How do you satisfy the evening snacking urge???

13

Replies

  • Cherrie099
    Cherrie099 Posts: 45 Member
    Ok whatever.

    I thank you all who responded to my question. My question wasn't if I was eating enough. My question was low cal snacking food. But thanx anyway

    This thread turned into a debate on my caloric intake.

    Well you asked the wrong question.

    You're doing something, and you're experiencing an unwanted effect. The proper way to address this is not to have some super-low calorie snacking.

    You want to know how to satisfy the evening snacking urge? Give your body enough calories by eating some more at night.

    You're in massive denial about what's actually going on, and you freely admit you're too scared to do it right. To me, you sound like you're on the verge of finally giving in and eating a pizza and pint of ice cream one night then never logging into MFP again. You need to do this the right way.

    No I'm not giving up. I'm not going to eat a pizza (although I'd like to ????). For example. I had a rib eye steak and a huge salad for dinner. Immediately after that I had 2 wedges of laughing cow cheese and pretzels. Then I got a sweet tooth. I didn't want to have a pint of ice cream. That's the snack I want to knock out. Instead I had fiber one cereal and a half cup of skim milk. And I'm ok now. I don't know if it epwas the stress of this thread or I'm finally full. It either way it worked
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    No I don't add back my work out caleries. I'm so undisciplined i'm afraid if i am not strict I will fall. I have to be very strict or i royally mess up. It's all or nothing at all with me.
    I guess you're going with "nothing" then - this isn't how MFP works. This website is set up that you are supposed to eat back your exercise cals - ESPECIALLY important if you're set at the oh-too-common 1200 cals.

    Your daily goal has a deficit built in already. Meaning eat TO GOAL, all the cals, every day, and do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. When you factor in the exercise, you're creating a ginormous deficit, way too big, and doing yourself more harm than good. Food is fuel! This is why the burned cals are added back into your daily goal, and your NET cals should be at goal each day.

    Yes, I realized you asked about snacking at night, but that question is related to not eating enough during the day, leading you to be looking for something to eat at the end of the day with next to zero cals because you think you can't eat any more than 1200 cals, which is dead wrong.

    If you're an "all or nothing" type of gal, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor to figure out the "all" part of how this website works, as well as how to properly fuel and nourish your body with the right amount of cals.

    Good luck.


    ^ This.

    OP, people aren't trying to be mean. I know we get exasperated and sarcastic, but unfortunately it's because we see this all too often.

    You are hurting yourself, and we don't like to see that. So we are trying to show you how not to hurt yourself. No matter how they may be expressing it, everyone is trying to help.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Ok whatever.

    I thank you all who responded to my question. My question wasn't if I was eating enough. My question was low cal snacking food. But thanx anyway

    This thread turned into a debate on my caloric intake.

    It's not a debate, it's people who've experienced what you're going through and been where you are giving you advice based on what they've done.

    Volume of food doesn't equal 'enough'. i could eat pounds of celery, so much that I need to be eating it the entire time I'm awake, and it wouldn't be 'enough'.
  • Cherrie099
    Cherrie099 Posts: 45 Member
    Okay so:

    1. I'm scared to eat over 1200 calories. I've only lost 13 pounds in 2 months, oh noes!

    2. I'm not hungry . . . umm, err, I just want to, uhh, eat something? But it's not because I'm hungry! I just . . . want something more than water. . . but really not hungry

    3. I don't eat back my exercise calories because I'm scared I'll eat too much.

    #3 please go have a talk with #2 - but you're NOT hungry, right?

    Your problem is 1 and 3 and you're in denial about 2. Also, you have a poor relationship with food because you're afraid of it.

    You are hungry. You need to plan your meals effectively and eat at least your BMR, and if other posters are correct, you have an active job as a nurse. So you're probably at least lightly active just from work, and then you exercise, too.

