Evening snacking

smblackpool

I find the evenings the hardest time when all I want to do is snack on mainly sugary things and I think this is the main reason I put a lot of weight on originally as I could devour huge chocolate bars in one sitting lol i would love to break this habit. Does anyone suffer with this and has anyone tips on trying to kerb that sweet tooth 8 to 11 feeling.

snowflake954

Try fruit. Stick to it for a week.

Lietchi

I second the fruit suggestion, it helps some people to have less sugary cravings.

Also, I would recommend keeping busy, or at least doing something that keeps your hands occupied?

What also helps me, is simply having less of those foods at my disposal, I don't buy as many snack foods.
I also find it beneficial to have smaller sizes of some snack foods. For example, I have bought mini ice-cream popsicles and mini boxes of smarties: it's a lot easier to eat one small thing and stick to it, than for example to break off part of a chocolate bar as a portion.

Anniesquats100

I had three separate problems with night snacking.

First is to make sure I have had adequate fiber and protein through the day. I use both fiber powder and protein powder ( not together lol) to hit my targets within calorie limits.

Second is to fight the habits. Recognize the stimulus ( for me, letting my dog out) and try a different response, like washing your hands instead of snacking.

Third time your meals so that your last meal is not too early. Although really, if I am doing well on the first two and not stressed, then dinner at 3 pm is not too early for me.

Good luck! You can beat this if you keep experimenting and find what works for you!

Annie

AnnPT77

In addition to good comments above, I'd suggest one other thing to consider.

Fatigue can result in energy-seeking behavior, and many sweet foods are quick energy, so craving sweets when fatigued isn't uncommon. Most of us are more fatigued come evening.

If that's possibly part of the picture, and if the cravings are a symptom, maybe think about what might be the root causes, and address them at the root to the extent possible.

Speculating, here:

How is your sleep quality/quantity? Can it be improved?

Are you possibly over-exercising (duration or intensity) for your current fitness level, which can be fatiguing disproportionate to its benefits?

Is there a lot of stress in your life? (Stress can be fatiguing, too.)

Is there any chance that your calorie goal is more aggressively low than essential? Shooting for fast loss can also contribute to both fatigue and appetite. I think there can be a sort of calorie sweet spot, where we accomplish our weight management goals, but don't restrict so much that it causes fatigue and maybe either spikes appetite unmanageably, or makes us drag through the latter part of the day so burn fewer calories than expected.

Etc.

Pdc654

For me, I try to keep sweets out of the house. If they are there for my husband I ask him to keep them on a high pantry shelf. However, after almost 2 years I am much better at resisting them. Have other low calorie filling snacks available. Fruit is a great substitute for sweets. I also like popcorn. Greek yogurt is also a good evening snack for me. I plan for them in advance and usually pre-log them so I know how much to measure out to stay within my calorie limits

smblackpool

Thankyou for these helpful comments everyone I suppose it’s also will power
Weigh in today and now 16.4 pounds loss in 3 weeks so very happy with that 😀

cwolfman13

I'm a late dinner eater...usually 7:30 or 8:00 PM and I usually hit the rack around 9:30 to read a bit and go to sleep so I don't really feel compelled to snack late at night, but I do snack in the early evening when I get home. I find it best to plan that early evening snack out and what those calories are going to be and to just stick to it. When I'm trying to lose weight, I also try to make those snacks a bit less calorie dense...one of my favorite things in the world is cheese and I can sit there and eat a ton of sliced sharp cheddar if I allow myself...so I just don't and find other things. One of my favorite afternoon snacks is about 200 grams of edamame seeds in the shell. I think they're tasty, but they also keep me busier than a snack that I can just pop into my mouth and swallow. I don't have a tremendous sweet tooth so I can't really help there other than what others have suggested in regards to eating some fruit which would be my natural tendency anyway.

Also, I leave less overall time for snacking in the evening by going out and either riding my bike or hitting the weight room, depending on the night. My only weeknight that isn't typically occupied is Monday night...Tuesday through Friday are taken up so I really only have time or the inclination to have my one planned snack.

spacetreemonkey

Find some snacks that are indulgent, but healthier and less calories, and try snacking one less day a week, then increasing that every few months so you aren't snacking at all or only once in a blue moon