher calorie goodie from the top shelf (that requires a step stool to reach). Doesn’t always work, but the extra effort at least makes me more mindful of what I’m doing.
Lastly, the only other option I can think of would be portion control and plan for it. Prepackage your cookies or other snack of choice into single serve portions. Then make room in your daily calorie goal for a single serving portion if you need it.
Good luck!
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Fascinating. I can eat one cookie but can’t stop at one popsicle or fudgesickle.fiddletime wrote: »Getting up in the middle of the night to eat cookies? That’s a different story. I guess you’ve tried just not getting up? Maybe have a 60 Cal Sunshine fruit pop sickle or an 80 cal fudgesickle? Just one tho. Hard to eat just one cookie though.
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Greek yogurt and a spoonful of peanut butter is my go to.2
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I would say until you can control the habit of getting up in the middle of the night to snack, don’t buy any of the foods you would snack on late at night - or put those snacks somewhere very inconvenient to get to at night like your car (I’ve personally done this!).
If you're serious about breaking the bad habit then this is the best advice. Just remove the convenient trigger foods (whatever those are for you) from your home. It's really that simple.
You have to accept that in the middle of the night your willpower is very low. If you plan to fight cravings and bad habits at 2 am then you're setting yourself up for failure. Just organize your environment so the temptation is gone. Once you get out of the bad habit, then hopefully you can keep cookies and whatnot around without overeating them. But some people just permanently leave them out of their homes. Do whatever works best for you, but don't plan to rely on willpower in the middle of the night.
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Removing food offenders is good advice unless they belong to others in the home. In the middle of the night, the brain is running on autopilot for automatic eating. Stop for at least 8 seconds before you proceed. The brain needs 8. Reframe it. Not...I can't have it. I don't want it. It's going to take longer than 21 days or 30 days to break eating patterns that have been there for an entire lifetime.4
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I mentally close my kitchen after 8 and if I am struggling I go to bed. **I also struggle with a mean sweet tooth habit after dinner3
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Since OP has had this "habit" for "years", I would suggest she speak to her doctor for help. Nocturnal Eating is actually a rather common sleep disorder, and there is treatment. Many eat in the middle of the night because they are actually hungry! Good luck to the OP. Ask your doctor for help.5
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Maybe try eating a bit more for dinner so you aren't as hungry at night? Or pushing back dinner until closer to bed time?
It sounds like its just a habit now and you need to break the cycle. I know someone once told me that brushing your teeth will curb hunger, something about the mint flavoring being a natural appetite suppressant?
But if I had my way, I'd try to do my eating so as to completely eliminate the need to actually get up out of bed and snack. Get in enough calories so you can sleep peacefully and break the pattern.
Is your MFP goal set too high by any chance and maybe you just need to cut back your rate of desired weight loss to a more reasonable figure to give you a bit more breathing room in your allowed calories?0 -
I have to say I agree with most of the posters......
I have found that if I am hungry before bed I increase my water intake.
When I first started watching what I eat, I was hungry going to sleep. A spoon of peanut butter helped.
I got to the point of not needing anything before bed. I sleep more soundly.
The thing I have found lately that is nice is a piece of dark chocolate.the darkest I can tolerate 77-85%.
About 1/5 of a serving. Just enough to melt in my mouth and have the flavor linger.
For me not eating snacks has helped my weight loss/maintenance
I would look at your overall goals and see if a nighttime snack is interrupting your progress
Good Luck2 -
I eat a yasso Greek yogurt bar, they taste like ice cream, jello or if I’m dying for chocolate I eat one of those 120 calorie packs of brownie batter.0
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