    I'm not going to say the M word or the S word here, but I will say that you will be weak, tired, and more likely to get sick when you eat under 1200. When you eat at least your BMR every day, you'll still maintain a calorie deficit just due to moving around and not being in a coma, and you'll have more energy for your day to day life.
    You i like you^
    tumblr_inline_mos82svJ8T1qz4rgp.gif

    You are very condescending and nasty. Thanx for the support!!!
  • tumblr_m372v7IVKz1r1mn9vo1_500.gif
    See you when you post that you are tired, have a headache and are not losing in a month....
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Okay so:

    1. I'm scared to eat over 1200 calories. I've only lost 13 pounds in 2 months, oh noes!

    2. I'm not hungry . . . umm, err, I just want to, uhh, eat something? But it's not because I'm hungry! I just . . . want something more than water. . . but really not hungry

    3. I don't eat back my exercise calories because I'm scared I'll eat too much.

    #3 please go have a talk with #2 - but you're NOT hungry, right?

    Your problem is 1 and 3 and you're in denial about 2. Also, you have a poor relationship with food because you're afraid of it.

    You are hungry. You need to plan your meals effectively and eat at least your BMR, and if other posters are correct, you have an active job as a nurse. So you're probably at least lightly active just from work, and then you exercise, too.

    I'm not going to say the M word or the S word here, but I will say that you will be weak, tired, and more likely to get sick when you eat under 1200. When you eat at least your BMR every day, you'll still maintain a calorie deficit just due to moving around and not being in a coma, and you'll have more energy for your day to day life.
    You i like you^
    tumblr_inline_mos82svJ8T1qz4rgp.gif

    You are very condescending and nasty. Thanx for the support!!!

    You don't need support, you need education. You need someone to get through to you to help you understand that you're doing things wrong and you're headed for disaster.

    You are not in control of this. You're doing things wrong, you are struggling to maintain your current plan, you are on the ragged edge of failure. You need to give your body more food.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    You're making bad decisions by not using mfp the right way. You're making a worse decision by not listening to good advice... but the folks that are trying to help you here are eventually gonna stop.

    We are giving you the advice you need.. but you're blatantly refusing it. You're taking it personal, it isn't.

    No one is calling people names or lashing out here except you.

    I'm sorry you're doing it wrong.

    I'm sorry you're not willing to accept that.


    ...and when you come back to post about how you're tired.. or you're losing hair... or you're dizzy....which you will be...

    The answer is going to be the same.

    You don't have to listen to any of us, but for your own sake.. I hope you do.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    In to find later.

    OT: I don't have any low cal foods. I plan for a snack at night.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Meh, was gonna help, but I can see that I'd be wasting my time.
  • callas444
    callas444 Posts: 261 Member
    Hot tea is nice and filling, as is hot cocoa. There is a diet kind with only 25 cals. In the summer I enjoy a couple popsicles at night. Just save yourself a few calories for a snack. Planning your meals in advance can really help with making sure you have enough calories for a snack.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Okay so:

    1. I'm scared to eat over 1200 calories. I've only lost 13 pounds in 2 months, oh noes!

    2. I'm not hungry . . . umm, err, I just want to, uhh, eat something? But it's not because I'm hungry! I just . . . want something more than water. . . but really not hungry

    3. I don't eat back my exercise calories because I'm scared I'll eat too much.

    #3 please go have a talk with #2 - but you're NOT hungry, right?

    Your problem is 1 and 3 and you're in denial about 2. Also, you have a poor relationship with food because you're afraid of it.

    You are hungry. You need to plan your meals effectively and eat at least your BMR, and if other posters are correct, you have an active job as a nurse. So you're probably at least lightly active just from work, and then you exercise, too.

    I'm not going to say the M word or the S word here, but I will say that you will be weak, tired, and more likely to get sick when you eat under 1200. When you eat at least your BMR every day, you'll still maintain a calorie deficit just due to moving around and not being in a coma, and you'll have more energy for your day to day life.
    You i like you^
    tumblr_inline_mos82svJ8T1qz4rgp.gif

    You are very condescending and nasty. Thanx for the support!!!

    Support=/=telling you what you want to hear.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I have been eating celery ... yes good ole plain celery. Just satisfies my urge to eat something and I don't have to feel guilty about eating it.
  • Luckee_me
    Luckee_me Posts: 1,425 Member
    I always save some calories for something at around 9pm. Usually a protein bar, since they fill me up and are sweet which I love.
    Best of luck to you.
  • if you need to snack make sure it is a 100% protein snack. Carbs will put on the pounds at night. Boil two eggs. Eat string cheese or any kind of cheese. The sunflower seed idea was a good one. They take a long time to eat and keep your mouth busy. Handful of Almonds. Hearts of Palm are a GREAT super low calorie vegetable. 8 of them are 20 calories. And they are filling. I eat these a lot at night.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    pre log your days or workout some to lose more.

