I'm finally trying to eat better and cut back on junk. I work the 3-11 shift as a nurse so I go to bed around 2-3am (I'm a night owl) and get up at 10-11am. I have a moderate lunch, big dinner and am hungry again at midnight. I feel bad eating so late (I usually have pretzels or chocolate covered bananas). How can I avoid getting the late-night munchies??
Hungry late at night...
- Thread starter l23
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honeybunch1
Cathlete
Ya know, more and more I read, and I really DO believe, that it doesn't hurt to eat late at night. Eat when you're hungry no matter what time of day it is. Just because you eat Cheerios at 1:00AM instead of 9:00AM does NOT mean that said Cheerios are going to land on your hips if you eat them late at night. It's the AMOUNT of Cheerios you eat that counts, not the time of day when you eat them.
Just Do It!
Just Do It!
If you're eating at midnight and not going to bed until 2 or 3 then you should have no trouble at all eating. You just got home from work, so I would expect you to be hungry! Just eat enough to satisfy you, nothing heavy, and you should be fine. That is far better than going into starvation mode which brings it's own host of problems!
Nicole
Nicole
Timber99
Cathlete
I think that you are probably hungry b/c you have only eaten two meals prior to getting out of work. You can try to add in some snacks along the way to curb that late night hunger or simply plan to eat a little meal when you get home at night. The key is to make that meal a healthy one and I don't think it will hurt you all that much. It may seem as if it is rather late, but your clock is a little different than a 9-5'er as a result of your schedule.
Personally, I don't find that eating after a certain time really effects my weight or health goals, especially when I make sure that those choices are healthy ones.
Personally, I don't find that eating after a certain time really effects my weight or health goals, especially when I make sure that those choices are healthy ones.
I re-read your post and Christine is right...if you are only eating two meals a day you are likely to get hungry. Think about it this way: If you worked a regular day shift and ate breakfast before work, then ate lunch during your work day, and then came home and didn't eat anything until the next morning, wouldn't that be strange?
It seems only normal to eat after working all day. Just because your daily schedule is a few hours off from most, doesn't mean you should skip meals. Who cares what time it is? If I get home from work at 6 and eat at 7 and got to bed at 9 or 10, how is that any different from what you are doing? I think because it's midnight you are questioning yourself. Just eat something healthy and don't worry about it.
Nicole
It seems only normal to eat after working all day. Just because your daily schedule is a few hours off from most, doesn't mean you should skip meals. Who cares what time it is? If I get home from work at 6 and eat at 7 and got to bed at 9 or 10, how is that any different from what you are doing? I think because it's midnight you are questioning yourself. Just eat something healthy and don't worry about it.
Nicolel23,
I was told once if you eat 1500 or whatever your intake of cal. are, and you eat half during the morning and afternoon, you decide to eat the rest later, it's the same amt. So I guess what I'm trying to say is what everyone else is saying D.........it's still early.
Ok I'm leaving now.
http://www.PictureTrail.com/haydee1
Haydee
I was told once if you eat 1500 or whatever your intake of cal. are, and you eat half during the morning and afternoon, you decide to eat the rest later, it's the same amt. So I guess what I'm trying to say is what everyone else is saying D
.........it's still early.Ok I'm leaving now.
http://www.PictureTrail.com/haydee1
Haydee
You are skipping breakfast and two snacks during the day (night). I would definately have a small snack right before bedtime. I follow the Zone and some the the snacks they suggest are:
1/2 C blueberries
1 ounce low-fat cheese
1 pecan
1/2 c. plan lowfat yogurt
1 tsp slivered almonds
2 hard-boiled egg whites
with 1/4 hummus stuffed inside
1 1/2 ounces deli style turkey
1/2 apple
3 peanuts
Most are good, unless you are a vegan, then you can make modifications. The zone stresses meal timing, and a 30/40/40 food ratio (fat, protein, carbs). They suggest, breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks.
The first meal being 1 hour after waking
Lunch - within 5 hours after breakfast
Late-afternoon snack - within 5 hours after lunch
Dinner- 2-3 hours after snack
Late night snack - before bed.
I found, it really helps spacing your meals throughout the day, I am never hungry anymore (when I am good), even at night. Which was when I invaded the cookie jar the most. Hope this helps. Alicia
1/2 C blueberries
1 ounce low-fat cheese
1 pecan
1/2 c. plan lowfat yogurt
1 tsp slivered almonds
2 hard-boiled egg whites
with 1/4 hummus stuffed inside
1 1/2 ounces deli style turkey
1/2 apple
3 peanuts
Most are good, unless you are a vegan, then you can make modifications. The zone stresses meal timing, and a 30/40/40 food ratio (fat, protein, carbs). They suggest, breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks.
The first meal being 1 hour after waking
Lunch - within 5 hours after breakfast
Late-afternoon snack - within 5 hours after lunch
Dinner- 2-3 hours after snack
Late night snack - before bed.
I found, it really helps spacing your meals throughout the day, I am never hungry anymore (when I am good), even at night. Which was when I invaded the cookie jar the most. Hope this helps. Alicia