night eating

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Shabnam222
Shabnam222 Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I get pretty hungry very close to bed time and a lot of times I'll wake up to eat a granola bar or something and go back to sleep. Anyone else experience this?
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Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,136 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with eating at night as long as you log it and as long as you have to calories to spare. I have done pretty much for my entire weight loss. Meal timing in and of itself makes no difference for losing. It may help you mentally, but that is up to you. If you can snack just before bed on food that fits in your calories for the day, it will not hurt your weight loss.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I have this problem if I haven't had significant protein with my dinner. If you have something really starchy it will burn off quicker and you can get hungry faster. Like last night-- I indulged in a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner and I woke up at midnight needing something more substantial. However tonight I had a chicken breast, sweet potato, and broccoli and I feel totally full.

    However it really doesn't matter when you eat your calories as long as you're within your goals, so if getting up for a night time snack doesn't bother you it won't mess up your weight loss if your overall calories are still within range. One thing that I do find if I'm not hungry but just wanting something is that hot tea does wonders.
  • jemjessica
    jemjessica Posts: 7
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    I don't really get this .. but I usually do get pretty hungry around 9pm if I met my mfp calorie goal throughout the day. When I start to feel hungry I take it as a clue to go to bed - so then I can sleep through the hunger and wake up in the morning and have a big breakfast. It might help for you to try to have something very low calorie that will trick your tummy into feeling full - maybe a hot drink like tea or fat free hot cocoa? Sometimes when I'm really starving, like stomach pains hungry, at night, I'll have a glass of milk and a piece of bread.. fills you up for little calories (assuming you use skim milk of course).
  • 1004twin2
    1004twin2 Posts: 5 Member
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    I relate to getting hungry at bedtime, however, have found going to sleep usually stops my hunger. Once in a while I wake up hungry and will take a few sips of water. If I am starved, I eat and update my diary.
  • loserforlife
    loserforlife Posts: 74
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    I have found that drinkingan Equate choc. shake helps it has 10 g of Protien as well as only 180 calories! It will keep you full for awhile!
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    I have this problem if I haven't had significant protein with my dinner. If you have something really starchy it will burn off quicker and you can get hungry faster. Like last night-- I indulged in a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner and I woke up at midnight needing something more substantial. However tonight I had a chicken breast, sweet potato, and broccoli and I feel totally full.

    However it really doesn't matter when you eat your calories as long as you're within your goals, so if getting up for a night time snack doesn't bother you it won't mess up your weight loss if your overall calories are still within range. One thing that I do find if I'm not hungry but just wanting something is that hot tea does wonders.

    Oh Man!! Grilled cheese and tomato soup is my FAV comfort food, and it snowed today, so totally craved it! I sustained though and am very happy with myself! (at least until I saw this and started craving one again...thanks alot! LOL)
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 814 Member
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    I totally have cravings. I just drink water to quell my cravings and it seems to work for me. :D
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
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    I don't have a PROBLEM with eating right before bed - I do it every night.

    I also don't have a PROBLEM with eating too little for breakfast - my body doesn't really like having breakfast.

    Listen to your body.
  • finewine
    finewine Posts: 11 Member
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    so I always heard that if you eat and good to bed you actually can gain weight .....i'm so glad to know tht's not true because I get hungry around 9pm and would drink waer and try to suffer through it!
  • roselover58
    roselover58 Posts: 96 Member
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    My problem is I 'behave" all day - eat all I am supposed to, during the day (I pack my breakfast and lunch, with snacks), but when I get home - BAM! I want to snack all frigging night.

    I get around this by not having snacky foods (or good ones) in the house - unless my husband brings chips home. Then it's eat chips (and everything you eat in one sitting is a serving, right?).


    Grrr. Drinking hot water with lemon sometimes works, but since I know there is snack food nearby, I'm going to find it...
  • martalaurazayas
    martalaurazayas Posts: 75 Member
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    I've heard that lots of people have night eating issues (pm binges). I used to not even think about food during the day and then after dinner, I didn't stop eating. Here are some of the things that have worked for me:

    *Eat balanced and healthy breakfast and lunch*
    Its amazing that even though I may not be hungry training my body to receive healthy food during the day has stabilized my hunger and cravings. Having a fixed amount of calories during the day and spreading them out pretty consistently throughout my meals have helped me. The bulk of my calories are still concentrated on my dinner meal.

