How do you avoid temptation?

SeeEmilyShrink
SeeEmilyShrink Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

Replies

  • Weary33
    Weary33 Posts: 14 Member
    This sounds pretty hardcore....but I don't buy anything that's super calorie dense (ie chips, chocolate, ice cream, etc)...because I know that if I have it in the house, I will find a reason to eat it. If I get really antsy for food (usually this is around TOM) I drink coffee, and I go to bed early. I have discovered over the last few months, I get munchy when I am tired. If I can't do any of the above, I opt for crunchy things, as that is what I am craving...so it ends up being vegetables.

    I hope that helps!
  • joone_9
    joone_9 Posts: 152 Member
    I really struggle with this and I usually try to drink water and come on MFP to keep me busy. I also make sure to leave some cals for a snack in evening as I know I will want something so might as well plan it in that way I don't grab just anything and eat over my limit. Try to keep strong!!!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I do several things:

    1. I plan my diet to be at a macro level that I find filling. Play with your fat, fiber, and protein levels to help you feel fuller in the long term.
    2. I embrace temptation by saving calories for the end of my day. I always save calories for an evening snack. I wait until an hour before bed to eat it, so that I have something to look forward to and can focus on planning. If I know that I have 250 calories left after dinner, I'll spend my evening hours thinking about what I want to use those 250 calories on. Do I want ice cream or a cinnamon bun? Do I want chips or candy? I plan it out and it keeps me from eating everything in sight. I know that in an hour I can eat my totally awesome snack. This requires planning.
    3. I keep myself busy so that I don't eat from boredom. I workout, clean, organize, play on the internet, read a book, anything that I need to do so that I'm not bored.
    4. If aIl else fails, I'll have a healthy low calorie snack. Usually an apple or some yogurt. If I go a little over my calories for one day, it's not the end of the world. I'll look over my diary and see where I can improve. If I don't want an apple, I'm probably just bored, not hungry.

    Pre-planning, learning your habits/preferences, and a little forgiveness for not always being perfect are the keys to success in the long term.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    SeeEmilyShrink wrote: »
    What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

    1. Don't keep tempting, calorie-dense stuff (I.e., Snickers bars) in the house.
  • staycann86
    staycann86 Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same problem! I do great all day, eating healthy and good portions, but when night rolls around I wanna eat everything in sight! I'm so used to having my late night snacks or desserts. The hubby always has his yummy desserts so I would join in with him. Now it's hard to break that habit. So I've been drinking green tea during the day when I get that feeling that I wanna snack but I'm not actually hungry and it helps, so at night I have some peppermint or chamomile tea. Something about sipping on a hot drink just subsides those cravings.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    I only avoid temptation when I won't be able to put that particular temptation down after one or two servings.
  • Ginel516
    Ginel516 Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same problem. I work the night shift and I've developed the horrible habit of snacking. Yesterday I started taking healthy choice appetite chews, hopefully this helps
  • arizonanewbedford
    arizonanewbedford Posts: 23 Member
    edited February 2016
    SeeEmilyShrink wrote: »
    What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

    Hey there I am finding myself in the same situation tonight! Sometimes I fail but right now I'm pretty successful with making some tea that I enjoy. Also having a glass of water or diet sodium, sugar and carb free flavored drink. (Like diet hansens) they make really sweet flavors that satisfy my cravings. Keep busy, and remember the feeling the next morning that at least I tend to have after a night of binging or not sticking to my plan. Also be patient and gentle with yourself! Take a bath or do something relaxing to remind yourself how worth it you are!
  • lauracups
    lauracups Posts: 533 Member
    I go to bed. If I'm not tired yet I'll lay there with mediation music. Granted, I got up st 5:30 am on a Saturday. ..but hey, more time to work out!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I ask myself if I really want to lose weight or not.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    I suppose the first step has already been taken by acknowledging that you are wanting to snack out of boredom, that is great progress already.

    I am guilty of eating out of boredom too, but it took me a long time to realise that was the case. I started out just not having foods that I couldn't resist in the house, I'm a great fan of cookies/biscuits so I went through a phase of not buying them at all. Now I can just have one or 2 instead of the whole pack I buy them again but try and go for the lower calorie options such as rich tea biscuits or nice biscuits, they are on the more 'boring' side of the biscuit options but they satisfy the craving without eating massively into my calories for the day.

    The other thing you can do is find something to occupy yourself with, a hobby of some sort that can keep your hands busy.

    The third option do some exercise everyyime your mind wanders to the cupboard, again it keeps you busy and in my case lowers my appetite too and as a nice bonus it keeps me fit. I go for a walk or pull out the yoga dvd it doesn't have to be strenuous.

    That's what has worked for me anyways....
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    My OH eats ice cream, 500g bars of milk chocolate, full fat crisps [chips], cakes & biscuits and these are always in the kitchen cupboard but I never eat any of his uber-calorific stash because I have my own stash of snacks - meljool dates, popcorn, mini-milk ice lollies, Options hot chocolate and a pack of 5 x 25g bars of orange & almond dark chocolate. I save at least 100 cals for a late evening snack.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    49ur1b9vo21w.jpeg
  • babydino2015
    babydino2015 Posts: 9 Member
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    I do several things:


    2. I embrace temptation by saving calories for the end of my day. I always save calories for an evening snack. I wait until an hour before bed to eat it, so that I have something to look forward to and can focus on planning. If I know that I have 250 calories left after dinner, I'll spend my evening hours thinking about what I want to use those 250 calories on. Do I want ice cream or a cinnamon bun? Do I want chips or candy? I plan it out and it keeps me from eating everything in sight. I know that in an hour I can eat my totally awesome snack. This requires planning.

    THIS !!

