Night Time Binge Eating

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pbpunisher
pbpunisher Posts: 17 Member
in Motivation and Support
My average day. I get up at 5:30 a.m. go to the gym. I have a very healthy low carb breakfast, a health well balanced low carb lots of vegetables lunch. I may have a handful of almonds during the day as a snack. I may play tennis after work. But then when I get home forget about. Off the cart eating too many carbs, surgar, and I totally sabotage my entire good day. I have no idea why I do this and it's frustrating.

Just reaching out for any ideas, suggestions, anything.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • ldaratha
    ldaratha Posts: 29 Member
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    I am brand new here and I eat at night too. What I’m going to do is to have planned snacks for evening, save some calories for then.
  • LeiLaura
    LeiLaura Posts: 238 Member
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    Yes, and clear out your cupboards! Tricky if you don't live alone, I know. I've found that the munchies that keep me awake at night have to be listened to, so I just pick the healthiest thing I can stomach (the other night it was cocktail sausages, lol) and let myself eat it, but limit the portion size. That seems to stop the nagging voices, if not the hunger! It does take the edge off enough to let me sleep, though. In any case, I do believe that if your feeling so strongly about the need to eat, your body probably needs it. It's more about choice of food and portion size. I HAVE to have healthier options that I actually LIKE in the cupboards, though! No way will I go and eat lettuce. I've found I love houmous, which though fatty, comes in "lower fat" as well and can be eaten with cucumber or bell pepper sticks (or whatever you prefer), and it's the veggies that fill you up, but the flavour and texture of the houmous makes it feel more like food :) For meals, I'm treating myself to the more expensive veggies, like asparagus, baby sweetcorn, and avocado, which I can actually enjoy. If you're still hungry after dinner, a bowl of porridge or no added sugar muesli with banana should fill you up. Also, drinking lots of tea sometimes works to cheat my brain into thinking I'm eating. If all else fails, grapes or cherries are good for "bingeing" when your brain won't leave you alone! Good luck!
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    I have found that if I stay on that "cart" there is always a chance of being bounced off. It wasn't until I got off that "cart" and planted my feet firmly on the ground that I was more in control of my actions. I decided that I didn't want to be along for the ride but I wanted my life to be the journey. IOW...I wanted to walk this journey instead of just being along for the ride where I am at the mercy of the next bump in the road.

    I know...a little metaphorical!
  • movgrl1
    movgrl1 Posts: 23 Member
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    I was doing this too. I changed my meals around so I have a larger dinner than lunch, and have more fulfilling snacks at night. Like I'll eat 4oz of chicken, a serving of rice, and a serving of vegetables at lunch. For dinner I'll have 6oz of chicken, with rice and veggies (I like the same foods day in and out lol), then I have a toasted peanut butter and no sugar added jelly sandwich on low carb bread after dinner, and save enough calories for something sweet should I want it. I don't binge at night anymore now. Play around with your diet, until you figure out what works with your lifestyle. I'm hungrier at night, so I eat more at night
  • karinasepilogue
    karinasepilogue Posts: 6 Member
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    Morning PB, I also go to the gym, play tennis 3-4 times/wk, golf and play pickleball and yes, 69 years old! lol I was also finding myself looking to eat too late at night. I found this on the internet, hopefully it will give you some direction? https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-ways-to-stop-eating-late-at-night. I have some other ideas if interested, just send a quick note! Karina
  • gottswald
    gottswald Posts: 122 Member
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    Is it just old habits or is your deficit too severe? (or other satiety issues)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    I pre-log my entire food day before breakfast, and make sure there is some ice cream or chocolate for dessert every night.

    Look through these great threads to get some ideas.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

    Also, I <3 your username!
  • RovP6
    RovP6 Posts: 108 Member
    edited August 2019
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    You're perhaps not quite getting to that level of satiety with each meal that triggers the "I don't need anything else" signal for the rest of the day. You may also be eating a trigger food that spikes insulin and cravings and sends you into binge mode. I have several foods that I simply don't eat after a certain time of day because I know I will struggle to stop myself going full on "man vs food". Lots of advice online for curbing the cravings throughout the day, but ultimately it's just your body reacting to the stress of being in a deficit. Look at what else is going on in your life. Are you getting enough sleep? What other stresses is your body dealing with? You're working out and playing tennis so again that's quite a bit of stress. Are you tracking your weight? You need to be tracking at least scale weight to see where you are with your energy balance. Sort those out and you may find the cravings reduce.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    weigh yourself before you head to the kitchen to binge. That, or look at your "before" picture. Read your goals.
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
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    I used to eat like you. Then I changed my eating to eat some more carbs at breakfast and lunch so I wasn’t starving by the time it’s time for dinner. I also workout at 530am so you need fuel to get you through the day, don’t use snacks to tide you over. Eat more balanced meals and you should be ok.
  • TubbyTattle
    TubbyTattle Posts: 9 Member
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    Your issue may have to do more with your psyche than a caloric deficit.

