How to overcome midnight craving?!?

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1/6/13 12:46 A

I did log it - every bit - and wonder if I ate all that because tomorrow is weigh-in.I wonder if I am afraid to lose weight. All the suggestions are good, and I know them already, but that didn't stop tonight's binge.

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6/16/12 9:38 A

Sounds like a great idea zmomma. I would love to be able to sleep through the night again - as it is a rare occasion (for the last few years) where I am able to! So any suggestions are welcome! I will have to give your idea a try . . . ! Thanks & good luck to everyone else here also! :)

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6/16/12 8:41 A

Try to eat most of your carbs earlier in the day. I used to eat a big dinner and a smaller lunch and found that I had trouble sleeping at night. I'm trying a new regimen where I eat smaller meals more frequently and most of the carbs are in the morning and at lunch. Dinner is mostly protein with few carbs and I am satisfied and have been going to sleep earlier and sleeping through the night.

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6/16/12 12:55 A

Have a protein shake. Going to sleep always works for me...You have to get your body accustomed to a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible.

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6/15/12 11:09 P

Wow such a great topic to discuss. I have recently with in the last year had late night cravings. I think pre-menopause has a lot to do with this. I have never before had cravings before I started going thru pre-menopause. Certain times of the month is worse than others. I try to drink water or end some almonds. That does seem to help. Then I try to get to bed so I won't be tempted to go back to the kitchen. I love all the great ideas! Will try some of of these.

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6/15/12 10:36 P

A couple hours after dinner, when I'm relaxing, I always find myself going for a snack. So I work a night time snack into my meal plan and daily calories. After I eat that, I brush my teeth and use mouthwash. Really deters the munching and makes things taste bad for a while, at least until I go to bed.

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6/15/12 9:44 P

I take 2 melatonin tablets in the evening. That will help you go to sleep. On occasion I will eat a bowl of greek yogurt and put some frozen dark cherries in. I add cinnamon and a lot of Splenda. Cherries have melatonin also.

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6/15/12 4:04 P

Thanks to everyone for all of the good advice. I have gotten so many good ideas. This is a very difficult problem for me. I always want to eat at night because sometimes I stay up late and watch tv. You all seem to know so many good tricks.God bless all.

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6/15/12 2:56 P

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF A WARDEN NOT ALLOWING LATE NIGHT SNACKS. I HAVE TRIED BRUSHING MY TEETH AND I HAVE HAD TO BRUSH AGAIN. NO WILL POWER ALTHOUGH I AM LEARNING A LOT ON THIS WEBSITE.

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6/15/12 11:01 A

For me this would not be midnight, but maybe around 8 or 9pm I may have 1/8th to 1/2 cup of LOW-FAT COTTAGE CHEESE. It's protein without a lot of fat or calories!

Yay for pre-bedtime (non-meat) protein!!

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6/15/12 2:01 A

I could not agree more... TV is the worst thing for a craving.. I will remember this post when/if the time comes! I think walking away from the TV probably makes walking away from the fridge much easier.

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6/15/12 1:58 A

For night-time eating..It depends on what i'm craving. If it's something savory, i have warm sodium-free "herb ox" chicken broth and a babybel light. If it's sweet, sugar-free jello...all I care to eat. Then a whole glass of ice water. If this doesn't do the trick, and I'm still snacky.. That's it.. Brush teeth and get to bed ASAP... Because we all know what can happen otherwise.

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6/14/12 7:29 P

I save a healthy snack for evenings so I am not hungry at midnight.

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6/14/12 6:06 P

I am one of those people that is a late night person. I get up around 8:30 and I eat my normal meals throughout the day, but I try to make it that I have a little left over, maybe like 100 to 200 calories because around 1:30 I will have gone about 5 hours since eating. A quick snack, something low in fat and calories just takes the edge off till breakfast and I include some water also so it helps me stay full longer. I like to eat something every 2 to 3 hours if possible but after the dinner I try not to but this is what I do just in case I have to. Have a fabulous and productive day for yourself!

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6/14/12 5:39 P

I all ways change activities like take a bath or do some research on a fun topic........

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6/14/12 4:25 P

I drink about 1/3 cup milk, brush my teeth and go back to bed.

