How to curb late night cravings!?

[catsandfitness]

This is one of the most difficult things I deal with -
LATE NIGHT SNACKING!

I am a server, and therefore am usually working until 1am-3am
I deal with food during my whole shift and can even get through it only eating what I brought in my lunch bag from home!
But the second I'm home I'm ready to munch. I want anything and everything.
The nights I dont work are worse, as I can't sleep until the normal 3am bedtime but I'm not keeping busy working.

I know once I get over the hump of a 5-7 days I'll hopefully be able to keep it up- but I just can't seem to get there!!

[desslok]

Find some filling low cal snacks to munch on. Sometimes its the act of munching. But helps to get full, BEFORE you get hangry. Try air popped popcorn, celery sticks, rice cakes. Celery with a little pb helps me with satiety thus cravings.

[Mrpb]

Your cravings could be caused by a couple of things: eating too few calories during the day, not eating enough protein, not eating enough volume, not eating enough fiber.

So what is your calorie target? How much weight are you losing per month? How much fiber do you eat per day?

[tonyl96]

i eat celery / cucumbers / parsley / a diet coke at night to curve cravings before bed (i pee a lot during the night)

a lot of veggies with meals (broc**** asparagus peppers, onions, spinach)

high fibre protein bar keeps me full long

Foods that have a lot of volume like jello, sugar free pudding, yogurts, are also key

[Goingviking]

I like to satisfy my late night cravings with food. I find that food best get rid of my hunger. Sometimes when I am really hungry I eat extra food.

[AdamWW]

5'6" 125lb, and it looks like you're in good shape.





Why are you worried about cravings? You have gym photos up, so it also looks like you're active....

[catsandfitness]

Find some filling low cal snacks to munch on. Sometimes its the act of munching. But helps to get full, BEFORE you get hangry. Try air popped popcorn, celery sticks, rice cakes. Celery with a little pb helps me with satiety thus cravings.

Thanks! Will try some of those snacks instead!

Your cravings could be caused by a couple of things: eating too few calories during the day, not eating enough protein, not eating enough volume, not eating enough fiber.

So what is your calorie target? How much weight are you losing per month? How much fiber do you eat per day?

I do try to hit both my calorie and protein intake each day! Fiber may be an issue??

i eat celery / cucumbers / parsley / a diet coke at night to curve cravings before bed (i pee a lot during the night)

a lot of veggies with meals (broc**** asparagus peppers, onions, spinach)

high fibre protein bar keeps me full long

Foods that have a lot of volume like jello, sugar free pudding, yogurts, are also key

I do think fiber is something i need more of, so maybe I will try that! Thanks!

[catsandfitness]

5'6" 125lb, and it looks like you're in good shape.

Why are you worried about cravings? You have gym photos up, so it also looks like you're active....

I just want to cut the habit, and get rid of the last few lbs to hopefully show more muscle!

[CatFunt]

5'6" 125lb, and it looks like you're in good shape.





Why are you worried about cravings? You have gym photos up, so it also looks like you're active....

Maybe she wants to maintain that photo shape but day to day walking around carries more water due to late night sugar or carbs.

[tonyl96]

I like to satisfy my late night cravings with food. I find that food best get rid of my hunger. Sometimes when I am really hungry I eat extra food.

its post like these that ruin the nutrition forum... you know what she means, don't dumb down the question.

I work at a nightlife venue in toronto and saturdays I come home 5:30 AM working from 8:30PM ... on these days, I save a lot of calories for when I return home. So say I eat an average of 2000 calories a day, I would eat less throughout the day time, and have a large meal at night once I return.

The key to managing this late night work thing for you is dividing your food intake so that you have calories left to eat in the evening. Don't have a normal day of eating (like a day of eating you'd usually have when you don't have work), and then go to work, come home and snack. Eat just half of what you'd eat in a normal day, then eat the other half when you come home hungry from work. Meal timing does not matter, TOTAL INTAKE is what matters. Eating such a large meal before bed will not lead you to gain weight or put on fat. In my case, 2000 calories a day is 2000 calories a day, they can come at anytime, any hour, however I want thats convenient for me

[Mrpb]

I do try to hit both my calorie and protein intake each day! Fiber may be an issue??

You didn't answer any of my questions.

What is your calorie target?

Are you trying to gain or lose weight? If losing weight, how many pounds per month do you lose?

What is your TDEE?

How much fiber do you eat per day?

[AdamWW]

I just want to cut the habit, and get rid of the last few lbs to hopefully show more muscle!

Not sure about losing a few pounds but to each their own.

