Evening self-sabotage

PHDork16

Help! I do really well with eating all day but go for "just one little snack" and end up destroying my progress for the day, usually after the kiddo (4) is finally in bed around 9. Does anyone else have strategies they use to combat late night munchies??? Thanks!

ucafern2014

I do the SAME thing! Especially when my husband is working! Sometimes it helps if I brush my teeth or chew gum. But would LOVE more ideas to help me thru the evenings too!!

Graelwyn75

I simply ensure I have enough calories to have snacks in the evening.
I tend to prefer eating in the latter half of the day anyway, which makes life easier.
Stick to fruit, nuts, yoghurt, cottage cheese...things like that.

PHDork16

I do the SAME thing! Especially when my husband is working! Sometimes it helps if I brush my teeth or chew gum. But would LOVE more ideas to help me thru the evenings too!!

Yes. My husband is currently out of the country on business :-\

CyberEd312

I have always saved calories so that i can take a snack to bed with me each night.... Been doing this throughout my weight loss and in maintenance........ Best of Luck

Stary714

Did the same thing tonight and I'm so mad at myself!!! My problem tonight was that I'm stressed and theres a bag of chips downstairs. Excuses, excuses. Normally I'm pretty good about staying motivated but tonight (and last night) were bad.

Normally if I keep busy or drink some water I'm good. And in the past few months I've gotten really good about realizing I'm not hungry, and am just looking for something to do.

Good Luck

terbusha

One thing you can do is get rid of those snacks that you overdo in the evenings. You can't have them if they are not in the house and you cannot leave because your child is sleeping. I know it works...I've done it LOL. Also, leaving yourself some calories in the evening to play with is a good way to allow that. You can also try having healthy snacks around. Try munching on some almonds, or some cut up green peppers, or some cottage cheese. Having a healthy snack can satisfy your urge to munch on something without undoing your hard day's work.

Hope this was helpful.

Allan

jkd132

I was going to post the exact same thing. I go great all day and after supper I usually blow it. I will be following for some ideas as well :-)

an0nemus

A few things other people have mentioned:

1) A few cold glasses of water
2) Brush your teeth/mouth wash
3) reserve (I'm eating 1500 cal/day and I like to have 200 after dinner is done)

Last thing I've heard works (doesn't for me). Make yourself do some sort of cardio for 20 minutes, if you're hungry after that then eat. At least now you've built up some more calories to spend.

leeannlauren88

i have the exact same problem!!! i do well all day and then eat a big dinner and then snack on sweets and junk after dinner. maybe set a time when you will no longer eat. also, my trainer has been encouraging me to eat a bigger breakfast, snack throughout the day, eat a good sized lunch, and then eat just a small dinner. try to shift the balance of your calories to earlier in the day. and it doesnt sound so bad because you can still eat, just at a different time of day!

trishfitllc

THIS!!! I equate this problem to behaviors similar to alcoholics…they cannot physically have just one drink…..I cannot have just one handful of salted nuts or just one tablespoon of sunflower seed butter…..i don't keep the high desirables around the house……if you KNOW you can't stop….why start? It's a vicious cycle, so change your behavior, because your off switch , like most people is broken. i know what my trigger foods are, they aren't even "bad" foods per se, but i do not have the mental capacity to stop eating them once i start. I'm not superman, with nerves and willpower of steel….so I don;t tempt myself, i set myself up for success and just don't buy the foods i know i can't have reasonably. it helps that i'm a celiac, i'm allergic to most of the things that really taste good,,,,,,it's just not worth being sick over….but I am a bad binger with nuts and nut butters…which i'm NOT allergic to :-(….Also, invest in a small fortune of herbal teas, sweeten with coconut milk, stevia, etc…..warm liquids REALLY curb the sweet tooth and make you VERY full physically!

cynlindsey11

Hot Tea has become my evening treat when I'm out of calories. Splurged on several unique (caffeine free!) tea flavors, enjoying trying them all.

970Mikaela1

I pre log my weekdays and always put in 64 grams of peanut butter for my bed time treat. Those 400 calories leave me some wiggle room . Good luck:)

CarolinkaCjj

Plan, plan, plan and try to keep the junk out of the house. I have eaten more fibars, dried fruit, nuts.cheese and crackers and cheese sticks over the past three months than I ever have in my life. I scan my friends diaries for new treat ideas and limit myself. Right now, there are potato chips in the house - I am keeping them away from me.

1pandabear

Hot Tea has become my evening treat when I'm out of calories. Splurged on several unique (caffeine free!) tea flavors, enjoying trying them all.

