How on earth do I stop the after dinner snacking?!

dlkingsbury

i'm a night snacker too. now, i'm just (a) not keeping it in the house, and (b) hanging a photo of my goal in the kitchen.

shaketwistjump

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much! :flowerforyou:

ksuh999

I find that if I exercise at night, it drastically reduces my appetite. I actually have to eat a surplus and then work out if I go at night because I feel like gagging if I try to eat afterwards.

jess17587

omg that's exactly how I feel after breakfast! I just want to rave the house but what I do is keep busy for about half an hour then I don't feel so Munchy or you can just have something really cold like a low calorie ice Lolly or a very warm cupa soup but watch out for the salt!!!!!!

NikiChicken

Self control. There are no tricks. It is just plain determination. Eat them or don't, only you can control what you put in your mouth.

fultimers

It's very important for me not to go to bed hungry. I ALWAYS plan my calories so I have plenty to eat in the evening. A bedtime bowl of cereal is something I have almost every night before I go to bed. I'd rather have five-six smaller meals than three larger ones anyway.

The poster who told OP to get some self-control doesn't get the point of why most of us are on MFP. Everyone struggles with self-control--you can't just turn a switch and you have it. It's a matter of gradually adopting better habits that work for you personally.

dunnodunno

I have an after dinner snack every night & sometimes it's more calories than my actual dinner & I've lost over a hundred pounds. Your only problem with having an after dinner snack will be if you don't accurately measure how many crackers, how many cups of ice cream, how many chips, etc. you eat. If you're not sure then I would suggest buying a food scale & measuring out a portion of whatever snack you want.

Kennesaw24

Anything I don't want to eat I don't have in the house. If it's not good for me, it's usually not good for anyone else, either. Just turn off the lights in the kitchen and make it an off-limits zone for everyone. :-) Good luck.

AngWest1

I find it interesting, "Get some self control."Just don't do it", Just say no.
It kinda upset me, while i believe intentions were to help i found the ones that replied that actually gave tools, did you eat enough at dinner, would a protein snack help, preparing cut up fruits and veggies.
I would say especially the one who said :Get some self control, wonders to myself, if you have such self control why are you here?
What a self righteous attitude!
After dinner snacking is a hard one, alot of times it happens because we have not ate enough during the day and our blood sugars have dipped up and down, causing hunger and cravings. try eating small to med meals Q 2-3 hours.
Plan an eating journal. be really real about what you are eating and when? Are you working out? Are you working out at night?
If so afterwards have some whey protein, such as a shake, i like to make mine freeze them and then it feels like i am having a milkshake.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Angie

septembergrrl

Leave the kitchen, turn off the lights, and don't go back in for anything short of an emergency. I read somewhere to say aloud, "The kitchen is closed," which feels REALLY silly but seems to help me on nights when I really want to snack.

I don't know how your house is laid out -- could you spend your evenings in a place where you can't see or get to the kitchen quickly? Our main TV is in the basement, so snacking requires going alllll the way upstairs.Usually I don't make the effort.

Alternately, you could accept that you need 200-400 calories of snack in the evening and eat that much less earlier in the day.

xionfairy

I know a lot of times if you eat fiber rich food or just drink some metamucil it will make you full and you won't snack. My mom did it when she was on a diet and it helped her feel full, no cravings and even lost weight from it.
So try taking metamucil after you eat it should help you out.

paulamjoudrey

set a goal. Make a plan. Finish up in the kitchen early and turn off the lights. Setting a new routine is never easy, no matter the habit you are trying to change. IT CAN BE DONE. Good Luck while i go take my own advise.

xmysterix

I got into a bad dessert-after-a-hard-day habit, and with a 2yo + university + 2 very obnoxious dogs, EVERY day was a hard day. I tried subbing a few things and it all just failed to click as it still sat in my brain that I "needed" something after dinner. So I just went totally cold turkey on it. I still enjoy a cup or two of decaf coffee (with milk) after dinner but only have a snack or dessert if I've gotten to the end of my day and have a bunch of calories left over. I don't plan/budget cals for it, I plan to NOT have a snack/dessert. And honestly, sometimes, I just go the hell to bed. A good book (or whatever! ) in bed is enough to make me forget my bad habit urges.

Rakalze

How about eating healthier snacks like fruit or almonds after dinner?

Ad141274

I drink a lot of water and I make myself workout when I want to eat something that isn't good for me . I only allow once I have logged in all food consumed and exercise done . :happy:

GingerLolita

I also plan for dessert! I just need something sweet after dinner and I feel that it's unrealistic and unnecessary to try to force myself not to eat after dinner. I usually have lots of fruit with some protein or whole grain. You can eat a decent amount of fruit without consuming too many calories, but adding protein or whole grains will help will you fill up so you don't snack all night long.

julianadelbosque

If I don't have a lot of calories to spare but need to snack, I like to incorporate greek yogurt in some capacity. Last night I had half a cup (35 cal) with half a tbsp of cocoa powder (10 cal) and some fresh raspberries (15 cal). I was stuffed afterwards!

Tonight I had half a cup of greek yogurt (35 cal) and 1/4 cup cheerios (25 cal) with 1/4 cup frozen blueberries (20 cal). I then also had a 73 cal piece of ghirardelli chocolate with caramel because I swear I am never satisfied at night without chocolate, but I know I could do without if I had to. I just prefer going over a little and feeling satisfied than staying at/under my deficit and feeling very unsatisfied!

Cortneyrenee04

For me, snacking often was a habit. I now ask myself if I'm actually hungry or am I just bored? Plus, having to log my calories makes me less inclined to snack because I have to take time to log it. If you're actually hungry, obviously you should eat. If not, just distract yourself and soon enough he habit will be broken.

papayawhip0126

TEA!!!

I have gotten in the habit of having a cup of tea after my meals. After 2 weeks of doing this, I can tell you, it works. My brain is like "okay, mealtime is over, I had my tea." It's a ritual.

Sometimes we eat more just because we like our mealitmes, they are relaxing, we want to extend them. We are not actually hungry. By slowing down and giving yourself permission to drink a full cup of tea, uninterrupted, you've extended the mealtime without adding calories.

mi18agnes

Plan your snacks.
Choose better your snacks (baby carrots are great ones).
Ask yourself: Am I hungry? Am I bored? Am I thursty? Is this WORTH it?
Be ready: prepare fruit salads or some healthy snacks so you can go for them when the time comes.

I hope it helps Good luck!!

Mborroto25

Are you a pot smoker? I suggest cutting out the green first, then seeing how your munchies improve.

Me, I just have a snack because I'm hungry. No need to overanalyze it.. You're probably just pissed off at your diet by the end of the day and racking up 400 because you can. Try eating something more filling & limited, rather than mindlessly popping more & more cheetos!

Omg I wonder if there are any forums addressing this. It completely sabotages my diet at night and my stomach becomes an empty pit. I think its essential to quit smoking if you want to see progress.