    Then again, are you eating enough in the first place?

    Yes i'm eating enough, I just hate to go over the 1200 calories.
    Then no, you aren't. The 1200 is a goal. You should eat that much.

    I'm 56 and it's very hard for me to lose weight. I've been heavy most of my adult life. I work out and do the treadmill on my days off. If i eat the 1200 I will maintain but not lose. (I think) I've been on this plan since July 31 and only lost 13 pounds. Not alot. I don't get hungry all the time but sometimes I just want to snack.

    Get your thyroid checked ... Free T4 and Free T3 ... TPO antibodies and TSH (TSH should be less than 2.0) ... Not normal, even at your age (and given that you workout) you shouldn't have to eat less than 1200 ...
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    if you need to snack make sure it is a 100% protein snack. Carbs will put on the pounds at night. Boil two eggs. Eat string cheese or any kind of cheese. The sunflower seed idea was a good one. They take a long time to eat and keep your mouth busy. Handful of Almonds. Hearts of Palm are a GREAT super low calorie vegetable. 8 of them are 20 calories. And they are filling. I eat these a lot at night.

    No.
  • nelinelineli
    nelinelineli Posts: 330 Member
    I eat and log them as next day's breakfast - this way I can't just brush them under the carpet. After a short while I started thinking very hard about wanting to snack at night knowing I'll pay for it the next day.

    I usually eat 5 almonds as a snack now - that's 35 cals.
  • JumpinJill
    JumpinJill Posts: 63 Member
    Ok whatever.

    I thank you all who responded to my question. My question wasn't if I was eating enough. My question was low cal snacking food. But thanx anyway

    This thread turned into a debate on my caloric intake.

    Ya, I am newer here and learned very quickly that anyone who mentions the dreaded 1200 calories gets jumped on immediately. Next time say you eat more and you will get better responses. For me snooping around looking at diaries it seems most people lose weight eating between 1200 and 1500 calories, but by the time they post their result pics they are bulking or eating maintenance so it looks like they ate more then they really did to lose weight (try looking further back in some people's diaries) I have also seen plenty of people who eat 1500-2000 calories a day but then I see 500+ calories burned from exercise which lower their net calories anyways. Also lastly to finish my rant, there are also quite a few people that claim they eat so many calories a day, but again these people have already lost the majority of their weight and are closing in on goal or bulking (working on muscle growth). So just ignore some of these people, it's your journey, not theirs.

    Ok thanks for letting me hijack your post. If you are still hungry at night, try a low calorie snack or a high protein snack. I keep nuts, trail mix, low sugar pudding, English muffin half with peanut butter and grapes and apples around to snack on. For me I tend to eat more at night as I am a night person. So when I get up for the day I don't eat right away or sometimes for a 2-3 hours and that gives me more calories to stretch out or move to later in the day. Moving calories around can be a be a bit tricky to figure out but worth the time. You are a nurse though, so with all that activity you would probably be ok with 1500 calories a day and can give yourself an extra meal.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Ya, I am newer here and learned very quickly that anyone who mentions the dreaded 1200 calories gets jumped on immediately. Next time say you eat more and you will get better responses.

    Yes, because lying to people that are taking the time to put numbers into calculators for people that are too lazy is going to warrant good results. That's why the MFP calculator is broken. It lets people with, say 10lbs to lose, select 2lbs per week. It shouldn't.

    The reason people get jumped on is because 1200 isn't always a wrong answer, it just isn't right NEARLY as much as people here think.
    Also lastly to finish my rant, there are also quite a few people that claim they eat so many calories a day, but again these people have already lost the majority of their weight and are closing in on goal or bulking (working on muscle growth). So just ignore some of these people, it's your journey, not theirs.

    Guess where most of us started, Princess... just guess. Fat/unhealthy, tired, and trying to figure out where we went wrong.

    I was over 330 lbs when I signed up. I did it wrong, learned, had to change my entire way of thinking/eating. You see that ticker down there? I'm not done. I'm a work in progress. I don't know everything, never claimed to.. but, I know wrong when I see it. I know that because I LIVED it.

