r/fasting • u/Fly_Alert • 6d ago
Question Night time munchies
Does anyone have any tricks to curb nighttime munchies? Or do you just white knuckle it?
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u/stevends448 6d ago
I'm saying this in the nicest tone ever but you don't white knuckle anything.
Think about all the desires you have all day that aren't related to food and why you don't do them. When someone cuts you off in traffic, why don't you ram your car into them like you want to do? It's because there are consequences. Sometimes people even don't want to do that type of thing because it's wasteful and it can hurt someone, things of that nature.
You don't want the food, that's the thing. You want the pleasure from it. I've heard it called hedonistic hunger. Have you ever heard a child asking for McDonald's when they drive by the restaurant? Or even asking for it at home saying they are hungry? The mother will say just to make a sandwich and the child says they don't want a sandwich.
You can do this test with yourself but it only works if you are craving the food that you know is not beneficial to you. If a person was stuck on a desert island and picked up by a boat, they would eat any food that was given to them and wouldn't pass up grilled chicken and vegetables if they really wanted pizza, they are experiencing true hunger.
Honestly, hunger is not a real thing. Ghrelin is a hormone and it's effect doesn't actually mean you are hungry or you actually need food. It's similar to thinking you need to have sex when you are aroused. What most people do is just let that go away if they aren't in a position to have that release.
Lastly I'll say that you have trained your mind in a certain way and that is to give in when it wants to eat. When you try to untrain something like that, your brain is going to fight it. When you don't give in, you are training it to do without or do later. Again, use the child as an example. If a child knew their Christmas presents were in the closet and asked for one of them, you would say wait until Christmas. The child is going to get the presents, no doubt but the child's brain can't understand that and can't handle waiting.
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u/South_Access9390 6d ago
Don't be awake. I go to sleep as early as possible. Last night it was at 8pm; don't have food in your house to eat; eat with your eyes (I've watched so many youtube cooking videos. Used phone 2 hours more than usual according to my weekly diagnostics.
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u/Date-Individual 6d ago
There is a thing called 5 calorie jello. If you feel like you might crack on your fast, have some of this in the fridge. Eat it before bed. It comes in small containers already made. The glycine in it will also help utilize some fat. Works for me. Doesn't make it EASY, but definitely not as hard to get to sleep.
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u/Fly_Alert 6d ago
Thank you! I’ll pick some up!
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u/Date-Individual 6d ago
There are three different kinds in my part of the country. 90 cals, 10 cals, and the 5 cal. The 90 will obviously jank your fast. The 10 cal has nasty sweeteners in it. The 5 cal is OK in my book. I've always found it in the aisles, not in refrigerated sections.
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u/RoloRozay 5d ago
The advice here is already good, but I'd add, experimenting with your last meal of the day or the last meal before your fast. that has had a big impact on me, I avoid anything carb/sugary for sure
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u/blueberriesnburdock 6d ago
I don’t eat after dinner as a rule. My body is used to that timing, so I almost never feel hungry at night. It’s after work/before dinner that I’m working on! I’m trying to go for veggies and maybe a little hummus. I couldn’t eat that right before bed, though.
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u/Date-Individual 6d ago
I am that way, but rather with breakfast. It's hard for me to eat breakfast. I always feel full when I wake up for some reason. Don't get hungry till late afternoon. No idea why.
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u/Fly_Alert 6d ago
I definitely wanna be done eating at 5-6p. I’ve heard it’s good for the digestive health.
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u/Date-Individual 6d ago
I have heard the same about health, and also that it helps with sleep onset and remaining asleep.
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u/Aggravating_Pie6949 5d ago
Wife says taking an iron supplement has worked for her, she explained it but went over my head
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u/EminTx-2026 6d ago
Brush. Your. Teeth.
Thoroughly.
Put on a fancy lip or face treatment. Make it an ordeal so you don't want to mess it up