Battling Night Time Cravings

RusticBeautyQ

I have this horrible problem where I go all day eating healthy and meeting my nutrition goals, but then ruin it every other night by snacking! Chips, cookies, pretzels, etc....I usually do a good job throughout the day moderating those types of food, but it's at night that kills me.

What do you guys do to stop night time cravings? Any advice would be awesome!

RelCanonical

I have to save calories so that I can have something at night. I can't stand going to bed on an empty stomach. It depends on the person's situation - for me, I can keep foods I tend to overdo out of the house, or only in small portions, because I live alone.

quiksylver296

There are multiple approaches to try to fix the issue:

Plan your nighttime snack. Log it in your diary first thing. Enjoy it. I plan 200-300 calories every night for ice cream or chocolate. I'd freak out and binge on all the things if I tried to completely cut out my nighttime dessert.

Make sure you are getting enough calories, protein and fats during the day so you aren't starving when you get home from work.

Stay busy. Down time is when I reach for snacks.

People are very different. Some people need a big breakfast to feel satisfied throughout the day. Some people, me included, find that breakfast just starts their hunger for the day and they are more hungry/snacky all day long.

Ultimately, it's going to take some trial and error to find what works for you. Good luck.

tlpina82

Save some calories during the day and have a nice, big, satisfying meal at night.

Light breakfast, light lunch, big dinner.
If you're full, there won't be any cravings.

kshama2001

RusticBeautyQ wrote: »

I have this horrible problem where I go all day eating healthy and meeting my nutrition goals, but then ruin it every other night by snacking! Chips, cookies, pretzels, etc....I usually do a good job throughout the day moderating those types of food, but it's at night that kills me.

What do you guys do to stop night time cravings? Any advice would be awesome!

Whenever I hear words like "all day eating healthy and meeting my nutrition goals" I wonder if the person is in fact undereating.

How many pounds do you want to lose total and what weekly weight loss goal did you choose?

icemom011

I work on portion control for my snacks every night. I have many, they are high calories, like nuts, dry fruits, peanut butter, chocolate and pretzels. So minding the serving size is the key for me. And somehow, no matter how big of a dinner I had, there's always room and cravings for snacks later.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I like to say: plan and pre-portion. Make snack baggies with a known amount of calories and also that contain some satisfying ingredients (chocolate, nuts, dried cherries, ...). Plan it into your day.

Also, plan some diversion for the evening. Take up ballroom dancing.

Another way to consider how fast you should try to lose weight is to consider your required percentage caloric deficit. You have to eliminate 500kcals per day to lose a pound a week, and that is a 25% deficit for me-- just about as high as I'm willing to go. Losing 2lbs a week would require eating half of my daily needs, which I don't think is sustainable for very long. And, dieting is a long game when you want to lose any significant amount of weight!

AnnPT77

It may sound crazy, but for me, getting a solid breakfast with good protein, and enough protein through the day, was a huge help in limiting evening cravings.

That's assuming the cravings are really about hunger or appetite, though.

If they're about boredom, instead, then a good strategy can be a new (or revived) and absorbing hobby, especially one that requires clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument) or creates dirty ones (painting, woodworking, gardening).

If they're about habit, the best strategy is a replacement habit. Something non-food, like stretching or a quick walk, is ideal. But hot herb tea or sparkling water or something could be OK, too.

If it's about fatigue kicking in by evening, getting a little more sleep may help.

If it's about processing the stress of your day, then meditation or exercise or an aromatherapy bubblebath might be helpful.

Figuring out the "why" will help with finding a solution. Experiment!

Best wishes!

aries68mc

plan/portion. Drink water if all else fails.

RusticBeautyQ

Thanks guys! Great tips and ideas! I will definitely try to incorporate them into my daily routine!