Can't stop eating at night especially

Ok for about two weeks now beginning in the late afternoons at work and when I get home, until I go to sleep all I want to do is eat.

Especially things that aren't so healthy for me.  I thought maybe it was stress or I wasn't eating enough in the mornings but today I had about an ounce of banana bread followed by honey bunches of oats w/ almonds, and apple.  Then I had to run out for lunch, had 2 cookies and an icee..not the norm.  I had brought with me some soup and crackers, but couldnt eat them.  

Since lunch I've had another apple, some cheeze its, and 4 sugar free pieces of werthers originals.  I'm starving right now.  I need help...i need to know what to eat and how to stay FULL.  I'm sure I'm just not eating the right foods.  I never used to eat at night either. Dinner is around 6 and that would be it.

Last night i had chocolates and an icecream bar before bed around 9pm.  I felt so guilty but I didn't have the will power to say no.  I think I'm addicted to sugar.  

Any advice at all would be appreciated.

I would recommend completely revamping your diet, even though the cookies and the ice cream are sufficient for calories, they do not have the nutrition or the bulk that you might need.  Treat yourself like a kid and save the sweets and junk until after you've had a real meal.

For lunch and dinner I like to have a meal that is roughly 1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein and 1/4 rice or noodles.

After dinner, you should feel free to have a snack or two of an apple or pea pods or celery, something healthy with maybe a bit of peanut butter or honey if you've got a sweet craving.  In fact, anytime that you are hungry a healthy snack is in order.  You can add a few crackers or something along those lines if you're feeling particularly hungry.  Maybe buy some individually wrapped chocolates and have one for a treat or if you can't keep them around without eating them go to the store with just enough money to buy one.

Make sure that you're drinking enough water ~6-8 glasses per day as not enough water can make you feel hungrier.

thank you..I do need a whole revamp!!! And I'm sure I don't drink enough water.

With the water, just start drinking another cup a day (not right before bed) until you get to where you need to be.  If you're not doing particularly strenuous exercise then 6 cups is probably enough, you also get credit for other liquids and do get some from fruits and vegetables.

For me, the key to revamping my diet was not to completely eliminate sweets and junk.  I still want and mentally need some.  I did switch my chocolate to only dark chocolate and I don't eat junk that I only kind of like as it's just not worth the calories.

Everyone has to find their own balance, but I can tell you what I do.

Breakfast ideas:

• Eggs with bell peppers and onions, a slice of toast, a glass of milk
• Oatmeal with frozen raspberries and milk
• Tortilla wrap spread with either pumpkin butter and cream cheese or peanut butter and a drizzle of honey
• luna bar (last minute need food resort)
• Smoothie (1 cup yogurt, 1 cup mango juice, 1/2 a scoop vanilla protein powder)
• Banana and milk

Lunch/dinner ideas (I generally have about the same calories for each but am more likely to have salad for lunch):

• 1 serving of rice or pasta, 1 serving of protein, 2-5 servings of vegetables
• BBQ chicken pizza and a pound of broccoli
• Chipotle easy on the rice and beans
• La salsa whatever looks the healthiest
• frozen enchiladas

Snacks:

• Apple or other piece of fruit
• cup of chocolate almond milk or strawberry kefir
• yogurt
• tortilla with peanut butter/honey or cream cheese/pumpkin butter
• Luna bar (chocolate peppermint)
• a handful of nuts (almonds are great for you)
• black bean brownie or pumpking brownie

The general idea is that I try to have all the healthy stuff first and then if I want a healthy snack I have one and then if I still want a junk snack I have one.  For me I try not to keep the easy junk snacks in the house I have to go buy them.  The junk snacks that require prep time I can keep around.

I used to eat a night a lot, and still sometimes do, but now tend to eat something like an apple or yogurt, or toast with cheese. I am not a huge sweet eater so no worries there. As others have suggested, just revamp your diet, it will help :)

Something I find that helps is mostly making my own meals, instead of cooking premade food. It takes more time to prepare and you will appreciate the food more. Something as simple as homemade applesauce or a chicken tortilla are easy to make and don't take a lot of time.

I have also noticed that since I started my diet on September 1st, I haven't been eating a night as much as I used to, and when I do, it is more healthy items, such as fruit or yogurt.

What is a typical day like for you?  What were you eating before these cravings started?  Have you lost any weight recently?  Are you purposely trying to lose any weight?  Do you have any new stressors in your life?

It could be that you aren't eating enough during the day, or you aren't eating anything substantial that will hold you over.  A good meal will have some form of protein, some fat, and some fiber.  snacky processed foods aren't filling and you'll be looking for more.

Yes what for_zev said!  Get rid of the cereals and breads.  All those carbs and sugars will just make your blood sugar fluctuate.  For example try one of these instead: string cheese, a little whole milk, a bit of tuna, or a boiled egg or two and a mug of herbal tea.  These are nutritious and ubeleivably filling even in small amounts/small calories.

