Late Night Binges....Can you help?
deepwoodslady
Posts: 12,168 Member
I do fantastic on my diet all day (when I am busy). Then late at night when I finally settle in for a little TV I suddenly get over-the-top hungry and binge on absolutely everything I can think of. I snack, I even get up and cook. Any suggestions or ideas to help me. This self-sabotage is what is keeping me from all of my goals and my good health. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies
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Maybe accept that you're human and do a little less fantastic during the day?5
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For me the first step is logging the food from the binge. Even if it makes me go terribly over my calorie goal.9
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My CrossFit coach tells me if you’re going to overeat then eat protein. My snack food is hard boiled eggs with guacamole and hot sauce. Protein with healthy fat.8
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I so needed to see this everyone I have the same problem and feel horrible for eating so much at night I have GOT to do something I am the most I have EVER weighed in my life4
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The only other suggestion I have is to start a hobby that will keep you preoccupied at night. Knitting or crochet will keep your hands busy and eating would mean getting the yarn dirty. Sketching or painting might be good too.3
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I skip breakfast so I can eat more at night.3
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I keep water with me at all times in the evening when I feel like munching I drink my water. Or as Imgritz said eat a high protein snack this will fill you up better and keep you from binges!1
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Count how many food commercials you are seeing. It's a whole trigger in itself! Sports commercials are the worst! I've decided it's a subliminal thing. It has (for me) nothing to do with hunger. I never snacked in front of the TV because of hunger. It's just a bad habit. I knit in the evenings to keep my hands busy. I have an exercise bike to pedal as well. (I am seriously thinking of hooking it up to power the TV so that I have to pedal to watch it.) Wouldn't it be nice to develop a habit of bicycling while watching TV instead?3
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You sound just like me. I stepped on the scale 3 weeks ago after several months of fooling myself, and realized I had to stop this nonsense. I have cut my TV watching back because I want to break that habit of feeding my face while watching TV. I'm considering putting the workout equipment in front of the TV and moving our big comfy chairs over to a window reading area instead. I just haven't got hubby on board with it yet.backontrack101 wrote: »I so needed to see this everyone I have the same problem and feel horrible for eating so much at night I have GOT to do something I am the most I have EVER weighed in my life
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I usually drink water, or read a book, or the daunting task of washing my hair and blow drying and ironing it lol it takes like an hour for me to do my hair so by the time I am done the urge is gone. or jumping jacks until the urge passes.0
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I do not binge at night but i like to have snacks at night. I pretty much eat very small mini meals during the day so that I have the calories to have snacks at night. Every night I have greek yogurt with a banana mixed in and protein powder, air popped popcorn, and whatever dessert I have the calories. Recently I have also been having a serving of lower calorie ice cream. Although my snacks are probably about 500-500 calories, depending on what I eat I look forward to them. It works for me because I figure them into my daily calories. When my snacks are gone, I am done and I feel satiated.4
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I like to plan to have dinner and then a snack later that night, a small one (usually home made popcorn or a protein bar)... but it makes me feel better to have it. Once I am done with the snack I brush my teeth and floss, which keeps me from eating more!3
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A lot of terrific ideas which I plan on using. I use a DVR so I don't watch food commercials. But I can get in some reading time to keep my hands busy. Drink water. Plan a snack which fits into my calories and macros for the day. I also like the brush and floss idea. I appreciate all the great help.1
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The TV/snack habit...I know it well. I still find myself going to the fridge on my way back the restroom or to get something to drink. So when I go to get a drink I make sure its something like hibiscus tea and I verbally say I think I've had enough food today. It sounds weird but just saying it sometimes gets me out of the mindless eating routine that seems to come along with TV. If I am still hungry I try to eat something with fiber and protein and stay away from the junk food as much as possible. Sometimes a portion of macadamia nuts or almonds will work but I try to stay within my calorie goals and try not to eat anything after 7-7:30pm. I know I mistake hunger for dehydration so I try to keep water or unsweetened non-caffeinated tea on hand. Habits can be broken, replace bad food options for better ones or just tell yourself you've had enough and stick to it. Also cutting back on TV helps. I don't snack nor have hunger pangs if I am busy in my art studio, even if the TV is on in the background.0
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Make sure you're not undereating during the day, starting with breakfast through dinner. I have a truck driver brekkie, a normal lunch and dinner. Try switching it all UP. Whatever your routine is now, flip the switch.
