Thread: Night Eating, Huge Problem.. relate?

Night eating is the worst eating since your metabolosim comes to a screeching hault once you go to sleep. I am a grazer that likes to pop things in my mouth while I watch tv late at night before bed. Get all the junk food out of your fridge and cubbards... chances are you will not get up and go to the store late at night for a snack craving so if its out of the house... it makes it easier not to make a bad choice.

Stock your pantry and fridge with LOW CALORIE snacks if you find that you MUST eat late. Lite popcorn, Celery sticks, cucumbers or other veggies with a balsamic vinagrette or some yummy asian sauces. Low calorie fruits like melons and berries... if you must have chocolate, keep a box of those slimfast snack bars in the cubbard, or some chocolately granola. Try to make sure that you give yourself at least 1 hour after eating before going to bed...2 or 3 hours would be more optimal but 1 is the bare minimum.

Drink lots of water throughout the day but especially in the evening so that you feel more full. You should be waking up hungry... and never missing breakfast. Waking up not hungry is a good sign that you ate too much before bed. Skipping breakfast will slow your metabolism for the day so when you do end up eating at night its going to stick to you even more.

Eat frequent (5 or 6) small meals through the day, it keeps your body fueled up like a calorie burning machine

If you've had this problem this long, there are probably some inside (emotional, mental and spiritual) issues that need to be delt with as well. I had weight/food issues for years, and no matter what I did the weight would never stay off. I joined a support group and got some recovery immediately, but it took awhile to reach and maintain a "normal" weight. I've been in the normal range for 3-4 years now. I didn't get this recovery until I was really ready to look at the inside stuff. This goes hand-in-hand with the nutritional changes like HD recommends. If you are interested google "overeaters support groups" and try it out.

Those are great suggestions... thank you! I think that once someone gets into the habit of not eating at night it becomes easier... kind of like breaking an addiction

Cinnamon, I have the same problem (sort of)... If I'm home alone at night and stressed, I find I can't seem to get satisfied. It's really frustrating...The thing is that since I've figured out what triggers it, I can at least control it a bit more. I know I'm not hungry. I think you just have to try to set a time for yourself if possible, like 9:00 pm and say I'm not eating after that time unless it's a dire emergency (which in all actuality will rarely happen)

OR like HD said, stock up on healthy snacks. I find apples to be very good for me because I can eat a larger apple at about 100 calories and if I drink a glass of water with it, I am very full. If I eat something less filling (like 100 calories of cheese or chips or nuts) then I can easily eat away my workout... Just do your best to try to think about *why* you're eating when you do. It's not comfortable to think about sometimes, but it sure works.

I find that green tea is nice in the evening. However tea doesn't make me jittery like it does others, so that is a personal preference. Munching on ice chips/cubes keeps your mouth occupied from putting real food in there late at night. Or like everyone else suggested, healthy low-calorie foods like raw veggies or crackers.

My problem is that I work shift-work in a veterinary emergency hospital. I get home late at night, and I am hungry. When I am working, I go through periods of being nocturnal; I get used to being up late into the night because of work, so dinner time for me is sometimes 10pm or later. I do my best to monitor what I eat when I am working because of the hour changes.