Late Night bad eating habits.

[Jimbo]

Ya hear me? How many will give me a "hell yeah". Late night after supper friggin kills me. My wife has all this BS sugary shit laying around and MANY times I end up shoving something into my mouth.

I know..I know...just buck up and get some discipline. I'm trying I'm trying..but just wondered if there is something I could take to curb the appetite at night...an appetite supressant that doesn't make you wired and doesn't have any really vile side affects? I mean I wanna sleep and I don't need high blood pressure or anything.

The only time I have trouble staying away from the wrong foods is at night after supper. sucks.

[Blackjack]

If you can't get that stuff out of the house, which is your best option, just simply get a better alternative. Sugar free jello works well for me. I've got some sugar-free pudding that I have when the chocolate craving hits. You can also make your own "protein" pudding. Grab a handful of peanuts or almonds instead if it's a salty snack craving.

For appetite suppression, try caffeine-free green tea. Or...brush your teeth. Sometimes that'll do the trick.

You can always get a hobby that keeps you busy in the evenings too.

[BamaDave]

How much are you shoveling in?? A little bit won't kill you.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Blackjack

If you can't get that stuff out of the house, which is your best option, just simply get a better alternative. Sugar free jello works well for me. I've got some sugar-free pudding that I have when the chocolate craving hits. You can also make your own "protein" pudding. Grab a handful of peanuts or almonds instead if it's a salty snack craving.

For appetite suppression, try caffeine-free green tea. Or...brush your teeth. Sometimes that'll do the trick.

You can always get a hobby that keeps you busy in the evenings too.

All good tips. I do drink a butt load of green tea.

The hobby..well..by this time I'm pretty spent each night. I just seem to be constantly hungry lately. Guess it's all the swimming. I just ate lunch. A BIG chicken breast and some baked yellow squash. 2 fish oil tabs. And I'm friggin starving. I don;t know if it's my eating habits or what. I've played with eating more during the day..but nothing stops my night time urges.

For breakfast - bowl of Oatmeal and a big glass of skim milk. (my favorite meal of the day cuz it's got splenda and a touch of maple syrup that I add)

Coffee, Coffee

snack - an apple, green tea

Lunch - today's was typical, chicken, vegs

green tea, coffee

snack - banana

Supper - About like lunch but usually a little more volume.

Green tea, green tea....the fight is on...I'm gonna die!!!

I eat SOMETHING.

If I wake up in the night..I'm hungry but USUALLY I can go back to sleep without eating. (dream about breakfast)

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

How much are you shoveling in?? A little bit won't kill you.

Lets see. Now here's where I get embarrassed.

Last night..

2 little debbie oatmeal cakes. Glass of milk
2 little baby ruths. glass of Diet coke.

It's not like this every night. But after a night like that..I just wonder what I can do different. I already KNOW that jello, pudding, yogurt aint gonna cut it unless I eat a bucket of each.

Ok. Thoroughly embarrased now.

[LisaS]

are you getting enough fat in your diet? Nuts, avocados, olives and so forth.

[Jimbo]

Oh..and getting that stuff out of my house is not an option. I could change houses but I love my family and hate living alone.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by LisaS

are you getting enough fat in your diet? Nuts, avocados, olives and so forth.

I take 2 fish oil tabs with each meal...zat help?

A lot of times my wife makes supper with ground round. That has some fat content..probably not the good kind though eh?

Nuts? Umm..those baby ruths had some.

But seriously, you think adding some fats with each meal or early meals would help. I guess I have in mind what JB preaches about eating your fats at night. Should I try adding some more fats at night?

[Jimbo]

Oh..I should mention that I make it a rule to drink a glass of water for every drink of any kind that I drink..so for every cup of coffee or bottle of green tea I drink a glass of water between. Helps me get my H2O in.

[mom2w]

What are your training/eating goals right now? Are you following any plan or just eating clean in general? It'll help us to help you more.

I notice you have a few snacks that are fruit only. Fruit's not bad, but where's the protein? Maybe throw that banana into a protein shake. Fiber, fat & protein, all in their own ways, provide greater satiety than carbs, especially carbs alone. When I have too many carbs and not enough pro/fat in my diet, I often find myself finishing a meal and thinking "what else?"

Any chance of taking a walk or bike ride with the family after supper? Just anything to get your mind off your tummy.

If you're waking up hungry in the middle of the night, something must be off. Have you fitday'd what you're eating to make sure you're getting enough during the day?

How about a piece of dark chocolate? It's great to just let melt in your mouth and savor. 1-2 squares of Lindt 85% are about 55 cals each so not major and there are some antioxidants in there for ya!

[RobLL]

Until I switched to very low carb I always had the late night hungers. In order to stabilize my blood sugars I now push myself (its not too hard ) to eat a small protein fat meal before bed time.

[Jimbo]

"What are your training/eating goals right now? Are you following any plan or just eating clean in general? It'll help us to help you more."

5'10" @ abou 175# Pretty lean maybe 14% I would like to get leaner before I think about bulking. Just my preference on that. So that has been my primary goal. And yes, I have been approaching this through keeping my diet clean and working hard lifting, biking, running, swimming. (not necessarily in that order)

see logs.. http://forums.jpfitness.com/showthre...271#post386271

"I notice you have a few snacks that are fruit only. Fruit's not bad, but where's the protein? Maybe throw that banana into a protein shake. Fiber, fat & protein, all in their own ways, provide greater satiety than carbs, especially carbs alone. When I have too many carbs and not enough pro/fat in my diet, I often find myself finishing a meal and thinking "what else?""

