nighttime munchies

"Irrational Number" wrote in message
ink.net...
What do you do to turn your brain away
from those nighttime munchies?

-- Anita --

I rarely get nighttime munchies, but when I do, I either eat something
healthy but satisfying, or quickly brush and floss my teeth... WHo wants to
ruin a clean mouth?

On Jul 17, 12:05 pm, Cynthia P wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:17:39 GMT, Irrational Number wrote:
What do you do to turn your brain away
from those nighttime munchies?

-- Anita --

Are you talking about waking up in the night to eat, or just eating
before bedtime?

I'm afraid I've never had the former problem, but the current way I am
eating and the way I hope to be eating for life, I eat every 2-3 hours
anyway... so it's not an issue, generally. If I'm due to eat and I'm
not in bed, I eat something. Keeps the metabolism firing.

Sometimes it is a very light something, like maybe a reduced fat
cheese stick or some cottage cheese, a few nuts and maybe a handful of
celery or baby carrots, but something gets eaten.

My advice is figure out roughly what calories you need to maintain,
drop it by around 500, divide that into 6 and from there, figure out 6
good meals, ones that have lean protein, healthy fats and veggies.
Have 2-3 fruit servings a day as well. Space your meals 2-3 hours
apart and then you'll have some meals for late evening.

Keeping sugars low, making sure you get good quality fats in moderate
amounts and eating plenty of lean protein really helps check appetite!

--
Cynthia
262/237/152

I really think many people stay at least a little hungry most of the
time. Overeating is a survival instinct that we don't need (or want)
anymore, but a few thousand years ago, if there was food available,
you ate fast and as much as you could possibly hold of the highest
calorie foods available....or you put yourself at a survivability
disadvantage. With this in mind, many people might have to feel a
little hungry most of the time. I know I am. Problem is, when I used
to be heavy, there was no good mechanism for telling me I had enough.
I could eat a huge meal, then eat more, and I was almost always hungry
even then. My body surely did not NEED all those calories, but
overweight people tend to be hungry a lot of the time. I would just
rather be thin and hungry than fat and hungry, so I put up with it. I
envy people who are "naturally" thin and eat small portions and are
full. Chances are that's one reason they have never had a weight
problem. The rest of us really have to suffer a little.....although it
is a matter of mind over matter and once you decide to not eat over
your daily caloric allotment, you absolutely must stop. I know some
people can overeat, then cut back and eat less the next day to bring
their average in line...but that is harder for me. I just never, ever
overeat, and I know exactly how many calories I consume.

It is mostly at night for me too. In fact, I dream about food. Some
people find once they wake in the morning, they aren't rally all that
hungry. Not me though. I fix a large bowl of oatmeal and blueberries
first thing.

Gosh, I've been up all night setting up two new computers and it's
almost time for breakfast. That brings up another thing. You know I'm
sure that when you stay busy, you don't think about food as much, so
at nighttime, when you start to relax, those food thoughts start
creeping in.

Good luck. dkw

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:47:54 -0700, wrote:


I really think many people stay at least a little hungry most of the
time. Overeating is a survival instinct that we don't need (or want)
anymore, but a few thousand years ago, if there was food available,
you ate fast and as much as you could possibly hold of the highest
calorie foods available....or you put yourself at a survivability
disadvantage. With this in mind, many people might have to feel a
little hungry most of the time.

The very first time I ever tried to lose weight, I did it by going
very low calorie and yeah, I got hungry. But I was exercising enough
that I was able to mostly ignore that.

Didn't work long term though... got injured, couldn't exercise and
then I started eating to excess again.


I know I am. Problem is, when I used
to be heavy, there was no good mechanism for telling me I had enough.
I could eat a huge meal, then eat more, and I was almost always hungry
even then. My body surely did not NEED all those calories, but
overweight people tend to be hungry a lot of the time. I would just
rather be thin and hungry than fat and hungry, so I put up with it. I
envy people who are "naturally" thin and eat small portions and are
full. Chances are that's one reason they have never had a weight
problem. The rest of us really have to suffer a little.....although it
is a matter of mind over matter and once you decide to not eat over
your daily caloric allotment, you absolutely must stop. I know some
people can overeat, then cut back and eat less the next day to bring
their average in line...but that is harder for me. I just never, ever
overeat, and I know exactly how many calories I consume.


Well, I do think everyone is a little different. Last time I lost
weight, I controlled hunger by eating plenty of vegetables and lots of
fiber. Probably too carby an approach, actually, but again, it
controlled hunger nicely.

With the normal PN plan, I rarely feel hungry unless it is mental
hunger, which is a whole different beastie! With six full meals a day,
if anything, sometimes I am forcing myself to eat all my meals! It is
actually considered a cheat if you skip a meal!

Hunger is not an issue for me this way, believe me!

Now, I'm doing the kick start thing, which is low calorie and low
carb... but only for a couple weeks, then a couple weeks of
transitioning off. I have felt some hunger pangs, but partly, that was
because the first day or so, I did not get quite enough fat in. I look
forward to each meal, and I do feel a little hungry after, but as I
can eat again in two hours, it's easy to control. It may get worse
though, too early to say.


It is mostly at night for me too. In fact, I dream about food. Some
people find once they wake in the morning, they aren't rally all that
hungry. Not me though. I fix a large bowl of oatmeal and blueberries
first thing.



I must admit, I've rarely dreamed about food. And yes, I usually am
not particularly hungry in the morning. Always been that way, and I
think it is a detriment to weight loss. These days, I'm trying to eat
within an hour of arising.


Gosh, I've been up all night setting up two new computers and it's
almost time for breakfast. That brings up another thing. You know I'm
sure that when you stay busy, you don't think about food as much, so
at nighttime, when you start to relax, those food thoughts start
creeping in.


I agree... it's when I'm not busy that I am most likely to want to
cheat or eat something off plan.


--
Cynthia
262/235/152