Eliminating over-snacking after dinner

GemimaFitzTed

I'm really good during the day. My breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are healthy and filling. Yet after dinner, actually as soon as the kids are in bed, the over-snacking monster in me strikes!

What are your tips and techniques to banish the over-snacking monster?

ajwcyclist2016

What sort of things are you snacking on. If it's sweet things try to have a healthier option like some fruit etc. Fair enough It will add some calories to your day but it will also have minerals and fibre that your body will thank you for

FireOpalCO

Get out the sauce pan and make a nice cup of hot cocoa. It takes a while to make and slow to consume. It's my treat when I have enough calories at the end of the day. It sound decadent but mine comes in around 230-250 calories per serving (I use 1% milk). The warmth will also make you relaxed and sleepy.

quiksylver296

Is this your daily "stress relief"? I found I had to replace it with a different stress reliever. For me, that was exercise. Maybe for you that a hot bath or a coloring book or whatever...

Meginkg

This week I made a pint of sugar free jelly filled with fruit, as I'm a serial after dinner snacker. As fate would have it, I'm no longer hungry after my meals! But is a great idea if you have a sweet tooth...

zeejane03

I had the same issue and realized that for me-night time snacking was because of habit, not actual hunger. I now no longer eat after 7pm and this works great for me.

callsitlikeiseeit

stop buying the stuff you are snacking on.

or learn portion control.

most snacks i can ignore. the few i cant, i dont buy, or portion mine out and let the husband and boy child have a field day with the rest of it lol

concordancia

-Are you eating enough during the day?
-Try a flavorful tea or similar drink
-Do something. Go to bed once you have the kids down or go for a walk or do some yoga or take up knitting...

Fflpnari

I plan out my food and tend to eat the same thing daily. I always have room for something after dinner. 99.99% of the time I have ice cream.

Are you under eating throughout the day?

Is it true Hunger? Boredom? Habbit? Drink water, still hungry??

GemimaFitzTed

@quiksylver296 - I am about to get back into fitness (starting with a trainer of Monday - WOOTS!). I suspect partially it is stress-relief. I am now doing my daily self-reflection (5 minute journal) and daily planning at night to help stop the cravings. What doesn't help is hubby eating his snack right next to me. My self-control needs to be so much greater!

@concordancia - I am definitely eating enough during the day. When I get back into the groove of exercise, I will watch that my deficit isn't too much. In the past, I had such a big deficit that I was under 1200 cal. Did far more damage than any good.

@callsitlikeiseeit - I don't buy the snacks, but hubby does. I firmly believe that he should be able to buy what he wants and my over-snacking is due to my lack of self-control/regulation. If he choses to eat them, then he can. My over-indulgence is my own fault :-( But as you said, I should portion them out. Instead of cold-turkey approach, portion out and sart portioning less. I can then start actually eliminating.

I do eat far too quickly too. I need to make sure I have a big glass of water with me during dinner too.

I thank each and everyone of you for your suggestions. It's helping me!

EDIT: WOOTS! 100 posts!

kshama2001

When I don't get enough protein in relationship to carbs, I over snack. I want to be able to be less vigilant about protein after dinner, but I have found this doesn't work for me

kbushe3221

Oh gosh this is so me. I love to end the night with something sweet/chocolate. The only way I de with this successfully is to save calories for this snack because if not I will eat it anyway and go over my goal.

suziecue25

kshama2001 wrote: »

When I don't get enough protein in relationship to carbs, I over snack. I want to be able to be less vigilant about protein after dinner, but I have found this doesn't work for me

Ah thank you kshama2001 now I know why I'm finding it easier not to over snack, I'm eating more protein than I was last time around.

GemimaFitzTed

@kshama2001 - Hmmm....my carbs are always at or slightly over the daily goal and most of the time, my protein goal is not met. For example I still had 42g remaining for protein yesterday. Yet I met my carb goal quite easily.

I will look at now increasing my protein intake. Thank you for that insight!

blueblock

I don't allow myself to snack after dinner, but when the urge strikes—and it certainly does—I have a few pieces of Jolly Rancher sugarless hard candies (35 calories from sugar alcohol in four pieces). I find that the tart flavors curb my snack attacks.

lemurcat2

I'm another who was at one point snacking in the evening (and at some other times) more out of habit than because it was around. So I made a rule for myself that I don't snack between meals. This doesn't mean I never have dessert (or something special after dinner that's not sweet, like a cheese course). I just think of that as different from snacking.

For me snacking tends to be just going into the kitchen and grabbing something unplanned, or having a little bit out of a larger container (with the cheese, taking a little cheese, and then a little more) in an unplanned and sort of mindless way. (Of course, people also call more planned but small meals snacks, and I understand that usage too, but in my mind that tends to be mini-meals. They don't work for me since I prefer fewer larger meals, and tend to end up wanting to eat more, but I understand they work for many who have other preferences.)

