Night Eating Topic
CeliaBoston
03/23/22
For me like many other people my problem is eating too much at night. My weight loss plans always breakdown with too much eating at night. I am hopping to start a thread for problem night eaters on how to cope.
Last night I know I ate too much and a stressor was visiting my mother who has dementia. I sometimes reward myself with a McDonald's ice cream cone. That has to go. Another problem I have is that my husband eats late at night. Maybe I can leave the food in the oven.
CanadaAnne
03/23/22
I found I was the same way. 2 things I did to stop it:
1) Make sure I am getting enough protein during the day. This made a huge difference for me.
2) Had to really work to kick my sugar habit. It’s hard but once I did, it made all of the difference.
We all have to be conscious of using food as a reward for something. That’s a bad habit, kind of like a drink to relieve stress.
You knew what was upsetting you, which is great - is there something not food related you could do to relieve your stress? A bath, a good book, music you love?
Good luck!
CeliaBoston
03/23/22
maybe I will try to eat more protein. I am a carb person. It changes the reason I eat so much why at eat so much at night.
During the height of the pandemic I had this habit under some control but it has winded down I am both more active(good) but more hungry(bad).
CeliaBoston
03/23/22
I am switchi.ng this to a group night eating
U1191754190
03/23/22
Night eating is definitely my issue. I am very careful of what I eat during the day and I usually do really well. But now at night, I have the urge to eat SOMETHING, preferably something small and chocolate. Being a diabetic I'm constantly watching my carbs and sugar intake. My favorite is a mini sweet and salty bar from Nature Valley. It satisfies all of my urges which is good. But there were days when the carbs put me over and THAT did not make me happy but I still ate it. I needed something. Lately, my carbs have been more under control so I've been able to indulge. I just don't know why I started craving food at night. It's not hunger, I just WANT a snack. Arrgghh!
CanadaAnne
03/23/22
There is nothing wrong with snacking in the evening. That is a fallacy. If you are hungry, it is better to eat something so hunger doesn’t disrupt your sleep. Just chose wisely. I often will have a hard boiled egg in the evening. It helps sustain me through the night & up my protein & healthy fat intake.
Dietician
03/24/22
Thought I'd share these two articles with really helpful tips for dealing with night-time eating.
https://www.mynetdiary.com/nighttime-snacking.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/late-night-food-cravings.html
I find that brushing my teeth after dinner really helps keep me from eating in the evening. Also, ask yourself if you are truly hungry for food or is there a void you are trying to fill with food. Maybe you are bored, stressed, or just treating yourself with food out of habit. We can eat for many different reasons other than true hunger. Journaling can be very helpful for figuring out what is really going on.
Hope this helps! Brenda (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
U1192389953
05/18/22
The issue im having is that i get really hungry at night or at like 3am. But its cravings for chocolate and junk food, its an addiction almost. What can i do about it? Any tips or tricks?
Dietician
05/18/22
replied to U1192389953
Hi there U1192389953-
Here are a few tips to help!
1. Make sure to eat regular meals to help prevent night cravings.
I mention this because some folks skip or delay meals in hopes of losing weight. And yet this can actually fuel a craving later in the day.
Not sure what a balanced meal looks like? This article can help:
https://www.mynetdiary.com/healthy-plate-method.html
2. If you have fueled yourself in a healthy way throughout the day and continue to have a craving, perhaps you are eating outside of physical hunger? Here are some things to do besides eating: https://www.mynetdiary.com/what-to-do-instead-of-eating.html
3. In case you haven't seen this article on handling late-night cravings: https://www.mynetdiary.com/late-night-food-cravings.html
Hang in there~ Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
U1192460899
05/30/22
It can be done!! I am a former night eater ,that worked nights for many years. When I started my weight loss journey 2 years ago, I cut night eating cold turkey. I close the kitchen by 7pm. I chewed a piece of gum, drink iced cold water, or tea.I never went back to it. I think with getting older too, my digestive system is too sensitive ,to handle late night meals. It takes time, the eureka moment will happen!
Night Eating
