Posts Tagged midnight eating
Obeying Hunger
When it’s that time of the month, I crave chocolate like most women. But I also tend be hungrier in general, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.
I think this explains why I tend to wake up during the middle of the night during my period; I’m genuinely hungry due to wacky horomonal changes. It’s not mindless, it’s not emotional. It’s hunger.
(I’ve heard before that during mestruation a woman burns an extra several hundred calories a day; not sure how true that is, but if so, it explains a lot!)
The rest of the month, I’ve no real excuse for my midnight wake-ups. My loyal readers know I’ve pondered the “why” for months and not come up with any specific answer. But I can assure you that when I wake during my period, it’s usually for a good reason.
And when I woke the other night and found myself in the kitchen, I went for 2 T of PB.
Yes, I spent 5 points on PB at 2 a.m … but it was well-worth it. I just docked them from Tuesday’s meal plan. (more…)
10 comments January 13, 2009
Midnight Munchies
My pledge to only eat when seated hasn’t been working.
I haven’t eaten in my car (save for chewing a piece of sugar-free gum) but every night for the past week (except for one night) I’ve woken and eaten … standing up.
As you know, this has been a problem I’ve been dealing with for over three years now, on and off.
My doctors have no explanation, my therapist doesn’t see it as a problem (and moreover, she wants me to not view it as a problem, either).
But I am sick and tired of not sleeping through the night. Of restless nights and stressed-out mornings because I “didn’t make it through the night.” (more…)
22 comments January 8, 2009
Making Peace With Triggers
Is there a former-trigger food you’ve since made peace with and can have in your home or at your office?
Cold cereal — healthy ones, in particular — used to be my biggest downfall. I used to have major problems with both Kashi Go-Lean Crunch and Barbara’s cinnamon Puffins (the best cereal — EVER).
My midnight incidents in D.C. often included Puffins or Kashi. Especially Puffins, with their cinnamony goodness.
At 100 calories per 2/3 c., I could easily have made a healthy snack … but I’d have two servings at 3:00 a.m. Not exactly conducive to a successful weight loss strategy. (more…)
10 comments October 29, 2008
Hanging Head in Shame …
It was destined to happen.
I’ve always had my midnight incidents, but I’ve never called them a real “binge” because I had never been truly out of control. I always weighed and measured, and never went beyond 5 pts.
But last night at 2 a.m., after going to bed happy and tired at 12:30 when my husband got home from class and we’d chatted, I woke suddenly at 2:22 a.m. and the monster hit. No clue why. I’d had a good day, a happy day (despite hearing that a family member — a second cousin — had passed away).
I am mortified to share this damage with you, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t share my stumbles as well as my successes.
After a 23 pt day with moderate exercise (a walk and then 2 activity points (APs) of cardio at the gym) I ate pretty much anything I hadn’t had that day and had thought about — all at once!
This is what I consumed, alone at 2:22 a.m. with no rhyme or reason. 
(more…)
13 comments October 14, 2008
Savoring 29 Already :)
Smelling the roses...
I didn’t post on Friday because I wanted to enjoy my birthday with no distractions.
While blogging is fun for me, some nights/days it can be like a job…and if I truly wanted to savor the day/weekend, I needed to separate myself for a little bit from the laptop. And thinking about food/exercise.
Ironically, Thursday night (my birthday) I had my first qualifiable “binge” — it was ridiculous. I ate like 10 points at 2 a.m. It was ugly. And I felt awful on Friday.
The thing was, I had had such a great day (lots of calls, e-mails, gorgeous flowers from my husband and a wonderful gift), and had been planning on saving my points for my big birthday dinner out on Friday night with friends …
In retrospect, I think maybe I should have treated myself to something on my actual birthday, because it backfired royally. Instead of savoring something with my husband and friends, I ended up eating alone, mindlessly, at 2 a.m. It was as though I’d been “deprived.”
But I didn’t let it ruin the tone of the weekend — which is progress. (more…)
5 comments October 6, 2008
Featured on Glamour.com Again!
Today I was featured (for the second time!) on Glamour.com.
Vitamin G, Glamour’s health and fitness blog, addresses my midnight eating issues and asks others for their stories. Thanks Sarah!! 
Note: When I shared my tales of midnight woe with the blogger, Sarah, (who’s great!), I personally never used the word “gorge” (because my midnight snacking is still very controlled — even when happening in a stupor, I’m measuring, which only makes the occurrences even odder). But since other people she knows have confessed to “gorgeing,” she used that word and now I understand why.
More ink — and on my birthday, no less!! 29 — SAVOR!
5 comments October 2, 2008
Stop the Madness: Midnight Eating
So my other disordered eating behavior — which my therapist says isn’t actually disordered — is waking up at midnight and eating … even after a great, healthy food day … even after I’ve been satisfied.
It usually happens during my period, which is this week … and I’ve used up 90% of my WPAs between the hours of 1 and 3 a.m. this week. Not even joking.
And it wasn’t emotional eating either– I’d had a great day at work followed by a wonderful night with my husband that included a fab sweat session at the gym and awesome bonding when I got home. No troubles on these calm seas.
Hell, I even put a NO CHOICE sign on the fridge and my cabinet last night … but it didn’t stop me.
These night-time snacks (but no spitting — seven days strong!!) are totally sabatoging me in every way, yet when they’re happening, it’s as though I am out of control of my own body.
I know they are part of what is holding me back from my goal weight and happiness with my body. I hope to sleep through the night tonight …
How about you? Do you wake and eat? How do you stop? Locking the door hasn’t even helped me …
18 comments September 24, 2008