I've tried so many things, eating through the afternoon eat-all-the-things feeding window until bedtime did not work for me. Eating 3 meals aday starting in the morning, somehow snackity lost its appeal. Experiment, give yourself permission to do so. Find a way that works for you, you're in charge.1 -
I have the same problem! I know I'm not hungry at night, but TV is a trigger for me. It's like something comes over me and even though I know I shouldn't, I'm like "YOLO" and go crazy. I always feel horrible afterward. It feels like an addiction in a way. I even get shaky when I'm trying to resist. I have tried water, pre-planned snacks, healthy snacks only, etc. but I always give in and binge. I have tried eating more during the day too, but then I still binge and feel even worse about myself afterward. I don't have any answers for you, just wanted to tell you that you aren't alone! Hopefully we can figure it out.3
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TV is a trickery trigger in the evenings. So get out of the house when snackity starts creeping UP on you. You have to flip the switch. Shut the TV off and get out of there. Go for a drive with your dog, both of you sing along with the radio. Take the dog for a walk. Go visit someone else's dog or kids. Anything. We have to replace old habits with new ones. Not distractions but new habits. Distracting ourselves only works temporarily. Get the Big Kahuna trigger foods out of the house if you're living alone or ask your family to take them to their own hideout in the house. One day, you won't care about the Big Kahunas either.0
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I have the same problem too. So now if I am watching TV I am knitting something. It's hard to snack when you are working on a hat on dpn.1
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Start off with not having that stuff in the house- can't binge if it's not there!
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I try not to snack during the day so that I can save those calories for night time snacking. I usually stick to fruits or on the rare occasion a granola bar. It hasn’t hindered my weight loss at all.2
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RachelElser wrote: »Start off with not having that stuff in the house- can't binge if it's not there!
I can binge on anything. Peanut butter on bread. Cinnamon toast. My meal prepped diet meals (eat a couple of them). I have a family so there are foods in the house for them that are healthy even if they don't fit into my diet macros. I have even binged on milk! That is what a binge is. When you eat anything and everything in sight. I don't keep "junk food" in the house. I just eat and eat and eat until I am finally full. It is not WHAT I am eating that is the problem. It is the amount. Thank Goodness it is not every day. But it is easily once a week. Any real suggestions?1 -
1. Log anything that you eat while you binge. Even if you lie to your diary, your body will keep an accurate log.
2. Drink a tall glass of water or hot tea before you binge. See if maybe your body is just telling you "I'm thirsty."
3. If you're depriving yourself of certain items that you find yourself craving at night, then you should find a way to spin those items into your diet in a healthier manner. Craving potato chips every night? Add a smaller snack portion into your calories, and either work them off, or make room for them in your log.
Depriving yourself of foods because they aren't "healthy" will almost always leave you binging for them sooner or later. So take care of your cravings in a healthy way before you spiral.
It could also be your body trying to tell you you're missing key nutrients. So you could also try alternatives before you binge.
I hope that helps ^^'
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I have that problem also. I think it’s mostly habit - and addiction. I’ve tried different things. Brush, floss - and whitening my teeth helps. Lately - I plan a late night snack - tonight it was half a pear and a slice of cheddar cheese with a cup of hot tea. Establishing this as my late night “thing”. A signal to my brain - “Ahh! So satisfying.” I also recommend the book (and podcast) Brain Over Binge. The author - Kathryn Hansen - writes about her own experience and has a 5 step plan for working through it. I also began journaling after the binge. I track carbs and fiber - and make notes about binges to try to identify triggers - and come up with a new response (behavior) for each trigger. Retrain the brain. Hey! I quit smoking in 2013 after 34 years of a pack a day - I should be able to figure this out. I’m still working on it. Habit Cycle: trigger —> behavior —> reward.
