Hi all: My problem is that during the... - Weight Loss Support

Weight Loss Support

115,083 members61,310 posts

Hi all

17 Replies

My problem is that during the day I don't eat much at all.

By time time it's 8pm that's when I start, its not full meals I'm eating or big bars of chocolate or bags of crisps, or loads of fizzy drinks I just go around my kitchen eating bits of this and that drinking Dr pepper which I know is not good for you. I think its boardom that makes me do this cos I'm not really hungry its just by 8pm my daughter and grandaughter will have gone to bed there's only me down stairs I must just get lonely and board plus I'm not a good sleeper if I went to bed at 11pm and that's with two sleeping tablets (silicone 7.5) they're help me fall asleep but after 1am and before 3am I'm usually awake and find it very hard to get back to sleep so I raid my food cupboards and ear bits of this and bits of that and that's how I justify my eating in the very early hours of the morning cos my brain tells me its just bits of this and that but even that all adds up.

I don't know how to break this habbit. I tried to walk on my tredmill but that just makes me more awake. Please any replys would be great. Xl

17 Replies
katy9617 profile image
katy9617

Hi Janeanne and welcome to the club. my name is katy and I do the same thing. the only thing I try to do now to change it is only eat when someone else is awake and only eat full meals. I try not to snack between meals except for scheduled low cal snacks of things like celery and carrots which gets very boring but there it is. I was and am still always afraid someone will catch me eating at 230am and shame me. I have decided there is no shame in being me, and that gives me the will not to snack when I am alone. I also figured out that most of the time I think I am hungry at 230am it is because I am thirsty and if I drink a full glass of water and make myself go back to bed it works pretty well. I have trouble sleeping so I count one as I breathe in and two as I breathe out and that will usually make me fall asleep again. but as you can see, I am up now at 230am and I am trying not to eat so I am on here instead. Good luck and chin up!!!!

IndigoBlue61 profile image
IndigoBlue61 in reply tokaty9617

Lovely reply katy9617

in reply tokaty9617

Thank you

YellowRose55 profile image
YellowRose55

Morning Hidden

Welcome to the weight loss forum.

I think you need to start by reducing or stoping the fizzie drinks as that will not help your weight loss. Then plan 3 meals to eat during the day, have a look at the Daily Diary at what other members of the forum are eating.

Take a look at the Welcome Newbie post in the Pinned post section at the right hand side or at the bottom if your on a mobile. Have a look at the nhs 12 week plan, many members have had success following this plan. Use the BMI checker to work out your daily calorie allowance.

Have a look at the Daily Diary which you can find on the Home page in Events. It is where all the members are sharing their daily plans on what they are eating and any exercise they are doing. This thread will give you some ideas on how to start.

Below the Pinned posts are the Topics where members share a range of weight related subjects.

Take your measurements at the start together with a photo so you can see the changes on the days the scales don't move.

We have daily weigh ins so why not come along and join us today. You can find the weigh ins on the Home page in the Events section on the right. Just click on the post in Events and record your start weight and any loss/gain or maintain for the week.

To get the most of the forum be active, share tips, recipes and experiences. Read some of the posts they are very motivating.

Have a good first week.

Rose

in reply toYellowRose55

Thank you

chris1959 profile image
chris1959Maintainer

Tough one. Maybe you could try to break the sleeplessness pattern by doing a lot of exercise early in the morning? I occasionally get up at 6am and do a long run before the family moves around 7am. But you may not fancy the idea of running, specially on your own very early in the morning. But your treadmill may do the trick. In my case, I'm nice and tired by the time it's bedtime. But unlike you I don't have any sleeping problems. I usually run early when I know I won't have time later on.

in reply tochris1959

Thank you

Mollydex profile image
Mollydex2st 7lbsRestart July 2024

Hi. I'm not sure if would be useful for you , but lots of info on sleep hygiene on nhs site . Also I know in the area I live in the GP can refer to sleep speciality physcolology, again to explore sleep hygiene. I know it's so hard to control the rest of your life if sleep is a problem.

Thorn28 profile image
Thorn28

Hi hunny regarding night time eatting/ drinking. Have you tried replacing it with diet coke. Instead of a chocolate bar why don't you get loads of fruit and try to avoid having junk in your home. Then the temptation won't be there.

Hi you have got your eating patterns all mixed up and you need to work to establish good ones again. I do that sometimes so have to stop and remind myself to eat a meal at proper times and not just fill up on junk.

I think if you ate more during the day then you wouldn't feel so hungry at night. Then all you would need to do is break the habit. Having healthy food in to eat is a step in the right direction.

