late night sabotage HELP

Jess21684

I have been snacking so bad late at night when im up watching my tv shows. Its really been a huge problem for me and i need to move on from this cause its really holding me back. I feel like i try so hard to avoid and overcome this pesky temptations and nothing i do seems to work cause i end up back at the same place HELPPPPP Staying up late is just my nature so if you tell me well go to bed, i know it wont happen my work schedule is goofy and i dont get home till almost 10 and am up a majority of the night/ early morning and i sleep in. I know i could try changing this but right now i just know i wont so what do you guys do to distract yourself from snacking?!? I will take all suggestions and literally try every single thing you guys do cause at this point im so desperate to find a stradegy that will work for me in dealing w snacking.

stucross1987

buy 1 set of "treats" and the rest fruit therefore if you want a snack its a healthy one?

musicgirl99

This isn't the best advice so I apologize in advance, but I have the same problem so I usually make myself either a decaf cup of coffee (if you like coffee) or tea with lemon and honey and sip while I watch tv. It keeps the hands and mouth busy and usually fills me up enough so that I don't really want to snack. It's also lower in calories than snack food.

amehrkens

The worst time to snack is in front of the TV. Most of the time we have no idea how much we are eating as we blindly do it. If you know you are going to stay up late and you know you are going to snack while watching tv the first thing I would suggest is to make sure you only have healthy snacks on hand, get rid of the unhealthy stuff, then I would suggest to portion them out little tupperware container or snack baggies and only put the alloted amount in the container that way you have a stopping point. My last suggestion is that if you know you are going to snack...leave yourself the calories. I milk cows in the evening and I know when I get in the house after chores I am going to want a dish of frozen yougurt, I be sure to leave some unused calories for that. Good luck! You are headed in the right direction.....the first step is admitting your faults! Good luck!

Vicky14174

Find healthy snacks such as carrots, celery sticks and drink lots of water so that you feel full. I have the same problem so I"ve found over sources of snacks.

stucross1987

I know its not the best but im similar however i just make a protein shake as they fill me up so i dnt feel like eating.

melissaehrlich

try a penut butter and bannana shake. It is really filling. I try to leave enough calories for myself after dinner bc thats the time I am most likely to snack. Either 1 or 2 Tbsp of PB and 1 cup of low fat or non fat milk with a bannana

jrueckert

Get better snacks!! I love fruit so that works for me, but there's always better things you can snack on that won't ruin your calorie count. Here is a really good recipe for fruit dip that might make fruit better to eat:

1 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Brown Sugar
1 t. Vanilla

Mix the three ingredients together, then refrigerate 1-2 hours to let the flavors blend. So good!!

P.S. this dip is only 67 calories per serving!

frogtox

File another one in the "works for me" column: I drink a big glass of fiber supplement and brush my teeth. The minty flavor of the toothpaste reminds me that if I eat I'll just have to brush again. : )

kmm7309

I keep water (especially flavored water) close me me for snack time. I try to always drink a whole bottle of water before I put anything to my lips. Also, a rigorous exercise a few minutes before your snacking will help pull up your metabolism to *help* counteract the effects (I starred the word help because it's important to remember that you still can't binge just because you worked out!)

kfarnham9

Oooh I have this problem too. Haha this will probably sound weird but.. I get 10 carrots (1 serving). There is this cylinder looking hard part in the middle of the carrot. I try to eat around it and save all of the cylinder thingys. Then I eat them really slow. It takes me about an hour to do it all. By that time, my show is off and I go to bed. Eating that slow makes me feel fuller than eating them all at one time.

Lula16

try snacking on dry roasted almonds (unsalted). i snack on them during the day and they fill me up!

