Is eating at night time bad?

P

Porkchop69

New member
I can't stop eating at night

I am told that the metabolisim is very slow at the end of the day..okay I work nights I get off at llpm...the first thing I do "compulsivly" is hit the frigh..My wife tells me I'm not eating enought during the day is this true? I try and go staight to sleep when I get home but that is impossiable without a giant sandwich on my belly..any harsh suggestions??:D
 
Need some more details.

List in DETAIL...

Workout routine
Daily meals and caloric intake
Height, weight, and age
 
I'm no expert, but I'm sure they're gonna ask you to post how many calories you're eating, your height and weight, exercise... etc... so they can get a good idea of what is making want to eat so much at night.

What some people do is have a cut off time of when to stop eating. Just try it for ONE day, and if it works, do it a second day and continue.

Maybe you can post some pictures of how you don't want to look all over the refrigerator and kitchen to remind yourself not to eat.

Maybe if you're craving stuff, you should drink more water or eat some almonds or just occupy yourself with something else until the cravings go away...

Just my 2 cents, good luck.
 
My suggestion beyond the normal "what and how much and when do you eat" would be to replace the get-home-and-eat habit with something else. If you create a new habit where you get home and drink a big glass of water, take a shower, and go straight to bed you may find that the shower really relaxed you and you're ready to hit the hay as soon as you've dried off. You can't eat while you're covered in soap.

Also throughout the day try drinking more water and eating foods higher in fiber, these will keep you feeling fuller for longer and people who eat diets high in fiber usually eat less calories per meal. Eating slower is another route to go as your brain doesn't get the "full" feeling for 10-20 mins from your stomach.
 
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My hardest challenge was eating at night

Hi there,

I feel your pain, trust me, I really do. Stopping eating at night was the hardest thing I have ever done in my adult life. Period. Since childhood I have skipped breakfast and eaten late at night. But changing that one aspect of my life has made such an impact I can almost not believe it.

Making that change was a whole other matter.....

I am a big strong man, but I am not ashamed to say I was in tears many nights forcing myself to put off the urge to eat. Even after increasing my daily calories and eating breakfast everyday, the psychological urge was killing me. I was resltess, irratable and pissed off at myself for feeling that way. I think I would have rather pulled my own fingernails off with a pair of pliers. I had a VERY VERY hard time with it.

But I did it. I pushed past the pain (physical and mental) and stuck to my guns. I started making myself drink a cup of tea or coffee at night when the urges hit, so I had something hot to sip on that wouldn't cause undue stress in my bowels and pack on the pounds. I started documenting my feelings on my blog at night, so I had a sense of accountability. And I made a conscious effort to make night time eating a thing of the past.

And like a recovering drug addict or alcoholic, I suffered, but I got thorugh it. Hard to think of food as a drug, but to me it really is. Some people reccomend low cal (or no cal) snacks late at night, but for me that didnt work either. Eating an apple or celery late at night was fine and dandy, but heaven help me if there was no low cal food around and I was still conditioned to eat "something". Then anything would do. So I cut out eating all together past 8pm. Period. I even had to say "NO!" many times to my wife as she tried to give me little snacks or rewards for my good work late at night. It was sooooooo hard, but I did it. And it was the only way.

And here is what happened.

The night sweats and fitfull sleeps, dissapeared, leaving me refreshed and feeling good in the mornings. (no more stinky pillow!) I started actually losing weight, and continue to do so! And last, but not least, the cravings for night time snacking WENT AWAY!!!!! Not only do I not feel hungry at night anymore, but I look forward to my tea more than an apple, celery or bag of potato chips. For me it meant taking a stand against my family, the outside world and most importantly myself. I learned to say no and stick to it, and my life has improved so dramatically. Not using so much energy at night in digestion allowed me to sleep properly and not wake up in pools of my own sweat.

I am somewhat ashamed of myself for taking almost 40 years to learn this simple truth and making it so hard on myself and my loved ones. Working odd hours does mess with your internal clock, but do your best to stop eating at least 2-3 hours before you sleep. This will dramtically increase your overall well being, even though at first it will be hard. Damn hard.....

sirant
 
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sirant said:
Hi there,

I feel your pain, trust me, I really do. Stopping eating at night was the hardest thing I have ever done in my adult life. Period. Since childhood I have skipped breakfast and eaten late at night. But changing that one aspect of my life has made such an impact I can almost not believe it.

Making that change was a whole other matter.....

