Night time snacks for crazy hunger

lukesmom

Hi all

I'm on a medication I have to take at night which is notorious for causing intense hunger about an hour after taking it. Coming off it is not an option at present. I have gained over a stone since the four months I've been on it. Crazy munchies at night caused me to gorge on biscuits and treats. Now I am copping on and trying to follow a low calorie diet that's rich in nutrients.

So I'm wondering what I could snack on at night that would be okay for someone trying to lose weight. I bought low salt rice cakes at 26 calories each, reduced fat hummus and laughing cow extra light. I also have a large amount of fruit and raw carrots. Are the above foods ok to snack on at night? Last night when the crazy hunger began I ate 3 oranges. Thanks

thegreatiam

just make sure to add it into your daily totals.

Thought about making a larger evening meal and leaving the leftovers for your midnight raid?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I find a lot of the time when I am hungry at night I am actually thirsty. Have you tried downing 2 ltr. bottle of water? I drink fizzy water really fills you up. However sleep can be interrupted by need a pee, with the usual stubbing of toes.

Mick Murdock

+1 on water or preferably sparkling water. I find if you drink it consistently in the evening you will never feel REALLY hungry. I rarely eat after my main meal of the day (normally about 8pm) and I put that down to drinking 1-2L of sparkling water at night.

Also for anybody like me who was fond of drinking beer after work, it's about the closest thing you can get to the 'feeling' that you are drinking + it's WATER!

As a connoisseur of mineral water, San Pellegrino is my favourite. I couldn't find it in my local Spar/Supervalu in Galway last time I was home but I assume it's fairly widely available. It seems to be in Dublin anyway. Can be a tad expensive if you're on a budget and you may look like a bit of an arse buying it. Ballygowan is the best of the Irish brands and normally €1 in Supervalu for a 2L bottle.

Did I just type all that? :cool:

lukesmom

I did great yesterday until after I took my tablet last night. I ate SIX chocolate digestives

musegirl

Agree with the water suggestion. Try to always have a large glass of water before you eat something so that you will eat a smaller portion of food. I wouldnt eat fruit, although its a healthy snack, it also contains sugars, wouldnt do much for staving off hunger, not for me anyway. I find im better off with lean protein or low GI foods to kill hunger and keep the carbs low. Eg Turkey/tuna/egg on a slice of brown toast with lots of lettuce and tomato.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

lukesmom wrote: »

I did great yesterday until after I took my tablet last night. I ate SIX chocolate digestives

Thats just a lack of discipline. I am all for a nice biscuit but if this is an issue for you, try having something more filling and less junky. Protien pancake, protien brownie, carrots and hummus, nuts, calorie free jelly, boiled eggs. Another think to try is being hungry. Its a natural feeling to be hungry and doent need to be sated all the time, but if you have eaten recently just try not eating, you wont die.

Alf Veedersane

I know all about the late night snacking even after having a really good day, nutrition-wise. I found i cut it out. Sometimes I get some of the better hot chocolates made with hot water instead of milk, which helps get you over the "I need it to taste sweet if it's to be fulfilling" notion.

lukesmom

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I know all about the late night snacking even after having a really good day, nutrition-wise. I found i cut it out. Sometimes I get some of the better hot chocolates made with hot water instead of milk, which helps get you over the "I need it to taste sweet if it's to be fulfilling" notion.

That's a really good idea actually.

runawaybishop

lukesmom wrote: »

Hi all

I'm on a medication I have to take at night which is notorious for causing intense hunger about an hour after taking it. Coming off it is not an option at present. I have gained over a stone since the four months I've been on it. Crazy munchies at night caused me to gorge on biscuits and treats. Now I am copping on and trying to follow a low calorie diet that's rich in nutrients.

So I'm wondering what I could snack on at night that would be okay for someone trying to lose weight. I bought low salt rice cakes at 26 calories each, reduced fat hummus and laughing cow extra light. I also have a large amount of fruit and raw carrots. Are the above foods ok to snack on at night? Last night when the crazy hunger began I ate 3 oranges. Thanks

Are you still eating only 900 calories a day?

