Midnight Munchies!

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies!

Post by losingforgood » Fri Jan 20, 2012 1:52 pm

I'm really suprised how easy it's been so far for me to survive moments when I would normally crave food between meals for this past week! I've really been making my meals count in balance, sustainability AND in taste.

However, for the past 4 years, I've had what I call the Midnght Munchies if I happen to be awake, which is often. The Midnight munchies could be triggered by physical hunger or by mental cravings or both. I keep telling my stomach, "You will NOT starve before morning". I have been able to get through it, but when the physical hunger is really strong, it's very difficult.

I want to know from others out there who have conquered this problem: How have you beat off the Midnight Munchies? Has it helped to helped you to keep the NO S rule in affect for this one even on your S days? Or has it helped you to allow yourself a little leeway on your S days? And, does your stomach eventually stop yelling at you during the night after sticking to your guns for a while? I know the Midnight Munchies has contributed to my weightgain, so I know getting a handle on it is not an option for me.
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Post by r.jean » Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:00 pm

I have a glass of milk when I am hungry at night. During the day I just tough it out until the next meal.
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnit Munchies!

Post by losingforgood » Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:28 am

Thanks, I think I'll try that when it's at its worst. Heat it up and add a little cinnamon...yum!
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

mrslenna
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:32 pm

Post by mrslenna » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:20 am

I like to drink a glass of buttermilk. For starters, you can't drink that much. It's also really filling, and because it's savoury and yet still has milk sugar, it seems to hit all the right tastebuds for me. Good luck! Maybe it's a hint to go to bed earlier :wink:
Life rewards action, not intention.

ginmarie
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 4:55 pm

Re: Midnight Munchies!

Post by ginmarie » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:52 am

losingforgood wrote:I'm really suprised how easy it's been so far for me to survive moments when I would normally crave food between meals for this past week! I've really been making my meals count in balance, sustainability AND in taste.

However, for the past 4 years, I've had what I call the Midnght Munchies if I happen to be awake, which is often. The Midnight munchies could be triggered by physical hunger or by mental cravings or both. I keep telling my stomach, "You will NOT starve before morning". I have been able to get through it, but when the physical hunger is really strong, it's very difficult.

I want to know from others out there who have conquered this problem: How have you beat off the Midnight Munchies? Has it helped to helped you to keep the NO S rule in affect for this one even on your S days? Or has it helped you to allow yourself a little leeway on your S days? And, does your stomach eventually stop yelling at you during the night after sticking to your guns for a while? I know the Midnight Munchies has contributed to my weightgain, so I know getting a handle on it is not an option for me.
Well, I used to have a bowl of Cheerios and a banana almost every night. When I started NoS, this was a hard habit to break. I found that if reminding myself that I wouldn't starve before morning, and that the growling in my stomach was my fat burning engine at work, didn't work what did the trick was doing my entire dental hygiene routine and going to bed. Having clean teeth and not wanting to have to repeat the process was a huge dis-incentive to munching. If even that failed, I just turned off the light and went to sleep. :) Yes I eventually lost the need to feed before bed, and the habit was completely broken. Sometimes I'm do get genuinely hungry if I stay up too late, but strangely, if I ignore it, I seldom wake up hungry. It does work, it just takes time and persistence.
05/14/11 - 165 lbs
05/01/12 - 142 lbs
No S Lifestyle For Keeps :)

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:30 am

Maybe try brushing your teeth, or swilling your mouth out with mouthwash? That can help stop the cravings for food if you're not actually hungry!

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies!

Post by losingforgood » Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:49 pm

I like that idea! I like going to bed with fresh breath and flossed out teeth. Now, sometimes, I do actually fall asleep earlier and actually stay asleep, like lastnight. I started getting tired before the physical hunger had a chance to strike. I'll remember that. I also have a friend in CA, and being 3 time zones behind me, he's always up at that time. There were a couple of nights when the physical hunger was so bad, I asked him if I could text him when I got into bed, and let him know if I made it without running to the fridge or cabinets :lol: . It actually worked! But sometimes I need more than one weapon in my store of armour. The mental cravings are a llitte easier, because every diet expert I've ever read, has emphasized on only eating when you're actually physically hungry, so even though I've given in to mental cravings on occasion, I don't think it's been as bad as the hunger. I'm now learning, it's ok to feel hungry between actual meals! Otherwise, I won't look forward to the meal!
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies!

