Evening snacking - help!

DeborahKilpatrick

Hi everyone, I have a real problem with snacking in the evenings. It completely derails any good work I do during the day.
I'm pretty much on track most days - I have a bad patch between 4 and 6pm every day, when I'm ravenous, and tend to pick while cooking or just raid the fridge as soon as I get in. I'm learning how to deal with it by having a small meal or substantial snack at 3.30-4pm, though.
I also run up to 30 miles a week.
It's all ruined by the fact that I seem to have absolutely no willpower after dinner, once the kids go to bed. Part of it is I have no energy at night and it's a struggle to be awake, so I snack to keep myself going. I also think it stems from the early baby days when I would finally get to sit down and eat after they went to sleep at night - it's almost like a reward for getting through the day.
I rarely have biscuits or naughty snacks in the house, but I still find something to eat. Last night it was a small bowl of granola, three slices of toast, cheese and pack of mini gingerbread men.
My weight has stayed the same for about three months and I'm sure it's because of this.
Does anyone have strategies they could share with me to help tackle this? Every day I tell myself I'm not going to do it, but feel like I'm constantly failing. Not a nice way to feel and it demotivates me, because it feels like there's no point being healthy during the day when I ruin it at night.

Orphia

Are you logging and weighing all your food in MFP?

You need to.

You should try eating a bit less in your other meals throughout the day so you have some calories left for a snack in the evening.

You can do this!

DemoraFairy

Save up calories during the day and eat them in the evening.

Though if I were you and I was eating at night to keep myself awake, I'd just go to bed!

MissAbbee

Yeah incorporate something sweet into your daily calories, once I sit on the sofa and the boyfriend brings out the chocolate I need something too, so I always allow for something sweet like a Quest bar (30 secs in microwave!)

DeborahKilpatrick

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your replies. I've actually upped my calories today, changed it to .5 pounds weight loss per week - got to be realistic, my weight hasn't shifted for months so obviously I was being unrealistic trying to stick to 1,200 calories a day and then getting demotivated. That's a great idea about incorporating something sweet into the evenings. I'm definitely going to do that. Last night I was kicking myself because actually what I wanted was something sweet and even if I'd had a chocolate bar, it would have been less calories than all the toast etc! I like Quest bars, think I'll order some more. What's the best place to get them from Missabee?

initialsdeebee

Also if you're not logging and making up for the running 30 miles per week (which is substantial) gotta do that. I sometimes get ravenous on days I run a lot to where it can almost seem counter productive or somehow more difficult to manage calories when exercising so much.

lmlilly

Why wouldn't you just go to bed if you're tired?

I used to snack after putting the kids to bed, too. I started brushing and flossing my teeth right after dinner. I'm generally lazy and don't want to have to do it again, so I wouldn't eat. After a month or so I'm no longer hungry at that time. Maybe you're just used to eating at that time.

DeborahKilpatrick

I don't log the exercise calories, because the app gives me extra calories by logging my steps anyway - do you think I should be adding the running as exercise on top of that? I know what you mean about it being difficult to manage calories when exercising so much. On my long run days once a week, I do 10-14 miles and end up with a crazy amount of calories without even adding exercise because of the steps monitor.

I am literally tired from 6pm on, so if I went to bed when I felt like it I would be asleep before the kids! I go to bed just after them most nights but lie reading etc. Sometimes I do sleep early but I'm asleep by 10.30 every night anyway. I'm going to get my iron checked because I feel like I could sleep all day at the moment.

Great tip about doing your teeth after dinner. I know a couple of people who do that and they're very slim so it must work!

shadowfax_c11

What time are you getting up in the morning? How many hours a night are you sleeping? It sounds like your body is telling you that you need more sleep and you keep ignoring it or trying to attribute the problem to something else. Listen to your body. Go to sleep when you are tired. Or at least as soon as the kids are asleep. If that means going to bed at 6 or 7 pm then do it. No reading or tv watching in bed. Sleep is really important and it is a lot easier to stick to a diet plan if you are well rested.

Personally I would not, and do not, log step related exercise while wearing my activity tracker.

initialsdeebee

DeborahKilpatrick wrote: »

I don't log the exercise calories, because the app gives me extra calories by logging my steps anyway - do you think I should be adding the running as exercise on top of that? I know what you mean about it being difficult to manage calories when exercising so much. On my long run days once a week, I do 10-14 miles and end up with a crazy amount of calories without even adding exercise because of the steps monitor.

I am literally tired from 6pm on, so if I went to bed when I felt like it I would be asleep before the kids! I go to bed just after them most nights but lie reading etc. Sometimes I do sleep early but I'm asleep by 10.30 every night anyway. I'm going to get my iron checked because I feel like I could sleep all day at the moment.

Great tip about doing your teeth after dinner. I know a couple of people who do that and they're very slim so it must work!