If it were me I'd go for vegetables or find recipes for 'protein fluff'. I've never made it myself but i've heard it's a good option.

[CatFunt]

Just stick to unprocessed food, as in food should be how it looks or grows, meat should be in its natural state not processed. Try to get some fresh sourkraut NOT pasteurised, the stuff I'm the fridge and snack on that.

Avoid sugar, keep water intake high, lift weights and do minimal cardio like 15 mins hiit a session.

[catsandfitness]

its post like these that ruin the nutrition forum... you know what she means, don't dumb down the question.

I work at a nightlife venue in toronto and saturdays I come home 5:30 AM working from 8:30PM ... on these days, I save a lot of calories for when I return home. So say I eat an average of 2000 calories a day, I would eat less throughout the day time, and have a large meal at night once I return.

The key to managing this late night work thing for you is dividing your food intake so that you have calories left to eat in the evening. Don't have a normal day of eating (like a day of eating you'd usually have when you don't have work), and then go to work, come home and snack. Eat just half of what you'd eat in a normal day, then eat the other half when you come home hungry from work. Meal timing does not matter, TOTAL INTAKE is what matters. Eating such a large meal before bed will not lead you to gain weight or put on fat. In my case, 2000 calories a day is 2000 calories a day, they can come at anytime, any hour, however I want thats convenient for me

Thanks! that helped a lot!! I always worry about TIMING of eating so I didnt think eating half a meal before bed would solve the issue.

[Mrpb]

The real question here: should she really be cutting? I would say no.

As a beginner you can gain muscle while eating at maintenance. You'll lose some fat while doing so.

[catsandfitness]

You didn't answer any of my questions.

What is your calorie target?

Are you trying to gain or lose weight? If losing weight, how many pounds per month do you lose?

What is your TDEE?

How much fiber do you eat per day?

Calorie target is about 1,700
Trying to lose weight
TDEE is about 2,200

I honestly don't look for fiber, so not a lot.

[Mrpb]

Calorie target is about 1,700
Trying to lose weight
TDEE is about 2,200

I honestly don't look for fiber, so not a lot.

OK. You should be getting at least 20 gram fiber per day.

Personally I would advise against cutting further in your situation. Getting really lean without enough muscle mass won't look very good.

[catsandfitness]

OK. You should be getting at least 20 gram fiber per day.

Personally I would advise against cutting further in your situation. Getting really lean without enough muscle mass won't look very good.

Thanks for the fiber recommendation.

Honestly this post wasn't suppose to be about if I should or shouldn't be trying to lose weight.

[tonyl96]

I eat 1800 right now,

I do intermittent fasting because of my late night cravings. I skip breakfast, and don't have my first meal until 4pm. I eat all my calories from 4-8pm , then have that little snack I said (celery, cucumbers, parsley, diet coke) before I go to bed whenever that is. this way, I can be full in the evenings which is when I'm prone to snacking like you. I workout before 4pm also

Intermittent fasting, search it up. Its for people like me and you lol

[AdamWW]

I eat 1800 right now,

I do intermittent fasting because of my late night cravings. I skip breakfast, and don't have my first meal until 4pm. I eat all my calories from 4-8pm , then have that little snack I said (celery, cucumbers, parsley, diet coke) before I go to bed whenever that is. this way, I can be full in the evenings which is when I'm prone to snacking like you. I workout before 4pm also

Intermittent fasting, search it up. Its for people like me and you lol

I think your daily calorie intake would be more suitable for a 12 year old girl, personally

[catsandfitness]

I eat 1800 right now,

I do intermittent fasting because of my late night cravings. I skip breakfast, and don't have my first meal until 4pm. I eat all my calories from 4-8pm , then have that little snack I said (celery, cucumbers, parsley, diet coke) before I go to bed whenever that is. this way, I can be full in the evenings which is when I'm prone to snacking like you. I workout before 4pm also

Intermittent fasting, search it up. Its for people like me and you lol

Thanks so much! I will def look that up!

[Mrpb]

Honestly this post wasn't suppose to be about if I should or shouldn't be trying to lose weight.

I'm aware of that. But keep in mind that the advice you don't want to hear is often the advice that you need to hear most.

[tonyl96]

I think your daily calorie intake would be more suitable for a 12 year old girl, personally

thanks for the input no one asked for

[Mrpb]

its post like these that ruin the nutrition forum... you know what she means, don't dumb down the question.

I know where you're coming from but I disagree in this case. Sometimes cravings are just a sign that someone's undereating. In this case I consider that possibility very likely.

[Goingviking]

its post like these that ruin the nutrition forum... you know what she means, don't dumb down the question.

