How on earth do I stop the after dinner snacking?!
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I know that I like to eat/drink in the evenings...I budget for it. Roughly 65%-70% of my daily intake occurs after 4 PM. During the day I"m busy so I really don't snack at work..maybe an apple or peach or something...my breakfast is usually on the lighter side and my lunches aren't huge either...but I go into beast mode in the late afternoon and throughout the evening. Dinner is my most important meal to me...it's the one I get to enjoy with my family and it's always fresh...no leftovers. I love it...thus, it's usually the most calorie dense meal. I also enjoy desert and like to drink a couple glasses of wine or have a couple beers when I get home. Just budget for it.0
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Break the cycle of sitting down to tv after dinner -it's a tough habit to break! I ride my spin bike while I watch my nighttime tv (hard to eat when you're spinning, even though I go at a very leisurely pace). Also I have a protein shake between dinner & bed - it's chocolatey (I freeze it a little so I eat it like ice) and it slows down cravings. Good luck - it's hard!0
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I had the same issue as you and what really helped me is to create an 'after dinner ritual'
I'll sit down, drink a cup of tea while reading a book or watching some tv. I do this every single day after dinner. This will tell my brain 'ok, dinnertime is over, no more food'0 -
After dinner snacking is my downfall. To me, it's been the hardest habit to break. And it's just that -- a habit. It's not hunger or some kind of nutritional deficiency. Working it into my calorie budget doesn't work because it's a trigger for over-eating and I don't want to allow myself that option. So...that said... The first thing I did was stop buying all the snacky food that was supposedly for my kids' lunches but that I ended up devouring after they went to bed. That helped, but I ended up just replacing the mini-Oreos with string cheese. Then I started drinking a ton of water after dinner, to the point that I felt full. My snacking was usually done in front of the computer or the TV, so I changed a couple of things around in my house. I moved my computer away from the kitchen, and if I want to watch TV I do it while walking on the treadmill. It doesn't have to qualify as a workout -- I just set the treadmill to a comfortable strolling speed. No desire to eat while walking, plus I end up watching less TV. Lastly, I never eat in bed, so I go to bed earlier. These little changes have added up and I rarely snack after dinner anymore. Good luck!0
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I can't help eating snacks straight after dinner! Crackers, peanut butter, crisps, yoghurt, just whatever I have in my house. Calories wise its like a eat 2 meals at once, my normal dinner (550 cals) then snacks (400)... This is really bad for my diet but I can't take my hands... I already tried drinking tea and chewing gum.. It doesn't work...
Any tips, tricks, or words of wisdom?!
I am a major late night snacker. I would normally eat dinner around 6, and by 8 when I was watching tv, I'd just want to munch. So I started eating later. If I don't work, I eat around 7-730. But I often work until 8 these days, and will eat dinner around 830. Helps a lot!0 -
I had that for a while. I pretty much have it under control now. This is what I did.
I bought and ate less junk.
I allowed myself a small dessert right after dinner and enjoyed it.
I then flossed and brushed my teeth and stuck to water the rest of the evening.
The mint flavor takes the craving for food, because I don't have food flavor in my mouth anymore. It also minimizes the hunger, that may arrive shortly before bedtime.
Good luck!0 -
I agree you need to buget some of your calories for a snack. It seems like most of the snacks you are having are carb loaded... maybe try something more protein/fiber based that will satisfy your need to eat but leave you feeling full and satisfied. Ex. a handful or almonds or nuts, cheese, apples, or a low carb yogurt (Kroger has a really good brand called CARBmaster!)
Once you open the door to the processed/carb rich foods it jus goes down hill. Stay strong!0 -
There has been some really great advice here. I wish I had seen this when I had trouble with evening snacking. I tried to go cold turkey and just never snack after dinner but I found that actually led to me overeating at dinner because I was afraid I would be hungry so I was trying to stuff myself to not be hungry for after dinner snacks.
What works for me is that I usually go for a walk/ do yoga after I get the kids put in bed. Right after they are in bed is when I go for my old go to of stress relief which is eating. So breaking the habit and replacing it with something like walking or yoga, relieves my stress AND helps make me less hungry. Then if I find I am hungry an hour or so after my walk I tend to want to snack on something more healthy since I just exercised so I will go for something like oatmeal and greek yogurt with fruit or oatmeal with peanut butter, or something that has protein and carbs. Then, I am not hungry any more and I feel satisfied because I snacked. I cannot snack on sugary treats AT ALL or they just make me more hungry. I have to snack on something high protein and low sugar.
