Most of my calories in snacks at night?

Makoce

Can anyone help me out? I've been struggling lately even more with late night snacking.
I DO stay in my calorie goal, which is great, but I defiantly want to try to lower the snacking as it seems most of my calories go to that and it puts me at risk for binging.

Simple answer would be, eat more during breakfast/lunch/dinner so you have less calories for nighttime right?
Well, when I do that, that's when I end up going over.
I actually binged over 2,000 calories the other night for the first time trying that.

I don't think about food all day long, then after dinner around 6 PM it hits me and my switch turns on.

I use to go to bed at like 12AM and now Im in bed as early as 9PM to try to avoid it.
But it's so hard to ignore sometimes. I drown myself in water to no avail.
Is it just habit that I have been practicing?
Or is there something wrong with my diary?

How do you guys deal with this.
I get obsessive over food at night and no matter what I cant stop thinking about eating.
Sometimes I get anxious waiting for nighttime just so I can snack snack snack.

Any help?

SugarLou57

Drink some herbal tea, fills you up, and is warming. You can make it sweet if sweets are what you crave.
Plan a snack - then stick to it.

Makoce

Drink some herbal tea, fills you up, and is warming. You can make it sweet if sweets are what you crave.

Unfortunately I don't like tea.
Or maybe I havent found the right flavor of tea ( Any recommendations? )

-- but I really don't like any kind of hot beverage.

smudgekat

I have exactly the same issue, cant wait to see the answers!

Greytfish

Make sure you're getting enough water. Many times we drink when more active during the day and sit at home at night and don't think to drink. Your body cannot tell if you're thirsty or hungry.

Don't consume foods while doing something else - watching tv, playing cards, etc. Eat. Then go back to what you were doing.

Try adding a small protein heavy meal in place of snacks.

Makoce

Make sure you're getting enough water. Many times we drink when more active during the day and sit at home at night and don't think to drink. Your body cannot tell if you're thirsty or hungry.

Don't consume foods while doing something else - watching tv, playing cards, etc. Eat. Then go back to what you were doing.

Try adding a small protein heavy meal in place of snacks.

I drown myself in water. I can't stay out of the bathroom. Everyone makes fun of me, hahaha!

That is a part of my habit - I eat while watching TV, online, etc.
That is what I spend my time doing as when Im not doing my normal job, Im making money off online art commissions so Im at my desk a lot at night.

THOUGH, I have tried sitting at the table to eat my snacks and returning -- but then I just leave the room, eat a snack, come back, leave the room and snack again - so that doesn't help either. My mind is made up that Im going to devour the house, so it doesn't care what it has to do or how it has to do it.

Oh no, Im possessed!

elyelyse

it doesn't matter when you eat as long as you are at a caloric deficit. If you don't think about food all day, and like to eat at night, there's nothing wrong with consuming most, or even all of your calories past a certain time.

Of course, if this leads you to binge, as mentioned in your post, it won't be a good idea but I wonder...if you planned to eat in a way that feels more natural to you (most of your calories at night) you may not have that urge to binge.

Makoce

it doesn't matter when you eat as long as you are at a caloric deficit. If you don't think about food all day, and like to eat at night, there's nothing wrong with consuming most, or even all of your calories past a certain time.

Of course, if this leads you to binge, as mentioned in your post, it won't be a good idea but I wonder...if you planned to eat in a way that feels more natural to you (most of your calories at night) you may not have that urge to binge.

I tried not eating all day ( or snacks such as carrots, small calorie things ) then eating mostly everything at night -- but it still leads to a binge.
I'm not quite sure why. ( Then I start thinking about food all day AND night because I havent eaten. )
I don't change my daily habits, where I sit, work, etc. just because it's nighttime.
It's uncanny.

Especially when I get on a roll of one snack after the other, it gets harder to stop.

I crave that bloated over-full feeling, I think?
Because Ive been abusing seltzer water/diet sodas to achieve this feeling when I snack.

Aleta7

I do the same thing I eat after six pm. And I don't eat all day. except for a full meal between 2 and 4 pm. I gave up trying to turn the day around. I just try to stay under the calories for the day. It seems to work for me.

Makoce

I do the same thing I eat after six pm. And I don't eat all day. except for a full meal between 2 and 4 pm. I gave up trying to turn the day around. I just try to stay under the calories for the day. It seems to work for me.

See my above post

ainokea8

I do the same thing! Most of my calories go towards snacks too. Honestly I'm snacking as we speak.