    But if you think that you want to ignore me.. or EVERYONE else here that's telling you can eat more than 1200 calories and still lose, well... good luck with that.
    You are a nurse though, so with all that activity you would probably be ok with 1500 calories a day and can give yourself an extra meal.

    Wait.. hold up... in all of your ranting.. and telling the OP not to listen to people telling her to eat more... what is this... were...

    is it..

    my eyes aren't quite what they used to be.. but.. it looks like you're ...

    yeah... you're telling her to eat more.

    ....so according to your own logic, shouldn't she ignore you too?
  • Cherrie099
    Cherrie099 Posts: 45 Member
    Ok whatever.

    I thank you all who responded to my question. My question wasn't if I was eating enough. My question was low cal snacking food. But thanx anyway

    This thread turned into a debate on my caloric intake.

    Ya, I am newer here and learned very quickly that anyone who mentions the dreaded 1200 calories gets jumped on immediately. Next time say you eat more and you will get better responses. For me snooping around looking at diaries it seems most people lose weight eating between 1200 and 1500 calories, but by the time they post their result pics they are bulking or eating maintenance so it looks like they ate more then they really did to lose weight (try looking further back in some people's diaries) I have also seen plenty of people who eat 1500-2000 calories a day but then I see 500+ calories burned from exercise which lower their net calories anyways. Also lastly to finish my rant, there are also quite a few people that claim they eat so many calories a day, but again these people have already lost the majority of their weight and are closing in on goal or bulking (working on muscle growth). So just ignore some of these people, it's your journey, not theirs.

    Ok thanks for letting me hijack your post. If you are still hungry at night, try a low calorie snack or a high protein snack. I keep nuts, trail mix, low sugar pudding, English muffin half with peanut butter and grapes and apples around to snack on. For me I tend to eat more at night as I am a night person. So when I get up for the day I don't eat right away or sometimes for a 2-3 hours and that gives me more calories to stretch out or move to later in the day. Moving calories around can be a be a bit tricky to figure out but worth the time. You are a nurse though, so with all that activity you would probably be ok with 1500 calories a day and can give yourself an extra meal.


    O I AM ignoring them. I tried to talk civilly to them and they attacked me. They are VERY bitter. Maybe they need to eat a bit more. HAHA!! They might be a bit more pleasant.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    O I AM ignoring them. I tried to talk civilly to them and they attacked me. They are VERY bitter. Maybe they need to eat a bit more. HAHA!! They might be a bit more pleasant.
    I know you're ignoring me, but hey! I find it very amusing that the one asking for low cal snacks to fit into her 1200 calorie diet is telling those of us eating 1900+ cals a day that we need to eat more. Hilarious. Yeah, I'm so bitter about eating ice cream for a snack. And wearing size 4 jeans. And rocking my sleeveless tops because my arms look better than ever. Soooooooo bitter.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Try to help people out, and they see it as an attack. Whatever. Enjoy your 1200 calories and nightly snack of herbal tea.


    I will never understand why people see the simple advice of "hey, you can eat more than 1200 calories and still lose weight, and not be hungry or stressed because you don't have enough cals to have a snack at night - there's a better way!" as an attack. :huh:

    Good luck. If you ever do find a better way, don't share it with anyone - my goodness, how rude of you to think someone might want good advice, or for you to share something you've learned. [/sarcasm]
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Hey, why listen to a small group of people who between them have lost over half a ton of fat. What the H, E, double hockey sticks would they know?
  • beckerkra
    beckerkra Posts: 80 Member
    Hey, why listen to a small group of people who between them have lost over half a ton of fat. What the H, E, double hockey sticks would they know?

    My sentiments exactly on this. Here, let me make this even easier for you OP. Have you figured out what your BMR is? (Basal Metabolic Rate) If you've figured that out, and it says under 1200 calories, than all of these people who are trying to be nice by taking their time to inform you of that you're starving your body are wrong. This is why you can't seem to lose weight when eating at 1200 calories, and the weight you do lose when below 1200 calories is most likely your body starting to catabolise muscle (burn muscle) instead of actually burning FAT. These people helping you are either nutritionists themselves, lost a bunch of weight themselves, or have been working VERY closely with their local doctors and nutritionists. I personally am working very closely with a local nutritionist and doctor as well, and I've asked them specifically about these kinds of situations on the MFP forums, and they BOTH told me the same thing. If they're eating under their basal metabolic rate, than they're starving their body and their body may lose weight, but it's going to be burning more muscle than fat and the body will continue to do EVERYTHING in its power to retain the fat stores it has because it feels that it's going through famished times. Until you eat at least at a calorie deficit from your TDEE consistently for a little while, your body will still be in fat conservation mode and will be continuing to catabolise as much muscle as it can safely burn to preserve its reservations.

