Need help and support to stop my night eating

Hi Everyone,

I was very happy to have found this site. Maybe now I can stop some of my bad eating habits and control my carb intake and night eating syndrome.

I'm afraid to get on the scale this morning because I've been so out of control with my ED and my emotional eating, that I'm afraid I may have gained even more weight.

Wishing all of you well in your quest for a good day overcoming your eating challenges.

Thanks,

Nighteater

I am here for the same reason, I buy stupid things like "baked" cheetos, thinking somehow they are less nasty, of course then I find a way to finish the bag during the evening... My excuse seems to be, well I have kids, I have to have junk in the house?!!? Easy to hate yourself after doing dumb things, but ya gotta pick yourself up and brush yourself off. Start all over again.

Good Morning Nighteater and welcome!

We are all here to help and give you support as well as information.

Best Of Luck to you!!

~Jaana

I have a problem with eating at night as well! I try not to eat in front of the computer so at first just spending the evening on this forum helped! Now, it isn't enough and so I began a cross stitch project! The hands have to be clean to do that so as not to mess up the canvas! So, instead of reaching for food I reach for my cross stitch! I have found that eating in the evening is a habit. Now, I have had to form new habits! Best of luck! Oh yes, if you have to give in then eat in a place in the house that is uncomfortable! Stand in the laundry room! Even better stand in the bathroom! Now that is gross but that is the idea! It'll take a while so stick with it!

Hi Jaana,

Thanks for your encouragement. I see that your are a success story. Did you ever have trouble with night eating? And if you did, do you have any tips. I have found it difficult to fall asleep when I do not overindulge late in the evening.

When I do indulge, I sleep like a baby. Terribly "BAD" habit.

Many thanks again,

Liz (nighteater)

Hi Miss Scruff!

Actually, today will be my first day of a weight loss program on this web site. I'll try not eating in the bedroom late at night before I go to sleep. Last night I ate two potato hamberger rolls with spread and 4 sauerkraut pierogies and feel asleep like a baby.

I'll write tomorrow morning and let you know how I did today. I know it will be very, very hard. But I hope I have good news for you and I tomorrow morning. I'll take your advice and eat anywhere but in my bedroom at night.

Thanks

Liz (Night-eatriss

Actually, there have been quite a few studies showing that a good way to keep to a healthy weight is to do all your eating sitting at your kitchen or dining room table and eating properly off a plate using silverware or whatever is appropriate.

If you are getting hungry at night and that is causing you trouble sleeping, I would do a few things.

First, make sure you are eating enough fat, protein, and calories during the day. If you are starving yourself during the day to lose weight, that is likely to backfire and lead to compulsive eating in the evening. You may have to worry about calories at some point after you have bee low carbing for a while, but right now just make sure that you eat plenty of good healthy foods during the day. Don't stuff yourself, but don't try to restrict quantities too much either. Starting the day with a high protein/high fat breakfast such as the traditional bacon and eggs is a good idea in the beginning.

Second, you may need a snack after dinner for a while, depending upon what time you eat dinner and how much you are eating at all your meals. If so, there is nothing wrong with that, but make it a healthy, lowcarb snack. If you're on Induction, that may mean a piece of meat or cheese, a couple of hard boiled eggs, or something similar. Once you get to ongoing weight loss, it could mean celery spread with peanut butter or an ounce or so of almonds or another nut. As Dr. Atkins said, eat if you are hungry, but stop when you are full.

Third, if you are having trouble falling asleep, but don't really think the issue is hunger, evaluate your exercise and caffeine intake during the day. I sleep better on the days I walk a couple of miles than on the days I don't. However, strangely enough, if I get a lot more exercise on a day than I am used to, that sometimes leads to trouble falling asleep.

Finally, I find that a warm cup of herb tea in the evening usually both satisfies any cravings I have to eat something after dinner and relaxes me so that I can fall asleep.

You need to find what works for you, but from everything I have read about people who successfully lose weight and MAINTAIN their weight loss -- eating while sitting at a table (not standing up somewhere, in front of the TV, while on the computer, etc.) is key to developing a normal relationship with food and keeping in touch with when you body is full.

I to have a night eating problem. I actually wake up from my sleep to eat someime I feel like the only way to fall back to sleep is to eat. Try to find LC item like cheese, pork rings, beef sticks LC Atkins Muffins, I like Atkins orange fiber drops taste real good and helps with my bathroom issues. Just remember this way takes time to get use to try and read as much information and suggestions as you can You will lose weight even if it is slow thats okay too. Yes I still eat at night I eat one Atkins candy but I dont suggest this if you can find another way. I guess this helps me. I maybe lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks I dont weight myself clothes feel better ONE DAY A A TIME!!!!!

No offense meant lettalove, but please nighteater, do not eat the prepackaged low carb foods! They are bad, bad, bad and will only stall you and make you feel sick and will only confuse your body! Part of Induction is to wean yourself from candy and such and form the habit of eating a basic group of food to fuel your body and once you go into OWL you will add weekly 5 carbs from the ladder Dr.Atkins has posted on his site and I have pasted in my Journal! And, your body has to withdraw from those processed foods and get itself ready for your new eating lifestyle! Induction was hard for me but once I got through it I felt fabulous...well except for getting the flu when I got my flu shot but I won't go into that nightmare! Please lettalove don't be angry with me responding so strongly but those things are not good at all for you and should be avoided. Eating as close as one can get to natural is important and the pork rinds are loaded with sodium! But, I know we each have to make our own choices and I will try not to be this bossy again, but I do feel passionate about this! Once you have reached maintenance then these types of food won't carry so much risk!