I also recommend Charles Duhig’s book - The Power of Habit.3 -
Thanks so much to
and
.grogers511 wrote: »
The list is great. The ideas fantastic. Also, the recommendation of podcast and books is something I will take you up on! I hate when the bingeing happens as it just unravels all the plans, hopes, dreams and progress I have made. But you guys are right. There has to be a reason for it.
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Bump0
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Find low calorie popcorn. It is filling and will not hurt much calorie wise.1
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deepwoodslady wrote: »I do fantastic on my diet all day (when I am busy). Then late at night when I finally settle in for a little TV I suddenly get over-the-top hungry and binge on absolutely everything I can think of. I snack, I even get up and cook. Any suggestions or ideas to help me. This self-sabotage is what is keeping me from all of my goals and my good health. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
How much weight do you have to lose and what is your weekly goal?
Are you fitting in some treats and fave foods during the day at all?
If you are being very aggressive with your plan this could be your body asking you to slow down.
If that's not it, are you hitting your protein, fat, and fiber goals? Any of those three can affect satiety, and if you're short it could be making you hungry.
I save 200 calories (or more) for a late night snack, which can be pretty much whatever I want. No guilt. Sometimes I even go a little over. Ever once and awhile I go a little nuts, but it's not too often! Try brushing your teeth when you've used up your calories or drinking some flavored tea. Leave post-it notes in the kitchen and maybe on the couch reminding you to log your food before you eat it. I find seeing the numbers will sometimes stop me in my tracks!1 -
deepwoodslady wrote: »I do fantastic on my diet all day (when I am busy). Then late at night when I finally settle in for a little TV I suddenly get over-the-top hungry and binge on absolutely everything I can think of. I snack, I even get up and cook. Any suggestions or ideas to help me. This self-sabotage is what is keeping me from all of my goals and my good health. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
How much weight do you have to lose and what is your weekly goal?
Are you fitting in some treats and fave foods during the day at all?
If you are being very aggressive with your plan this could be your body asking you to slow down.
If that's not it, are you hitting your protein, fat, and fiber goals? Any of those three can affect satiety, and if you're short it could be making you hungry.
I save 200 calories (or more) for a late night snack, which can be pretty much whatever I want. No guilt. Sometimes I even go a little over. Ever once and awhile I go a little nuts, but it's not too often! Try brushing your teeth when you've used up your calories or drinking some flavored tea. Leave post-it notes in the kitchen and maybe on the couch reminding you to log your food before you eat it. I find seeing the numbers will sometimes stop me in my tracks!
As people have already said, do something besides watch TV to break the cycle. If that doesn't work or you don't want to give up tv, make sure your satisfied. Protein, fat, and fiber. But also making sure you've built in tears that are worth the calories that are only there to bring you joy. If it isn't that, drink a big old glass of water to see if it's Thursday. This pretends to be hunger sometimes.
If you've tried all of that, think to yourself, does eating a piece of baked chicken sound good right now? Does eating a pile of leafy greens without dressing sound good right now? If yes to this questions, then you may actually be hungry. Feel free to give yourself a break and have a small snack that has protein, fiber, and fat and be done for the day.
If all else fails, go to bed. I know that sounds silly but I've gone to bed at seven in the evening before to about eating mindlessly. I tell myself I'm heading an off day and that I want to go to bed so I can wake up and start over sooner. Then, because I end up walking up earlier, I start the day with a big glass of ice water and some yoga to start my day off on the right foot.0 -
I just pre-log and plan to have food at night. I usually have a smoothie that has a fiber-filled food (usually pumpkin, bananas, spinach,etc) to help keep me full. I don't like to go to bed without food in my stomach, so I just count it as like a fourth meal.0
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I leave 100 calories for an evening snack. By some miracle I have been able to contain myself to that by eating a snack size bag of cheetos (super healthy! haha). I found when I was eating rice cakes I would end up eating more calories. I hate the extra garbage but I can't be trusted with just one bag that i weigh out a portion :P it's more of a "thing" if i have to go open yet another bag of cheetos VS sneak in an open bag for a few extra.
do consider if you are undereating all day and it's just catching up to you.
If I feel I may eat more i will go have a bath, go check the garden or go brush my teeth.
And funny thing, I watch mostly food tv in the evening (no commercials, but it's ALL FOOD TV)1
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