Okay so am I the only one who wakes up in the middle of the night and gets a serious case of the munchies?
I have the worst habit that has developed in the last few months. So usually on my eating plan I tend to go to bed, well not hungry, but with an empty stomach for sure since I'm trying to not eat past dinner. So about once every few weeks I wake up in the middle of the night and am STARVING. It's odd for me because generally I can't even force feed myself breakfast, but I'm just hungry as **** waking up randomly. Well obviously I am very tired and don't have great judgement when I wake up at 1 in the morning. My husband keeps little debbies/candies in his office (He works overnight so I'm alone), and a few times I've woken up in the morning and found a wrapper in bed and remembered... omg I ate an entire nutty bar last night!!! Or oatmeal cream pie!! Or some candy like orange slices or laffy taffy. I've even gone downstairs and popped some popcorn. It's strange because these things no longer tempt me during the day hours. I've gotten over him having them in the house.
I won't lie it's kind of ridiculous. It feels like what I would imagine waking up with a hangover in a strange bed is like. I have really good self control as of late, but it's like, in the middle of the night when I'm sleepy and starving all my ambitions go out the door and I wake up feeling guilty!!
there have been reported cases of people who sleep -eat - and it's considered a sleep disorder [and going to a sleep clinic would be a great idea]. However, since you seem to have some memory of doing it, I'm not sure that this is what's going on.
have a chat with your doctor, first of all. And then i'd suggest doing a food journal. My gut [you know, that tiny surgeried gut] has an idea that on those nights when you get up to eat [carbs], you might not have gotten enough protein in during the day. Maybe you could consider eating some high-protein something or other before you go to bed. some yogurt with a SPRINKLE [not a huge amount] of granola, for example.
and now, I'm going to move your thread to a different forum - i think it'll get more attention than here in the weight loss surgery group.
Do you see a link to these nighttime eatings and your TOM? I get crazy cravings during my TOM and am always surprised how strong they are! It wouldn't surprise me if they woke me up one night!
I agree with the idea that you should keep a journal of these experiences and then speak with a doctor. The first thing they would do would be to have you track it, so get one step ahead of the process and keep a sleep eating journal. Maybe you'll recognize some patterns yourself as well!
Best of luck, and try not to feel guilty (i know it's hard) - if this is linked to stress at all guilt will just make it worse!
Have you considered changing your eating habits to either eat dinner later or to budget for a snack later in the evening? I do NOT like being hungry at night, so I eat dinner later and have a snack or a mini-snack for "dessert" that fits within my plan. Diet hot chocolate is often my snack, and the hot water gives you a more full feeling.
If you don't have the medication issues and this night-eating is a new thing (happening since you started your plan), it might be as simple as figuring out how to go to bed with a bit more food in your stomach.
I CANNOT sleep if I am hungry.
In the interim, if you know this is a continuous problem, maybe 'stage' some handy snacks that will take the edge off your hunger and be within calories in the fridge. Your snack-box; so you will at least make an okay choice in the middle of the night.
I've done this too although it is rare. Once every few months I will wake up in the middle of the night feeling starved! And I will grab the first fattening snack I see in the pantry. It's not that I don't remember doing it... Because I certainly do! However, I have no idea WHY I do it. Like you, I am not much of a breakfast eater and don't usually feel hungry until way after lunch. Seems very random and I've always wondered why this happens. It's not thirst because I always wake up feeling thirsty when I haven't had enough water during the day. It's the feeling of not having had a single morsel of food in days! Odd. Wish I had some words of wisdom for you but I am in the same boat!
I've done this, it's because of the seroquel I'm on. It kind of puts you in a hungry daze at night. I have a rule that I can't get out of bed after taking it until it's morning time. There have been times it's kicked in and I've gotten up and gone to the kitchen instead of just going to sleep.
I tend to do this at least once a week. But i usually have something in my room, in my night stand and that is what i snack on.
I have found that if i keep something healthy there it helps.
I usually have some almonds. I have gotten to the point where i will count out ten, finish those and the basically pass out.
It is weird, but i full remember it.
I would suggest try having something healthy by your bed, at least that way when you have an episode you might go for proximity vs searching for a food which might be way higher calorie.
I saved myself from night eating when i stopped having things i wanted to eat in the house. I either lock them outside for the night, or there is simply nothing i want to munch during the night. The fridge has only my cooked meals (which i never want to eat at night) or fruits and vegetable. Want those neither. I have given way to a banana here and there but that's about it. It helped me because when i stopped eating at night i started loosing weight. All my weight or at least most of it, is because of my night eating.I was binging on anything sweet i could get my hands on and whenever i tried to convince myself that i am going to buy that chocolate but NOT eat it during the night i failed miserably. So i stopped buying them, i forced myself not to eat them at night in an uncontrollable binging mode....
Last edited by Ellemphriem; 01-30-2013 at 06:43 PM.
Sleep eaters?