I am a big strong man, but I am not ashamed to say I was in tears many nights forcing myself to put off the urge to eat. Even after increasing my daily calories and eating breakfast everyday, the psychological urge was killing me. I was resltess, irratable and pissed off at myself for feeling that way. I think I would have rather pulled my own fingernails off with a pair of pliers. I had a VERY VERY hard time with it.

But I did it. I pushed past the pain (physical and mental) and stuck to my guns. I started making myself drink a cup of tea or coffee at night when the urges hit, so I had something hot to sip on that wouldn't cause undue stress in my bowels and pack on the pounds. I started documenting my feelings on my blog at night, so I had a sense of accountability. And I made a conscious effort to make night time eating a thing of the past.

And like a recovering drug addict or alcoholic, I suffered, but I got thorugh it. Hard to think of food as a drug, but to me it really is. Some people reccomend low cal (or no cal) snacks late at night, but for me that didnt work either. Eating an apple or celery late at night was fine and dandy, but heaven help me if there was no low cal food around and I was still conditioned to eat "something". Then anything would do. So I cut out eating all together past 8pm. Period. I even had to say "NO!" many times to my wife as she tried to give me little snacks or rewards for my good work late at night. It was sooooooo hard, but I did it. And it was the only way.

And here is what happened.

The night sweats and fitfull sleeps, dissapeared, leaving me refreshed and feeling good in the mornings. (no more stinky pillow!) I started actually losing weight, and continue to do so! And last, but not least, the cravings for night time snacking WENT AWAY!!!!! Not only do I not feel hungry at night anymore, but I look forward to my tea more than an apple, celery or bag of potato chips. For me it meant taking a stand against my family, the outside world and most importantly myself. I learned to say no and stick to it, and my life has improved so dramatically. Not using so much energy at night in digestion allowed me to sleep properly and not wake up in pools of my own sweat.

I am somewhat ashamed of myself for taking almost 40 years to learn this simple truth and making it so hard on myself and my loved ones. Working odd hours does mess with your internal clock, but do your best to stop eating at least 2-3 hours before you sleep. This will dramtically increase your overall well being, even though at first it will be hard. Damn hard.....

sirant
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first off thanx everybody...but without giving details....this one helped me the most. i can almost relate to what your wre going through. you have actually inspired me...hot tea? huh I'll have to try that.
 
my boyfriend has the same thing goin' on. he works evenings (3pm - midnight) and he eats when he gets home, but he's also up til about 2 or 3 then, goes to sleep. he doesn't really eat a "breakfast", b/c he has "lunch" around 12 or 1. he won't eat when he first wakes up...so i don't know. anyway...your body may be on a different close. like for my boyfriend, his morning begins around 11 or so...when he wakes up for the day...versus me...i get up at 545 everyday and work 8-5...so your schedule may be different. if it is...then i'd definitely just keep my calories and portions in check; not worry so much about eating so late, as maybe you're up later than most...ya know?
i don't know..i'm only basing this on what i see from my own experiences with my beau. whatever it is...good luck man!
 
Porkchop69 said:
I am told that the metabolisim is very slow at the end of the day..okay I work nights I get off at llpm...the first thing I do "compulsivly" is hit the frigh..My wife tells me I'm not eating enought during the day is this true? I try and go staight to sleep when I get home but that is impossiable without a giant sandwich on my belly..any harsh suggestions??:D
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Sometimes over eating at night can be caused by what you aren't consuming during the day but we need more details as Leigh said.
 
I eat 600ish calories 20 minutes before going to bed. Sometimes even 10 minutes.

Overall energy balance is what really matters here.
 
I like eating before I go to bed too. A few handfuls of Kixs cereal or something similar does the trick.
 
Weird that eating at night works for some.

For me it is a guaranteed disaster. Night sweats and a rotten day the next day spending most of my time on the toilet.

Anyone have any idea why some people, like Steve, can eat right before bed and be fine? I did a little test the other day just with an apple and a couple crackers... Terrible night sweats and strange sort of constipated diarrhea (in the toilet all day but little moving). Maybe because Steve is so muscular his body can process the food that much faster due to a much faster metabolism...

Personally I have never felt better than when I stopped eating by 8pm, so I will continue to do so.

sirant
 
You have the answer

Porkchop69 said:
..My wife tells me I'm not eating enought during the day is this true?
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Whenever I don't eat enough throughout the day, it bites me in the _ss at night and all I want to do is eat later on. Your wife is right. Eat six meals throughout the day and make your last meal about four hours before you go to bed. Don't eat past 7 or 8 pm.

