I need suggestions to help curb my night-time eating.

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Replies

  • BobbyLx
    BobbyLx Posts: 13 Member
    Aaaaand the creeps start to surface.

    :laugh:


    How mean. This is why I don't bother offering advice.
  • greybeh
    greybeh Posts: 72 Member
    I have troubles with night-eating. I've found that snacking really helps me cope better with the "coming home, time to eat" trigger.

    I have a snack before I leave work. I sometimes carry something with me (like an apple), or I have a snack right when I get in the door. When I eat at home, I try to have a higher protein snack to curb my hunger.

    Another thing that helps is spreading dinner out. If you live by yourself, this is easier than if you are feeding a family. I'll have a main course, and then a bit later, have something else. You could even start with your veggie or fruit first to make sure you get them in!

    Going to sleep is what I really need to do instead of eating at night. Sometimes my signals get totally crossed, and what I'm needing is SLEEP or WATER (dehydration, especially after my commute -- I should start carrying water to sip with me!)

    I am trying to eat popscicles more, too. Or fruit.
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    Eat later. Go to bed. Plan your snacks.

    I am a big night-time snacker. I always try to leave some calories to allow for a small snack at night. If I'm out of calories, I try to go to bed! Surprisingly, the brushing teeth advice actually works for me. My favorite late night snack? Cottage cheese. Especially the full fat (4%) variety. It gives me the full feeling without going crazy on the calories, and it's a great source of protein.
  • nyctraveler
    nyctraveler Posts: 305 Member
    I can definitely relate

    The worst part is that your body gets used to it. If you start eating at night, it will crave it every night...I try to either drink tea OR have you ever tried Dessert Delights gum?

    They have an apple pie flavor one and it literally tastes like you're eating pie :)

    And then, as the other posters said ...GO TO SLEEP lol
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Aaaaand the creeps start to surface.

    :laugh:


    How mean. This is why I don't bother offering advice.

    I agree. That was mean.

    The best advice I can give is spread your MFP calories around all during the day in healthy, whole foods. That way your body will not try to make up for getting to little during the day and go NUTS at night.

    Also, don't keep unhealthy snacks in your house. The experts say that if you have to drive to the market to get the Oreos late at night most likely you will NOT do it.
  • 2001cobra
    2001cobra Posts: 9
    I used to do the same thing. I have a pretty boring life so each night is like a routine, I get home from work, watch the news, eat dinner at about 7:00pm, in front of the TV of course, then somewhere between 8:00 and 9:00pm I start getting a craving for something sweet. i would eat ANYTHING no matter what it was or how many calories were in it.

    Then I got smart.

    I DO NOT BRING ANYTHING INTO THE HOUSE THAT IS TEMPTING OR FATTENING !!!

    NOTHING !!! except perhaps low fat yogurt?

    I have cereal for breakfast everyday except on Saturday when I splurge for whatever I want. During the week I eat lunch out and only eat 1/2 the meal.. I take the rest home for dinner. That way there is nothing in the house except cereal and milk. No chips, no cookies, no cakes, no candy, no bread, NOTHING!

    If you struggle with eating at night and are serious about losing weight and quitting the late night snacking you have to do something drastic.

    That just me.

    But it will work for you too. If it ain't there, ya can't eat it !!
  • withtheband
    withtheband Posts: 9
    Try this one on for size.
    I'm good all day, I try really hard and hit my goals most all of the time.
    Issue is that after bedtime, I wake up in the middle of the night and in a 1/2 awake state, I go down and eat through the kitchen. 95% of the time it's carbs but untll recently I used to buy cookies or candy and kep them under the bed so I could do this nearly in my sleep without getting up. I've done ambien, lunesta, melatonin, valium, exercise, and everything else under the sun but I wake up nearly every night in a carb frenzy. Mostly the carbs have to be something sweet.

    I get enough to eat during the day. This is a weird sickness. I've done some research and it's called Nighttime Eating Syndrome and is pretty common but there's not much on how to treat it. If I'm awake enough to "fight it", I don't sleep. If I'm lucid, there's really no stopping it.

    I noticed the last couple of nights I've changed the binges to things like sugar free pudding, wasa crackers and turkey and oatmeal bars but it doesn't stop the actual behavior.

    Is anyone willing to admit they have THIS issue and if so, has anything worked?
    I understand why Michael Jackson needed anesthesia every night.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    Have a good, nutritious supper. Filling up on junk just puts you on a sugar high, sugar low, hungries, hungries cycle. Have a supper of a 4-6 oz steak, 1 cup of brown rice, veggies, salad and fruit and you will last until the next day. If you have to snack, make yourself some popcorn (sans butter).
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Your diary is incomplete most days. Start logging consistently. Hit your calorie targets. Space your meals out so you have calories left over at night, so you can eat. If the problem persists after all that, post again, and we can better help you with the diary filled in.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Your diary is incomplete most days. Start logging consistently. Hit your calorie targets. Space your meals out so you have calories left over at night, so you can eat. If the problem persists after all that, post again, and we can better help you with the diary filled in.

    ^^
  • katya143
    katya143 Posts: 313 Member
    WE are on the same boat!! SO BUMP! i will be coming back later for some advice!!! <3
  • BigDaddyRonnie
    BigDaddyRonnie Posts: 506 Member
    I tend to have the same issue. As a result, I have structured my day where I exercise at night to help burn those calories. It has worked for me. Together with your food log you can help to see what is affecting your nightime eating, exercise (or lack) to help your day and ultimately your goal.
  • sdmcbride10
    sdmcbride10 Posts: 51 Member
    Wow, I have the exact problem. I want something right now as I type. I am praised all day at work by my colleagues for having so much discipline but when I get home, boy little do they know I am like the tazmanian devil in the kitchen. I joined MFP almost a month now and I finally see why I haven't lost any weight. I need help or advice bad. Please we are in the same boat.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I need to eat carbs in the night to get me to sleep but that just offsets my caloric intake. So this is what I am doing to divert my mind from eating/snacking in the evening 3000- 5000 steps walk/ jog most preferably after 6 pm also I drink vanilla flavored tea I need to search for a decaf one but this helps sometimes.

    This tea is one of my faves: http://www.adagio.com/rooibos/rooibos_vanilla.html

    Since it is rooibos, it is naturally sweet. And naturally decaf. You can find it at some stores, I purchased mine at the drugstore.
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