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6/14/12 4:06 P

My cutoff time for snacking is 8pm. Anything else after that is either water or tea. I also try to brush my teeth at around 8:30 to avoid eatting again. I dont want to have to brush my teeth again and this helps remind me.

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6/14/12 3:18 P

I really liked an idea that I read in a book of Pam Young's about how to deal with the late night cravings. Her thing was about appealing to your inner child who you've let get out of hand for far too long. So the idea is that at night you pretend like you're in prison and the only thing the warden will let you have is water after a certain time. So for me, working second shift means that dinner time is at 10 and bedtime is at 3am. So after midnight I go into "prison mode" and can only drink water. After all, I've met my caloric needs and am only looking to fill some other need with food, I just need to figure out what that other need is! Another thing that helps is not watching tv at night. All those adverts start making you crave stuff! XD

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6/14/12 9:40 A

I drink 2 cups of water or tea (no sugar). Read a book. If the craving persist,(usually for sweet) I have a fruit that is filling & satisfies my sweet tooth, (Banana, Peach, half of a grapefruit...)

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6/14/12 7:38 A

i just read your blogspot. You are truly an inspiration. Congratulations to you on your success!

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6/13/12 2:45 P

I'm going to have to use some of these suggestions.. I have a real snacking before bed problem

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6/13/12 2:25 P

These sound like good tips, I am definitely going to try them, thank you!

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6/13/12 11:24 A

I have a few strategies
1) I make sure that I eat a nutrient rich dinner (protein, veggies, fruit)
2) I don't eat anything after dinner. I turn the lights out in the kitchen
3) Around 8:30pm I have a cup of tea
If I am truly desperate I check my food for the day to ensure that I have eaten properly, food is fuel.
Sometimes I will suck on a hard candy.
If all else fails, I get myself to bed early and read.

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6/13/12 7:48 A

Two things that worked for me was to figuratively "close the kitchen" and prepackage snacks that I could have in the evening that still fit in with my calories. I used to be guilty of sitting on the couch with an entire bag of chips in my lap and be surprised when they were gone. Those kinds of behaviors got me to 300 pounds.

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6/13/12 6:49 A

I usually try to plan activities like cleaning, workouts, shopping, and reading/music in the evening, to take my mind off food. I drink lots of herbal teas and will allow fruit or yogurt.

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6/13/12 4:04 A

I arrange my calorie intake so that I have 4 meals a day including supper between 8 and 9pm. I find this helps to stop me craving in the evening.

If I really must have something later I'll have a hot drink. If that doesn't work I have low calorie cup soups in the cupboard which I sip and I also keep plenty of vegetable batons and fruit in my fridge. A rice cake with a smear of marmite is good too. Whatever it is I try to eat mid range and keep a few calories spare in case I need them but the best way I've found to combat midnight munchies is to have a drink and go to bed.

Edited by: LAWLI56 at: 6/13/2012 (04:06)

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6/12/12 7:35 P

If I stay up too late, I sometimes get the munchies. When that happens I try to eat a small amount of something intensely flavored to satisfy the craving. 1/4 cup of Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream (for example) or a couple of squares of really good dark chocolate from my stash in the pantry. If I'm craving something salty, it's a little tougher since I don't often have chips in the house, but a couple of Club crackers and a slice of sharp cheddar or Parmesan can take care of that.

Best advice: if at all possible, go to sleep before the munchies hit! But if you do eat it - LOG IT!

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6/12/12 6:55 P

I try and factor something small in right before bed so I am not starving first thing in the morning

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6/12/12 5:35 P

I sometimes wake up hungry at midnight, but I don't act on it, because my alloted calories for the day are usually gone and I don't want to cut into tomorrow's calories.

The bottom line is you lose weight if you burn more than you take in, and calories eaten at night aren't different from calories eaten during the day. If you just can't live without your evening snack, just plan your day so you have some calories to enjoy at that hour of the day. For me, I could eat a horse at 10:00 in the morning, so I just plan on having extra calories at that time of day.

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6/12/12 3:40 P

I plan a treat for every evening - sometimes I eat it, other times I don't. But knowing it's there for me to have is the key.