This is a good thought. I'm not afraid to add some more protien but I know my body and I will probably gain weight from it. I'll have to adjust elsewhere..smaller meals to do that. But it's worth a try.

"Any chance of taking a walk or bike ride with the family after supper? Just anything to get your mind off your tummy. "

Well..like I said..this is late at night. Early on I have not problem. I do stay busy. It's an hour before bed time till morning...

If you're waking up hungry in the middle of the night, something must be off. Have you fitday'd what you're eating to make sure you're getting enough during the day?

I'm not sure if something is wrong..or if hunger is just something I have to live with if I want to lose the fat. I guess I'm asking if that is the case?

"How about a piece of dark chocolate? It's great to just let melt in your mouth and savor. 1-2 squares of Lindt 85% are about 55 cals each so not major and there are some antioxidants in there for ya!"

That's just enough to make me want more.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by RobLL

Until I switched to very low carb I always had the late night hungers. In order to stabilize my blood sugars I now push myself (its not too hard ) to eat a small protein fat meal before bed time.

I've been considering going low carb to see what happens but I haven't wanted to give up my morning bowl of oats. I sware I'm in love with that meal.:p

But it's interesting that goin low carb helped you curb the carb cravings. Hmm. I wasn't aware of that side benefit.

I may have to add a Whey shake before bed.

I guess I was hoping to avoid adding more food. My progress in losing the fat is slooow go right now. Adding food makes me nervous.

I'm still chewing on the idea of low carb. I just don't think I could sustain a diet like that for a long period. I also concerned about high cholesterol which runs in my family. Would eating primarily meats raise cholesterol?

How long have you been going low carb??

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've been considering going low carb to see what happens but I haven't wanted to give up my morning bowl of oats. I sware I'm in love with that meal.:p

But it's interesting that goin low carb helped you curb the carb cravings. Hmm. I wasn't aware of that side benefit.

I may have to add a Whey shake before bed.

I guess I was hoping to avoid adding more food. My progress in losing the fat is slooow go right now. Adding food makes me nervous.

I'm still chewing on the idea of low carb. I just don't think I could sustain a diet like that for a long period. I also concerned about high cholesterol which runs in my family. Would eating primarily meats raise cholesterol?

How long have you been going low carb??

No need to give up the oats. Heck, when I can train normally, I can have my usual morning bowl of oatmeal (with chocolate protein powder and natural peanut butter) and still get into or stay in ketosis! It's very doable, and yes, the P+F snack right before bed (I usually make a small omelette) is perfect for curbing late-night cravings.

As for cholesterol, you can adjust where you get your macronutrients to work with your body/genetics, and you still have certain ideal numbers to hit with P/C/F regardless of how you get them, so it's not like Atkins where you're told you can eat beef and cheese from here 'til next Tuesday and beyond. I think it was popeye (the poster, not the cartoon) who one day put it something like this:

g/P = 100-110% bodyweight (in pounds)
g/F = 45-55% bodyweight (in pounds)
g/C = adjust to your daily caloric needs accordingly after calculating P+F

Worked for me so far.

[Jimbo]

No need to give up the oats. Heck, when I can train normally, I can have my usual morning bowl of oatmeal (with chocolate protein powder and natural peanut butter) and still get into or stay in ketosis!

R U serious? I thought that kind of meal once a day would blow you out of the Keto water?

In regards to using protien power in the oats..I need some help here. I tried it once and it came out tasting like crap. The consistency of it urked me too. So how do you go abou preparing that if you don;t mind me asking?

the P+F snack right before bed (I usually make a small omelette) is perfect for curbing late-night cravings.

That's a good idea. I love omelettes. I usually like south western style though with salsa. Hopefully that's not too many carbs there if I went low carb..

g/P = 100-110% bodyweight (in pounds)
g/F = 45-55% bodyweight (in pounds)
g/C = adjust to your daily caloric needs accordingly after calculating P+F

I''ve never seen that before.

I would need about:

175+ grams protien
85 grams or so Fat
and..carbs..well...there's that bowl of oats that I'm addicted to.

The funny thing about this craving at night. I KNOW that if I eat a bowl of oats and a glass of milk at night I'm golden. But carbs at night are a bad thing for me. I gain weight that way..and not lean muscle mass.

[mom2w]

Low carb works for me, personally. Everyone is different. I did Atkins induction levels for almost an entire year and lost close to 80#. I was rarely hungry and I wasn't really working out (cardio & nautilus machines). My cholesterol numbers went down that year (overall 197 to 163, if memory serves correctly but definately down)

If you decide to go that route, I wouldn't recommend avoiding calories. Eat until you're satisfied but not stuffed. Limit your fatty meats (bacon, sausage, most pork, etc) so they're not your protein choice at every meal, but fat isn't bad in this case. If you really follow a plan, it really will work. Maybe look at the Adam's Diet thread. I'd say to limit the fruit & grains allowed where you can though. For me, personally, a little of those will lead to cravings. It's just easier to think meat, eggs, cheese, green veggies, olives, butter & nuts. Keeps it simple.