    *Kitchen Closed after Dinner
    After I have my dinner I leave my kitchen spotless. Its the cleanest room in the house, lol. This finalizing all kitchen activities for me. I try to make sure I have a pitcher of water in my bedroom so there really is no excuse to "open" the kitchen.

    *Rescue Foods*
    If I am absolutely starving, I'll have a pickle spear with mustard. Yup its weird but has a blast of savory flavor and entertains my stomach long enough to let me fall asleep. I try to never do this because I realize this might be a trigger to start night eating again.

    *Scheduling Smart*
    I make sure I schedule my meals so that I am not awake too many hours after dinner time. If I have a late night, I try to push my meals down a bit.
  • twentycent
    twentycent Posts: 5
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    Are you kidding!?!?! I'll get up at 1am with a rumble in my belly wander upstairs pound a protein shake and go right back to sleep and I stay in under 10 percent body fat year round. Bmr along With A conservative activity multiplier ( adjusted from day to day according to actual activity level) will give you a baseline for day to day eating if you are in a deficit you lost weight! If not you gained weight. I've been a personal trainer for 19years there's no magic trick it's simple thermodynamic law. If your getting cravings at night and not just eating out of boredom you body would most likely be warning you that you underestimated your needs or possibly need some slow digesting protein to fuel your recovery cycle during your sleep cycle.
  • Shabnam222
    Shabnam222 Posts: 35 Member
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    oooh thanks guys! I'm going to look at my protein intake and maybe ramp it up a bit.

    For me, water doesn't work at all. But I'll try tea or fat free cocoa too.
  • chrisssiex23x
    chrisssiex23x Posts: 431 Member
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    ive got this problem to kinda of.. i work from 5 til 9 pm.. so i have to have my tea/dinner about 3pm.. and by the time i get out at 9 im either ok and really hungry.. and im always under my calorie intake so i made sure i bought some low calorie snack bar.. try not to go over board though.. the other day my stomach went really sore3 i was far from being home but was glad just to munch on something..although my stomach was still sore i went to bed but laid on my belly and the pain goes away :)... xxxx
  • kattygirl0499
    kattygirl0499 Posts: 41 Member
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    I don't know. I woke up at 3 starving - and had more protein than I needed last night. So a small handful of almonds and a glass of milk with ovaltine (I never outgrew that) and I was good to go!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I get pretty hungry very close to bed time and a lot of times I'll wake up to eat a granola bar or something and go back to sleep. Anyone else experience this?

    Hunger wakes you up? I would suggest eating something before you go to bed so your sleep is not interupted.
  • KristieKRN
    KristieKRN Posts: 71 Member
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    I work 12 hour midnight shifts, so I eat at all times of the day & night. I just make sure to log from midnight to midnight, that way I am doing a 24 hour cycle not just "breakfast, lunch, dinner" I even renamed mine as meal#1, 2, 3... and snack 1,2,3... Just because I have nights off, my body still wants that food.
  • Tiffa0909
    Tiffa0909 Posts: 191 Member
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    I use to get this , but since I started on myfitnesspal once I finish my food diary for the day ,I stop eating. Most cravings last 5 minutes , so what I do is I drink a big glass of water until I feel like I'm full.
  • Jordynnsmom
    Jordynnsmom Posts: 90 Member
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    I have a real problem with night eating! In fact this is what happened last night... I wish I could figure out why I totally sabatoge myself!!! At 1 am I got out of bed and ate a slice of cake! I used to be a smoker (over 20 yrs and quit with no problem cold turkey). I hate to say it, but when I have these binges it feels desperate like when a smoker runs out of cigarettes and rumages through the ash tray. I got through this ONLY AT NIGHT! Is this what you do? I have tried the "closing the kitchen" no luck. I'm going to try having sweet low cal goodies ready for my late night fix and see if this helps.
  • drop30lbs
    drop30lbs Posts: 12 Member
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    My problem is I 'behave" all day - eat all I am supposed to, during the day (I pack my breakfast and lunch, with snacks), but when I get home - BAM! I want to snack all frigging night.

    I get around this by not having snacky foods (or good ones) in the house - unless my husband brings chips home. Then it's eat chips (and everything you eat in one sitting is a serving, right?).


    Grrr. Drinking hot water with lemon sometimes works, but since I know there is snack food nearby, I'm going to find it...

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