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6/12/12 1:40 P

I guess depending if you are doing shift work or not. But for me I am fast asleep so I dont have that thank god! Otherwise if you are not sleepin your body may well be craving energy to stay awake, hene the cravings for food. So try and maybe fit in some exercise in the day, maybe go to be a little later have a nice bath, a cup of chamomile, maybe some lavender pillow spray and some nice relaxing music before bed.

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6/12/12 1:10 P

I'd say drink some water, or snack on some fruit/vegies. But if you are going to bed, I would just try to sleep because then the next morning you will feel great!

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6/12/12 12:38 P

I have never had a midnight craving in my life.

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6/12/12 1:13 A

It's all in self dicipline...I was the one who use to eat whenever I am hungry, even if its midnight..and now, i have reached a bad weight. Nowadays, i dont eat after 7pm..and i try my level best to go to bed by 10.pm

whenever i feel like eating, i just drink water at night, and remind myself of the goal of losing weight

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6/12/12 1:00 A

I choose not to eat in the middle of the night. I have my last bite at 6pm unless some unforseen event prevents me from eating then. In that case, I eat as soon as possible. I try to be in bed by 11pm. I read and will sometimes have a cup of tea sweetened by honey.

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6/11/12 8:21 P

Thanks wolfkitty! I like your analysis of the blood sugar level spiking up after eating sweets, etc. I think this is very possible - along w/ (for some other people - like myself) hormonal or pre menstrual cravings. Knowing at least what types of food/s to avoid should help along with other tricks to help refrain from eating at all during night time hours! Good luck and thank you to all for all of your input & ideas! God bless. :)

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6/11/12 6:54 P

This sounds like a great idea...I have never been a tea drinker and I only drink one cup of coffee in the morning...I will try this tonite and see how it works.....I don't eat at nite because of hunger I believe it's boredom.....But thanks for this great advice..I'll let you know how it works...Thanks.
Lela

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6/11/12 4:25 P

I've recently tried having a cup of herbal tea with agave nectar or honey before bed. It not only curbs my evening cravings after dinner, it also helps me sleep better. Of course any 100%herbal tea excepts green tea will do. Green Tea energizes me, so I save it for my morning teas that I have when I first wake up. Herbal Tea has helped me kick the coffee habit as well!

Edited by: NAEGADS at: 6/11/2012 (16:28)

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6/11/12 3:25 P

I don't ever eat in the middle of the night...I just try to go to sleep. Usually once I am asleep, I am asleep. If I am hungry, I might have some nuts or a little bit of peanut butter.

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6/11/12 2:04 P

I have never gotten up to eat, it just never even entered my mind.
When I am hungry or tempted late at night, I sometimes have luck in taming the craving by reminding myself that heartburn is likely if I eat right before bed!
Delicious flavored teas help me avoid eating and up my liquid intake.

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6/11/12 1:18 P

Thanks I will always remember this.......;)

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6/11/12 1:14 P

Thank you for this info it does make sense...I do drink lots of water but ice water later in the nite sounds like a great idea since it dies fill you quickly..I thought if I ate say around 8 or so I would not be hungry later...I see it doesn't happen that way so I am trying to eat dinner no later than 5pm and learning what to snack on and what not....It's the what nots that are the problem (haha)...I have learned you can freeze cherries and grapes and they are most definantly good frozen....!!..I love almost all veggies and fruits so I do eat alot of these during the day(most days anyway)...

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6/11/12 1:00 P

Brush your teeth after dinner & chew gum if you need something in your mouth.

Just remind yourself that it's OK to be hungry sometimes--you will not starve if you don't eat before going to bed!

After a while your stomach shrinks & you no longer crave constant munchies. Midnight munchies are more about emotional issues than hunger...just keep that in mind & keep your mouth shut! :)

Edited by: GRIZ1GIRL at: 6/11/2012 (13:01)

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6/11/12 11:10 A

I have done that and it does work but sometimes I forget and get up then I'm really in a pickle....I'll try to remember and I think by keeping SparkPeople up on my computer at all times might also work, that way I can refer to blogs when I need to....Thanks....God bless you and good luck in your endeavers.....Looks as thou your doing really well in your efforts ....