I work at a nightlife venue in toronto and saturdays I come home 5:30 AM working from 8:30PM ... on these days, I save a lot of calories for when I return home. So say I eat an average of 2000 calories a day, I would eat less throughout the day time, and have a large meal at night once I return.

The key to managing this late night work thing for you is dividing your food intake so that you have calories left to eat in the evening. Don't have a normal day of eating (like a day of eating you'd usually have when you don't have work), and then go to work, come home and snack. Eat just half of what you'd eat in a normal day, then eat the other half when you come home hungry from work. Meal timing does not matter, TOTAL INTAKE is what matters. Eating such a large meal before bed will not lead you to gain weight or put on fat. In my case, 2000 calories a day is 2000 calories a day, they can come at anytime, any hour, however I want thats convenient for me

When you are cutting ideally you want to keep insulin levels low before bed for hormonal reasons. HGH can be affected by spiking insulin before bed, and HGH can aid with muscle preservation and fat metabolism during weight loss. If you must eat before bed it's best to eat high protein and low to no carbohydrates. If carbohydrates must be consumed you might want to try to look at low calorie high fiber choices to stabilize insulin levels and keep you full.

Another factor to consider when eating lower than maintenance is whether or not macro's should be evenly distributed among meals. Carbs are the main source of energy for both the brain and high intensity exercise. By having a greater portion of your carbs in the morning and around exercise you will feel much better on a lower calorie diet when compared with a program that has the same macros every meal. In reality the body has very little use of carbs when you are sleeping.

Most night cravings are caused by habitual eating patterns and your body can be trained to not get as hungry by changing these patterns. You might try drinking some low calorie protein powder before bed as well to help suppress your appetite and keep your protein synthesis up. This will have a minimal impact on insulin and therefore not affect HGH levels as much.Make sure you are drinking plenty of water before bed as dehydration can often be confused with hunger.

On a related note I think that your body will look better by adding some thickness. 17 percent bodyfat is low for a woman. I would work on building out your thighs and waste with weight training, and ease off losing the last two pounds.

[Mrpb]

When your cutting ideally you want to keep insulin levels low before bed for hormonal reasons. HGH can be affected by spiking insulin before bed, and HGH can aid with muscle preservation and fat metabolism during weight loss. If you must eat before bed it's best to eat high protein and low to no carbohydrates. If carbohydrates must be consumed you might want to try to look at low calorie high fiber choices.

Ehh no. Here's a good start: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content...boogeyman.html

[tonyl96]

I know where you're coming from but I disagree in this case. Sometimes cravings are just a sign that someone's undereating. In this case I consider that possibility very likely.

If you choose to share advice, at least make it more structured and reasoned than a nullified 'I eat food and extra food if Im hungry after that' , or 'that's suitable for a 12 year old girl'. I am always in for real discourse on the discussion of topics, not just mumbo jumbo stuff that mocks me, OP, or any poster for that matter.

OP has a question, lets answer her question first and foremost. We don't know her, her body, her goals, or reasons she is doing what she is doing, and should politely refrain from trying 180 her post to a whole new discussion. How to curb late night cravings is all she wants to know, so lets share our knowledge, tips, and tricks with her.

[Mrpb]

If you choose to share advice, at least make it more structured and reasoned than a nullified 'I eat food and extra food if Im hungry after that' , or 'that's suitable for a 12 year old girl'. I am always in for real discourse on the discussion of topics, not just mumbo jumbo stuff that mocks me, OP, or any poster for that matter.

OP has a question, lets answer her question first and foremost. We don't know her, her body, her goals, or reasons she is doing what she is doing, and should politely refrain from trying 180 her post to a whole new discussion. How to curb late night cravings is all she wants to know, so lets share our knowledge, tips, and tricks with her.

Well you make a couple of valid points but the suggestion to eat more to take care of cravings is also a valid point in my book.

And yes I know that's not what she wants to hear but it may be what she needs to hear. Now we've seen her physique, do you really think she's a candidate to cut further?

[Goingviking]

Ehh no. Here's a good start: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content...boogeyman.html

Lol this is nutrition science. There is literally an article or study to counter or support every idea and position around. That being said HGH levels lower when insulin rises-Science That article doesn't even address HGH

[Mrpb]

Lol this is nutrition science. There is literally an article or study to counter or support every idea and position around.

Currently there is no controlled evidence showing that eating at night has a negative impact on fat loss.

That being said HGH levels lower when insulin rises-Science

Sure, but does it have a negative impact on fat loss if overall calories are adhered to. The answer is a simple no.