Kendyl10

I normally keep a pack of gum. 5 calories a stick... when I get the urge to snack, I pop a stick of gum... then I am chewing on something, and most of the time, if it is minty gum, you don't want anything else afterward because it will just taste funny

unckat09

I have started separating all of my healthy snacks into individual ziplock baggies. So, when my shows come on (Mondays and Thursdays are HUGE for me) I grab my snack and some water. Once its gone, its gone. I know I am still in my daily calories, because I have rationed out my portions.

Also, I have memorized a 10-12 minute routine from Windsor cardio pilates. I often do the pilates routine on the floor while I watch tv. You can't snack and do military crunches at the same time :laugh:

K3LLYSU3

Late night snacking is so hard to overcome!! I think alot of us struggle with it. I buy single servings of things so I do not mindlessly munch out of a bag. I exercise a couple hours after dinner & then I feel like I shouldnt eat after working out & defeating the purpose. I wish you the best & if you figure the cure let me know...Kelly

Kminor67

If you KNOW you're going to do it, and you can't seem to break the habit... why not save some calories for it? Keep some 100 calorie packs on hand ), or some fruit for when you're craving something sweet. My favorite snack foods are Microwave popcorn 100 calorie packs, Edy's fruit bars, Frozen berries, and reduced fat string cheese. Also, you could invest in a hot air popcorn popper. Then just make sure that you save yourself some calories for the end of the day... even if that means increasing your workouts.

leneusa

What works for me is flossing, brushing and Listerine after dinner - I am way to lazy to mess up all that work by snacking and having to do it over. )

PeachyKeene

I know you said you are watching TV, but cleaning really helps me. If I want to snack I will focus my energy and all on a project like cleaning out a junk drawer or cabinet. It is a great way to get things done around the house and boy my house has never been so clean and organized. So maybe you could clean while you watch TV.

unckat09

Get better snacks!! I love fruit so that works for me, but there's always better things you can snack on that won't ruin your calorie count. Here is a really good recipe for fruit dip that might make fruit better to eat:

1 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Brown Sugar
1 t. Vanilla

Mix the three ingredients together, then refrigerate 1-2 hours to let the flavors blend. So good!!

P.S. this dip is only 67 calories per serving!

Um... this sounds amazing! I'm going to make this for Vampire Diaries on Thursday!

hungrymarathongirl

I was just emailed a great article on late night snacking. There are some other great weight loss/management articles on this site as well. Hope you find this helpful.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/that-nighttime-snack.aspx?xid=nl_MyCalorieCounter_v2_20110208

Mayzie79

i'm a big late night snacker too. these are some of the things i do:

- frozen blueberries - they are great for popping in the mouth, but also keep you a little occupied while chewing because they are frozen

-pre-cut some veggies, red peppers, carrots, etc.

-i have an air popper for popcorn. i use that as you don't add extra calories with the oil. the key here is that they make all these popcorn flavorings now - which are awesome. i have a few different flavors to meet the different needs i feel. caramel, white cheddar, chili lime. and if you get the popcorn spritzer spray, it has no cals and helps the flavoring stick.

doutri2

First of all, you may be snacking because you are actually hungry, especially if you just done working.

Healthy snacks are the way to go. My late night snacks would be:
1. a bowl of cereal (Special K chocolate delight),
2. some air-popped popcorn or lite microwave, or
3. an apple pieces with a peanut butter or sunbutter schmear.

Along with a big glass of water.

Jess21684

thanks guys im goin to try all of ur suggestions! i try to have extra calories for late at night but once i start snacking, i feel like i just keep goin i also am aware that i dont eat enuff thru out the day. a bulk of my cals start from dinner and after and at that point i start binging on everything and anything a huge problem i am finding i tend to do and have a hard time turning it around. the advice does help a ton tho and knowing im def not the only grl struggling w snacking

kfarnham9

When I first started working out I was eating a little in the morning and then more and more and most of my calories were for dinner. Once I reversed this, I feel better, I don't snack during the day on bad things and my weight loss has gotten a lot easier. It was hard to switch it around but I like waking up and eating a big breakfast.