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6/11/12 11:02 A

Exactly what I am doing but that old chocolate keeps rearing it's ugly head as well as those ugly cookies and cupcakes( the ones in those Hostess wrappers that has 2 with scrumptous filling)..Uggg...BUT...I've been pretty good for a couple weeks..I haven't bought any cookies, cupcakes or chocolate...I can't seem to use the method of only one piece in a day so therefore I don't buy them at all...

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6/11/12 10:55 A

Thanks....I really needed this.....

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6/11/12 10:48 A

Ummmm....I love cereal and I could eat a box all by myself in a 2 day period...However, skim milk is not something I am will to drink so I stopped buying cereal since I can't drink 3 or 4 glasses of good old milk a day...However, I have found that whole milk has a very nasty taste anymore and I would guess it's that forsaken processing method they use...I found a receipe for making a great breakfast though...I take 1 egg and 1 egg white, blend in 2 slices of turkey bacon or fat free sausage (break the sausage up into pieces) add some cheese....mix together by hand and put into a mug and pop in the micro for about 1 and 1/2 minutes(the mug might be hot so be careful) and presto it's a great and filling breakfast....

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6/11/12 10:20 A

Great suggestions! Just last night I woke up at 3:54 am and had 2 bowls of cereal and skim milk before going back to sleep (actually debated at one point should I stay awake) and then when I did fall asleep, didn't want to get out of bed when alarm went off at 6:00 am.

Someone mentioned fruit/sugar causing midnight cravings... I did not know that... and I had sweet mangos for dinner last night... mmm.... and I think I will try the early morning exercise thing.... kill 2 birds with one stone... getting my daily dose of exercise out of the way and able to fall asleep before 11-12 midnight.

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6/11/12 1:17 A

I think this has something to do with eating a 'huge' meal. You should space out your eating time and eat proper portions so that you will not end up craving. Usually, craving comes from eating too much carbs. This spikes up your blood sugar levels which then leads you to look for food. This is based on my own experience. The less carbs I eat, the less cravings I have. But I do eat carbs - I just stick with mostly whole grains

Edited by: PRETTYAIRA at: 6/11/2012 (01:17)

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6/10/12 11:23 P

If you're having cravings at midnight, try skipping dessert.

Sounds funny, but recently I slipped into some bad habits after losing over 100 pounds and maintaining it for a couple of years. I was eating a cup of gelato, or cookies, or something after dinner. All of a sudden, I would wake up in the middle of the night RAVISHED.

I've never been a midnight-snacker, but I can easily see this cycle emerging for many people. If you have a high-sugar dessert or high-carb dinnner, your blood sugar spikes, the insulin kicks in to help digest your food, you go to sleep about 10... and wake up when it's REALLY done it's job and now your blood sugar is very low, leading to cravings, or very severe hungry pangs (which is what I would get, so much so that they woke me up).

Usually a bit of water and trying to sleep again helps, but if you're serious about losing weight you're probably cutting down on sweets anyway. Try getting them earlier in the day if you're a "one-a-day-chocolate" person. And save a half an orange for dessert instead.

Good luck!
Jocelyn

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6/10/12 10:27 P

Refuse to get back out of bed....if you dont get up you dont eat LOL

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6/10/12 9:57 P

This is a wonderful topic :) Unlike most people, I am a true night owl & don't go to sleep usually until sometime between 2:30 am and 4:00 am. I have struggled with this issue for some time, and tried different approaches, as we tend to do. I spent some time trying to work around discovering the emotional causes until it struck me that I eat dinner at 7pm, which means that by 11:00 or midnight, my body was expecting more food. That was a lot easier to deal with.

If you feed your body every night at midnight, it will cue you by making you uncomfortable unless you eat. If, however, you get your body used to not eating after 8pm, it won't like it at first, but then after it complains for 2 or 3 days, it gets the message and stops doing that.

From that point onwards, what I have done at night has been any of the following:
I drink ice water;
If I feel like something sweet, then I sip on a flavoured herb tea spiked with one packet of Splenda;
I drink a flavoured seltzer (wo sugar or artificial sweetners);

If I happen to notice the time and the craving - I do craft work for a couple of hours so that my hands and mind are occupied for anytime between 10:30 - 1:00am.