KABLOOEY

I always get munchies late at night too. Always went to bed full so my body just craves that feeling to be satisfied. So I just eat a lot later in the day and have a meal around 10pm or so. Something like smoked salmon in scrambled egg or burger and fried egg. Either of those fills me and is less than 400 kcals.

lukesmom

runawaybishop wrote: »

Are you still eating only 900 calories a day?

?????? Where are you getting this from?

runawaybishop

lukesmom wrote: »

?????? Where are you getting this from?

lukesmom wrote: »

Okay so since last Monday I have lost 7 pounds. I did this by eating 900 calories a day. I cut out bread, potatoes and pasta.

Here?

lukesmom

runawaybishop wrote: »

Here?

Apologies I didn't even realise I'd said that earlier, past few days I've crept up to about 1,200 each days as I was so hungry all the time and had little energy.

runawaybishop

lukesmom wrote: »

Apologies I didn't even realise I'd said that earlier, past few days I've crept up to about 1,200 each days as I was so hungry all the time and had little energy.

No prob, just checking if your nighttime hunger was a legitimate result of you not eating enough. 1200 calories still seems low though - whats your current weight and height and are you exercising much? Eating too little isn't good, as you experienced.

Fill up on food that will sate you - fruit and rice cakes probably wont fill you up for long. Protein rich foods will keep you feeling full for longer: so eggs, bacon, chicken etc.

If you cant resist the biscuits then don't buy them. Biscuits are feckers. I'm eating jaffa cakes now.

lukesmom

I had pork chops today with salad and that was quite filling.

I'm 5 foot 8 and 178 pounds so well overweight. Have not weighed myself since I started this diet a week ago, will do tomorrow. Yeah ive biscuits here for the kids. Ah Jaffa cakes nom nom

runawaybishop

lukesmom wrote: »

I had pork chops today with salad and that was quite filling.

I'm 5 foot 8 and 178 pounds so well overweight. Have not weighed myself since I started this diet a week ago, will do tomorrow. Yeah ive biscuits here for the kids. Ah Jaffa cakes nom nom

So you should be eating roughly ~1850 calories to maintain that weight if you do no exercise. 1200 calories is fairly low so its not surprising you are hungry, let alone if your medication makes you even hungrier. Taking your calories to 1500 might be a better number, you can always adjust it later as you drop weight. If you are exercising you'd be able to eat more and still lose weight, while keeping your energy up and not feeling crap and tired all the time.

Heres a list of good foods to keep you full and provide you quality nutrition - http://simplesciencefitness.com/#short-list-of-foods

dellas1979

Yes-choco biccies are yum yum but no good for the tum tum.

Something with protein would be much better (takes longer to breakdown/keep you feeling fuller for longer).

As suggested:
Boiled eggs
Chicken/turkey.
Choco protein bar/drink.

El_Dangeroso

lukesmom wrote: »

Hi all

I'm on a medication I have to take at night which is notorious for causing intense hunger about an hour after taking it. Coming off it is not an option at present. I have gained over a stone since the four months I've been on it. Crazy munchies at night caused me to gorge on biscuits and treats. Now I am copping on and trying to follow a low calorie diet that's rich in nutrients.

So I'm wondering what I could snack on at night that would be okay for someone trying to lose weight. I bought low salt rice cakes at 26 calories each, reduced fat hummus and laughing cow extra light. I also have a large amount of fruit and raw carrots. Are the above foods ok to snack on at night? Last night when the crazy hunger began I ate 3 oranges. Thanks

3 oranges is fine, fruit is fairly low calorie for how filling it is.

Are you sure you are eating enough overall? Usually hungry at bedtime means you didn't eat enough at dinner.

lukesmom

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

3 oranges is fine, fruit is fairly low calorie for how filling it is.

Are you sure you are eating enough overall? Usually hungry at bedtime means you didn't eat enough at dinner.

Hey as I said I take a medication at night that causes crazy sugar-carb munchies that are almost impossible to resist. I was at the doctor this morning and she won't consider taking me off it until February.