Great ideas, Thank yall all so much.

for_zev---I wake up around 6:00 try to get out of the house by 7:30 at the latest.  During this time I'm getting ready, getting my daughter ready and refereeing her and the doggy!! Mornings are stressful.  On my way into work I will drink a diet coke or maybe some water.  When I get into work I'll have some breakfast.  Cereal most of the time, like Honey Bunches of Oats, or if not cereal grits.  I'll also have a piece of fruit.  I have a mid morning snack--most of the time some pretzels or reduced fat cheez its.  Lunch is a sandwich or soup, turkey dogs, sometimes leftovers.  I'll have pretzels or cheez its with the sandwich or turkey dog.  The afternoon is when I begin to crave sweets, I'm usually ok till I get home.  Then I snack before dinner (most of the time) and after dinner I'll have something sweet.  I used to never eat sweets at night and I never thought about them as much as I do now.  I do have some (ok a lot) of stress right now, things with the hubby aren't too great right now.  We are going to counseling and stuff.  So, I don't know if thats it or what.  I was also jogging a good bit before and I haven't jogged in months now, I'm lucky to get on my elliptical at night.  I'm not trying to lose weight, but I gain weight very quickly and it seems to go right to my bottom and legs.  All I want is to tone up and stop craving soooo many sweets.  

From the looks of it, I'm eating too many processed foods.  Carbs and such.  

If I make say a tuna salad dip, hickory tuna with a little mayo, what should I eat it with?  I usually just put it on some of those new Kellogs garlic Bran crackers?  Is that bad????  I hate salad, I've tried it numerous times, different ways, just can't eat it. 

Sorry to keep on!!! Thank yall again!! 

So skip the salads...you could try dicing up some bell peppers to add to your tuna dip.  You could also try dipping veggies into it and seeing if that lets you eat it.  I like flax seed crackers lately also the multigrain crackers and breads.

I try to save a couple hundred calories for night because I like to eat at night too.  For me..I could go all day without eating and not even think twice but when night comes its all I can think about! 

I have a bit of carb mixed with protein and when I do that it seems to satisfy the cravings.  Like

- a banana with 1 tbsp PB

- 1/2 cup of oatmeal with egg white or PB mixed in

- whole wheat english muffin with PB (can you tell I love peanut butter!)

- low cal hot chocolate with some fat free milk and maybe a couple sugar free cookies

I eat at night all the time and as long as I'm within my calorie level I lose consistently.

Hey Amy, you have the cutest baby girl.

I used to eat a lot at night too and most of my calorie intake at night would be from bread, cereal, chocolate milk and cookies. Bad bad bad, but since I'm dieting I have changed completely. I actually put down a rule to myself that dinner is the last food I eat at night, if I feel hungry I drink a glass of water with ice cubes that I chew on. In the beginning is tough but soon your body get s used to it. I have not eaten after dinner for the last 5 months.

I also take chromium as a supplement after I read in the book  "Perricone weight loss diet" that it curbs sugar cravings and I think it did help me. There is some info here:

http://www.tsrf.com/supplements/supplements_c hrom.htm 

 The info is similar from what I read in the book but this is not a site that I ever visit, just googled for the info. It is just something that I tried that worked and maybe you can do your research on it. But since it is a supplement, it is always good to check with your doctor if it is OK for you. I take 200mcg once a day in the morning. It seems that chromium polynicotinate is the best . The dosage at the end of the article in the link above seems way too high, don't try it.

PS After you click the link, delete %20 that appears between the m and e of the second "supplements" word and click enter again for the page to load. Don't know why it happens.

I'm right there with you!!  Stinks doesn't it?  Okay, here is what I've found that is good for me and has helped me:

Honey Nut Cherrios (with or without milk).

Any of the 100 Calorie Snacks (I LOVE the Mister Salty Chocolate Covered Pretzels).

Quacker Rice Cakes Mini's (Quakes)-THE CARAMEL CORN ARE THE BEST and so is the Kettle Corn.  I didn't think I would like them but, if I'm not careful, I could eat the whole bag (which is better than eating Little Debbies!).

Reduced Fat--Nilla Wafers, Cheeze-Its, Pop Tarts-eat just 1 out of 2 and save the other for later in a baggie.

Layes Baked Chips-I personally like the Tortilla chips with Chi-Chi's medium salsa cups.

Special K bars--Either the meal bars or I found I like the Special K Chocolate-Peanut Snack Bar.  Its almost like a Twix (ALMOST)!  A chocolate covered rice and peanut bottom with a caramel/peanut butter center. 

All of these things I have found I like.  I am worried about adult onset diabeties due to the fact that I had gestional diabeties when I was pregnant with my 3rd, so I am really cautious about the higher sugars and carbs in LOW FAT foods.  But in doing research with labels, I found that most of the REDUCED FAT foods, the carb/sugar only went up 1-2%.  Really not enough to count.  Now, what I find that is good and has really kept me from binging on the JUNK, is the fact that there are plenty of snacks that I would always run too when I had a craving now reduced fat.  Another one is to measure what snacks I eat and make sure to log it onto CC.com so I don't go overboard.  Its worked for me-lost 10 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks.  And exercising!  Which is another thing that I found to curb the crave--to exercise at night when I would normally eat. 

Good luck to you and I really, really hopes I've given you some good ideas! 

Looking at your diet, you aren't getting a lot of protein.  Most of your intake is carbohydrates with little protein and fats.  I would try to increase both, as they will keep you more full.  Your carb choices are also rather low in fiber...fiber also keeps you full.  

Stress is also playing a role, so my best advice would be to find something to help you deal with your stress.  Relaxation, other coping techniques, etc.

Good luck