Chronic night time eater, help!

cmonskinnylovee
cmonskinnylovee Posts: 339
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
If you saw one of my earlier posts on whether lack of sleep stunts your metabolism or not, you'll know that I do not sleep very much. I can't really fall asleep until around 2 or 3, and I can't sleep past 8 or 9 at the latest.

But another problem that correlates with this is that I am a CHRONIC bed time snacker. The biggest no-no of all- and I am the number one culprit. I don't chow down- but I do eat very unhealthy snacks (IE Chips Ahoy, snack crackers, pudding... all the stuff I refuse to eat in daylight)

How can I either fall asleep at a normal time, or resist my urges? How do you resist cravings?

Replies

  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Don't keep the cookies and junk food in the house.
    Plan out your day so you have calories left at night, to eat healthy foods.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    Well..i dont know why eating at night is a big no no...

    and..yes lack of sleep can affect weight loss, but remember we all have different sleep needs. if you really have that much trouble falling asleep, perhaps there are other medical issues going on with you. i'd see your doctor. you could be suffering sleep apnea or something. if not, then perhaps try some night time tea, take a warm bath, or take some melatonin right before bed.

    if you find yourself waking hungry, its prehaps you arent eating properly before bed. a recent study i read said that eating most of your carbs in your evening meal helps maintain insulin levels throughout the night, so you shouldnt be feeling hungry and you'll burn more fat. also, right before bed intake some sort of protein..casein is probably the best..its slow release.
  • carriecarrot
    carriecarrot Posts: 70 Member
    Eating close to bed time hindering weight loss is a myth. As long as you meet your calorie requirements in that 24 hr period you are fine. I eat a 100-calorie bag of popcorn, a piece of fruit, or a cup of yogurt before I go to bed. In fact...I HAVE TO or I wake up in the middle of the night starving. If I eat past midnight I count it as calories for the next day, which evens out because I have to eat less during the day because of my after midnight snacking.
  • cmonskinnylovee
    cmonskinnylovee Posts: 339
    Don't keep the cookies and junk food in the house.
    Plan out your day so you have calories left at night, to eat healthy foods.

    I'm 18 and I still live with my parents, and three younger siblings :/ unfortunately junk and cookies will always be in the house :'(

    I think I will start planning out my days again, thats a good idea.
  • cmonskinnylovee
    cmonskinnylovee Posts: 339
    Eating close to bed time hindering weight loss is a myth. As long as you meet your calorie requirements in that 24 hr period you are fine. I eat a 100-calorie bag of popcorn, a piece of fruit, or a cup of yogurt before I go to bed. In fact...I HAVE TO or I wake up in the middle of the night starving. If I eat past midnight I count it as calories for the next day, which evens out because I have to eat less during the day because of my after midnight snacking.

    It's not going to hinder my weight loss- but it does upset my digestive system. I have a very sensitive stomach, and a not very empathetic mind if you get what I mean haha. I always wake up feeling bloated and in pain because of late night snacking :(
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    If you are truly hungry at night then you need to adjust your calorie consumption to accommodate the need to eat later. I HAVE to eat every night before I go to bed or I wake up in the middle of the night and eat junk. There isn't a problem with eating before bed - it is more about WHAT you eat than WHEN you eat.

    If you know you'll want to consume junk food late at night - have healthy snacks ready to go. I find baby carrots and ranch to be a great before bed snack.

    You have to break the habit of consuming junk before bed. Is it easy? Nope. Is it worth it? Absolutely! It takes time and patience though.
  • leilani♥
    leilani♥ Posts: 579
    Try snacking on other items like --

    2 tbsp of peanut butter dip with apples (I just did this and feel satisfied :D)

    Hummus with carrot sticks

    Popcorn

    Greek yogurt

    Get some yogurt place them in a ice tray **eat frozen** of course :P
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    Try gong to sleep 2 - 3 hours earlier. If you cannot do it on your own, try asking your doctor. He/she can prescribe some sleep meds, like Ambien or Trazadone, etc. That would be my first suggestion. My 2nd would be to make sure you are eating 5-6 times a day, ensuring you will not be hungry for a snack before bed.
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
    Eating close to bed time hindering weight loss is a myth. As long as you meet your calorie requirements in that 24 hr period you are fine. I eat a 100-calorie bag of popcorn, a piece of fruit, or a cup of yogurt before I go to bed. In fact...I HAVE TO or I wake up in the middle of the night starving. If I eat past midnight I count it as calories for the next day, which evens out because I have to eat less during the day because of my after midnight snacking.

    Is it? I have generally found that I can lose weight MUCH faster by simply eating dinner at five rather than at 9pm after the kids are in bed. I tend to IMMEDIATELY notice the difference. There are so many things that can muck up weight loss that make the "simple math" idea more of a myth than the various suggestions. I've done just about everything wrong in the books trying to lose weight by simple math -- and FAILING.
  • carriecarrot
    carriecarrot Posts: 70 Member
    Well, it's your personal anecdotal evidence vs my own. I can't dispute that eating before bed time hinders your weight loss. I say do what works for you, only you and the topic starter will know if it does. For me, it has not made a difference and I have read that the eating before bedtime thing is a myth. It seems arguments always come up when people are stressing over eating enough calories, eating calories late at night, etc because there are divided studies and evidence when it comes to these issues.


    I agree with what others say in this thread. Resist the junk food (it always makes me feel like crap), and grab a healthy snack (less likely to mess up your stomach) if you need to eat at night. Some of us feel we need to eat a bedtime snack or we will go to bed hungry, which will screw with our ability to sleep, or wake up hungry...
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Eating close to bed time hindering weight loss is a myth. As long as you meet your calorie requirements in that 24 hr period you are fine. I eat a 100-calorie bag of popcorn, a piece of fruit, or a cup of yogurt before I go to bed. In fact...I HAVE TO or I wake up in the middle of the night starving. If I eat past midnight I count it as calories for the next day, which evens out because I have to eat less during the day because of my after midnight snacking.

    Is it? I have generally found that I can lose weight MUCH faster by simply eating dinner at five rather than at 9pm after the kids are in bed. I tend to IMMEDIATELY notice the difference. There are so many things that can muck up weight loss that make the "simple math" idea more of a myth than the various suggestions. I've done just about everything wrong in the books trying to lose weight by simple math -- and FAILING.

    I think it just depends on the person. For me, I HAVE to eat before I go to bed. If I don't, I wake up starving in the middle of the night and I guarantee the choice I make at 4am won't be as good as the choice I would have made at say midnight. So, I always eat before bed. I don't eat crap before bed (ice cream, cookies, etc) but I do eat. I've lost 60lbs and do just fine. But, everyone's body is different and some people can't do it. However, I think a lot of it has to do with WHAT we eat vs WHEN we are eating it.
  • llaurall
    llaurall Posts: 32
    Don't keep the cookies and junk food in the house.
    Plan out your day so you have calories left at night, to eat healthy foods.

    I'm 18 and I still live with my parents, and three younger siblings :/ unfortunately junk and cookies will always be in the house :'(

    I think I will start planning out my days again, thats a good idea.

    If you ever grab a cookie and you're about to put it in your mouth, spit on it and throw it in the bin. Works for me! I know it seems like a waste of food but it's better in the bin than on your hips, right?
This discussion has been closed.

Categories