El_Dangeroso

lukesmom wrote: »

Hey as I said I take a medication at night that causes crazy sugar-carb munchies that are almost impossible to resist. I was at the doctor this morning and she won't consider taking me off it until February.

I know but it's still not good to undereat. 1200 calories is very low even for a completely sedentary person.

homemadecider

If I only ate 1200 cals a day I'd be frickin starving at night time too. Eat a bit more over the course of the day and see if that helps.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Could you go to sleep after taking the medication and before the munchies kick in?

lukesmom

Leyla Easy Helicopter wrote: »

Could you go to sleep after taking the medication and before the munchies kick in?

That's the catch, the medication makes you really sleepy so it's 10pm take medication, 11pm get crazy munchies and 12am conk out in a deep sleep until next morning. Last night I had an orange and 1 rich tea biscuit and still had crazy munchies. I wish there was a sugary-carby snack I could binge on at night with little or no effect on my weight. There isn't though so ill stick to the fruit and dream of carbs.

thegreatiam

lukesmom wrote: »

That's the catch, the medication makes you really sleepy so it's 10pm take medication, 11pm get crazy munchies and 12am conk out in a deep sleep until next morning. Last night I had an orange and 1 rich tea biscuit and still had crazy munchies. I wish there was a sugary-carby snack I could binge on at night with little or no effect on my weight. There isn't though so ill stick to the fruit and dream of carbs.

fruit is sugar, sugar is carbs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate

El_Dangeroso

thegreatiam wrote: »

fruit is sugar, sugar is carbs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate

Sugar bound with lots of nutrients though. Fruit =/= refined sugar.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

lukesmom wrote: »

That's the catch, the medication makes you really sleepy so it's 10pm take medication, 11pm get crazy munchies and 12am conk out in a deep sleep until next morning. Last night I had an orange and 1 rich tea biscuit and still had crazy munchies. I wish there was a sugary-carby snack I could binge on at night with little or no effect on my weight. There isn't though so ill stick to the fruit and dream of carbs.

Go to bed at ten then. Great tip a PT once told me was if you tend to eat late at night then go to bed instead. The extra rest will speed up weight loss.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

thegreatiam

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Sugar bound with lots of nutrients though. Fruit =/= refined sugar.

noone said otherwise. The point im making is that sugar is carbs.

having fruit instead of "carbs" is like having mashed potato instead of baked potato. Its the same thing in a slightly different form

KABLOOEY

Could try baking some healthy oat-based snacks? Mix together a couple bananas, 1/4 jar of peanut butter and a cup of oats until they're equal consistency. You should get 20 small ones out of that and 2 or 3 of them a night is hitting your sugar/carb urges while not overly high on calories.

As an aside, these are just the business for anyone eating healthy and short on snack ideas. I add chopped nuts and protein powder to mine but if you're watching calories obv be careful with the nuts and their butter.

Celly Smunt

Light natural low fat youghurt,1 digestive biscuit and half a meringue.Crush it up,mix it together.Yum.

lukesmom

KABLOOEY wrote: »

Could try baking some healthy oat-based snacks? Mix together a couple bananas, 1/4 jar of peanut butter and a cup of oats until they're equal consistency. You should get 20 small ones out of that and 2 or 3 of them a night is hitting your sugar/carb urges while not overly high on calories.

As an aside, these are just the business for anyone eating healthy and short on snack ideas. I add chopped nuts and protein powder to mine but if you're watching calories obv be careful with the nuts and their butter.

Definitely gonna try this thanks

runawaybishop

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Light natural low fat youghurt,1 digestive biscuit and half a meringue.Crush it up,mix it together.Yum.

Why low fat?

vard

runawaybishop wrote: »

Why low fat?

Less calories I assume. And no, just because it's low fat doesn't mean it had to be replaced with sugar. If you're trying to skimp on sugar you'd be better off keeping clear of dairy anyway.

See fage 0pc fat Greek yoghurt. No fat, barely 50 calories per 100 grams, chock full of protein and tastes awesome. Proper thick.