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Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 27th, 2004, 08:06 PM
Jenny
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Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

I ran into this wonderful term in an otherwise mediocre book published in
1998 by the American Diabetes Association called "Diabetes Burnout". The
book attempts to help people who are getting nowhere following the ADA's
dreadful high carb. As you might predict, it doesn't have a lot to say
except to tell people its okay to feel like a total failure when your
attempts to change your blood sugar don't work.

Fortunately, by flushing the ADA diet down the toilet and cutting your carbs
you can do a lot to succeed in controlling diabetes, but the one thing that
did impress me was the chapter on "Werewolf Syndrome" which is described as
eating perfectly all day and then chugging down twice your weight in food
after the sun goes down.

Been there. Done that. Still do it if I'm not careful.

According to the book, there are a couple things that cause this to happen.

1. Not eating enough during the day. If you mistakenly eat a tiny breakfast
and lunch taking advantage of not being hungry, you may end up really hungry
later on in the day and that may trigger the night eating excess.

The book doesn't say this, but my take on it is that another problem is that
when you eat a tiny breakfast and tiny lunch and then have a large, low
carb, dinner, you may be pushing up your blood sugar quite high with the
PROTEIN in the dinner which turns into carb via gluconeogenesis. That might
be enough to cause rebound hunger even if you keep your carbs low.

The solution is to eat a bigger breakfast and lunch and a smaller dinner.

2. Conditioned habits. You see the TV and instantly reach for some snack
food because you've always nibbled snacks while you watch TV. Often the
same happens when you read at night. The solution here is to become more
aware. Why does watching TV have to imply nibbling? The answer may be
because the TV is pounding you with food ads with lucious pictures of food
that are triggering an insulin response. If that's the case, well, why not
just read a book--and not a cookbook or diet book! If it's just habit,
you'll have to break the habit which means changing your behavior for a
week or two.

3. Availability. I made a huge improvement in my night eating by putting my
chocolate and sunflower seed stash in a drawer in my office rather than in
the drawer in the night stand next to the bed. When I have to put down the
book, get up and walk through the whole house to get that nibble, I tend to
think about it a lot more about doing than when it's just right there and I
just have to reach out, grab a bite, after turning the page.

I find it impossible to eat and hang on my computer at the same time, so
having the food by the computer isn't a problem and the study works for me.
You might have to put your stuff in the garage . . .

4. Conscious eating. The book suggests that you sit down and eat whatever it
is that gets you going on your night rampage but do it with total attention,
not, as most of us do, while we are in the middle of doing something else.
(I'm not sure that would work for me.)

5. Loneliness. If Food equals Love and you are eating at night because that
is when it hits you how lonely you feel, the book suggests it is time to
call a friend, go out to some event or get some help with whatever is
keeping you lonely. I'm not entirely sold on these facile psychological
explanations, but certainly hanging out with a friend beats hanging out with
the fridge.

Any more ideas? This is an issue I run into quite frequently . . .

-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.2.
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Low carb facts and figures, my weight-loss photos, tips, recipes,
strategies for dealing with diabetes and more at
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/...0Diagnosed.htm





  #2  
Old February 28th, 2004, 04:05 AM
kc
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Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating


"Jenny" wrote in message
...

According to the book, there are a couple things that cause this to

happen.

Any more ideas? This is an issue I run into quite frequently . . .


sleep deprivation may have something to do with it. if you're up in the
middle of the night, you're probably not sleeping as much as you should.
sleep deprivation is linked to increased cortisol levels, which peak during
the hours you should be sleeping. insulin levels can also go up if you're
not sleeping enough.

i work night shift. i don't get enough sleep, and it sucks. and i often
find i'm *starving* late at night. i've gained 40 pounds since i started
shift work. i've lost that weight on SBD, thank goodness, but i'm sure the
schedule had something to do with gaining it. everyone on my shift is fat.

-kelly


  #3  
Old February 28th, 2004, 06:45 AM
pj
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Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

If my dog would just NOT wake me up in the middle of the night, I'd be
better off! When she doesn't whine to go out at 4am, I don't wake up and
eat anything. But, if I wake up... I am hungry and I want food. Weird
thing is ... I wake up after sleeping a full night, and I don't have the
same response....I don't want to think about breakfast for at least an hour
or two. *shrug* I'm weird.
jen.