I also never eat anywhere but the kitchen table. I don't eat in front of the computer, I don't eat in front of the tv, I don't eat while reading a book, or looking at my phone. I sit and eat with no distractions and find I enjoy my food more and eat less. It's hard to mindlessly snack on a whole bag of chips just sitting at my kitchen table staring at the wall.
And I also drink lots and lots and lots of water. I also plan for my snack in my calorie intake. I try to plan to have at least 500 available cals for after dinner just in case I am really hungry. Then with a healthy planned out snack I usually end up eating only 300 of them and end a little under for the day but feel good and full. If I need to eat the whole 500 then I feel good about that too.0 -
maybe try eating your dinner slower that way you can feel full and wont get the urge to snack afterwards? or chew a piece of gum after and go for a walk.0
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Keep your hands busy. I crochet while watching TV or listening to a book or music after dinner, so I literally CAN'T snack while I'm doing that!! 0
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have u tried brushing ur teeth soon after dinner. it will take the take the taste the food away frm ur mouth , so u will not feel like eating again. also, it does satisfy ur sweet tooth, so no more snacking. It has worked for me...give it a try.0
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You don't have to stop snacking after dinner. I eat RIGHT before I go to bed, because I'm usually hungry then. Save some extra calories so that you can snack after dinner. When you hear people say, "Eating past 7pm will make you gain weight!!" ...........Don't listen to them, it's a myth.0
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I try to eat a filling late dinner if I really need a snack I eat these little 150 cal cups I found in the freezer isle with graham cracker bottom then chocolate or strawberry middle with a little whip cream on the top its normally my desert
this sounds incredible. where do you find them?0 -
You don't have to stop. You can eat less during the day leaving you enough cals to fit those snacks in.
This ^^0 -
I put the kibosh on the night time snacking by moving my dinner to 8-9pm
Wake: 6:00a
Breakfast: 9:30a
Lunch 1:00p
Snack: 4:30p
Dinner: 8-9:00p
Small Snack: 11:00p
Bed 11:30p
Adopting this schedule kept me from cleaning out the cupboards at 10:30 every night ....0 -
One easy way especially if it's just out of habit is...after dinner, go brush your teeth. It truly works!!! I always wanted something sweet to eat after a meal, even though I wasn't hungry...until I started brusing my teeth after I eat.0
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Just go to bed.
That's my solution.
7:00 bed time? Why the heck not! 0 -
I would suggest getting out f the house and taking a walk after dinner. It clears your head, gives you excercise and gets you away from the food.0
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Good answer!!! I find ice water and carrots help....believe it or not?0
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I eat dessert. For me having a dessert signals to me that I am done eating. I only snack compulsively if I dont have that final treat.
You can also try chewing on fresh mint leaves. I've heard that some people think it signals the brain to recognize that you're full. Its also a digestive aid-- like ginger.
Or brush your teeth after supper?
What works for me might not work for you...0 -
I have had the same problem. I had it last night, actually-but I know that was stress eating. I find that a green smoothie helps. I put it in the freezer for a while-just make sure it doesn't freeze solid. That usually is satisfying enough. Also, I try keeping busy doing things on the computer like Pinterest, Instagram, etc,.0
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I get up at 7am and dont eat breakfast until 10am (300 calories), then I dont eat until my dinner time with the family at 6pm (300 calories), Im so busy in the day that although i sometimes register im hungry around 2pm theres no time to stop and think about it. Then at 9pm I have my supper which really is my missing lunch, so I have a sandwich (300 calories) fruit (100 calories), yogurt (60 calories),hot chocolate (40 calories) and a biscuit bar (100 calories) 1200 in total approx , as you can see from schedule from 6pm onwards I eat 900 calories ...300 at 6pm and a whopping 600 at 9pm, I also have a hugeeee glass of water after that and then get ready fro bed, I read in bed fro a while but make sure its lights out before I get a chance to get hungry again0
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I make sure I leave enough calories for my after dinner snack, which is usually a bowl of cereal and a piece of dark chocolate 0
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Simple: don't have any of those snacks near...0
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First and foremost, you have to stop. Seriously. You know it's not good for you, you know it's not good for you to eat so much close to bed time, depending on what time you eat your dinner, and you know that by doing this, you'll get into the self-loathing talk. (I know this because I went through it.)