Post by losingforgood » Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:39 pm

Buttermilk? Hmmm. Maybe mix it with the warm milk? I can't always get to bed earlier, but I'm slowly getting back into a normal sleep pattern. Insomnia has been a problem for the past nearly 3 years post concussion. But some of the symptoms are beginning to slowly recover, so my insomnia bouts aren't as frequent. Once I get to bed, I pretty much sleep through the night. I think not restricting what I can eat is providing me with the fats and sugars and protein that I need, and I've been gaining more energy and my post concussion symptoms have decreased drastically. All of this in just a week! Feeling better and getting stronger is even more important to me than the weight loss.
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies

Post by losingforgood » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:09 am

Well, as good as everyone's ideas sound, I have not had to use them. I have been doing very well at telling myself no whenever I felt that hunger before bed. I just can't believe I would be able to by pass eating when I'm not supposed to. I know it would normally be too soon after just a week of trying out a program, to really know how well I'd be able to follow it. But No S? Oh, I already know, this is my new life! There is no going back to other diet plans for me.
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Post by r.jean » Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:37 am

Good for you! At 13 months, I still love it!
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies

Post by losingforgood » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:00 pm

R.Jean, I've been lurking here more than posting, and I have to tell you...I've read waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy more positives about how well people are able to accomadate this program into their lives than I have about negatives. it seems that when people struggle in an area of following the rules, they're finding it so easy to find solutions that work for them to make it easier to stick to. This is NOT what you typical read or hear in other programs. It's very inspiring to see so many of you who have been following this plan for a year and more who are still going strong with it. It would be nice to get statistics on No S dieters, because I'll bet the rates of success are much higher than the common programs :D
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Post by r.jean » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:31 am

I think that would be interesting too. It would not take much to beat the poor statistics you see from other methods of weight loss. It is surprising how few people maintain their weight losses in traditional diets. As someone said once in a post, this is the diet that teaches you to maintain first before you worry about losing.
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:36 pm

I know I'm repeating myself here, but one of the things that sobered me about my expectations about weight loss was reading a report by a researcher on obesity who said that a program that resulted in only about an average of 7 pounds of sustained weight loss for a group of OBESE women- for whom 7 pounds barely made a difference in their looks and obviously wasn't even 5% of their weight-- was considered a success! This is how dismal the outlook is in reality.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Want2GetHealthy
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:15 pm
Location: Louisiana

Post by Want2GetHealthy » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:47 pm

One thing that helps is making myself go to bed earlier. I am bad for staying up super late because of the stressful day I've had and just needing some quiet time. But, If I am up this late and get hungry I will just go to bed instead of eatting or if I have to have something I drink water with my fiber or I'll drink just a little juice.

losingforgood
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Delaware

Midnight Munchies!

Post by losingforgood » Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:41 pm

Want 2 be healthy, I often crash early on the couch, because I'm still in a slow recovery from a very traumatic health scare and a traumatic injury. I also still have bouts of insomnia from time to time. When I go to bed early, it's not usually a problem, unless I wake up during the night. But my sleep is getting more regular and more restful. So, I still have times when I'm awake and I'm downstairs. It's just not every night. If I'm in bed and I wake up, I usually just wake up long enough to use the bathroom and then I go back to bed. It's when I'm downstairs already awake or because I fell asleep on the couch.

I'm actually getting accustomed to not snacking late at night, and I usually don't do it on my S days either, unless I feel like the physical hunger pangs are unbearable.

I also took up a passion of mine that has been on the shelf for a few years...crochet. I used to be addicted to it to the point where sometimes I'd be so engrossed in a project, I'd forget to eat a meal or I'd not even think about snacking sometimes :lol: Now while I don't necessarily want to starve myself by skipping meals, my resurrected passion has really really helped me keep my mind off of snacking this past week. I'm going to keep this one up and display my crochet work in a small local art gallery that supports local artists of all types of art, and see if they sell. This is a much better way of biding my time, than think about food in between meals, don'tchya' think? :-)
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

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