Pay attention to your body. If you are alert you will notice that the cravings end at a certain time of the night. For me it is 1:00am. I am never ever hungry after that time.

The other suggestions on this site are great: brushing your teeth, taking a nice hot shower, and meditating are wonderful ideas.

I really like the idea of exercising early in the morning so that you are tired at night, but I think that would take a major reconstuction effort for me - LOL!

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6/10/12 6:10 P

For me, it's about consuming enough calories to sustain myself, all through the day. First, it's very important not to skip breakfast. I've done that regurarly and I get hungry later in the evening. Eat three meals, and three snacks. A hearthy snack in the evening (around 3 hours before bedtime) will help. Something that has protein in it, like almonds for example, not something full of sugars and bad fat, like a donut...)

This week, I've been focusing on that and it works! Remember, respect your caloric needs. I'm 280 pounds I have a basal metabolism of 3000 calories so I got to eat enough... If I consumed 1500 cal I'd be famished and I wouldn't lose any weight. My metabolism would crash!

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6/10/12 1:11 P

I always keep busy such as clean, play with dog, reading romantic, watch HBO etc. And the more important is not save any snacks at home. I have experience. when I have craving I eat mindless so I won't take this risk.

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6/10/12 7:47 A

I made a rule that the kitchen is closed after 8pm. This means I avoid the kitchen after that time & drink only ice water. Also, there's no tempting sugary junk food to derail me from my progress. My husband's salty snack foods in pantry don't tempt me at all. When cravings occur, I keep distracted. Fortunately, I've been asleep at midnight lately so I haven't had cravings then lately

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6/10/12 12:44 A

For me, a 'sweet' tea usually hits the cravings just fine. T2 makes a 'Just Cinnamon' tea which is amazing with a dash of vanilla soymilk, or any brand of chocolate or chai tea with a little milk has virtually no calories and tastes just like a dessert (:

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6/10/12 12:20 A

I really think these posts are excellent!

I quit eating/craving chocolate when I only let myself have the chocolate that I did NOT like (there was one kind I will not eat!) and when I heard chocolate call my name, I could eat it but only the kind I did not like. Needless to say I stopped going for chocolate.

Sometimes I still think about the good stuff but nothing like my routine craving.
So, maybe you could find a snack you just are not crazy about and that could be the midnight snack until you retrain your thinking--it is just a thought.

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6/9/12 11:50 P

My dietician recommends that I eat 30 grams of protein at every meal, 1200-1500 calories a day, drink lots of water, sleep 7 to 8 hours and fill up with low-fat protein, whole fruits and vegetables--not juices or sweets. When I follow her advice, I usually avoid midnight cravings.

When I have cravings due to under-eating or over-exerting myself with exercise, I limit night time snacks to 150 calories or less. A mini-bag of air popped popcorn, a slice of whole wheat bread with a wedge of light Laughing Cow cheese or two tablespoons of tart cherries and one half ounce almonds. After the light snack, I go to bed--even if I am still hungry, and I make sure to follow directions the next day.

Edited by: ND774748 at: 6/9/2012 (23:53)

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6/9/12 9:29 P

I go to bed before that hits. If I wake up hungry in the middle of the night, then I eat half a banana. It helps to get back to sleep (try it!!)

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6/9/12 8:18 P

i keep plenty of snack stuff around, that's low cal..., so' if i'm feeling that hunger thing, before i go to sleep i grab a gram cracker, or something of the likes..., (i usually don't wake up, unless i got a meeting in the oval office...). then' i "make" myself go straight back to bed.

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6/9/12 11:01 A

I have that problem..I have noticed at night when all is calm and quiet I enjoy my food. It tastes better and I dont have to "stuff it in". That makes it hard to not want to keep eating at mid-night. But now I TRY to get more protiens during the day. The wheel graph has opened my eyes to how much hidden carbs I've been eating, and what percent I had been.

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6/9/12 9:58 A

I have the same problem. I control myself allday long, to only wake up in the middle of the night shoving something in my mouth.it is very disappointing.

current weight: 204.0

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SparkPoints: (120)
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6/9/12 7:41 A

Past few days I have been working out really hard, however in the evenings I ruin it by eating junk as I get really REALLY hungry in the evenings - but there's some advices on this thread that I will try implementing. :)

current weight: 123.0  over

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Posts: 11,883
6/9/12 6:30 A

Keep a glass of water by my bed. And don't get up.

