Training & Nutrition - A good appetite suppressant?

Before I get slammed:
I am NOT looking for that magic weight loss pill.
I am NOT wanting to stay awake for a week and never eat.
I am NOT looking for extra energy.

I DO want something I can take/eat/drink that will kill my food craving in the evenings before I go to bed.

One of my biggest weight loss problems is that I like to have a 'bedtime snack' especially if I work out in the evening. I get the same feeling any time I workout but in the evening I don't want to eat before I go to sleep because my body will be more likely to store it. When I get hungry like that its hard to keep from eating badly. I usually have some fresh fruit or a small bowl of unsweetened oatmeal while drinking lots of water but I also find my self eating things I shouldn't be. A lot of the time I still find myself laying in bed feeling hungry when I did eat something small and healthy. I tried eating a lot of raw carrots and celery as these are 'free' foods and I never get satisfied no matter how much I eat. I heard once that taking a fiber pill with a lot of water was suppose to help but it didn't work for me. I am seeing good results in my training and am to the point where I love to be drenched in sweat while pounding my pedals or watching my arms bulging on the weights. The pain the next day has started to become addictive. I almost feel like I didn't do enough if something on my body isn't soar the next day. I say this to show that I am NOT looking for a get slim quick method. I want to earn it.

What do you do to keep the hunger feelings knocked down when you know your body has all the fuel you need and you still feel like you haven't eaten in days?

If your looking to lose weight, just don't eat. Think of it as part of the sacrifice that your looking to earn. If you want to be a stronger rider, just eat.

You might want to try something with protein and a little bit of fat. If you know you are going to be hungry, you can just incorporate your pre-bed snack into your daily Caloric intake. I like to have a piece of fruit and a little bit of peanut butter or a protein shake.

I know the feeling... I don't have any magic solution, but I have found that if I can force myself to drink a pint of water (kept in the fridge in a bottle all ready to pull out easily) before I eat anything solid, I seem to do better with ignoring the craving altogether or finding something smaller/healthier.

If you are working out before you go to bed, you may actually only be needing fluids. A lot of times your body is not telling you it is hungry, it is telling you it is thirsty. Try drinking some water and giving it 15 minutes.

I think it's an old wive's tale that eating before bed will make you fat. I lost 100 pounds even though I ate a bedtime snack every night.

Advocare MNS Gold works wonders for me.

If you are working out before you go to bed, you may actually only be needing fluids. A lot of times your body is not telling you it is hungry, it is telling you it is thirsty. Try drinking some water and giving it 15 minutes.

Or tea ... or hot water with lemon. Then brush your teeth - signalling to yourself that you're done for the night. Then you won't want to eat because you'll have to brush all over again

Try an handful of unsalted nuts, like walnuts, pecans. Protein, oils. Been proven to make people eat less if eaten before a meal.

It may seem strange; black coffee with no sugar.

You might want to try something with protein and a little bit of fat. If you know you are going to be hungry, you can just incorporate your pre-bed snack into your daily Caloric intake. I like to have a piece of fruit and a little bit of peanut butter or a protein shake.

I am with Nickel on this one. If you know you are going to snack just incorporate it in to your diet. I think people giving the whole "two hours before sleep" too much weight/credit. In the end formula is simple Calories in - calories out.

For snacks, try pickles. They are only a few calories each and the vinegar makes it so you cant eat too many. But your sodium intake goes through the roof :)

Whey protein and milk drink or whey shake

Matcha tea

Drink juice, or do as was suggested: account for it in your daily food intake.

For snacks, try pickles. They are only a few calories each and the vinegar makes it so you cant eat too many. But your sodium intake goes through the roof :)


That's interesting. I always found that eating sour pickles would take away my cravings to eat something sweet. I always thought it was just me. :)

i agree with the pickle idea. one of my friends chops up pickles and puts salsa over them. a big bowl of that would be about 50-75 calories

I would just add this. Eating before bed is not as bad as you may think, and eating food with protein and fat content as earlier mentioned, prolongs your appetite from coming back. If you're trying to lose weight, just focus on creating a calorie deficit. I'm trying to lose a few lbs for the season, and from my reading, the recommended weight loss range is 1 to 2 lbs a week, which is about 500-1000 calories less a day than you're taking in. If you ride your bike and eat 3000 calories a day, you're probably still in a state of caloric deficit. Just be patient, it takes time for your body to adjust to cutting back on food.

One thing I read makes sense to me. If you're not hungry when you wake up, it means you ate too much the night before. Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Try an handful of unsalted nuts, like walnuts, pecans. Protein, oils. Been proven to make people eat less if eaten before a meal.

