Bad Nighttime Behaviors

bdette73
bdette73 Posts: 18 Member
edited October 1 in Motivation and Support
I am having such a hard time not night bingeing. Food comforted me at night and now I feel a little bit lost and last night I ate more than my daily allotted calories. Granted it wasn't potato chips, cookies, cake, but I want to know that I am not alone in this feeling.
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Replies

  • monocot
    monocot Posts: 475 Member
    I do it alot. its tough.
  • LaSweetMini
    LaSweetMini Posts: 157 Member
    Night time is the most diffucult time for me :sad:
    Since I was little I have always been accustomed to cookies or cake and milk before bed. I just eat lower cal versions of what I like. Angel food cake, fiber one brownies, sugar free cakes and cookies are my best freinds at night and I am still losing :wink:
  • oxlypglozzxo
    oxlypglozzxo Posts: 40
    I have the same exact problem. And last night was bad. My friends wanted to play beerpong and I had done so good all day. So I drank the equivelent of one beer. Then, of course, i stopped and got cookies on the way home. I ate them and indulged and wanted to keep going. So i made a small salad and went to sleep. not only did I feel like i got to binge, i also got an extra hour of sleep. it pays off. And this morning, i had LOST 2 lbs.. instead of gaining. (And my scale is soooo accurate!) The key is WATER WATER WATER. It flushes all the bad stuff out. And if you keep ur metabolism going by eating small meals all day, then both that and the water flush it out faster. trust me. I am a recovering anorexic. I'm used to going alll day without food then binging alll night before i go to bed. It wasnt making me gain weight until recently. So im doing the healthy way. and I've lost 4 lbs of water weight over the last two days. I feel great too!
  • StacyJo65
    StacyJo65 Posts: 1
    You are most certainly not alone! This is, and always has been, one of my biggest weaknesses. I may do well all day long and then blow it at dinner by overeating even healthy food. Or, I may have a great day, but not be able to sleep. If I'm awake late at night and alone, I eat.
  • dsoucy
    dsoucy Posts: 16
    Cut yourself a little slack. We all fall off the wagon, that is to be expected and I don't know about you, but just when I think I have my pantry cleared of all tempation, my hubby will go out and buy something to throw me off :(
    I quit sweating it and now live by the 80/20 rule. If I am good 80% of the time, I can be a little bad 20% of the time.
    So, as long as I work out at lunch, I can have that piece of peanut butter fudge when I get home, no worries!
    And yes, I am managing to lose weight somehow :happy:
  • celticmuse
    celticmuse Posts: 492 Member
    I have the same problem. I tend to get a sweet tooth after dinner. So what I do, instead of eating ice cream or something really bad, I eat 8 Quadritini wafers with a cup of tea. The dark chocolate ones are awesome, especially if you chill them. Make a cup of tea to go with them, and it feels like a real treat. And try to eat them before 9:00 pm...
  • missdune
    missdune Posts: 24 Member
    I do this too and it's a habit (need?) I find very hard to break.So, I stopped trying and just accept it as part of who I am. Before I had kids and a weight problem, this is pretty much how I managed my weight, so it works for me.I'm sure there will a few people who will chastise me for this, but, I've lost 24 pounds with no gimmicks, just exercise and MFP and plenty of good quality, mostly unprocessed food. Here it is: I save a good chunk of my calories for nighttime. Yes, I eat breakfast. High protein so it's filling. Eggs, some turkey with an apple, greek yogurt, that kind of thing. I eat lunch. A big salad with some protein (beans, turkey, ham, leftover chicken) and very little dressing, some fruit, something like that. I have a snack if I'm really hungry. But I really do bank calories for that nighttime munching I just can't let go. I do make smarter choices. I try to have a light yoplait with a dollop of cool whip if I'm craving ice cream, or crunchy cereal if I'm craving crunchy carbs. Crackers and a little hummus if I'm craving salt. But, if I want a chip, I save my calories and have a chip. If I want a small bowl of left over pasta (it sings to me at around 8:30pm if I have it in the fridge!), then I have it.

    For me, working with how I'm wired is far better than fighting it. If this is really hampering your weight loss, try adjusting to it in smart, healthful ways (on balance). If it's more that you need to know you're not alone, as you said, than you are definitely not. I think a margin of healthy acceptance is better than constantly feeling like you're doing something "wrong" :).
  • MissMarthaGrace
    MissMarthaGrace Posts: 227 Member
    You are not alone! My M.O. was that I was good (most days) during the work day ~ then in the evenings once I got home I'd make dinner & have a sweet treat. Which for most people is "normal". I couldn't stop there though...I had to have something salty to counter the sweet, and after the salty.....you got it ~ I had to have something sweet and the vicious cycle began. And vicious it was because I'd never feel full ~ food never filled the void that was there.

    Since joining here a little over a month ago ~ I'm happy to say that I've had only one mini-binge. That's not to say that a good ol' binge wasn't on the forefront of my mind - and often - or that those urges are gone completely! Just means that I've gotten some great feedback from the people here ~ ways to gain some control over the beast within. What helps me most of all though is logging my food and KNOWING that my friends are going to see whether I went over or not. Plus I don't like seeing my calorie intake in the red. Lately, if I see I have minimal calories left for the day and know that if I eat something it's going to put me over ~ I go upstairs ~ away from the kitchen. I know that if I stay downstairs, in front of the t.v. ~ I WILL binge! It's inevitable.

    If you can't get away from the kitchen....brush your teeth, chew some gum, have a hot cup of tea, do some sit-ups, flip through a magazine, call a friend, heck - hop on MFP! Occupy yourself with something to get your mind off the pantry, the fridge, etc. Know that you are not alone in this and that we're all here to help talk you off that binging ledge whenever you need it!
  • yarmiah
    yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
    My personal struggle has always been in my head. One trip up, and I would chalk up the entire day
    with the "I'll start over tomorrow mentality". This mindset sabotages everything !

    Recognizing your weakness is a good thing. Ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" wait 10 minutes
    and if you are, have a sugar free pudding with lite cool whip or other low cal treat. Don't deny
    yourself as you could set yourself up for disaster.

    Another thing to consider: are you eating the right foods? Too many empty carbs only make you
    crave more empty carbs. My trainer has me consuming no carbs after 4pm, and that does seem
    to help me. (protein and veggies for dinner most nights)
  • bdette73
    bdette73 Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks to all of you for your support and motivational stories. I can't do it alone but knowing I am not alone, I know we can do it together. Bernadette
  • bdette73
    bdette73 Posts: 18 Member
    Me too!
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