THANKS! for that reminder! I came to this thread because I know this evening will be a struggle and I have wonderful Egyptian Licorice tea on hand. Going to make now :drinker:

msreg08

I have a thing for chips. I buy a small bag once a week (the 25¢ bag) eat the amount of calories a can have then pour water in the bag and trash it. Lol it works for me.
Good luck and be encouraged

irisheyez718

I know that I'm going to have an evening snack and plan it into my day.

PHDork16

Thank you for all the suggestions! I do drink tea but I had no idea there was so much variety out there (licorice, what??). There is virtually no junk food in my home because I know I can't handle chips/cookies/etc., but that still does not stop me from going over my calorie goal with greek yogurt, almonds, the occasional bowl of high fiber cereal... I'm little (5'2") and my "maintenance calories" right now is less than 1600, so creating a deficit doesn't leave much room for error.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Appalachia7

all great advice above. My personal take is that I also tend to overeat when I'm overtired and trying to
keep myself awake. If you are able, go to bed when your child goes to bed. Then make
up the extra time by getting up early before your child. I personally am less 'snacky' in the
morning.

Sunbrooke

Maybe having the same evening snack every night, so that it becomes a ritual and feels right, would help. You could get some really nice loose tea from teavania and a pretty cup, or some dark chocolate and a handful of raw almonds, or a glad of pricey pomegranate juice (if you like it). Something that feels special to you. I have one glass of wine, or a glass of seltzer water over frozen berries. It makes me feel like the day is over to have the same snack every evening.

pandorakick

My approach is two-fold:
1. I save calories to have room for snacks in the evening
2. I keep my hands busy with knitting

It works for me :happy:

mamahannick

Something that has helped me with this recently is having a few hard mint candies in the evenings. It gives me something sweet, occupies my mouth and taste buds, and has helped me avoid binges. The calories you'll get from a few pieces are worth it when you consider the amount you're saving by having them.

thatfitgeek

I am so awful at this! It is why I have gained so much weight! My strategy is, whenever I feel the need to snack (usually starting about 8:30 PM), I drink (more like chug) a 16 oz bottle of water, then do some laundry, look at some fitspo (always helpful!), take a bubble bath, study (I am a student but I doubt that applies to you, maybe you could do some office work or something?), do some sit ups or stretches, doodle, watch TV (normally Netflix because when it is regular TV the commercials always have the best looking food ever!), or just hit the sack extra early (which leaves me feeling revived and rejuvenated in the morning!)

Best of luck!
~Houston

andreyadonna

You really hit a common problem right on the nose! Everyone does something different so it's hard to give advice on things like this. I just try to leave a little extra every day and when I go to eat it. I make sure I measure. Give yourself the correct portion that doesn't go over your calories and don't do anything else. pick up a book, clean something, or just go to bed. Denying yourself completely won't help you. It'll make you binge, but control it.

Andiebeanluvsu

I do this alllllllllll the time!!! A few days ago, I saved an extra 250 calories in the evening and planned a little "mini-meal". Instead of my usual bowl of cereal, followed by fruit, followed by yogurt, followed by cheese, I grabbed a Jimmy Dean D-Lights sandwich for my snack. The warmth and the protein really did it for me, and I wasn't hungry the rest of the night.

alexis831

I do this too which is why I always save about 300 calories or sometimes more at the end of the night. Its my reward for a job well done.

kshadows

I used to do the same exact thing. DH and I could demolish an entire pan of brownies!!

Basically just have to stop doing it. Stop keeping junk in the house, plan a healthy snack. Go to bed. etc.

bkjk997

My biggest success has been when I log my entire day - including evening snacks - before I eat anything in the morning (or even the night before). If I get hungry or just decide to change something, I know I have to play with the whole day to make it work and that might mean giving up an evening snack, or trading it for something with fewer calories.

19TaraLynn84

Help! I do really well with eating all day but go for "just one little snack" and end up destroying my progress for the day, usually after the kiddo (4) is finally in bed around 9. Does anyone else have strategies they use to combat late night munchies??? Thanks!

I do the SAME thing!! After I get my 4 kiddos to bed, I just want to sit and relax. And eat. Being aware of how many calories I'm mindlessly consuming has helped a little bit. But honestly, the only help I have found for myself is to go to bed earlier. Good luck!

PHDork16

Thanks again everyone! And for the record, I went to bed under my calorie goal last night ;-)

RoseTears143

I also plan to have a snack before bed or to have something to munch on when I watch a tv show at night if I have time to. Have something light - popcorn, a piece of fruit, I just got some fiber one 90 calorie snack things...I have the lemon bar one last night and I couldn't believe how good it was! Just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.