A dessert is a planned end to dinner (or pretty soon after dinner), where I have a certain pre-determined amount, within my calories (or on a special occasion where I'm not counting or worrying about calories). This is on a plate, eaten where I would eat dinner, not on the go, and its something I really like.


For some reason I find when I let myself snack I don't control it well and it gets mindless, and doesn't really affect how much I want to eat at other meals. If I limit it to a small something special after dinner which I have on some days, I tend to be satisfied and not to want more afterwards.

SpicyWater

Find a low-calorie beverage you really enjoy and ONLY drink it after dinner.
For me, it's unsweetened tea (Chai, Earl Grey, and herbal teas) - I brew a cup, warm my hands on it for a while, and sip on it - really make it last. I look forward to it all day and it's great. I'm sure you could substitute diet pop, coffee, or something like that.

staticsplit

I save enough for some halo top ice cream or a cherry chocolate protein shake. Especially the shake fills me up--25g of protein within a chocolately treat. This week I stewed 5 apple with cinnamon, lemon juice, and some almonds. I'll eat it on yogurt or cottage cheese and it's another filling evening snack.

SallyLuvsFitness

Craving sweets, grapes!

Floss and brush your teeth!

MikePfirrman

This has been me my entire life. I lost 70 lbs around 8 years ago and have kept it off since. I stopped going with the belief that breakfast was the best meal of the day. I don't eat breakfast, drink my coffee black and then workout at lunch. Then I eat a healthy, larger lunch, a healthy dinner and I can snack a bit at night. I just don't keep horrid things in the house.

I typically burn around 600 to 900 calories at my lunchtime workout and go into dinner at a net deficit for the day. Biggest things for me is having snacks that aren't ridiculous in calories. Also I do drink water at night as well. Wakes me up a few times at night but slows down my natural inclination to eat massive amounts of food at night. I do eat Vegan two/three days a week and if I don't supplement with Vegan protein on those days, I tend to eat more carbs at night.

Guess I'm saying I battled this for years until I just went with it. By choosing smarter snacks and fasting until a lunch after a workout (at around 1:30 when I eat my first food of the day), I've been able to keep the weight off and still feed heavy at night.

ChrysalisCove

I have a crazily energetic 5yr old; I soooo hear you on the after-bed snacking! I buy my favourite treats in snack size / mini size and portion them out. Since I know I’m prone to snack, I try to save 100cal or so for evening. With the small portions that’s plenty, and since I’m able to have a little something almost daily I don’t feel deprived!

jorichards2

I always plan my meals the day before and ensure I’ve planned an evening snack usually popcorn or crackers and light cheese spread with a low cal hot chocolate and try and delay having it too early. Just knowing what you will be having can make nighttime munchies easier it’s been my biggest downfall in the past x

Strongfitmama100412

If you are having a balanced dinner. Protein, carbs, healthy fat then you shouldnt be hungry after. Also when are you eating? While watching tv? It might not be a hunger thing more a habit, mindless eating while watching tv thing. I eat dinner at 5pm. I then am done for the night. I brush my teeth so im not tempted to eat after.

I like to do a fast. So by 6pm im done eating and dont eat until 7am. So its a 13 hour fast. I used to be super hungry in the morning when i snacked at night but im not anymore.

tirowow12385

Just don't do it.

dwayneb2020

GemimaFitzTed wrote: »

I'm really good during the day. My breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are healthy and filling. Yet after dinner, actually as soon as the kids are in bed, the over-snacking monster in me strikes!

What are your tips and techniques to banish the over-snacking monster?

I'm sure everyone has a different approach.

For me, I eliminated salty snacks like chips entirely. Didn't have any other choice because for me they lead to instant weight gain. I think that you tend to overeat those since they usually aren't in easily measurable quantities. You can consume 500 calories in minutes, and you're still hungry for more.

Instead I save a couple hundred calories every night for either yogurt with fruit and nuts, or a bar like Kind or similar. Essentially candy, but unlike a traditional candy bar those tend to satiate my hunger, I don't want to eat three. Plus I can track exactly how many calories those snacks have in them.

musicfan68

Night time snacking is just a habit. You can break it. Make a conscious effort to eat after dinner. Find something else to occupy your mind.

I had been in the hospital for about 6 weeks, several years ago. Long story, but my nutrition was completely depleted due to kidney failure. I was eating every 2 hours and people were bringing me candy, cookies, chips, etc. When I got home and was housebound for about 2-3 more weeks, I couldn't get those snacks anymore, and for the first week all I could think about was I wanted cookies, candy, etc. After the first week, the desire was gone and I was back to not snacking.

Theoldguy1

Implement intermittent fasting. NOTE, there is nothing magic, calories in have to be less than calories out for weight loss. It really doesn't matter when you eat them.

For some people the idea of a "plan" will help provide motivation. If you're intermittent fasting "plan" has you fasting from 7PM (assume you normally finish dinner at 6:45) until 7AM there is a plan to stick to.

Good luck.