Eating at night

jk1508

I’m a bit of a night owl. My husband will start falling asleep at 9.00 but I don’t get tired til about 1.00, no matter what time I wake up. I am in a habit of picking at food at night when I watch my shows. It’s pretty much the only time I get to sit down so I don’t want to do anything active. I just want to know how others have overcome the desire to keep going to the fridge or pantry. My husband likes a wine with th dinner too, as do I, but the half done bottle is also a temptation. Every night I go to bed regretful of my eating, but I am perfectly behaved until about 9 at night. It’s not hunger, it’s habit.

bbell1985

I like to eat at night too. I plan for a later dinner(7:30/8:00) and then a high volume dessert around 9:30 or 10:00. I don't have much in the cupboard to sneak back to after that last dessert. The time between dinner and the dessert I use to drink tea, get some work done, etc. I don't graze before the dessert because I know it's coming and already logged, so I just try to be patient.

andreaen

First of all: Plan ahead. Log the snacks you are planning on eating, then it won't be a problem.
Second: Try finding healthier substitutes and making the food last longer. A snickers bar chopped into pieces takes longer to eat than if it is whole.
Third: Measure out portions. Say you are grabbing a bag of nuts, instead of bringing the full bag, measure out as much as you are planning on eating and take with you. If you need seconds you then have to walk all the way to the pantry and it will make it a much more conscious decision.

I have struggled with the same, and for me it was also about just trying to make myself enjoy the shows without snacking. Having a soft drink helps sometimes, or just snacking on some dry cereal if I really need the crunch

andreaen

You might find this video interesting/helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrwd2_UkmNw&t=246s

psse01

That is certainly a hard habit to break, I was a grazer those few hours between dinner and bed time as well. Until you can completely stop yourself from eating after dinner, try limiting to one, high fiber snack (popcorn, a handful of nuts, cherries and a sparking flavored water of a cup of tea). I found that the easiest way for me to break that habit was to change what I was doing slightly...sitting in a different spot actually helps, believe it or not. Anything to break one link of the chain can help break the whole thing. Also, I have learned to bring myself back to the moment, instead of being on auto pilot. I am getting much better at catching myself slipping backwards and "cancel, clear, delete" myself back on track. As with breaking any cycles though, it starts with one baby step, then another, and the next thing you know the changes become easier and and easier. Recognizing that it is habit and not hunger is a great first step. Don't beat your self up when you slip up though, instead, celebrate the positive actions and don't dwell on the negative. You can't undo it but you can commit to doing better tomorrow. Baby steps - change one small thing at a time or the overwhelm will kick you in the butt and sabotage you every time.

psse01

Something else that has helped me is when I get the urge to get up and grab a string cheese or crackers or whatever I'm "craving" I force myself to think about something else or do something else and if I still want it in 10 or 15 minutes I may give in...but usually the urge has passed and I'm good. I have a ton of little tips that can really make a difference. Good luck...you've got this!

MichelleLaree13

I am really bad with this. The last two nights I continued to eat late. Today, I decided to eat smaller meals and just plan for a 4th meal between 8pm and Midnight. At least this way I am eating a nutritious meal and not late night junk. Maybe it will work for you?

jk1508

Thank you everyone. I am taking on board everything on here. Desperate to stop. @psse01 great idea about the delayed gratification. I had forgotten about that.

crazybabyred

In the same boat.. you aren't alone. Just have to focus and keep trying.