PTKeith profile image
PTKeith

Hello. So the problem with your sleeping and eating are both linked. When you are eating big piles of sugar whether it be from drinks or from chocolate it gives you a huge sugar rush. The body likes this sugar rush and wants more. So going to bed after a big old dose of sugar the body is craving, and cravings will wake you up. Exercise is also another spike to the body, this time to your endorphins. The body gets to like this and is one of the reasons some people train obsessively. So exercising before you go to bed is not a good thing. I do exercise classes that finish at 9pm and if I try and go to bed when I get home at 10:30pm I would just lay there wide awake as my body is buzzing.

So the solution? Do you mind if I am a bit brutal here? What do you think is going to happen if you carry on eating chocolate late at night and fizzy drinks and then having to take a sleeping pill to go to sleep? What happens if there is a problem with your Kids and you are zonked out with the sleeping pill? So lets get to it. Why do you not eat of a daytime? What do the kids eat? So lets get a balanced diet working. 3 meals a day. Breakfast, something like scrambled egg on toast or oatmeal. Dinner a chicken breast with some veg and rice. Then Tuna fish with some veg and pasta in the evening. Grab all the crisps and chocolate and fizzy drinks and chuck them in the bin. This will put a stop to the cravings. Find some time in the afternoon to do some exercise. Do exercise that gets you sweating and out of breath. See if you can do 10-15 minutes of good intensity to start off.

Lastly and this is the most important one, find a hobby that you can do of an evening that is stimulating and will keep you occupied. So things like playing a musical instrument, dress making, knitting, Photography. Maybe think about doing a home study course. I learned to play the guitar and I can lose hours just noodling around. Find something that interests you and start using your brain and body with exercise and something to keep you occupied and you will be amazed how your sleep pattern will change.

Hope you don't think I am being rude? I am just trying to break your bad habbits.

Keith

in reply toPTKeith

No Keith I don't think your being rude and thank you for taking the time to reply.

April1994Rose profile image
April1994Rose

Hey Janeanne, so I used to do this constantly id either not be able to sleep and head down stairs and find myself wondering to the fridge sneaking the odd bit of cheese or whatever was just there. Sounds daft but I started to knit its cheap and easy (not at first but is when you pick up the basics) I started to find that if I couldn't sleep I would continue with one of my projects and if my hands were busy I wasn't needing to eat (this also really helped me cut down on cigarettes). it might be worth you trying something like that keeps your hand busy, stops you getting sucked into a late night program and you feel really great once you complete something. Hope this helps.

April x

Ceals profile image
Ceals in reply toApril1994Rose

Fab ideas April1994Rose

HubbysMissMouse profile image
HubbysMissMouse

Hi there, you do need to be more careful with what you do because even though the sugary items are not great for you by not eating enough during the day in general how do you even know that you are actually eating the right amount of calories in the first place. Do make sure that you do at least work out how many you are actually having. When I first joined here I found out that because I wasn't actually eating much as I was only eating around 1000 calories a day this was why I had always struggled with my weight. I was told to check how many calories I should be having on the NHS bmi calculator to be able to lose weight. When I done this I found out I should have been having somewhere between 1500-1800 roughly I think. If I wasn't eating the right amount, my body would think that I was starving it so it would turn what I did eat into body fat and this weighs more than eating the extra calories does so it stops me losing weight and sometimes means I put weight on. When I found this out I upped the amount of calories I ate to somewhere in between the right amount needed to lose weight and have now lost 2st. Please don't make this same mistake and good luck with your journey.

NannyEJ profile image
NannyEJ

Hi Hidden and welcome. Sounds like you have got yourself into a bit of a rut lifestyle-wise. If you are serious about wanting to lose weight then you need to take action to change things around. You have been given lots of helpful suggestions here but only you can do this, and you have to do this for yourself.

Use the resources available on the site, BMI checker for calorie intake, 12 week weight loss guide, Daily Diary for meal plan ideas. You will be successful at changing your life around if you want to be.

Having said that, it won't be easy to start with but there will always be help and support on this forum, we really would like you to succeed so good luck and keep posting EJ

Thank you I'm really going to do my best to turn it all around.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Night snacker!

I get so annoyed with myself!! I know all there is to know about healthy eating and exercise. I...
Jenica profile image

Hi all

I am new to this page, I need to lose a few stones but I struggle, I have a stressful job and I'm...
lisaj241 profile image

Hi All!

I have been lurking for a long time and thought it is now time to speak! My weight has gone up and...
Nigel6731 profile image

Hungry at bedtime - what can I have instead of cereal?

I often need to have a bowl of cereal at bed time in order to sleep. (So many times have laid...
Joopoo profile image

Boredom Eating / Drinking

Hey all, anyone got any tips for overcoming boredom eating/drinking? My self-sabotage routine...

Moderation team

See all
TeamAdmin profile image
TeamAdminAdministrator
BridgeGirl profile image
BridgeGirlAdministrator
TheTabbyCat profile image
TheTabbyCatAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.