Is Your Night Eating a More Serious Problem? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

MiladyB · 07-16-2008, 10:57 AM

I received a newletter today that had a couple interesting articles in it. I thought I would share this one.

Is Your Night Eating a More Serious Problem?

It’s 9:00 at night and I have a craving to eat something. I’m not sure what I want, but I know that the kitchen is calling me. For some of us, this is a more serious problem than just snacking our way through the evening. This could be a serious eating disorder called Night Eating Syndrome

Night Eating Syndrome (NES) affects any where between 10% and 27% of the obese population depending upon which study you read. But if you have a problem with wanting to raid the refrigerator at 9:00 PM, does that mean you have NES?

Here is how NES is different than just want to snack at night. Those having NES:

Eat at least ½ of their daily calories after they have finished dinner

Wake up during the night 2 or more times craving a high calorie carbohydrate snack

Do not eat breakfast because they have eaten so much during the night

Suffer from insomnia

Have been doing this for at least 2 months

Those having NES have higher levels of cortisol, signifying high levels of anxiety and low levels of melatonin which helps to promote sleep. The craving for carbohydrates is a way to trigger tryptophan which eventually calms the anxiety and promotes sleep.

Compare yourself to the check list above. If the symptoms sound like you, consult with your physician and an eating disorder counselor. You may have a condition that is more than you are able to handle on your own.

blisandt · 07-16-2008, 01:15 PM

This post allows me to ask a question I have been struggling to formulate... I can't quite imagine the "not being interested" in eating which seems to be true post RNY for a fair number of people... but in my life there have been many times when I "wanted something" but didn't know what it was - I only knew what it wasn't.. and, indeed, I "knew" that whatever I ate would not "fill" the hole inside me right then...

If you can relate to or recall this feeling in your life, can you tell me have you had it post op?

I sure would not miss it!

JumboJulie · 07-16-2008, 08:16 PM

That is so weird. I've never heard of such a thing.

Since surgery I have always eaten before I go to bed. I'm still stuck in a liquid diet (meaning all my calories/protein comes from my protein drinks and milk). I still can't tollerate solid food. And I never crave anything anyway. BUT, at night (every single night) I eat right before I go to bed. Usually refried beans with cheese, or just a piece of cheese. And even though my pouch doesn't really like me eating it, I feel like I HAVE TO EAT before I go to bed.

MiladyB ... do you think this really could apply to me?

waterbottle · 07-17-2008, 12:36 AM

This was how I was told I had binge eating disorder. It was such a shame that 25 years ago they dont have the information they have now I might never have got so big before having my band fitted.

I still find I think about food in the night and even dream about it and have been given some tablets to help me with my eating problem.

I do not know if they work but I am sleeping better so dont wake up now thinking I want some food. I have been so strict with myself since having the band fitted and wonder is I will ever be able to stop being so ANAL now about food lol

bezobraz · 07-18-2008, 08:53 AM

How interesting! I don't usually wake up at night hungry, but at 10:00 PM I feel like eating. I'm 2.5 months post-op and I am not really hungry, but I want food at night. It got much-much-MUCH easier after the surgery. Most of the times I can get away with having tea or a low-cal cheese stick. Before the surgery I would have my dinner at 10 PM. I would eat something small for dinner at 7, and I will have something serious at 10.

Thanks Beth!! It is definitely something to be aware of.

-tonya

MiladyB · 07-18-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blisandt

This post allows me to ask a question I have been struggling to formulate... I can't quite imagine the "not being interested" in eating which seems to be true post RNY for a fair number of people... but in my life there have been many times when I "wanted something" but didn't know what it was - I only knew what it wasn't.. and, indeed, I "knew" that whatever I ate would not "fill" the hole inside me right then...

If you can relate to or recall this feeling in your life, can you tell me have you had it post op?

I sure would not miss it!

Well what I can tell you is that the desire not to eat often goes away the further out postop you are. I'm about 2 1/2 years postop and I do experience hunger and the desire to eat. It is different though. If I get really busy I can almost forget to eat.

But the desire of just wanting something? Needing something to "fill" that hole? Well that is much more of an emotional thing and that doesn't go away. What does often happen though is that even though you still have that desire your new tool will often give you negative repercussions if you do follow thru on that desire. It doesn't always stop you from trying though.

What you have to remember is that they are doing surgery on your stomach, not your head.

MiladyB · 07-18-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumboJulie

That is so weird. I've never heard of such a thing.

Since surgery I have always eaten before I go to bed. I'm still stuck in a liquid diet (meaning all my calories/protein comes from my protein drinks and milk). I still can't tollerate solid food. And I never crave anything anyway. BUT, at night (every single night) I eat right before I go to bed. Usually refried beans with cheese, or just a piece of cheese. And even though my pouch doesn't really like me eating it, I feel like I HAVE TO EAT before I go to bed.

MiladyB ... do you think this really could apply to me?

I don't know, Julie. It may be more of a psycological thing that your head is telling you that you have to get something in you that is actually solid food instead of just liquids. Does that make sense?

I know for myself my eating time has always been in the evening, though I never would get up in the night to eat or wake up craving food in the middle of the night. For me I think part of it was habit but the other part was that I worked evenings. So I would sleep in late so my eating schedule was always pushed back several hours.

JumboJulie · 07-18-2008, 10:41 PM

I asked my surgeon about it 2 months ago.
I told her how I eat every night right before going to bed. I asked her if this was a problem. She told me to go ahead and eat because she feels I get way too few calories in anyway. Since I'm still on a liquid diet, she likes hearing that I'm sticking ANYTHING in my mouth and doesn't care what time of day (or night) it is.
But now I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something funky going on in my head.

MiladyB · 07-18-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumboJulie

I asked my surgeon about it 2 months ago.
I told her how I eat every night right before going to bed. I asked her if this was a problem. She told me to go ahead and eat because she feels I get way too few calories in anyway. Since I'm still on a liquid diet, she likes hearing that I'm sticking ANYTHING in my mouth and doesn't care what time of day (or night) it is.
But now I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something funky going on in my head.

Well I must say I agree with your surgeon, Julie. Liquids only at your stage is rather unusual. Can you not tolerate other foods? Does it make you feel sick if you try to eat like those refried beans earlier in the day?

I know for me I could only do liquids first thing in the morning. But the more water I drank during the day the easier it was for me to eat. So breakfast was like a protein smoothie, lunch was soup or chili and then at supper the more dense food went a bit better. My pouch would still ache but it didn't make me throw up at all. So I kinda just pushed past the discomfort. I'm wondering if you need to try to push yourself a bit?

I personally don't feel it is bad to eat something in the evening. I've done a lot of reading and there really isn't a lot of research that proves if you eat a little something before bed that you will gain weight. BUT I have read that you should try to get the majority of your protein in before 2pm if you have kind of a 9-5 type day. That is supposed to help curb those evening cravings.

JumboJulie · 07-18-2008, 11:38 PM

MiladyB ... I just wrote a post about my eating problem here in the Nutrition section. Maybe you could take a look at it and tell me what you think. Maybe I'm just being a big cry baby? I'm feeling lost when it comes to eating.