Trouble not eating late at night

[introspective1]

For some reason, i am always my hungriest between 8pm and 1230am. I know people should not eat that late, especially more toward 1230am. Do they mean you can't eat meals or snacks late? Is it ok to snack on things like sandwiches, a bowl of cereal, or ONE small sweet snack (like a honey bun or some candy bar) ? Please offer some advice on how you overcame late-night eating.

P.S. --does eating late-night affect whether or not you have bad dreams?

[SmellyOrc]

Originally Posted by introspective1

I know people should not eat that late, especially more toward 1230am.

Why not? Some extreme bodybuilders even get up around 0100 hours for an extra protein shake.
I myself always eat a banana, kiwifruit and 4 sandwiches with peanut butter. So far, nothing bad has happened

[Wit and Itch]

People need sleep because our body needs tome to heal, recuperate, renew. Body can’t do all these things while active. Digestion is work for your body, so if you eat before you go to sleep, your body does not rest.
It seams to me that you are bored at night. If you were out dancing, you wouldn’t be thinking of a little snack ???
Honey buns and candy bars are not good at any time.
And yes bad dreams are often caused by food.

[Shamou]

I have been eating late for decades... never bothered me... I sleep like a baby and wake up refreshed... what is good for someone may not be good for another though...

.

[Matthew Shea]

I've struggled with the same problem, Intro. I've come to find out that what you eat earlier in the day will affect your hunger later. What works for me is to eat a sufficient amount of healthy snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon, in additioin to my normal breakfast, lunch and dinner, to stave off evening hunger. I typically eat nuts, carrots and broccoli as snacks. I would suggest that the more fiber you include, the better, since that will keep you fuller, longer and will reduce the calorie density of the food. That's why I include raw carrots and broccoli as I do.

Also, I do typically have dessert each night (usually ice cream), but I've reduced portion sizes from what I used to eat and try to eat it before I get too hungry.

Finally, I'd suggest that an earlier bedtime could make this whole issue moot. Going to bed at 10 instead of 12 will eliminate those cravings since you're not awake to have them. I've made all these changes myself and have dropped 30 lbs so far. My goal is to drop another 30, but I'm making a point of doing this very slowly and making each little change in my habits permanent.

[taitouwah]

if u eat the wrong kind of late snack it may cause u to gain weight.

[C33]

Eating at night is not so bad if you don't have a weight problem, bad metabolism,or if it doesn t affect your sleep. I think, it's more what you eat then when you eat it. I don't think eating healthy, fresh, nutrient rich food late at night is detrimental to one's health.

As far as I am concerned, I have a weight issue, and I tend to have more ap petite in the evenings. I take Chromium Picolinate and St John's Wort for mood enhancement, and it really helps to curb my appetite. No more sugar cravings and junk food cravings or eating late, even if I go to sleep after 1 am.

[kyup]

Sorry it's a late reply, been busy. Listen, the best type of food to eat in the evening if you're hungry is something like cottage cheese, ricotta, nuts. Not only do you get your protein but they also help to stabilize the body's basal temperature and help increase metabolism. Never go to bed famished and saying that never go to bed full. If you go to bed hungry, you mess with your sugar levels and even if you are thin can risk diabetes later in life. Coconut oil or milk is another good one. Try to keep away from the sugar (especially at night). Try some cucumber with hommus. Another thing to add is when you talk about eating or not eating between 8 and midnight, this also depends on when you are actually going to bed. Ideally main meal is finished 2 - 3 hours before sleeping, but snacks are good if you don't get that massive full feeling. Also, going without food for longer than 3 hours can slow down metabolism, so if you are staying up, then it's best to keep snacking to keep the metabolism fired. Hope that helps. Bye!

Originally Posted by introspective1

For some reason, i am always my hungriest between 8pm and 1230am. I know people should not eat that late, especially more toward 1230am. Do they mean you can't eat meals or snacks late? Is it ok to snack on things like sandwiches, a bowl of cereal, or ONE small sweet snack (like a honey bun or some candy bar) ? Please offer some advice on how you overcame late-night eating.

