Late night snacking - is it really that bad?

For the past 6-12 months, I've been sleep eating every night, between 12 and 2a.m. I get up from my bed and make my way to the kitchen to open up the fridge and eat whatever i can, usually 2 or 3 spoons of rice, or i pick at vegies, never ever chocolate or biscuits or junkfood etc.

It doesn't matter if i sleep at 11, or 12, i still wake up not too long after I've fallen asleep. And i don't realise I'm at the fridge until im.. at the fridge lol. I've tried eating a late dinner, or a bigger dinner, but it makes no difference.

I wonder if it is the reason why i can't lose any more weight? Because of my late night eating? I've found this article from the Livestrong website

Does eating carbs late at night make me fat?

“Removing nighttime carbs is a simple calorie-cutting technique that hides the real reason you lose weight,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., a nutrition who writes a prominent research review each month. Just think about it: If removing one food from one period of the day was all it took to lose weight, then everyone would be thin. The truth is, removing carbs from the evening will help you lose weight, but with one big caveat: If you tend to overeat on carbohydrate-heavy foods late a night. If that’s not your problem, then restricting your carbohydrates in the evening isn’t going to accelerate fat loss, says Aragon.

In fact, cutting back on calories throughout the day has the same impact as removing carbs at night. “Your body doesn’t store fat more readily during the evening than any other point during the day,” says Aragon, “so a better focus is to figure out how many calories you need to consume and stick to your goals.” What’s more,research has shown that obese people on a weight loss program who shifted their carbohydrate intake towards the last meal of the day had better fat loss than those who spread carbs out throughout the day. The reason: manipulating your carbohydrate intake might influence the hormones in your body (leptin and adiponectin) that influence metabolism and help flatten your belly. That’s not to say that you should eat carbs, carbs, and more carbs. A health balance of proteins, carbs, and fats is ideal. But the research is just another reminder that how much you eat—and not necessarily what you eat—is most important when considering your weight loss goals.

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I've been told maybe it's because i don't eat enough during the day, which is why i get so hungry at night.. but truthfully i feel i eat enough during the day, i never over-eat, and i always fill up on fresh produce, i stay away from white rice and bread and carb loaded things like pasta, so i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong, i can't get my weight to budge under 55kg :(

But i try my best to stay positive about it all. I'm eating healthy and i'm keeping myself active, i always feel so great walking out of the gym after a work out, and after every healthy meal i have i congratulate myself for following a great diet, that i know my body will thank me for later on in life.

& i also believe moderation is the key, and this can be applied to all aspects of my life. One timtam, is better then one packet of timtams..! If you're going to deprive yourself of something you really feel like, you'll end up binging or overdoing it, so treat yourself, you deserve it :)

xoxo Betty