I know the rule of thumb is to not eat 3 hours before going to bed, but I have a bad habit of craving a bedtime snack, I try to keep it healthy even doing a bedtime tea and a few fig newtons, but deep down I know this is bad thing for me to do when I'm working so hard the whole day to eat right.

It's gotten to the point where if I don't snack on somthing before I go to bed I have a hard time going to sleep, because I'm thinking about it.


HELP!!!

Am I damning myself if I keep the snack under 120 calories?

Even though my ticker says I'm new to dieting and weight loss, I've successfully lost weight before then gained it back...and...I personally never gave up my bedtime snack. I just would have like...an apple or something maybe an hour or 2 before bed. It never hindered my weight loss, so long as I had enough calories for it that day.

Totally understand about the night time snack. I find that a small snack before bed keeps me from binge eating.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who craves a snack before I hit the pillow for the night. I totally agree it helps with the binge eating, I love food way to much to deprive myself of a little snack at the end of the day as long as it's a healthy low calorie snack.

Thanks for making me feel better about it guys. =-)

I'm with you on the nighttime snack. A few almonds do the trick for me, and one piece of dark chocolate. Also, I take gummy vitamins and I've gotten into the habit of taking them in the evening as my nighttime snack.

I crave a night time snack, too. I work out at night most of the time and I'm starving afterwards. We eat dinner around 6, I work out from 10-11 and I figure having a low calorie nutrient dense snack after that is okay. Lately it's been 1/4c Greek yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon with an apple. It's right at 100 calories, because I buy small apples.

I have a snack before bed most nights. Yogurt and a couple of tsps of Chia seeds mixed in (~ 80 Cals). I find it keeps me from having a grumbly tummy all night, also, helps get things moving in the morning!

I usually have a time-released (8 hr) slow digesting protein shake (200cal) at about 9ish, bedtime at 1030ish. Since I'm 'fasting' for 8 hours - I want to make sure my body has food and doesn't turn to eating my muscles for midnight snacks. I sleep better, too, without a growling tummy waking me up!

I have never bought into the idea that "when" you eat is just as important as "what" or "how much" you eat. I know that might go against the idea of IF and if that's working for some people, so be it.

So I absolutely see no problem with eating a snack right before bed. If you're on a particular program (calorie counting, WW, low-carb, whatever) I think as long as it fits in with that, there's absolutely no harm in it.

For me, I'd eat one if I was hungry before bed. Hunger now determines when (as well as how much) I eat, nothing else. But that's me. I wouldn't eat one

* because I was afraid of GETTING hungry - if that happens, and the hunger wakes me up, then I'd get up and eat something

* just because I have enough calories/points/whatever left for the day - if I wasn't hungry, I wouldn't eat it

* out of habit

But again, these are the things that work for me.

Everyone's different!

I have been adding Chia seeds and Hemp seeds to my Flax seed smoothie in the morning the smoothie hits about 475 calories and I have noticed when lunch rolls around I'm still not hungry, and allows me to eat a low calorie lunch about 300 cals and a late afternoon snack about 150 cals.

All 3 of the seeds are great for your health and can help cruve appetite.

Agreed! I have chia seeds, with hemp hearts, buckwheat, and dried cranberries for breakfast (It's a home made version of Holy Crap cereal, I can't say enough good things about this stuff. Just awesome) Its a great combo and 2 tbsp with yogurt keeps me pretty full till lunch!

Sounds yummy, I'm going to have to give that a try. Sounds like a great breakfast or lunch when I want to keep lunch lite.