Sweets!!!!!!!

[sierra]

Ok during the day I do not crave any sweets, but it is at night around 2:00am everynight I will get up and eat a bowl of cherrios or something sweet! If anyone can help or any suggestions on how I can overcome this plateu please let me know. I am sure this happens to some of you guys & gals. I am new to the board but read alot of the information has to offer, this will be my first posting

Thanks

 

[Sassy69]

Sierra -

Welcome to the boards! I guess the first question is, what is your current diet, training, cardio regimen? And tehn what are your goals?

Your diet and eating schedule should dictate when you get hungry. Cravings for carbs or sweets can result from other things such as hormones as well (e.g. that time of the month and others). For example I believe you might find that women tend to have a craving for carbs while men have more of a craving for salt.

I would say that carbs like cereal are a bad thing to be eating in the middle of the night. Particularly processed carbs (just bad all around) and simple carbs just give you a sugar spike and then your insulin levels are fluctuating. (Though you might fall asleep better from that!) Carbs are best eaten in the earlier part of the day. Too many extra carbs will just turn to fat. Granted, a bowl of cereal in the middle of the night won't kill you, but if you are trying to achieve some weight loss / body fat loss goals, it will interfere.

Generally it is optimal to eat 5-6 small meals/day spaced out every 2-3 hours - good carbs like oatmeal in the morning, some complex carbs later like brown rice or sweet potatoes and lots of carbs from green leafy vegetables during the day. Cut out the complex carbs before 3 PM. Avoid processed food if you can (e.g. junk food, sugars, white bread, white rice, etc.). Eat good clean protein and dont' be afraid of protein - lots of women don't eat enough protein and go for the salad loaded with dressing and junk like that. And drink lots of water. If you get your body used to the 5-6 meals/day, it stops craving things in the middle of the night.

Another thing to consider is that you are getting enough calories too! If you dont' eat enough, even on the 5-6 meals/day, then your body will be starving and loading it with carbs in the middle of the night will only make you feel lousy. It just sort of bogs down your metabolism.

So alternatives to the midnight munchies? Mix up some very low or zero carb protein mix. The body processes protein pretty decently overnight. Otherwise if you eat well during the day, you shouldn't get the carb cravings. And how much of those midnight munchies are just out of habit?? I have to fight the urge to get home from work and relax in front of the TV w/ a bowl of ice cream - I've been dieting a la contest prep for more than a year and I still can't toss this urge - part of my old really bad eating habits that just won't go away!

Good luck - I'll be interested to see how other people on this board deal w/ this!

 

[Phemomena]

drink a glass of water... i've read that 95% of late night munchies are actually a combination of tiredness and thirst... (not a big glass though, it'll have you up again in another hour)

 

[flex4life]

Welcome Sierra!
In the past I used a pickle to curb sweet cravings- a little sodium, but one pickle killed the crave. Nothing tastes good following a pickle.
More recent ideas: sugar free jello, turkey slices or chicken (small portions), crystal lite. You may be not eating enough as Sassy says during the day & eventually the hunger just catches up to you at night- the worst possible time to eat sweets.
When I realized what the sugar intake at night was doing to my diet & training goals, that alone really killed the cravings for me.
Just a few ideas, there will be others too- but I hope it helps some.

 

[FitFossil]

Sierra,

Welcome to the boards!

Hmm, Cheerios aren't even that sweet, but they are just empty carbs you don't need, especially late at night. I used to crave sweets and carbs A LOT, but that was because my diet was MOSTLY sweets and carbs. Once I added in protein and made sure EACH MEAL contained a balance of protein/carbs/good fats and ate something every 2-3 hours, I had NO more cravings. Also, make sure you're drinking plenty of water all through out the day.

 

[sierra]

Thanks you guys all the information was real helpful
but I do drink plenty of water through out the day like five 32 oz's through out the day. I watch what I eat and it could be related to the fact that I spend 2-3 hours at the gym a night. Somewhee in my work out I am depleting something. Could it be I am losing to much sugar during my workout? If there is such a thing. But I will take all of the suggestions at hand and try each one. Thanks again I am glad I found this sight and thanks for the friendly welcome

 

[Sassy69]

Sierra -

Good - a little more info! Glad you are already on the ball w/ the whole diet thing. I also do my workouts at night, some cardio in the AM. If you do some searching on the Training & Diet boards you will probably come across some questions about what to eat post workout. You are goign to be depleted when you come out of the gym. Esp. after 2-3 hours. I might recommend you try to keep it at or under 2 hours. No need to really spend lots of time in there as both overtraining or socializing between sets will make your time in the gym less optimal. But that's your call! (I understand - I LOVE the gym...)

Generally its suggested to have a small dose of simple sugar before the gym just to kick things in (you can probably find some more biochemical / medically / nutritionally sound reason for this , but not from me!). I'll sometimes do a small portion of Fat Shredder or one of those liquid (non-ephedrine) drinks w/ l-carnitine or something since I'm trying to avoid ephedrine for a while.

Obviously lots of water during

And then pound a low carb protein mix w/ some l-glutamine within an hour or so after the gym to help recover. And then a protein and complex carb about an hour after that to help replenish. This gets a little challenging if you get out of the gym at like 9 PM or later and you don't want to eat carbs late. But a little something then might help with the 2 am cereal run.

 

[new@gettinbig]

Hi and welcome!! I understand your pain...i used to be a sugar freak!! love gummy bears etc.....but havent had any in forever...My relief from the madness comes from fat free sugar free jello....YUMMY, diet rootbeer once in a while, and crystal light. And i drink tons of water!!!! You just gotta ignore the cravings.....dont give in to the EVIL voice inside your head. Hide your sugary stuff and eat some protein or jello. Its all mental, all in your mind...so BE STRONG.....we all go through it and it SUCKS!

 

[Cutie]

Sugar Cravings

Hi Everyone,

I to suffer from this I wake up like 3 hours after my last meal craving something SWEET in the worst way.
I noticed the cravings are stronger around my monthly visit. I also believe it's from not eating enough during the day.
If this happens to me I have a teaspoon of natural peanutbutter and I am back in dreamland.

 

[jilleysu]

Same problem

I have this same problem. 2 weeks ago I bit the bullet. There is one way to get to the goals you want. Eat sugar, keep the fat. Cut it out...get the beautifully sculpted body you want. I am sick of crying and being frustrated. The one thing I have never really cut out is the bagels and white bread and a low fat cookie here and there. It is gone now. Oatmeal, eggs and fruit for breakfast. Shake for snack, salad and chix for lunch, yup another shake and then a good dinner...low on the carbs. This is the only way for woman to get lean. I try to have a huge glass of water about an hour before bed and I stopped getting up in the middle of the night. That was my downfall too. I do the same int he morning. You can do it. Hopefully I can...lol