What I did to help me with the snacking immediately after eating my dinner, is I developed a schedule of when and what I'll eat through out the day. Once I've done that for a week, I started implelmenting another habit, I set a time of when will be the absolute last hour I will snack after dinner. For me, it was two hours before bed time. (If you're a diabetic, or have other medical issues, this may not be ideal. You'll probably have to snack 30 mintues to an hour before bedtime.) After two weeks of implementing the first step, and a week implenting the second step, I added another. I had to stop and think why I was snacking. Was I bored? Have I been craving for something through out the day, but denied myself of whatever it is I've been craving for? Am I stressed? You get the idea. Once you've figured out what's causing it, address it. You can't change what you don't acknowledge, right? For me, it was all of the above. Maybe not all at once, but definitely at one point or another, all of them. lol
If you're bored, occupy your time with something more constructive and fun. If you're stress, working out always works best for me even if it's just a walk around the neighborhood, and if you're craving, satiate your cravings early in the day so you'll have plenty of time to burn the calories consumed. Satisfying these cravings in the evening is too risky for me. And if all else fails.. chomp on some crushed ice.
Hope this helps.0 -
Lots of good ideas here.
I have a different time that makes me want to snack. It is usually caused by boredom and lack of imagination or watching too much TV or streaming movies
I cope by recoding everything I eat, thinking about having to do that distracts me from the eating.
I come online and read blogs, write on mine, or read the recent wall and forum posts.
I do some yoga.
Workout to a Walk a Way the Pounds video.
Get on my Kindle and shop for new free books.
And if all that fails me, I sit down and think about what I really want to eat: something hot, something cold, or whatever.
If I still want to snack, then I choose what it is and I measure it out, take it to the table and sit down and pay attention to what I am eating and then I log it into MFP.
It really helps to have only healthy things to snack on, lots of good suggestions on here.
My go tos are
Celery (or jicama) with salsa.
Individual serving sized hummus with either counted out tortilla chips, celery, or jicama for dipping
Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey or with berries.
Greek yogurt blended with 1 tbs of unsweetened cocoa
Celery stuffed with almond butter or low fat laughing cow cheese.
A romain lettuce salad with some nuts on top with balsamic vinegar
Sunflower seeds.
Single serving dark chocolate squares.
Oh and don't use your family likes the other stuff as an excuse, find healthy snacks all of you can eat and get rid of the high calorie, no nutrients food. Your kids and spouse don't need that crap any more than you do. If the kids whine remember you are the parent/adult and should make food decisions not them, they can have input but your decision has to be the final word.
And if the spouse complains tell them to eat their junk while at work, you and the kids don't need it.
Find what works for you.
You can get back in control.0 -
I used to snack like a mad woman at night and finally changed up my dinner time to anywhere between 7-10. I workout in the evenings and then eat dinner after I shower. Im full til bedtime usually, but if I need some more calories to fill in my day I will have a light snack before bed, string cheese, protein bar, fruit, yogurt. If portion control is something you struggle with, make sure you are measuring out your snacks/weighing them before you sit down to enjoy.0
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Thank you for all of your suggestions,
I plan to change my post dinner routine from watching tv to reading in my room,since I do think my mindless eating when watching the tele evokes me to eat more.
Thanks again everybody, please feel free to post more advice on this thread as ill keep reading them 0 -
Thank you for all of your suggestions,
I plan to change my post dinner routine from watching tv to reading in my room,since I do think my mindless eating when watching the tele evokes me to eat more.
Thanks again everybody, please feel free to post more advice on this thread as ill keep reading them
Mindless snacking - means having too much excess energy and makes you go a little crazy - answer - work off that fidgetyness - get a pet! THAT will give you something to do you wont even think about snacking while taking care of Fido or Fifi 
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I have the same problem. For whatever reason, my body is hungry in the late day/early evening. I choose to eat a very light breakfast (200 cals), a light lunch (200 cals), and I might have a light snack in the afternoon, but otherwise I save most of my calories for dinner and 2nd dinner (haha!) at about 7pm - 8pm.
:drinker:0
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