I understand about not being able to sleep first thing when you get home...I used to work shift work. But maybe you could unwind in a different way, provided you've eaten enough throughout the day. Go for a little walk in the fresh air, read a book, do a few stretches, ask your wife to help you think of things the two of you can do together (besides the obvious:D ) We eat for many different reasons, many different feelings...sometimes boredom, sometimes to relax, the challenge is to find another means to do that. You can break the habit.

Make sure your six meals total the right amount of calories for your body size. tels you how much you should reduce your caloric intake...it asks for your weight, height, age and level of activity. If you cut back too many calories in the day, it will be near impossible to not eat at night. The English have a saying "peckish". I feel a bit peckish, they say. And that is how we're supposed to feel before going to bed. It means to be somewhat hungry. NOT ravenous, just a wee bit empty. This is a very good state to be in before bed and you can look forward to a good breakfast.

Good luck and let me know how you're doing. I struggle with binge eating at night, I always have to be on guard for that...because food is a reward thing for me...and I'm changing that pattern. You're not alone.
 
hi, i am a night shift worker and on my days off would sit up very late (cos i couldn`t sleep) when everyone was in bed and stuff my face, mainly with savoury snacks. in fact it was so bad i would "plan" what i would eat in advance and if i didnt have anything in would make a special trip to the supermarket.it was like an addiction, if i didnt have my grub i would get withdrawal symptoms. this was a massive contribution to a near 7 stone :eek: weight gain in 8 years.
part of my problem was habit, the rest was that i didnt always eat enough during the day. what has helped me is eating little and often. i save my main meal for the evening and sit and actually enjoy it rather than just shovelling it down. also i save a little treat - a skinny latte, yoghurt etc for nighttime. i dont find i have any problems eating late at night, unless ive overeaten.
it is a real battle at times, but the desire to be slim is winning at the moment. slim
 
My personal perhaps misguided opinion is that there isn't anything wrong with snacking. Its snacking on the wrong foods that causes problems. If you are eating healthy clean wholesome food, then you can eat quite a lot within any sensible calorie budget. You can easily space that allowance out through the entire day, including during the evening. I quite like low fat cottage cheese, nuts, berries, seeds, and low fat yoghurt during the later evenings.

In the old days, I would have a plate of semi-processed junk for my early evening meal. Although high in calories, unbalanced, etc ... it would leave me peckish later in the evening. So out would come the biscuits, crisps, ice cream etc. I've been a shift worker for years, but its only during the past year that I have learned to fuel my body more efficiently during long and overnight shifts. The answer is to eat smaller portions, and eat often. Even when cutting enough calories to lose weight, I rarely feel hunger in the same way that I did before my lifestyle changes.

When you do have meals, eat things that fill you better, for example: vegetable soups, tomato soup, , green leaves/ other vegetables, whole grains, carrots, bananas, proteins etc. If you get an early evening craving try low cal yoghurts, a little cottage cheese, some almonds, shellfish etc - there is nothing wrong with eating late, as long as it is part of your weight loss calorific plan.
 
Eating at nights has like someone said become such a pain in the ass for me.

I try eating some cups of cereal or something but it just doesn't work...I eat TOO much or some OTHER things
 
2Skinny said:
Whenever I don't eat enough throughout the day, it bites me in the _ss at night and all I want to do is eat later on. Your wife is right. Eat six meals throughout the day and make your last meal about four hours before you go to bed. Don't eat past 7 or 8 pm.
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I like the beginning of this statement, but again why 7 or 8? Why not 6 or 9 or 830? It doesnt make sense. You have a goal for the day, make sure you include a snack or meal late at night that is within your goal and you will be fine.
 
I have recently seen a doc about my night time snacking his advice is not eating after 7:30pm and eating early enough to throw in a 70-100 calorie snack before bed time. He says you should have at least 4 hrs without food in your stumach before hitting the sac. Also a good tip he gave me was to brush your teeth right after you snack...that helps not wanting to eat. It has really hepled me stop snacking at night.
 
jennifer_07 said:
I have recently seen a doc about my night time snacking his advice is not eating after 7:30pm and eating early enough to throw in a 70-100 calorie snack before bed time. He says you should have at least 4 hrs without food in your stumach before hitting the sac. Also a good tip he gave me was to brush your teeth right after you snack...that helps not wanting to eat. It has really hepled me stop snacking at night.
Click to expand...

This is advice your doctor gave you? Did you ask why?
 
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