    I look forward to my 8:30 pm evening snack when i get my "candy bar" with 190 calories and 35 g of protein.

    Tastes like a Reese's peanut butter cup and gives my mouth 20 minutes of snacking happiness! :smiley:

    I combine 30 g of vanilla or chocolate protein powder with 20 g of PB2 powdered peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of Splenda sweetener. I stir it up in a colorful children's bowl (just because) and eat it slowly with a baby spoon for 20 minutes of snacking happiness in my mouth! Plus the protein feeds my muscles in my sleep.
  • Vanessalookingood
    Vanessalookingood Posts: 135 Member
    There is NOTHING in my house to really tempt me to binge.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    I do several things:

    1. I plan my diet to be at a macro level that I find filling. Play with your fat, fiber, and protein levels to help you feel fuller in the long term.
    2. I embrace temptation by saving calories for the end of my day. I always save calories for an evening snack. I wait until an hour before bed to eat it, so that I have something to look forward to and can focus on planning. If I know that I have 250 calories left after dinner, I'll spend my evening hours thinking about what I want to use those 250 calories on. Do I want ice cream or a cinnamon bun? Do I want chips or candy? I plan it out and it keeps me from eating everything in sight. I know that in an hour I can eat my totally awesome snack. This requires planning.
    3. I keep myself busy so that I don't eat from boredom. I workout, clean, organize, play on the internet, read a book, anything that I need to do so that I'm not bored.
    4. If aIl else fails, I'll have a healthy low calorie snack. Usually an apple or some yogurt. If I go a little over my calories for one day, it's not the end of the world. I'll look over my diary and see where I can improve. If I don't want an apple, I'm probably just bored, not hungry.

    Pre-planning, learning your habits/preferences, and a little forgiveness for not always being perfect are the keys to success in the long term.

    Pretty much what she said....
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    SeeEmilyShrink wrote: »
    What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

    Munch on a few raw baby carrots, drink herbal tea, drink water, or just go to sleep.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Air poppped pop corn.
    I make a kitchen full of it.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,736 Member
    babydino2015 wrote: »
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    I do several things:


    2. I embrace temptation by saving calories for the end of my day. I always save calories for an evening snack. I wait until an hour before bed to eat it, so that I have something to look forward to and can focus on planning. If I know that I have 250 calories left after dinner, I'll spend my evening hours thinking about what I want to use those 250 calories on. Do I want ice cream or a cinnamon bun? Do I want chips or candy? I plan it out and it keeps me from eating everything in sight. I know that in an hour I can eat my totally awesome snack. This requires planning.

    THIS !!

    I look forward to my 8:30 pm evening snack when i get my "candy bar" with 190 calories and 35 g of protein.

    Tastes like a Reese's peanut butter cup and gives my mouth 20 minutes of snacking happiness! :smiley:

    I combine 30 g of vanilla or chocolate protein powder with 20 g of PB2 powdered peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of Splenda sweetener. I stir it up in a colorful children's bowl (just because) and eat it slowly with a baby spoon for 20 minutes of snacking happiness in my mouth! Plus the protein feeds my muscles in my sleep.

    So you just eat spoonfuls of the powder?
  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 806 Member
    If its something I go overboard on I don't buy it. Ice cream was a big one, thankfully I figured out what I was allergic to and found that ingredient to be in most ice creams.
    That being said I make room for goodies that I can enjoy and be done with. I have found knowing I can have them if I want makes me crave them less.
  • babydino2015
    babydino2015 Posts: 9 Member
    @glassyo: yes, dry small spoonfuls dissolving slowly in my mouth makes it a 20 minute snack, if I eat it wet in milk or water it's gone in 60 seconds.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Another vote for building in some evening snacks that you like. Cut them from somewhere else where you are less hungry or interested in food.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,736 Member
    babydino2015 wrote: »
    @glassyo: yes, dry small spoonfuls dissolving slowly in my mouth makes it a 20 minute snack, if I eat it wet in milk or water it's gone in 60 seconds.

    LOL that's actually a really good point.
  • carrieraeg
    carrieraeg Posts: 7 Member
    I'll typically distract myself with cleaning or coming to MVP. If this doesn't work I'll drink water, tea, coffee, (sometimes a diet soda on a rare occasion) or snack on some veggies or popcorn if none of the above helps.
  • m27un
    m27un Posts: 217 Member
    SeeEmilyShrink wrote: »
    What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

    Look up low calorie snacks! :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    SeeEmilyShrink wrote: »
    What do you do when you're home alone at night, bored, and just wanting to eat everything in the pantry? I've already eaten all my calories for the day, but I'm so tempted to just go eat everything! Any advice?

    If it's truly (mostly) boredom, +1 to the hobby idea. Particularly good: Things that keep your hands busy, and ideally require those hands to be clean. Crafts like knitting, crocheting, macrame or embroidery are good candidates; learning to play a musical instrument isn't bad, either.

    If it's more hunger/cravings than boredom, experiment with how your calories & macros are distributed across the day. Yes, as some have said, it can be good to save calories for evening use. But I found that I was less likely to crave evening snacks if I got a good breakfast, with plenty of protein. Go figure!

    Lots of variation is possible in number, size, timing, and nutrient composition of your meals & snacks. Try a variation for a day or two, see if it works better. If not, try a different one.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    I keep the snack size weight watchers fudge bars in my freezer. Only 45 calories and totally satisfying. If I recognize that I'm looking for snacks out of boredom I try to find something else to do, usually cleaning. If I'm actually hungry, I eat a fudge bar. Other than that, I just try not to keep any super calorie dense foods in the house so as to avoid mindless munching.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I honestly don't get tempted much at all because mfp keeps me accountable. But when I do I just read or something that occupies the entire attention span

Categories