Heck yes log the running, in my opinion. Especially if you're running 10

initialsdeebee

Sorry accidentally posted before finishing. Anyway I don't know really how step monitors work but if you set MFP to a certain daily activity level then run a bunch on top of that it seems counting steps would be irrelevant. Your calorie intake should be based on a certain amount of assumed activity, and running 10 plus miles isn't really the same as steps around the house cooking or doing laundry or whatever. I'm no expert but that's just my impression of it.

Commander_Keen

DeborahKilpatrick wrote: »

Hi everyone, I have a real problem with snacking in the evenings. It completely derails any good work I do during the day.
I'm pretty much on track most days - I have a bad patch between 4 and 6pm every day, when I'm ravenous, and tend to pick while cooking or just raid the fridge as soon as I get in. I'm learning how to deal with it by having a small meal or substantial snack at 3.30-4pm, though.
I also run up to 30 miles a week.
It's all ruined by the fact that I seem to have absolutely no willpower after dinner, once the kids go to bed. Part of it is I have no energy at night and it's a struggle to be awake, so I snack to keep myself going. I also think it stems from the early baby days when I would finally get to sit down and eat after they went to sleep at night - it's almost like a reward for getting through the day.
I rarely have biscuits or naughty snacks in the house, but I still find something to eat. Last night it was a small bowl of granola, three slices of toast, cheese and pack of mini gingerbread men.
My weight has stayed the same for about three months and I'm sure it's because of this.
Does anyone have strategies they could share with me to help tackle this? Every day I tell myself I'm not going to do it, but feel like I'm constantly failing. Not a nice way to feel and it demotivates me, because it feels like there's no point being healthy during the day when I ruin it at night.

You can eat popcorn, or Zucchini

iLoveMyPitbull1225

If you're running 30 miles a week I definitely think that 1200 cals a day is too aggressive for you. What are your eating habits like during the rest of the day? What types of foods do you eat? It could have something to do with your energy level. I agree with @initialsdeebee in that I would not be logging your running as steps but as exercise.

I would try making your 4pm "substantial snack" something high in protein to help curb your hunger. I think Quest bars are pretty tasty and around 180 calories, 1 g of sugar and 20 g protein. They satisfy my urge to snack as well as sweet cravings.

SherryTeach

It does sound like you aren't getting enough sleep. I know I am hungrier if I am overly tired. No way could I stay up until 10:30 and get up and go to work the next day.

Liftng4Lis

Don't over restrict yourself (meaning don't set your goal to aggressively) and make room in your allotment for those night time snacks.

supersocks117

I save the calories. I have been known to have meals around 300 calories just to save room for 300 calories of popcorn I know I am an evening snacker, I know I like something before bed, I make sure there's room so it never feels "off-limits" which would likely make it worse.

ejb06070

I know that I was extremely tired after blood donation (not just a day after, but like a good month and a half after). I talked to one of my coworkers and she suggested that I was dehydrated (I work in an ER, scribing for physicians, so the scribes see a bunch of symptoms and diagnoses every day). I've been drinking more water and have felt fuller, plus less tired throughout the day. Try getting more water.

Also, if you know you get snackish every night, make sure you have extra calories available at night. I like to have a fruit salad before bed. Blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, raspberries, melon, etc. On the top, for an "extra treat", I usually top it with a little whipped cream (a 1/4 cup is only 30 calories). Usually, I can get away with a whole bowl of fruit and whipped cream for well under 100 calories. I also like to freeze a SlimFast and eat it with a spoon. Takes me a lot longer to consume it, and keeps me full for a few hours. Luna bars a good. Salad works. I know low-carb is big for some people, but stir fry with rice and chicken/steak/some other meat, also helps if I eat dinner between 7 and 8.

DeborahKilpatrick

Oh yummy, the fruit salad with whipped cream sounds fantastic! I've done two things differently today and am feeling so much better. Firstly I reset my goals to lose half a pound a week so I get 1500 calories, but I ran 9 miles (over 1000ft climb) so I have eaten well over 2000 calories. I had my dinner at 8 and have just had a large glass of wine as a treat which was within my limits easily, so I don't feel the need to overeat. Going to make sure I have calories left for evening treats.
My daytime meals are all pretty low calorie, around 400 cals each, so I actually get a large percentage of my calories from snacks. This is fine with me - I don't like feeling mega full after meals so I've always been more of a grazer, but I need my snacks to be more under control, maybe more like four meals a day and a snack at night.
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm off to get some sleep!

kimny72

OP, I'm an evening snacker as well! I try to save a couple of hundred calories through the day. I also drink mint tea, mint green tea, or ginger tea at night - They are naturally a little sweet so I don't have to add sweetener and sometimes I really just need to taste something rather than really eat. And sometimes I just accept that I am going to go a bit over my calories and I'll just do better tomorrow! Good luck