Night eating

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onono
onono Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
This keeps happening, i will have a really good healthy day and then it gets to around midnight and i get really hungry. I try to resist but then i will just cave and 10 minutes later i'm sat wondering why i did that.
Does anyone have any tips on this? :frown:
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Replies

  • Tourney3p0
    Tourney3p0 Posts: 290 Member
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    That number that MFP calculates for you as your daily caloric goal includes the calories you're expected to burn while sleeping. So long as you stay under this number, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat.

    Edit: If you're talking about going over your daily allocation at the last minute, not much can help you there other than willpower. Your other options are eating less throughout the day or eating exceptionally low calorie foods at night.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Few things you might try:

    1) increase your hydration as the evening goes on
    2) add some benefiber to your water
    3) reduce carbs in dinner - it's possible you are spiking blood glucose and causing a late night crash (which will increase your hunger)
    4) get more protein with dinner. It will make you feel fuller through the evening.
    5) plan ahead. I'm a night eater too, all I do is save about 200 cals so that if the urge comes I can still grab a small sandwich and be under goal.
  • BIGJIMMYU
    BIGJIMMYU Posts: 1,221 Member
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    Head to bed and read until you sleepy-poo! Works for me!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    why not keep enough calories left over so that you can have an evening snack right before bed... I go to bed every night with 30 Almonds and a glass of 1% Chocolate milk.... been doing that throughout my entire weightloss.....
  • sailaway85
    sailaway85 Posts: 4
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    I fought this for years... place a glass of water and an apple by your bedside....... enjoy and go back to sleep
  • masterofktulu
    masterofktulu Posts: 151 Member
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    That number that MFP calculates for you as your daily caloric goal includes the calories you're expected to burn while sleeping. So long as you stay under this number, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat.

    Edit: If you're talking about going over your daily allocation at the last minute, not much can help you there other than willpower. Your other options are eating less throughout the day or eating exceptionally low calorie foods at night.

    It does matter what time of the day you eat. If you eat very soon before bed your body is at it's resting stage and will process the food slower. The best rule of thumb is to have your last meal or snack three hours before bed.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    It does matter what time of the day you eat. If you eat very soon before bed your body is at it's resting stage and will process the food slower. The best rule of thumb is to have your last meal or snack three hours before bed.

    ^ This is false, and moreover, even if it were true, it would have no bearing on body composition since by definition, you'd be burning fat earlier in the day during non-fed times.

    All that matters is that fat oxidation exceeds fat storage and over the course of time this happens when you're at a deficit regardless of when you ingest food.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    That number that MFP calculates for you as your daily caloric goal includes the calories you're expected to burn while sleeping. So long as you stay under this number, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat.

    Edit: If you're talking about going over your daily allocation at the last minute, not much can help you there other than willpower. Your other options are eating less throughout the day or eating exceptionally low calorie foods at night.

    It does matter what time of the day you eat. If you eat very soon before bed your body is at it's resting stage and will process the food slower. The best rule of thumb is to have your last meal or snack three hours before bed.

    That is a Myth..... Been eating 500-700 calories every night while in bed and have managed to lose a few pounds in the process....
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    It does matter what time of the day you eat. If you eat very soon before bed your body is at it's resting stage and will process the food slower. The best rule of thumb is to have your last meal or snack three hours before bed.

    Thirded on calling this out as myth. Debunked with numerous studies.
  • Sandytoes71
    Sandytoes71 Posts: 463 Member
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    I have this problem and it's driving me nuts!! I have no problems during the day, but after dinner, until I go to bed, I think about eating and too often I do eat. And it takes me over my cals for the day. Sometimes, I will add the cals on my next day's cals and try to stay under the next day. Also, I will usually save the majority of my cals for the evening and nighttime because I know I am going to want to eat. I need to do something other than watch tv, but that's what I like to do at night :( Something u can do is keep very low calorie foods in the house for nighttime snacking. Sugar free jello and light or fat free cool whip has saved me many times. Jello is super filling. Sometimes, I'll try to sleep. That doesn't work alot for me tho. I heard reading and doing crossword puzzles might work :). Good luck to u!
  • angelashay42
    angelashay42 Posts: 286
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    Simple. Go to bed earlier.
  • dtpss188
    dtpss188 Posts: 85
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    I would eat a huge friggin' steak, all by myself. That would kick me back into willpower stage for another few weeks of discipline. That's me though. If I ate a ton of chips, PB and J sammies, cakes, cookies, etc... then I would not be able to stop. But a big old steak kicks the cravings right outta my system. That's me talking though...
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    Plan, plan, plan! Plan a late snack. Something you look forward to. Plan ahead for the entire day. Know just what you will eat and have an emergency back up for the times you feel out of control. Every night about 30 minutes before going to bed, I have a Weight Watchers ice cream bar. They have FABULOUS ice cream bars. Giant Latte Bar, Giant Fudge Bar, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bar, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream bar, Dark Chocolate Caramel Swirl Bar, which are all between 85 and 110 calories. I look forward to my treat every night. Good luck and hang in there.. it gets easier!!

    Edit: If you stay withing your calorie range, a deficit is built in for weight loss. You can eat your calories any time, day or night. .
  • AlmstHvn
    AlmstHvn Posts: 378 Member
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    I sat down to read this just after fixing myself a protein shake! It's 10 pm and I was getting the munchies, plus I was low on protein today, so .. .voila. That should hold me til morning!
  • tracferg
    tracferg Posts: 31 Member
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    I have an apple, peeled and slice into thin slices with cinnamon and about 1/2 tsp honey. Peeling and slicing the apple take a bit of time so I can think about the fact I am making a healthy choice and pat myself on the back for it. Also the cinnamon and apple are sweet and lots of strong flavor to help with other cravings. Works for me so far so might be worth a try
  • buzzcogs
    buzzcogs Posts: 296 Member
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    Go to bed! I know when I burn the late night hours I tend to eat. Get some sleep, wanting food may just be your body being confused and really NEEDING sleep. ;-)
  • EmmieSu
    EmmieSu Posts: 136
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    I typically am a late night snacker, but a few changes in my diet have helped curb that. I eat a warm breakfast...oatmeal, omlete, or homemade breakfast burritos. I feel fuller longer, making better decisions at lunch and supper. Usually, a lean protein and a ton of vegetables. The more fiber the fuller I am. Now, I just keep a couple hundred calories for a snack. Healthy or to feed the craving, which ever I feel for that time. I find eating a dense breakfast and filling up on fruit and vegetable throughout the day, curb my late night cravings. Going to bed early is always an option, too:)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    If you know you're going to be hungry at night, make sure you save some calories for it. There's nothing wrong with eating before bed, so just make sure you have room in your daily calories for it. I actually make sure I eat every night before I go to bed - otherwise I wake up in the middle of the night and eat entire packages of cookies.

    If you're genuinely hungry and not eating out of boredom, by all means -- EAT!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Simple. Go to bed earlier.

    Not everyone can solve it by "simply going to bed earlier" and really? if you're hungry, EAT. There is no way I could go to bed hungry - I'll wake up in the night and eat crap. Better to eat before bed (and therefore be awake enough to make a good choice) than force myself to bed with a hungry belly, wake up a couple hours later and eat junk.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,010 Member
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    Plan a little bedtime snack. I used to try to resist eating at bedtime, but now I just plan that snack I can't resist.
    Good luck -- you'll figure it out.

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