STOP! (night time eating support)

rosepeppercreek

I'm a total night eater too!!! I think the best advice I can give it to eat a little bit more protein through out the day. I find that most of the time the late night bingeing was because I didn't eat enough through out the day.

Also, I keep binge approved snacks handy. Celery. Carrots. Popcorn (pop in the microwave with no oil in a paper bag). Things like that!

dkomadin

It''s as if the devil is on my shoulder at night pushing me to eat. I am really good during the day.

Sayley1

This is my biggest struggle. I am picture perfect with healthy food selections all day...then night time comes and I can't stop snacking on junk. I am going to try some of the suggestions listed here.

ninerbuff

I eat up to 11:30pm every night. Night time is when I get to watch shows I can't watch during the day because of my DD (some content inappropriate for her to see). So I snack and eat at this time. It may be 500 calories or more. Here's the key though..............I still stay under my calorie allotment for the day.
What I don't have to worry about is breakfast the next day. Yeah, yeah the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" people will come out of the wood work on this (it's really not BTW), but use some common sense here.
If one started eating at 7am in the morning and finished at 7pm, that's a 12 hour fast correct? So what's the difference if it's 11:30pm and then start eating at 11:30am or a little after?
The body doesn't realize time when it comes to food consumption.

As to the OP, if you're eating 100 calories a day over your TDEE daily, that's 10lbs a year in weight gain. Just in case you didn't know that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

leejoyce31

db58johnson wrote: »

Thank all for ur mssgs! I have been dealing w my weight all my life. It's really frustrating to not have this one figured out. Ewestberg it sounds like we need to tackle this head on. I will check this post in the evenings starting tonight. Maybe u can do the same. If u r struggling, ready to eat stuff u know u shouldnt, or already did...reach out n I will support u. That's what I need to. I can tell u that at the end of the night I love to relax n snack...but I'm mad after I do it. If I have calories left I always go way past. So, again, grrrrrr! I need to focus on how I will feel in the morning vs how the food gives that instant gratification when I'm snuggled up w my tea n a good show or ready to crochet or chatting w family. Immediately afterwards I wish I hadn't eaten. We can do this! Tell me more about what ur up against at night, too!!!!!

Could you not buy snack foods? That may help. I was eating too many Kashi bars. So I stopped buying them. I have nothing to snack on in my home.

april37

I need help with night time eating. I'm good all day but then I sit and want to eat until it's bed time!!

fiddletime

I read somewhere that the feeling of hunger is like an early warning system. It isn't an slarm that you're going to starve to death soon, but more that you better start getting ready to hunt or gather food and to plan on eating in the next few hours. I remind myself of that when I get over worried about being hungry later.

I've found that it takes lots of practice to control portion sizes. I'm working on listening to my body. If I'm not hungry, I stop eating, even if there's food on my plate (and even if "I might be hungry later" which hardly ever happens). That has helped me a lot to eat less, even when snacking. And, it does take being pretty rigid day in and day out. I sometimes will just eat an ice cream bar at midnight, even if I'm not hungry, just because I want it. But. I always log it.

db58johnson

Hi everyone! I LOVE your posts...strong ones n 'I need help, too' ones!!! Lots of good stuff. I was out if town for s cpl days. Very busy. Stress. But I'm back home tonight yay.

One thing I wanted to reply to are suggestions to get junk out of the house. Excellent advice, of course, but I'm not the only person in the house. So, alas, I must deal.

I have started using an app a friend suggested called 'running'. I'm liking it a LOT. It's basically a timer...warm up by walking 5 mins n then about 30 mins of walking and running but no more than a min and a half of either at d time so far. Anyhow, I mention this bc it feels great. It's winter here so the treadmill it is. Anyone used this app before?!

Here's to a great week of logging, being kind to ourselves, and getting real about our goals and getting it done!!!!!

BobbyLively1961

I'm snacking on air popcorn with ( I can't believe it's not butter) 31 calories per cup , it seems to help

ks_mommaof5

Thank you to everyone who posted! I am really struggling with hunger at night and your input really helped!! Hope everyone makes the choices they want to make tonight!

kiiibbb112253

ewestberg wrote: »

I'm doing the same thing. I'm really good at tracking all day but by night time I'm snacking all night and can't stop!

