Late Night Carb Craving


(Mark Heard) #1

I’ve been LCHF for approximately 3 months & lost 10kg’s. I’m finding increasing “cravings” for carbs in the evenings - maybe 8-9pm onwards. Is there an explanation for this? I’m a late night person but have been forcing myself to go to bed & avoid the pantry. My eating throughout the day is good & after my evening meal I have reached my macros which I do measure.


(Lynne Hurley Perry) #2

Are you eating at a lot of protein at this later meal? Maybe u need to have most of your protein earlier in the day?


(Marie Dantoni) #3

That used to be a huge problem for me and still happens when I decide to blow off my resolve. For me, reducing meal frequency gets the best results. While restricting carbs is enough for most, some insulin gets released no matter what is eaten and the more often I eat, the higher it stays…and the hungrier I get. That means grazing is out and meal frequency matters a lot. Could you could try pushing breakfast to later in the day and adding a snack after dinner ?


(Dan Dan) #4

If you would give us an example of your daily meals, eating window, and your body composition it would be easier to help :thinking:


(Michael ) #5

Are you eating enough during the day? I eat fat to satiety and don’t get hungry. But maybe insulin related like others mentioned. Post a day of eating so people can try to offer suggestions


(Heather Miller) #6

I had to adjust the timing of things. I needed to lower protein and add fat to my evening meals to feel full through the evening.


(Karl Bork) #7

Try dark chocolate. Very healthy and right in line with keto.


(Meeping up the Science!) #8

Post what you’re eating. Carb cravings can be a few things, and could also be psychological hunger/conditioning if you were previously accustomed to noshing carbs late at night.

I found I always had sweet cravings with some low glycemic sweeteners, especially late at night. Unfortunately two of them are aspartame and stevia. Stevia always gives me issues and cravings, and stalls.

It may also be you are thirsty rather than hungry, too. Does drinking something abate the cravings? Often when we are hungry but full, it’s actually a need to drink rather than eat something, too.


(Mark Heard) #9

Below is my macros until 7:30 last night after which I consumed a lot of carbs.

Breakfast - black coffee & 20g Butter
Lunch - bacon cooked in butter, eggs, spinach (large serving)
Snack - almonds, cheese
Tea - same as lunch but smaller serving

This would be a fairly standard day of eating.


(Mark Heard) #10

Sorry should add I’m male, 47, 122kg, 188cm.

I found early on the macro breakdown I use kept me more satiated but I get too that mid evening period & BANG, where are the carbs. Having been overweight for much of my life, I still find the whole “eat to satiety” mantra hard to do.


(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #11

if no one’s mentioned it, TV at night used to trigger me to want carby sweet foods.
I swear those fukers have subliminal messages in their commercials


(Mark Heard) #12

My macros are 5% carb (20g), 17% (80g) protein, 78% fat (150g).


(Mark Heard) #13

Thanks Lynne. I have around 40g of protein at both lunch & tea.


(Mark Heard) #14

Thanks Marie. I primarily eat 2 meals per day - lunch & tea & a fatty coffee (around 20g butter) at breakfast.


(Mark Heard) #15

Thanks Dan. Have posted more detail below. Appreciate any advice.


(Mark Heard) #16

Thanks Michael. I’ve posted more info below. Th “eat to satiety” is still a struggle for me.


(Mark Heard) #17

Thanks Heather.


(Mark Heard) #18

Thanks Donna. Some talk about having a small amount of salt if hungry???


(Mark Heard) #19

So what happened Brenda? Have you tuned out to their messages?


(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #20

TV sucks ASSI rarely watch it. I’d much rather spend my extra time on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the Forum doing keto stuff. And listening to podcasts. I still have a few 2keto dudes and the Obesity code podcasts to listen to. I do watch the occasional movie otherwise I read. My TV watching has dramatically changed since being ketogenic. If all the shit food commercials didn’t annoy me enough, the diabetic medication commercials make me want to smash in my TV screen. If someone leaves a TV running and I hear a diabetes medication commercial I often come in and flip off the screen or yell at the TV. True story, ask @NativeKetoMan