What should I do when I'm hungry late at night?

Question

I've read several times to stop eating 3-4 hours before going to bed. I started working a second job in the evening as seaonal help for extra cash. I eat dinner around 5pm, go to work and get off at 11pm. When I get home at 11:15pm, I'm so hungry! I need to go to bed right away to get up in the morning for my regular job. What can I eat this late at night right before going to bed? I tried drinking a lot of water, but then I keep waking up having to go to the bathroom. I tried doing nothing and going straight to bed, but then I'm tossing and turning because I'm hungry. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

something low calorie like veggies or fruit (which sounds boring... but they are light). yogurt sounds good too. maybe a glass of hot chocolate. it might crave your sweet tooth and its more filling than water. whole wheat toast with butter or a thin slice of low-fat cheese.

Answer 2

That is a problem. Eating before bed will add weight gain. Your body is in an active mode and your bodyy is craving something. I would eat a healthy snack like fruit or vegitables, just to make that hunger go away. Nothing heavy. That way you take care of that problem and won't gain weight in the process. Don't eat anything to fillyou up, then you'll be up for a while. Is there maybe a snack you can bring to work to like munch on while at work or when you leave to go home? This way you've gotten that part out of the way and then you have time to get ready for bead and wind down. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Generally, a meal of Chinese food is very high-carb. The proportion of rice to meat/fish is different than, let's say, having a mashed potatoes and turkey meal. Then, add to this the various ingredients used in Chinese cooking such as sugar, cornstarch and other vegetables high in carbs and you get the effects of a high-carb meal. The carbs cause a spike in your blood sugar and sometimes can cause something similar to a "sugar high." The thing is, when your body gets over that high, depending on how much you've eaten, the low that follows can cause your blood sugar to dip to less than normal, causing you to feel hunger. A good way to counter balance that occurence is to eat more of the protein portion of the meal (meats, fish, seafood) in proportion to the rice. But since a Chinese food meal is really meant to be consumed with tons of carbs versus the proteins (Yummy with the fried rice AND the chow mein!!), what's a girl to do??? I'd say, enjoy it for what it is. Now that you understand that it is a matter of biology and nutritional science, just accept that it will happen and take a snack when you're hungry again! On the upside, it encourages you to eat more often. It is behind the concept of raising your metabolism (take a small meal or snack every 3 - 4 hours) and keeping slim. How many Chinese do you see that are overweight? :)

Answer 4

Try having a snack around 9pm. This may hold you over until morning.
If that isn't an option, have some raw carrots or 94% fat free popcorn. Both of these have very few calories in them, which shouldn't cause much of a problem with weight gain.

Answer 5

Try a piece of fruit or some instant oat meal or maybe whole grain toast with preserves. Eat just enough to kick the hunger and make sure it's a healthy snack. I would still drink some water before bed, just don't bulk up on it.

Answer 6

I would definitely pack a sandwich or something and eat it on a break, I work full time and I waitress a couple nights a week and I go through the same thing when I get home...but I refuse to eat passed 9 oclock, I usually make a sandwich to eat later in the evening, some crackers or a protein bar....

Answer 7

Only eat protein and veggies that late at night. Those are the only things that won't convert to sugar and get stored as fat. If you eat carbs, you'll put on weight right away.

Answer 8

Is it possible to have a snack at work around 8:00 pm? try that and see if that helps.. other wise have a light snack when you get home, like an apple or celery or a yogurt. Im sure its not gonna hurt you any. Its healthier than going to bed hungry.

Answer 9

It is tough after working NOT to grab a bit to eat before going to bed. I had the very same problem when I worked late. I would have a glass of milk with a snack of some sort. The milk seemed to calm me down and fill me up with the snack I ate. There are those 100 calorie packages of cookies and the sort, and they really do the trick. Try that and good luck to you!

Answer 10

Eat an apple or a banana and have a few sips of water. If that doesn't help, have a glass of warm milk (1% fat and not higher) to drink with some flavoring of your choice with no sugar.

Answer 11

Same thing happened to me, so I would make myself some sandwiches or go out to eat something. Turns out, if you eat late at night, since youre not exercising or really doing anything, the metabolism will go slower. Hence, I got fat. I lost that weight, and now when that happens, i get some SlimFast shakes and drink them. They aren't fattening, take away your hunger, and you can find them in any Walgreens or Walmart, {etc}.

good luck!