Whenever a craving comes, drink a full glass of water. It will reduce the cravings. Also think to yourself of how proud you will be when you go to sleep

lmw6796

I crave sweets at night..habit...I'm not hungry. ..tomorrow is my first attempt at this challenge...

mcc_lea

I am the same way!! What has been working for me lately is eating fewer calories throughout the day, and eating the majority of my calories for dinner. I also try to wake up earlier so that I won't be awake and bored late at night. Hope you're doing better with this!!

db58johnson

Hi everyone. Keep up the support!!! That's why we r all here!!!! I notice that I push back really hard (read pout and feel majorly deprived like big baby) if I'm too strict re my eating. My story is long and boring but it's made food a bigger deal than it should be. If I'm too strict I just don't succeed, period. But that has nothing to do with making healthy choices and watching my calories. I'm still figuring it out. How can I be 46 and STILL be figuring this out?! Ugh!!!!! Regardless, i have had a really great three days and that's a lot better than having three really bad ones.

jbeth30

I have the same issue. I have had it for many years. Sometimes I can skip breakfast and managed to eat my calories at lunch and dinner and have those nice extra calories after dinner. Sometimes this doesn't work because I actually wake up and want breakfast. Sometimes I will just go to my room early. I have a television in there and I will watch TV or read a book in my room. It gets me away from the kitchen. My room is upstairs and away from the rest of the house. Sometimes it helps for me to actually ask myself if I am truly hungry. Sometimes I am and sometimes I am not. When I am not I just tried to white knuckle it through the cravings and it will go away eventually. It's really difficult however. Many times when I do my night eating I don't count the calories and then I get frustrated because I can't lose weight because of it. If I could figure this one thing out of the puzzle then I think I could have consistent WeightLoss instead of just a little bit here in a little bit there. With those things listed above I have found a few tools that work for me. I think everyone is different and what works for them. I think I'm going to start adding to eat lots of veggies at night to the list. Leaving that extra one to 200 cal at night to snack on a big bowl of carrots and cucumbers or something. I have heard people say this before and usually when I want to eat at night it's not veggies! I usually just want a big pizza or something sweet. Going against what we normally do however I think is key to actually changing the bad habit. It's never easy to change a bad habit but with time and patience it can be done.

bshrom11

I was a horrible night time eater and the only thing that stopped it was going to bed early.

Michie112g

This is me !!! I stick to my meal plan, I get in all my steps and 30mins exercise then comes night time it all goes to crap !! Night time is really the only time I really get for me 9 to 10pm. All day I am surrounded by students, then come house to my 6 grader, 3rd grader, 18 month grandson and well let's say I have a big child for a husband. I attend to them and cook dinner get them showered and ready for bed. Then finally a little me time right before bed. By this time I am really not hungry it is just a habit of having something sweet or something warm.

rdmitch

All points well made. I too have a jeckle and Hyde personality. All day I do great stashing away my calories and awaiting the sun
to go down so I can gobble up my left over calories. T.V. goes on, and the snacks flow. Granted, I stay within the daily limits and have continued to lose weight according to my plan. But here is the problem as I see it and being that I have been thru this before I know it's true ...at least for me.

The habit of snacking non stop has not been broken, so when goal weight is achieved and I'm no longer counting the calories, the snacking becomes very dangerous as the calories are massively consumed and not accounted for.
In my case I need to simply find a way to break the habit, or never go back to snacking other than a predetermined list of
allowable snacks. I'm making my list, but I'm sorry I have a hard time saying yes to carrots and no to carrot cake.

EauRouge1

I had a habit of snacking at night too. I took up knitting and that has helped a lot, I've got something keeping my hands busy while I watch TV (took me a while but I can knit without looking now!).

KatrinaJ8520

I have an addiction to cereal at night. Gotta stop.

sexyjacky

Hi I'm Jacky I have the same problem most of the day I eat well but I usually screw up at night because after I put my kid to bed I snack and eat sweets and crap I'm also trying to stop eating late at night and need support and motivation as you said so add me if u like and we can help e/o out :-)

Jellybeanz44

I do this as well and am meeting with a nutritionist to figure out a plan. My thinking is that it is not only an emotional compulsion but a nutrient deficiency as well. I feel good about this lady and look forward to having professional support.

rdmitch

Jellybeanz44 wrote: »

I do this as well and am meeting with a nutritionist to figure out a plan. My thinking is that it is not only an emotional compulsion but a nutrient deficiency as well. I feel good about this lady and look forward to having professional support.

Keep us posted on what she has to say M

MamaMbbwait

Currently struggling with this problem. I am good all day and then night time comes around and im eating crackers, sandwhichs, chips, cottage cheese. I am not strong enough yet to stop, but instead am looking into lower calorie foods to snack on. Ive tried ritz with pickles and mustard, but the ritz are 100 calories for 6. I am going to look into calories per gram for pretzels and nuts and hopefully i can find bulky satisfying foods that will curb the cravings. I used to do pickle sandwhichs, they were alright. anyways, hang in there guys. this is a tough problem.

Womona

I used to get the after dinner “hungries”. I made myself a nice cup of tea with a little honey, and that satisfied the need to snack after dinner. May work for you. Good luck.

gracegettingittogether

I am good about not snacking at night, when I drink a cup of decaf tea, with milk and sugar, 60 calories for 11oz. It keeps my mouth occupied and is a little sweet but not too much. I can make it last pretty long while reading or watching something. Plus, I think the small amount of caffeine curbs my appetite. I’ve also been going on after supper walks, which then gives me more calories to use for snacks, if I want to.