  #4  
Old February 28th, 2004, 12:26 PM
Sunshyne
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Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

I am a werewolf eater, or used to be. Since starting Atkins, its
pretty much gone. It would almost feel as if I was sleepwalking and
pigging out. Wake up the next morning and think to myself what the
hell did I do, when looking at the counter and sink. Then I used to
have a sleep issue, sleep deprived. Hang on the internet and munch
food, or watch tv and munch away. I used to skip breakfast, have a
lite dinner lunch and dinner too. Not many snacks in between. Now if I
get hungry in the middle of the night, I don't have high carb snacks
or food to eat, so it won't hurt me so bad. My sleep has improved
too. I wish you luck, know how you feel.

Sunshyne
  #5  
Old February 28th, 2004, 02:12 PM
Jenny
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Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

Kelly,

Sleep deprivation definitely worsens insulin resistance.

I don't eat after I go to sleep, however, just in the evening when I'm all
relaxed, done with my day and curled up with my usual good book. Once I get
to sleep food becomes extremely unappealing and I can't eat breakfast until
I've been away for a while.

The thought of waking up from a sound sleep to eat is scary, but I have read
that people do it.

-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.2.
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Low carb facts and figures, my weight-loss photos, tips, recipes,
strategies for dealing with diabetes and more at
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/...0Diagnosed.htm



"kc" wrote in message
...

"Jenny" wrote in message
...

According to the book, there are a couple things that cause this to

happen.

Any more ideas? This is an issue I run into quite frequently . . .


sleep deprivation may have something to do with it. if you're up in the
middle of the night, you're probably not sleeping as much as you should.
sleep deprivation is linked to increased cortisol levels, which peak

during
the hours you should be sleeping. insulin levels can also go up if you're
not sleeping enough.

i work night shift. i don't get enough sleep, and it sucks. and i often
find i'm *starving* late at night. i've gained 40 pounds since i started
shift work. i've lost that weight on SBD, thank goodness, but i'm sure

the
schedule had something to do with gaining it. everyone on my shift is

fat.

-kelly




  #6  
Old February 28th, 2004, 02:52 PM
Evelyn Ruut
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

When that happens (fortunately it isn't often), if I am really truly hungry
and it doesn't pass quickly I will drink a can of Advant-Edge vanilla shake.
It is 100 calories and just enough to stop the hunger feelings and let me go
back to sleep. If I do that I usually am not hungry for breakfast when I
finally do get up.

--
Evelyn

(To reply to me personally, remove sox)

"kc" wrote in message
...

"Jenny" wrote in message
...

According to the book, there are a couple things that cause this to

happen.

Any more ideas? This is an issue I run into quite frequently . . .


sleep deprivation may have something to do with it. if you're up in the
middle of the night, you're probably not sleeping as much as you should.
sleep deprivation is linked to increased cortisol levels, which peak

during
the hours you should be sleeping. insulin levels can also go up if you're
not sleeping enough.

i work night shift. i don't get enough sleep, and it sucks. and i often
find i'm *starving* late at night. i've gained 40 pounds since i started
shift work. i've lost that weight on SBD, thank goodness, but i'm sure

the
schedule had something to do with gaining it. everyone on my shift is

fat.

-kelly




  #7  
Old March 3rd, 2004, 08:16 AM
Cailleachschilde
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Posts: n/a
Default Werewolf Syndrome - Night Eating

was the chapter on "Werewolf Syndrome" which is described as
eating perfectly all day and then chugging down twice your weight in food
after the sun goes down.

Been there. Done that. Still do it if I'm not careful
-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,


I never was a night eater. But lately, when I wake from a sound sleep, I have
a spoonful of peanut butter or an ounce of cheese. It has to be something
calorie dense. Then I'm fine and go back to bed.

On the nights I can't sleep, like tonight, I drink peppermint tea or hot
chocolate. Not hungry in the slightest.

Yvonne
 




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