For many people, nuts are a "substance abuse issue". They are very, very high in calories, and it's very easy to eat 400+ calories without even thinking about it.

They do have many good health qualities, but if you are unable to carefully control your intake, they can be one of the "healthy" foods that ends up sabotaging your diet plans.

ECA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECA_stack). But, be aware that it may not be safe...

I find eating a huge bowl of pasta kills my food craving.

i think having a bedtime snack is not what makes you fat...it's what you eat before bed. A banana, a muffin, etc...that won't make you fat.Look at the countries where people eat dinner at 10 pm! it's just that they don't eat american food....

...A banana, a muffin, etc...that won't make you fat.....
Respectfully, that is EXACTLY what will make you fat. Shooting for weight loss and muscle gain means ZERO carbs at last meal. This is slice of cheese time, or burger patty or broiled chicken leg.

And to agree with some earlier thoughts expressed:
*drink that 16 oz. glass of water before that last snack
*a small cup of coffee (6oz. - did you know that is one whole serving?) black, non-sugar sweetener and whole cream or nothing. If you just worked out before retiring - as in your heart rate is still elevated - the caffeine will cause a rise in insulin production which your body will use as it rebuilds muscle tissue. You can have this just before your workout, if you wish.

Best of luck with your goals!

Calcium pill or TUMS ... will reduce menstrual cramps, PMS symptoms, and those pre-period munchies.

My appetite noticeably decreases when I'm taking calcium regularly.

Hey Buddy,

I have suffered from midnight munchies for as long as I can remember, I noticed I was just eating **** in the middle of the night- and didn't have much control over what i was eating as I was so tired. What i do now is eat some pancakes before I go to bed - obviously have 20 mins before hitting the sack- but this seems to keep me happy till the morninng and was a better alternative for me!

I think you should just have a big glass of water. I know half the time when I feel hungry I'm really just thirsty. I used to come home from work at 9pm and eat...bad news, those calories just go to the waistline. The past 9 months I've lost 171 lbs through eating correctly and exercising. Now I don't eat after 7pm at all. If I get hungry after 7pm I just have a big glass of water or some crystal light. I hate to say it, but 95% of weight loss is having the right mental attitude and determination to follow through.

Calcium pill or TUMS ... will reduce menstrual cramps, PMS symptoms, and those pre-period munchies.

My appetite noticeably decreases when I'm taking calcium regularly.

Trucker, are you having menstrual difficulties? :D

I am certainly no expert, but I tend to agree with simple calories in calories out theories. Make sure your overall intake of food is less than your output of energy and you will continue to lose. Make sure your eating right (and we can let the debate begin on those theories as well) and be satisfied. I know nothing about appetite suppressants, and won't even guess.

Have you tried Webmd or sites like that? Have you discussed this situation with your doctor or a registered dietician? No offense to anyone on this forum, but some professional advice might clarify things for you.

Oh, and "Have a happy period." (perhaps the dumbest ad catchline ever!!!!);)

. . . What do you do to keep the hunger feelings knocked down when you know your body has all the fuel you ned and you still feel like you haven't eaten in days?

I'll preface this post with the admission that as a 50+BF fugitive, I've fought this battle for decades.

All those “eat less possum”, “eat more possum”, "drink more schnapps”, “drink less schnapps”, “exercise like a gazelle outrunning a cheetah”, and “meditate like the Buddha” plans, make me feel like I'm looking at broom handle in a Turkish prison while Nazis scream High German at me. The whole scene makes me hungry.

My theory is that we gain weight purely out of habit. Consider: We average blokes have easy access to the tastiest, highest calorie foods in huge abundance in all of history. We are bombarded 24-7 with imagery and advertisement that entice us to indulge in the Worst Foods Ever Poured into 55-Gallon Drums. To top it off, we have free time in abundance to contemplate the tyranny of our biological food urge. We fall into bad habits by simple cultural gravity.

In support of this theory, consider how much weight you lost on your last really active holiday, like cycling, backpacking, or even sight-seeing on foot. In addition to the physical activity, these activities often require a tight regimen of eating and make late night snacking a little more difficult. Personally, I invariably come home after an active week having lost six pounds and feeling really good. Folks, I've lost weight in Italy!!! (Mind you, it was an active holiday there.)

My personal conclusion is we need to Break the Cycle by taking a really active holiday and (this is critical) keeping up those habits on return.

A can of warmed up chicken broth, with some pepper sprinkled in works good for satisfying and keeping the hunger demon away at bedtime for me. A can is like 50 calories.

Dave.

PGX (PolyGlycopleX) Fiber.

Drink four of those behemoths and you're good to go.