Thread: Overeating at Night

sounds like you are not eating enough during the day

Originally Posted by dodgyone

Ever since I stopped taking my Dymetadrine (with ephedra) about 10 months ago I have really suffered from food cravings at night. I can last all day eating the right things and not even be tempted but at night things get messed up.

Don't just say stop yourself doing it because if it was that simple then I wouldn't be asking the forum for advice. It's like a switch goes off in my head and then it's raid the kitchen time. Luckily I suppose my cravings are for dry porridge oats and dry fruit & nut muesli so at least it is a healthy binge but a high calorie one!

I was wondering if this kind of situation is a lot deeper and related to emotional factors. I guess I'm just clutching at straws I suppose.

Does anybody have any advice to help me get through this? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks guys...

There are a few reasons why you could be eating at night -
1. not eating enough during the day
2. not eating the RIGHT things during the day (esp in the morning and before and after workouts)
3. psychological reasons - eg: boredom, emotional eating etc.

Although we can't really help with the last one, if you post what you are eating during the day (and when you are eating it, and what you are doing eg: exercise/gym) we might be able to see if that is your problem.

Thanks Emma-Leigh...

I'm roughly 160lbs at the moment and 5.6 ft.

My average day is [2050 Calories, P=165, C=240, F=50]:

[06:30]
Porridge Oats (40g), Raisins (15g), Skimmed Milk (100ml), Egg Whites (x6), Egg Yolks (x1)

[09:30]
Apple (x1), Banana (x1), Brazil Nuts (15g)

[12:30]
Sweet Potato (150g cooked), Chicken Breast (100g cooked)

[15:30]
Red Lentils (50g), Peas (50g), Sweet Corn (50g), Walnuts (15g)

!!!WORKOUT!!!

[18:15]
Brown Basmati Rice (75g cooked), Chicken (100g cooked), Kiwi Fruit (125g)

[21:00]
Brocolli Florets (175g), Brussel Sprouts (175g), Red Bell Pepper (100g), Salmon Fillet (150g)

2k cals is not enough for a active male your size

Try drinking some diet soda and alot of broccoli when you get hungry. This may sound stupid but its a near calorie free snack that leaves me pretty full.

dodgyone what I am doing is making a shake before I go to bed. I wake up about 2 times a night just to pee and always go to the fridge when on low calories. So with a pre-made shake I drink that instead of eating any other junk.

Originally Posted by dodgyone

Thanks Emma-Leigh...

I'm roughly 160lbs at the moment and 5.6 ft.

My average day is [2050 Calories, P=165, C=240, F=50]:

Ok - the answer looks simple:

1. Not enough calories in general. At your age, height and weight (and especially if you have a high activity level) that calorie intake is grossly inadequate. It may be appropriate for the final few weeks of a competition preperation (or for someone who is GROSSLY obese with a REALLY high BF%) - but that would be it.

2. Breakfast is too small - VERY small. You need to start the day off with a more substantial meal. Studies have shown that those people who eat more at breakfast are typically those who do not get the 'munchies' later in the day and therefore do not eat as much at night

3. Pre and post-workout food is really dodgy!!! If you are working out with great intensity you NEED fuel to workout and you NEED fuel to recover.

4. Where are you getting 240g of carbs from? I count no-where near that much, unless you are counting the fibre carbs from your vegetables. In which case you are GROSSLY overestimating the energy you are truly getting. Fibre offers you little/no energy - it is not really absorbed by the body. Good carbohydrates are required for energy, especially if you are really active (they are NOT the enemy like everyone thinks they are!!). Although your exact amount will vary depending on your goals, try to increase your NON-FIBRE carbs to, at a minimum, 1.5g per pound.

5. Increase your protein - although the amount will depend on your goals you are only JUST getting 1g per pound body mass. Try at least 1.2-1.3g. That would mean increasing your daily intake to 1.2 to 1.3g per pound (if you know your BF% then aim for 1.5g per LBM). Consider aiming for about 30g from 6 meals and your post-workout shake (something closer to 200-210g per day). Protien will increase your feelings of fullness and help you to not binge.

