I had this situation this evening, of sitting watching a dvd with friends nd at 10pm, I realise I actually have hunger pangs. Not just a snack urge, but real hunger. I ate dinner at around 6:30-7pm, and had an orange as a snack maybe 40 minutes after that. I've been sticking to the 'eat every four hours' rule to keep my metabolism revving, but eating at 10-11 at night? Plus, I'd hit my calorie limit. In the end I drank a big glass of water and had about three almonds just to shut my stomach up.
Anyone else have this conundrum? What do you do about it?
If I don't control hunger, it controls me, so if I'm hungry I do eat, regardless of the time. I find a late-night snack works better for me than going to be hungry (because I'm likely to wake "starving" in the middle of the night, and end up overeating and making poor choices 'cause I'm still half-asleep).
That's also why I don't have a "hard" calorie limit, I have a range. I try not to eat to the outside limit, because then there's no "wiggle room" if I'm hungry later. For example, I use an exchange plan.
If I eat my minimum exchanges it comes to about 1500 calories, and if I eat my maximum exchanges it comes to about 1900 calories. I try to reserve at least a couple exchanges for late night snack if I need it.
I'm not always successful at staying in calorie range, but I tend to be much more successful if I'm aiming at a wider target. Giving myself the wiggle room of "optional" calories to use on hungrier days, really helps.
Considering my low control level when it comes to food ( other people eating, being drunk, emotions all set me off and I can't fight it effectively yet) I'm actually surprised that the ONE time I've managed to say no to myself....is late at night.
How I managed is I weigh myself every morning for the daily weigh in challenge. In order to be closer to my "true weight" I eat food several hours before sleep and usually try to make supper my lightest meal (this can be tricky during events or nights out). For me, I've found a lower number on the scale to feel so much better than food ever could.
That's how I overcame it. I think everyone can find their own bizzare methods of dealing with eating habits.
I used to have huge problems eating at night. I'd be STARVING before bed, and/or I'd have tremendous cravings, and when I get really hungry I lose control and logic really fast. I'd even wake up and eat and not remember until morning.
So now I eat my last meal at 9pm. It has hugely reduced and nearly eliminated my cravings and hunger at night. I'm still full when I go to bed. It works really well for me so far.
Last edited by LiannaKole; 06-16-2012 at 10:11 PM.
Like KAPLODS, I have a calorie range and always leave some so that I can something to eat in the evening. I find eating later, and going to bed earlier also help; but eating a filling dinner helps the most (a goodly amount of lean protein and lots of veggies/salad).
I get this like crazy. I hate this even more.
You're just watching a good movie, snuggled with your boyfriend and it's like midnight and you are STARVING. Ate all your calories, maybe even exercised, and for some reason, you feel famished.
After years of ups and downs with school ruining every weight loss (I have no control once stress hits me...) I've learned a few things.
One: Everytime I start watching what I eat, I feel the intesity of it. I'm not in the middle, it just started so it's easy to "start in the morning" and binge now. These night time hungers... are the worst...
Two: Less food makes my body want MORE.
Three: Celery is not filling.. .neither is water.
AFter a lot of practice, I discovered the secret... at least for me...
I change the ruotine. When I watch movies, I want a snack... so instead I'll sit on the floor instead of my usual spot, take my dog for a walk, shower, suddenly have the urge to have sex instead of finishing the movie, anything to get my mind off of it.
If you still need food, then GET food. Something small, low cal, and don't feel guilty. You can still lose weight, just your body is adjusting. ONce you get more into the change (months... weeks... depending) the routine change and body adjusting to it, you get used to it and hunger doesn't strike as much as you thought it would.
I will usually try to drink a whole glass of water or a cup of tea to see if that makes it hold off until I go to bed. If not, then I'll have a string cheese & a few nuts or a glass of milk, that usually helps me.
I will eat a entire bowl of pickles. I'll get the really big ones and slice them up, usually 2. pickles aren't really 0 calories as the jars say, but it's only like, 8 for the whole bowl. I'll have that with an ice cold diet coke on ice (drank through a straw), and I'll eat the pickles with a fork. It takes a Lon time to eat them all, I get tired I chewing and I get tired of the smell coupled with the fizziness of the diet soda I get quiet full! I don't have to do this too often. my sleep schedule is pretty screwed up - I eat my first meal at 5pm, then I eat again around 11 pm. I go to sleep around 6am. so if I get hungry after my 11pm meal (which is usually the biggest) I eat pickles. Lost 32lbs so far! I suppose it's sort of fasting, since I technically skip breakfast and don't eat for 12ish hours. however in sleeping..
I'm just a night owl. always been that way. not eating at night won't work for me - that's when I game / work / get creative / really wake up. which is why I choose to eat in this pattern. Anyway, pickles ! The sodium is high but I haven't noticed a negative effect on my WL by not watching sodium.
I used to have huge problems eating at night. I'd be STARVING before bed, and/or I'd have tremendous cravings, and when I get really hungry I lose control and logic really fast. I'd even wake up and eat and not remember until morning.
So now I eat my last meal at 9pm. It has hugely reduced and nearly eliminated my cravings and hunger at night. I'm still full when I go to bed. It works really well for me so far.
This is me exactly! The 9pm meal thing works brilliantly for me also. I did have a bit of a problem with it when I increased my exercise suddenly last week, leading to me being starving during exercise & late at night, but have found eating a bigger afternoon snack (about 300 cals - porridge & banana / egg - around 5pm) & then a small snack straight after exercise (100 cal smoothie) does the trick with that. Having said all this, it does rely on you eating only when you are truly hungry (not out of boredom etc). I also drink herbal teas sweetened with stevia in the evenings, which seems to help with hunger (maybe because they keep me hydrated).
Last edited by Northernrose; 06-17-2012 at 06:39 AM.
Well, my 1st recommendation is to take a closer look at the 4hour metabolism rule because most science-based sources have debunked this. 1 meal, 8 meals, different things work for different people.
For me, I brush my teeth immediately and eitehr go to bed or drink water. It took me months to break this habit.
I am doing Weight Watchers and I just make sure I have enough points left for a late night snack. I am up till as late as 3am some nights so dinner being eaten at 6pm, leaves me pretty hungry later on at night.
I have things like greek yogurt & fruit, popped chips, slow churned ice cream etc. I just fit it into my plan.
You know, it's funny...I can be super hungry at night and be completely turned off from eating. I've ALWAYS been that way though. I always say: "oh I feel hungry...oh well I'll just eat in the morning."
Don't know how I ever came to be that way, but I've always been an early to bed, early to rise type of person.
I have the same problem since I go to bed around 2am I am hungry late at night. I try to just drink lots of water but if I give into the hunger I just eat yogurt or cottage cheese.
Late night hunger - what do you do about it?