Nighteater, did you get a chance to read over what I posted for you??? I know changing from eating in bed is going to be really hard and what you ate sounds amazing! But, how do you stop a habit like that????? Eating in bed is just a habit and those can be changed! I have always been told it takes about 6 weeks to change a habit, but I think that can be an exaggeration! What is something you love to do???? A hobby????? I have recently gone back to cross stitching! When working on a project I have to keep my hands clean so that seems to be good incentive not to nibble! I am not sure about your beginning today because Induction won't be easy and Thanksgiving is coming up Thursday! When I began low carbing I gave up bread about a week before entering Induction. How about doing that??????? And, for that week go ahead and have your snack before going to bed, but don't eat it in your bedroom but eat it standing up in the bathroom. To me that would be gross and hopefully wean you away from eating in bed! At first I would go to bed earlier and just channel surf...a lot and fast! Drove my poor husband crazy but he understood! I agree with the other poster about it being better for us to eat at the table! A good habit for sure! I have finally gotten to where I don't sit in front of the computer and eat! That was getting bad before I began low carbing! Another thing you could do is bake one of those cheesecakes that KiwiGal goes on about and have that before bedtime! All the ingredients are allowed in OWL and it would be a definite change in how you are eating! Just stay away from the so called low carb prepackaged stuff because there are hidden carbs and sugars in them!

Sometimes in order to be truly successful at something we have to take baby steps! So, maybe go without bread for the next week, and enjoy Thankgiving (minus bread-gosh, the only thing I will miss is the cornbread stuffing). Instead of having the snack in bed the first night, eat it standing next to the bed, and then work your way out of the bedroom! Then, when you go into Induction on November 29th you will have already achieved two great goals! And will be in the process of forming new habits! Then once you are in Induction if you must still have your standing snack then have deviled eggs on hand! Goodness, I have one treat that I truly enjoy and boy do I have to work for it! Ziploc Ice Cream! Once I get the ingredients prepped (love to throw three pureed strawberries in there) I have to shake, shake, and shake for easily 7-10 minutes and I do enjoy those end results! Maybe that is why making our own treats from scratch is so good for us...it takes time, tastes heavenly, and we earn it!!! Anyhow, I also recommend sitting down and coming up with a plan! Plan what you are going to eat. Plan your exercise. List habits you want to break and how you will break them and check them off as you are successful! Rid your kitchen of everything you cannot eat during Induction! My guys were great about this and if they want to eat chips or something then they get in the car and go enjoy and if they bring something home then they only bring enough to eat in one sitting and they don't do it in front of me! My first true test came when they brought pizza home! I really thought I would die if pizza was in our home, but you know something? I took a deep breath while it was hot and walked away from it understanding that I have come too far to even mess things up by eating that! Well, sorry to write another LONG post! Looking forward to hearing from you again!

And one of the best way to learn how to get around here is to just start clicking! And feel free to ask for help!!!!!

Hi,

Well today so far I've done very well. But it is the nighttime when I should be going to sleep that I raid the kitchen. I have a very hard time falling asleep unless my stomach is full.

But I do know that if I do not eat late tonight, I will feel just wonderful, wonderful in the morning. I'll let you know and thanks for writing me.

Liz (Night-eatress)

Dear Liz!

Thanks for the wonderful advice. I'm going to print your tips out and have them at my bedside at night. Your tips were great and I will follow them. I'll let you know how I do. I'd like to lose at least a couple of pounds by Thursday, Thanksgiving.

Again, you keep up the good work and I hopefullly will follow.

Sincerely,
\
Night-eatress

Liz-2

I never had a problem eating at night. I have a problem with eating during the day in front of the TV. I don't cook (newly married) and with mine and hubby's schedule it's hard to cook. I tend to find that I eat to stop smoking so much and I smoke to keep from eating. I'm going to lose the weight first and then stop smoking.

Are the Atkins bars really bad for you during Induction. i'm on my second day of induction, yesterday I had a Candy bar fit and almost gave up but I had an atkins one to keep me from quitting. What about the Morning bars for breakfast. I hate eggs....

Hi Liz!

I just wanted to add that, awhile back, I joined a group of people here on the forum that had the goal of not eating at least 3 hours before going to bed. Since then, I have stuck by this religiously. There have been nights when this is very difficult - but I've managed to stick to my guns. I think that I've done better because of this. If I really feel like I have to have something I drink water (and grumble the whole time - grin). I also try to make sure I feel full when I eat that last meal - no more piecing on the last meal - because I'm not going to have anything at all after that until the next morning.

This being said, Dr. Atkins says to eat when you're hungry. If you're really that hungry before you go to bed, maybe you should just eat a snack at supper time and then eat something more substantial before you go to bed. (Or eat half of your supper and then, later, have half again.)

I don't know what will work best for you, but I'm sure you'll find it! I wish you luck!

You can do it!

Kate

Hello and welcome! I find that on days that I'm hungry I need to increase my fat intake. But everyone is different of course! Best of luck on your weight loss journey. You CAN do this!

Hi Miss Scruff,

Such a good and detailed response. The only processed foods I ate on Sunday were the two no fat hot dogs and one no fat fudgesickle. My diet yesterday included lean steak x2, and one 12 oz. glass of V-8. Unfortunately, I did fail late last night in bed and ate quite a bit of what I think were pumpkin seeds.

Can you send me your receipe for the shake you make and the cheese cake. I am going to put your email response by my bedside tonight and read it and I think this might help me stop my night cravings and if I do have one, I'll eat in the kitchen or beside my bed.

Yesterday was my first day of "watching better" what I ate. After Thanksgiving, I will totally cut off the carbs. So much thanks for your support.

Do you think a diet medication would help me any.

Many thanks for your response.

Night-eatress

Liz-2