6. Fats might need increasing as well - at the moment you are sitting on ~0.3g per pound. Now, this is ok if you are trying to loose weight.. But you might have increased satiety if you increase this slightly eg: aim for 60g.


But, in general, the foods you are eating are EXCELLENT!! So congrates on that - You just need more!

So -

[06:30]
Porridge Oats (40g), Raisins (15g), Skimmed Milk (100ml), Egg Whites (x6), Egg Yolks (x1)

You CERTAINLY want more carbs here. I would try something such as increasing your oats to 60-80g. You could consider adding some fish oil capsules here too (2 or 3).

[09:30]
Apple (x1), Banana (x1), Brazil Nuts (15g)

Ok - I would drop the banana from here and add a complete protein source. Something like some 1% cottage cheese, some more eggs, some lean meats or (if you must) some protein powder. I would also consider adding a little starchy carb or some other carb as well. If you were in a rush an example would be a home-made shake or bar made from oats, applesauce, cottage cheese and some nuts/nut paste.

[12:30]
Sweet Potato (150g cooked), Chicken Breast (100g cooked)

Not too bad I would increase your serving of sweet potato AND increase your serving of chicken (to 120g cooked). Might also want to take add some vegetables (eg: some celery sticks) and some healthy fats eg: walnuts or fish oil capsules (2 or 3).

[15:30]
Red Lentils (50g), Peas (50g), Sweet Corn (50g), Walnuts (15g)

Ok - this is pre-workout so you want MORE good carbohydrates in this meal. What about mixing 100g of cooked pearl barley with those lentils? Also, you might want to drop the walnuts from here and add then to your previous meal. If you have a lot of fats in your meal pre-workout (if it is less than 1-1.25 hrs prior to working out) then you delay digestion and you don't get the nutrients that you need to train.

Add a complete protein here too (eg: some egg-whites). So you could 'dry stir fry together some lentils, egg-whites, pearl barley, vegetables and eat that.

[18:15]
Brown Basmati Rice (75g cooked), Chicken (100g cooked), Kiwi Fruit (125g)

Ok - this is a great PWO meal, but IMMEDATELY after working out I would suggest you have a liquid shake. Something to immediately replace your protein and carbohydrate stores.

Something like a shake with a banana, some skimmed milk and some whey protein isolate would be a good example. Then have this meal 30mins to 1hr after that.

[21:00]
Brocolli Florets (175g), Brussel Sprouts (175g), Red Bell Pepper (100g), Salmon Fillet (150g)

Excellent meal!

Are you cutting, maintaining, or bulking? I don't think 2050 is too low if you are cutting which I assume you are doing, but it is definitely below maintenance for you.

Take some time and pay attention to what things induce satiety best for you. If you try one activity to avoid the binge and it fails switch to something else until you find something that works.

I tend to keep some nicotine gum handy at night when I cut. I might eat one or two very large heads of cauliflower as a quick snack if I notice my stomach is not already stuffed full of water and/or fiber. If I just 'know' it is something caloric I need, my first thought will be to get some protein down. Forget whey, get some bulk casein. I mix just shy of a cup with enough sugar free jello pudding to sweeten it. If that doesn't do it, I go for a second or third bowl. Control, I always regain by the third bowl.

Those are just examples. Experiment a bit with it. You shouldn't need as much food to stop a binge as I do. Answer should be cheaper and easier.

At 160 lbs, going on a bulk wouldl probably not be a bad idea. Like most have said, your problems will likely dissappear with sufficient calories.

That's great advice Emma-Leigh, thank you.

At the moment I'm not looking (never have) towards major bulking or anything like that. I used to be really overweight so putting on too many pounds does make me nervous. I guess that's why I'm so cautious with the calories that I consume. All of that additional food that you have recommended has really shocked me. I honestly wouldn't of thought that I needed all of that!

At the moment I'm really only looking to get a little more muscle definition without wasting away. My profile picture to the left is me when I was roughly 155lbs over the summer but that seems a long time ago now!