I find it hard to curb my late night cravings and I always end up succumbing so this is what I do. I just go ahead and eat it but I log them in as breakfast for the next day instead of as snacks for today. So the next morning when I wake up, I see I already ate x amount of calories for breakfast so I just eat less for breakfast. Which is fine by me since I'm never really hungry in the morning anyway. And breakfast is usually the lowest-caloric meal of the day for me, because I'll usually just have some yogurt and fruit or a piece of toast with cream cheese.

This way you get to satisfy your craving so you also prevent yourself from binging later.

LC458

I was hungry the other night and I ended up having a big ole cup of Almond milk. 8 oz is a serving (30 cals) but I probably drank a 12 oz. It has a bit more substance than water and it is flavorful (i like it at least). My mom growing up always used to give me a glass of milk if I was still hungry when it was time to go to bed, maybe because she didnt want to cook anymore or she just knew it was just enough to not make me feel hungry. That and its kind of a "mind over matter" thing. Ask yourself "why am I hungry?" I ate 1600 cals (example), breakfast, lunch and dinner so maybe I'm not so much hungry but rather bored? or nervous? or anxious? We can have several feelings that may trigger us to want to eat but I think as long as you are getting your cals and nutrition throughout the day it is going to have to be one of those things probably where you have to use mind over matter and simply know your not hungry and try this for a week. It could be a bad cycle where you feel like you want to eat at night so just think about it, are you really hungry?

Journeygirl

That is definitely my mode. I'm a teacher, so I'm so busy during the day that I don't think about food. At night, look out! I have been trying to really pump up my protein consumption during the day. Protein drinks, protein bars etc. The days that I have really been successful, I consume much much more protein during the day, and have a really tasty satisfying dinner at around 7 or 7:30. A dinner with lots of bulk, veggies, protein, starch, that way I am fully satisfied. I might have a planned dessert too and then I'm satisfied. I have been making protein shakes with 1 to 2 T peanut butter, vanilla almond milk and ice cubes. It feels like a treat and leaves me really satisfied. So, I guess I'm finding treats that I feel good about but are not too calorie dense and that I won't OD on.

Peaches_bianca

I have to say I have the same problem I have a huge urge to binge at nightr. I always leave about 300-350 cal for myself at night. I plan my snacks to be filling and eat them slowly. My go to one lately is 2tbls of peanutbutter 190cal with an medium apple 60cal and a glass of 1% milk I go hold out as long as I can after dinner go for it then I take my butt to bed. BUt u have lost 61 lbs so far whatever ur doing is working dont worry so much

mistress8956

I have the same problem. I allow myself one snack after dinner and then after that it's water. It's all mind over matter!

Makoce

Thanks guys. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

Now to figure out how to help us! Haha.

mmcdonald700

How does anyone go all day without eating/eating very little? I get a serious headache when my blood sugar takes a dive. That's usually when I can tell it's time for lunch or supper - I feel a slight headache coming on that leaves after I eat. Anyway, yeah like someone else said as long as you're eating at a deficit it doesn't really matter when you eat. I think you're just in a bad habit... I was too. I would eat a big snack, then supper at like 8 or 9, go out and come home at 12-1 and then have a snack of some supper leftovers. Basically it just took me realising... you're not actually hungry. Even if I have an earlier supper (like 6 pm) and by 12 I am a little hungry... I just go to sleep, my body already had all the fuel it needed for the day and I'll eat when I wake up in the morning (I eat breakfast every day). Just try telling yourself no for a week or two when you are approaching your calorie goal for the day and see if you start to curb your habit. That's what I did... I just stopped. Now it's not routine to come home and stuff my face at 12. How bad do you want this? Sometimes you have to make an active choice to just stop eating. Also helps to eat less calorie dense food that doesn't really fill you up because you'll run through your daily calories and not be satisfied/full. Anyway, that's my two cents.

LanceKarcher

Why not eliminate all of your snacking foods from the house? Keep only a couple stalks of celery or broccoli available. The other thing is that exercise to the point of working up a good sweat seems to be an appetite suppressant for me. After a couple weeks of this it might change your urge. Just make a point of trying it for awhile.

ainokea8

You can also substitute your snacks. This doesn't mean you have to substitute them with rabbit food like celery stalks or carrot. For example, if you get a chocolate craving don't eat an entire bar of chocolate which can be 500+ calories right there. Instead, get a small piece of toast (65 calories) and put one teaspoon of nutella on it (27 calories) and that's only 92 calories! You will feel full because of the toast AND you still get your chocolate fix from the nutella.

It's all about snacking smart.

morethanthis0

I m the same way! I would always go crazy after work. I still leave most my calories for dinner/snacks but I try not too eat fast (which is what I would do at night and scarf down all the food!). Eating slower has helped me. I wait a little while after my snack and after awhile I realize I am satisfied!

SmileCozYouCan

You need lots of protien!