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Posts: 26
6/8/12 8:08 P

Great topic! Thank you to everyone who replied. There's some really good tips here.

I also am a late night eater and I am trying to plan ahead of time so I don't grab what's quick.

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Posts: 11
6/8/12 7:30 P

I put about 1/2 cup of grapes in the freezer and snack on them at night if I get hungry. They last a while and I feel like I'm having a treat.

Edited by: INSPIRESOMEONE at: 6/8/2012 (19:31)

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Fitness Minutes: (240)
Posts: 8
6/8/12 4:55 P

That wa easy for me. I stop eating at 7pm, asleep by 10pm and at the gym at 345/4am. I'm too tired to get up and eat!

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SparkPoints: (12,357)
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6/8/12 12:44 P

I must admit, I have given in to midnight munchies on many occasions. What works for me is to make sure that I've eaten well all day long, and am properly hydrated. Especially eat lots of veggies at your evening meal so that you are full on them. Good luck !

Posts: 20
6/8/12 11:10 A

If I get a midnight craving and I do some nights as I am a night owl...I make a cup of hot green tea (2 calories) and eat 6 Fat Free Tiny Twists Pretzels (34 calories) The hot tea calms my hunger and causes the pretzels to swell ... giving me a full feeling and satisfies my craving..

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Posts: 679
6/8/12 10:19 A

I came across this post and was kind of in a shock, because I had this problem for so many years. Late night came around and so did these cravings. I had to think about why and when it stopped. My best guess woud be that I stopped trying to go for hours (and hours) without eating or depriving mysel (thinking that would help with weight loss). Another thing that has changed is I eat breakfast now, always skipped breakfast in the past. Not sure if this your answer, but good luck!

Edited by: MISS-OVEREATER at: 6/8/2012 (10:20)

current weight: 146.0

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6/7/12 8:35 P

Have a protein snack with a carb (cheese stick with fruit) before you retire for the night. It'll stabilize your blood sugar so you don't wake up hungry.

(If you want a crunchy snack, try popcorn with a glass of milk or slice of cheese or freeze-dried veggies (available in the dry good part of the product dept.) plus a hard boiled egg.

Experiment.

Try it! It works!

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6/7/12 4:13 P

I have to access whether it's true hunger or head hunger. If it's head hunger (which I get a lot if I'm just watching TV) I fight the craving by getting busy doing something...read a book, needlework, surf the sparkpeople website, etc. If it's true hunger I will see what my calorie intake for the day has been, often I find I have fallen short or not eaten in several hours and I'm due for a snack.

Pounds lost: 0.0

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Posts: 45
6/7/12 3:58 P

If I'm hungry right before I go to bed, or if I wake up in the middle of the night, I can't sleep. My tum needs to have something in it. And, I know what you mean about eating and feeling hungry 30 mins later.
Here's what works for me.
1. I make sure 1/2 my calories are eaten by lunch (meal 1, snack and lunch). sometimes I am super hungry at night not because of what I ate, but when!
2. I eat at 7am, 10.30am, 1-1:30pm, 4.30pm, 7pm... ish
3. If I'm hungry right before bed/wake up I either have some Fiber Diet (from Puritan's Pride - I don't work for them or anything. The fiber should be taken with water and it just expands and fills ur tummy) and/or have a few raw almonds.

Pounds lost: 0.6

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Posts: 11
6/7/12 2:58 P

I'm always awake until at least 2 am, so for me it's more of a before bed snack =P

I don't wake up to eat but I wake up thirsty all the time. I keep water by the bed. Only problem is, I wake up to pee a lot too :(

current weight: 314.0

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Posts: 10,575
6/7/12 2:21 P

meditate. Just 10 minutes deep breathing as you meditate can calm you enough to make walking away from the temptation easier...

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6/7/12 1:26 P

I go to bed earlier. I am never awake at midnight. I usually eat enough calories during the day that I am not hungry at night. If I happen to be hungry around 7 or 8 pm, I drink water.