    Have you gone to a nutritionist and doctor about weight loss? I bet if you went to a good nutritionist they'd be telling you the exact same things that the main people here that have lost the weight are telling you for advice (I know my local nutritionist and doctor mimic the advice 100% given to you here by the people who have actually LOST the weight and keep it off.)

    I also have been in the same shoes as most of the others here where I did exactly what you're doing right now (except for guys) and made the same mistakers and I was so frustrated just like you right now that I wasn't losing weight nearly as fast as I wanted. It wasn't until I took the time, met with a nutritionist, decided to listen to the people who you and others who refuse good help, think are "attacking" you and lo and behold. The weight started WASHING off me like mad! I started my journey June 1st following the same advice given to you here and as of today almost 4 months later I'm sitting at nearly 60 lbs lost. I weigh right now lighter than I have since I was about 13-14 years old. Trust me, I've been heavy the majority of my life, and have used EVERY single excuse in the book.

    If you made it this far, than I'll give you an easy tool that you can even use at home to figure out your BMR and your TDEE and explains in great detail how to go about finding these numbers. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13. This is one of the greatest tools of my success. Guess who first told me about this tool? DING DING DING Trogalicious! You're the man!

    Read, learn, and you may not believe me, but I really do truly hope you can succeed in your goals, because we've all been there (I'm still in the middle of my journey) and it sux when you think everyone's out to get you, you still feel heavy and discouraged. WE DO really truly understand the feeling. It just frustrates us so much seeing someone struggling the SAME way we did but yet unable to take the advice that we also remember thinking "Gawd, these people are Aholes and only out to attack me!" when in reality we are only trying to give "tough love" so to speak.

    Seriously this thread reminds me of when I'm at work ugh.. It's like in my IT department when people call ME asking ME for help and then they try to tell me how to do my job in helping them with their IT problem when if they'd only do what I ask them to do, their call would take so much less time because the issue would actually be resolved far more quickly than before (HATE people like that).
  • pauldix
    pauldix Posts: 35 Member
    I snack.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    How do you satisfy the evening snacking urge???

    Usually by having a snack...

    I know I like to have a little something in the evenings while I'm watchin t.v. I just fit it in my calories and macros for the day just like I would any other meal or snack...meal timing/snack timing is largely irrelevant.
    Hey, why listen to a small group of people who between them have lost over half a ton of fat. What the H, E, double hockey sticks would they know?

    QFT...
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    if you need to snack make sure it is a 100% protein snack. Carbs will put on the pounds at night. Boil two eggs. Eat string cheese or any kind of cheese. The sunflower seed idea was a good one. They take a long time to eat and keep your mouth busy. Handful of Almonds. Hearts of Palm are a GREAT super low calorie vegetable. 8 of them are 20 calories. And they are filling. I eat these a lot at night.

    That is so weird.... How the Heck did I lose 312 lbs. eating a carb based 400-500 calorie snack (normally ice cream, or Krave Double chocolate cereal dry, etc) in bed every night over the last 4 years??? OP your snack does not need to be 100% anything other than what you want and most importantly.. You have the calories remaining to fit it in..... Best of Luck...
  • lejla2002
    lejla2002 Posts: 118 Member
    snack on veggies and fruits :) they are low calorie, you have to set your goal and stick to it!!
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    I eat bacon
  • thomakg
    thomakg Posts: 69 Member
    Tried 1200 - crashed and burned and left MFP for a bit. My daughter signed up and got me to do 1600 with her.

    Losing, energetic, and above all, happy.

    Works for me.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Hey, why listen to a small group of people who between them have lost over half a ton of fat. What the H, E, double hockey sticks would they know?

    LOL Exactly!!! Don't listen to me OP, I have no idea what the heck I am doing....... Best of Luck to you though, one day the light will come on and you will see what the rest of us that have been through all the trials and error that we may just know alittle about alittle......