P.S. --does eating late-night affect whether or not you have bad dreams?

[Chiromom]

I believe everyone has some great suggestions. Having a snack before bedtime with fiber should tide you over til morning. I'm a good example, since I'm pregnant and hungry all the time. I find having a granola bar or banana before bedtime helps me stave off hunger until morning. As far as weight gain is concerned, studies show that if you have a healthy breakfast in the morning you'll be able to balance your eating throughout the day more evenly than if you skip that AM meal causing your body to want to catch up. Good luck!

[bdp]

introspective1, if your body is truly hungry at night, then you should eat. However, you have to determine if it is true hunger, or just withdrawal. Here is an explanation of true hunger vs "toxic hunger," which I learned from Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live." If it doesn't apply to you, just take it for what it's worth.

Salt, sugar, animal products, alcohol, and caffeine put a toxic and acidic load on your body. Between meals, your cells can detoxify and repair from this load (and others, like chemicals and pollution). Detox is literally a withdrawal; it's what causes an uncomfortable stomach, headache, etc. The symptoms of withdrawal/detox are a desirable thing: they are just like if you inhale smoke, and you cough and choke--that is your lungs ridding itself of soot, and your throat preventing more from being inhaled.

If you feel uncomfortable in any way when you don't eat, then it's not true hunger--it's detoxification.

You don't feel detoxification after you eat because your body focuses on digestion. This is why some people get the munchies when they do certain drugs; eating stops cellular detoxification, which stops withdrawal symptoms.

True hunger is a throat and mouth sensation, not a stomach sensation. Cutting out the aforementioned foods will get you back in touch with true hunger. I actually felt it today when I got home from work, and it was really cool. My throat told me I was really hungry, but I felt comfortable and content, and I could have gone a while longer without discomfort.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by bdp

However, you have to determine if it is true hunger, or just withdrawal.

It is a sad fact that some people use food as drugs... as something to fight boredom... anxiety... mental pain etc...

Food should be something to be enjoyed... but, first of all as fuel for the body... and elements to construct tissues... and not as a cure for anguish...

.

[introspective1]

Originally Posted by bdp

If you feel uncomfortable in any way when you don't eat, then it's not true hunger--it's detoxification.

I don't know if this is true. Usually if people dont eat when they should, they (at least in my experience) get headaches. This is the body's way of telling us that we are not getting the proper nutrition. However, I do agree that part of hunger is a throat and mouth sensation cause I know when I can feel hunger on my tongue, so to speak.

[introspective1]

Originally Posted by kyup

Sorry it's a late reply, been busy. Listen, the best type of food to eat in the evening if you're hungry is something like cottage cheese, ricotta, nuts. Not only do you get your protein but they also help to stabilize the body's basal temperature and help increase metabolism. Never go to bed famished and saying that never go to bed full. If you go to bed hungry, you mess with your sugar levels and even if you are thin can risk diabetes later in life. Coconut oil or milk is another good one. Try to keep away from the sugar (especially at night). Try some cucumber with hommus. Another thing to add is when you talk about eating or not eating between 8 and midnight, this also depends on when you are actually going to bed. Ideally main meal is finished 2 - 3 hours before sleeping, but snacks are good if you don't get that massive full feeling. Also, going without food for longer than 3 hours can slow down metabolism, so if you are staying up, then it's best to keep snacking to keep the metabolism fired. Hope that helps. Bye!

Thanks...I love ricotta so i will try snacking on that.

[bdp]

A headache when you don't eat is not a result of hunger or lack of nutrition, it is usually a result of detoxification. Almost every hypoglycemic symptom is a result of detoxification, and those symptoms disappear when you stop putting a toxic load on your body with the foods I mentioned above.

It's basically what happens when you stop drinking coffee, smoking or taking drugs. When you stop, it's uncomfortable, because detoxification is uncomfortable. The discomfort ends when detoxification is complete.

More info, halfway down the page: Ask Dr Fuhrman

So to answer your original question, I overcame late night eating by ceasing the consumption of food that puts a toxic load on my body. Now, detox does not occur when I don't eat, and I can choose not to eat and feel no discomfort.