Keep blowing it with night time eating!

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ak1113
ak1113 Posts: 12
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
In order for me to lose weight my calories need to be 1200. I do well all day but at night I get bored and I snack, it's nothing too horrible. A little fruit or some air popped popcorn, but I know those extra 200-300 calories are keeping me from losing!

Any suggestions, or anybody who has been there and figured out a way to change it!?:smile:
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Replies

  • paxil71
    paxil71 Posts: 12
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    Hey! I did the same thing; it really sucks! In order to drop those couple pounds, I just left 100 calories for an apple or night time goody. Or I made some tea and read. I also brushed my teeth and distracted myself. You could attempt to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier too!
    PS Are you sure you are consuming enough calories a day? Some people need more than 1200 calories to sustain their internal functions as well as keep themselves alive!
    Hugs!
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
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    Are you sure 1200 cals is what you need to lose? I lose steadily at about 1900. Part of the reason your nighttime cravings are so strong could be that they're not cravings but hunger.
  • pblalock
    pblalock Posts: 1 Member
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    You may want to look at your balance of calories. Fat and protein provide longer-lasting satisfaction. I find when I have a small spoon of peanut butter in the evening, I feel very satiated, and some of my best weigh-ins are the mornings after such a snack. Pair it with celery for satisfying crunch.
  • KameHameHaaaa
    KameHameHaaaa Posts: 837 Member
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    1200 seems low (to me) but everyone is different. I am a night owl/night time eater. That is how I will probably always be due to my insomnia. I've found what helps is eating my dinner later in the day and making sure I have cals leftover for late night snack or small meal.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    leave yourself 200 calories for the end of the night to snack on.
  • amazonosaurus
    amazonosaurus Posts: 1 Member
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    I've struggled with this too. I don't know if I've totally beaten it yet, but here are some things that have helped me curb my night-time snacking.

    - Eating breakfast. I find that on days that I eat breakfast, I have a much easier time controlling food cravings later in the day.

    - Eating a substantial dinner. If I eat a dinner that's slightly higher in calories (I'm talking like... 500, which is a lot when you're eating about 1200 a day) and has a lot of bulk (from vegetables, mainly) then I don't feel as hungry later.

    - Leave 100-200 calories for snacking at the end of the day and plan out what your snack will be/when you'll have it. It's a lot easier to avoid grabbing something impulsively when you know that at 10pm or whatever you're going to have a scoop of frozen yogurt or something. It's also better to have a snack that has some bulk or that takes a while to eat. Popcorn or vegetables are pretty good for this. This is sort of my,"'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy. It still allows me to snack but mitigates the harm done.

    - Go to bed earlier. Seriously. I used to be a total night owl, but now that I've started going to bed earlier (and waking up earlier) I find that I don't have as much time at night to get bored and mindlessly eat. Plus, I usually have more willpower earlier in the day, which means that instead of terrible night eating I end up having a healthy breakfast.

    - Don't have problem foods in the house. I know that I tend to snack on the same things at night, so I just don't have those things in the house. I think night time snacking is mostly about boredom or comfort for me, so I just don't have the foods I used to like to snack on around.

    Anyway, those are a few things that have helped me. I used to have a huge problem with night time eating, and I've mostly eliminated it now using these strategies. Good luck!
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
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    I like to have my snacks at night too so I actually make 8pm one of my "meals" for the day. I skip breakfast, I'm a coffee drinker, I eat 400 cals at lunch, around 500 cals for dinner and then I have 300 cals to play with for snack.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
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    In order for me to lose weight my calories need to be 1200.

    I would definitely rethink this part here. It's not your nighttime snacking that's the problem. It's this.
  • bamagrits15
    bamagrits15 Posts: 131 Member
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    Are you getting enough protein during the day?
  • susanhallberg
    susanhallberg Posts: 9 Member
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    I agree with everything everyone else had said: not enough calories, saving cals for snacks, eating more protein. I would also add planning in advance all of your food for the next day. While having dinner, I log and plan everything I will eat tomorrow so I know exactly what I am going to consume.

    I didn't do that at first and I had a hard time starting to lose, once I did that starting a couple of weeks ago, I have started to loose steadily.
  • baldnavywife
    baldnavywife Posts: 36 Member
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    leave yourself 200 calories for the end of the night to snack on.

    ^^^^this
  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
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    leave yourself 200 calories for the end of the night to snack on.

    Agreed. I cannot stop myself from eating sth in front of the tv at night time. At first, I kept thinking I was naughty :devil: but now I just keep some calories for a late snack in front of the tv. And now that I am allowing myself that late snack, sometimes I just forget to get it! :grumble:
  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
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    - Go to bed earlier. Seriously. I used to be a total night owl, but now that I've started going to bed earlier (and waking up earlier) I find that I don't have as much time at night to get bored and mindlessly eat. Plus, I usually have more willpower earlier in the day, which means that instead of terrible night eating I end up having a healthy breakfast.

    Same here.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    In order for me to lose weight my calories need to be 1200.

    I would definitely rethink this part here. It's not your nighttime snacking that's the problem. It's this.

    This. Your body is trying to tell you something: "I'm starving!!!" I was under-eating for a prolonged period (thanks MFP for those terrific calorie recommendations... NOT, but finally learned to use my own brain) and guess what I got from doing that? Less lean body mass and a slowed metabolism. Under-eating is a FAIL.
  • mrbyte
    mrbyte Posts: 270 Member
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    sugar free jello, decaf tea, decaf coffee are what I use when I want some flavor but no cals.

    But I eat all the way until I go to bed...
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Save calories for the evening and eat less in the morning.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
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    i was going to suggest protein as well. That being said i normally get in enough protein but still struggle at night as well at times. Mine tends to be a stress thing. As well when i eat cleaner i do find that i crave less.

    If i eat more protein early in the day then it does tend to hold back snacking better. Particularly protein powders blended with a cup of strawberries and water - about 150 calories - tends to keep me satisfied.
  • emmietoby
    emmietoby Posts: 171 Member
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    hi, i'm like you -eating at night !! find i'f i save most of my cals have some fruit for breakfast , then a salad and a small meal for lunch .then a light dinner with large salad ( love salads !!) . i do have popcorn every nite with a few energy bars and love that jello is only 20 cals for/cup seems to be working foe me ...i make it and have it every day it's cheaper then buying the pre-made ones..
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    Jello ... those little cups are 5 calories.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    You may want to look at your balance of calories. Fat and protein provide longer-lasting satisfaction. I find when I have a small spoon of peanut butter in the evening, I feel very satiated, and some of my best weigh-ins are the mornings after such a snack. Pair it with celery for satisfying crunch.

    I actually leave room for 1/4 cup of ice cream every night around 9. Tastes good and very satisfying. Sorbet is like 80 calories.

    What I would suggest is to look carefully through your diary and see where your high calorie items are. Can you change them out to something else? For example, I changed bread (150 calories) to wraps (60 calories), went from 16 to 6 oz glasses of milk, and radically reduced my cheese intake. Suddenly I had a lot of calories in my day.

    That an hour long walk after dinner made a 1230 calorie allowance more than tolerable. DO eat your exercise calories back.

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