    I am a self sabotuer. When I'm "good" with food and diet, I "reward" myself with junk food. When I don't see weight loss with my personal training, I "justify" the price tag by eating junk so I can blame the failure to lose weight on my bad diet rather than questioning the efficacy of the PT.

    I know this logic makes no sense, but the brain will believe crazy things when it wants Cheetohs or macaroni salad.

    I think you first need to develop self awareness about why you binge eat at night. I recommend keeping a log of when, where, what time, what, with whom, and why you ate right before you eat. Also log are you actually hungry? How much? Was the food actually satisfying taste wise? Did it make you full? Do it for a week or 2. The results might surprise you.

    After doing such a log, I realized I do a lot of mindless eating, and I "forget" why and what I ate a few hours later. I think you know why you're reaching for all the snacks in the moment, but you're not really dwelling on it, so you "forget" later because you weren't being mindful in the moment.

    Before you can solve a problem, you need to identify it first. Memorialize the problem as it's happening.

    Good luck!
  • pbpunisher
    pbpunisher Posts: 17 Member
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    RelCanonical wrote: »
    How's your calorie count for all the "good" meals during the day?

    Between 3-500 and all healthy stuff.
  • pbpunisher
    pbpunisher Posts: 17 Member
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    88olds wrote: »
    Are you eating enough? How aggressive is your calorie deficit? Do you keep a food diary?

    Gym and tennis in the same day can be a lot. Weight loss combined with a high level of fitness can be a slow process and may call for a spot on eating plan. Maybe even macro counting. But not yet.

    Lots of folks, guys in particular resist this, but I’d start with a food scale, a calorie deficit aimed at losing 1 lb per week, and start a food diary. Keep the diary going no matter what. If you blow up the numbers write it down anyway. Theres’s a calorie counting learning curve. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to get it up and running. You can adjust the deficit numbers later if you want.

    A lot of folks on here aim for aggressive calorie deficits, get through the day when things are structured but can’t hold the line at night when they are tired and have free time. Planning evening snacks has always worked for me. Can you reallocate some calories or ease off the accelerator and add some more food in the evening?

    A last word about a food diary- my view of the whole process was different than a lot of people. I wanted to track because I wanted to know how much I could get to eat and still lose. I was counting WW points at the time but its the same as counting calories. If my plan said there was food available, I was going to eat it. If you are working hard at the gym, and want to lose weight, you need to know your numbers. And the only way to really find the numbers that apply to you personally is trial and error. It will take some time. You can do it if you keep trying, adjusting and tinkering with your plan. Good luck.

    Thank you, yes I'm keep my food diary though this app. I'm thinking I'm not eating enough during the day and by the time I get home I'm famished. Also, it's finally the time I wind down and have free time. The common theme with all the great advise it to plan my snacks ahead. Thanks for the tips.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
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    So are you trying to eat between 900 and 1500 calories a day? Is that too severe a cut?
  • pbpunisher
    pbpunisher Posts: 17 Member
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    RovP6 wrote: »
    You're perhaps not quite getting to that level of satiety with each meal that triggers the "I don't need anything else" signal for the rest of the day. You may also be eating a trigger food that spikes insulin and cravings and sends you into binge mode. I have several foods that I simply don't eat after a certain time of day because I know I will struggle to stop myself going full on "man vs food". Lots of advice online for curbing the cravings throughout the day, but ultimately it's just your body reacting to the stress of being in a deficit. Look at what else is going on in your life. Are you getting enough sleep? What other stresses is your body dealing with? You're working out and playing tennis so again that's quite a bit of stress. Are you tracking your weight? You need to be tracking at least scale weight to see where you are with your energy balance. Sort those out and you may find the cravings reduce.

    Thanks for the tips, and that's a good idea, it seems like eating carbs at night trigger this binge eating. I have been diligent tracking my weight. So far, even besides the self destructive tendencies, I have been maintaining weight, even lost a couple of pounds. But certainly not on the path I want.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    pbpunisher wrote: »
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    How's your calorie count for all the "good" meals during the day?

    Between 3-500 and all healthy stuff.

    Wait, per meal, right? What's your total calorie intake on average per day? Not getting appropriate intake for your current height weight can trigger hunger/cravings in the evening.
  • pbpunisher
    pbpunisher Posts: 17 Member
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    RelCanonical wrote: »
    pbpunisher wrote: »
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    How's your calorie count for all the "good" meals during the day?

    Between 3-500 and all healthy stuff.

    Wait, per meal, right? What's your total calorie intake on average per day? Not getting appropriate intake for your current height weight can trigger hunger/cravings in the evening.

    Yes, that's per meal :-).

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