PIGGING OUT IN THE EVENINGS.. Help!

tandrew83

I have had evening binges before and I feel miserable after!! So, after I eat dinner now, I put any leftovers away and clean up the kitchen so there is nothing tempting me. Then I try to get busy - take the dog for a walk, go for a bike ride, go shopping, get on the internet and find anything motivational that will deter me from wanting to pig out. And if I absolutely cannot stop myself, I try to go for stuff that won't kill my hard work, like jell-o with a shot of Redi-Whip, or low/fat free popcorn, a giant bowl of fruit, frozen yogurt, or a piece of cheese. Or a big glass of water or iced tea. Any kind of melons are really filling too.

I don't know what causes the desire to binge, could be a sugar withdrawal or a carb withdrawal. Could be dehydration. Could be boredom. Or it could just be an old habit that is proving really hard to break. But I do know they suck and if I keep my mind focused on something besides food, it helps.

vyvrhovat

Since you have more problems at night, I would suggest eating very light during the day and saving more of your calories for at night. Obviously, you can't eat 3k cals at night, but eating a 1000 calorie meal at night is pretty satisfying.

I tried this, too. Sometimes I manage to stay under on my calories this way, but I NEVER lose the next day and I also feel like I got hit by a truck in the morning.

SJT75

I'm just the same! really need to take some of this advice too....good luck with beating the binge!

Twasney

Get the junk out of the house! If its not there, ya can't eat it.

INSANELY untrue. I only ever have healthy food in my house, for that exact reason. But if I want it, I find it. I will literally throw clothes on and drive out to get fast food or go to the 7-11 and get all kinds of terrible ****. Just not having it in the house isn't enough, even though I desperately wish it was. My job is very physical, a lot of running around and standing all day, and then I go to the gym afterward too. So when I get home, I am completely exhausted. I tried to go for walks or make my boyfriend just leave the house with me, but we are always both so tired that it never happens.

Thats a totally different scenario then. I would make sure you are eating lots of little meals and have some protein and fibre before your binging time (i don't know if you eat dinner at home or if this is all after like 9 pm.)

Try to eat lighter calorie meals during the day and maybe save up calories for some bulkier stuff later, like keeping cut up chicken in the fridge??

AlsDonkBoxSquat

My day:

6:30 AM 200 - 250 calorie Breakfast
10 AM 100 - 150 calorie snack
12 PM 300 - 350 calorie lunch
2 PM 100 - 150 calorie snack
7:30 - 8 PM dinner based on calorie consumption through the day
9:30 PM snack what ever is left over (and I always make sure there is something left over)

if I stay up past 10 PM I binge, otherwise this seems to stave off that desire to binge. Also, when I don't work out in the evenings I eat around 6. Most of the literature that I've read said that when you eat versus when you sleep isn't as important as when you're eating in relation to your workouts.

HighRearGisele

Just saw where you said getting it out of the house doesn't work. Sounds like carrots or other snacks might be more helpful. Also, since you are working and so active all the time, you might just need all those cals, and your body is craving them. Maybe just try to focus on making sure to eat healthy stuff, and doing the tooth brush and in bed plan.

Twasney

another thought....what if you didnt drive to get crap...if you want it that bad would you walk to it?

For example thats what I did last night when I got the lentil chips, I had to get my sorry but up and walk all the way to and from the store! Wasted some time, burned some more calories and I was tired so I had a small snack and a big water and ended up going to bed sooner than I would have if I had just stayed home and binged!!

Just a thought, and if the cravings are super super bad, you might want to talk to someone about it. You could be eating for other reasons and you just need to work through something.

tandrew83

My job is very physical, a lot of running around and standing all day, and then I go to the gym afterward too. So when I get home, I am completely exhausted.

Sounds like you may need more protein throughout the day. Try eating smaller meals more often and get protein into each meal. Peanut butter, nuts, certain yogurts all have good protein in addition to meats and cheeses. Protein shakes and chocolate milk are good to drink immediately after your workout and satisfying.

lucythinmint

This Post!

OMG, I have been having the worst trouble with this same issue. I am a night owl and stay up until 12m almost every night. I get up in the morning and run 5 miles and do a fabulous job at eating healthy all day and then around 7-8pm I am hitting the kitchen to eat.
Three nights ago I hate 6 homemade smores.......who does that?! I know that if I could stop the evening eating I would actually start to loose the last bit of weight but it is like I have no control over what I am doing when I am in the "eat mode".

I have started to taking an evening bike ride to help with the boredom but that seems to make me even more hungry......

Good to know that I am not the only one struggling with this problem.

agent300

if you are frequently driving and going to get a bunch of ****ty food, then this is clearly a mental thing. this isnt an issue of not enough protein of whatever. maybe you could write down all the reasons why you want to lose weight and hang it up in a visible place.

skinnyminnie

I know why I do it!
It's because of this rosy picture in my head of me munching on pizza and ice cream, curled up next to my husband on the couch and watching tv reruns from Netflix! I absolutely love doing that. It's kind of like a rebellion against being forced to cope with work, cardio, light eating, stress, etc.
It's totally a mental thing for me - many times I'm not even really that hungry, but I just want that perfect, sweet moment that I've looked forward to all day to last for a bit longer...
The thing is though - the moment DOESN'T last for me. Eventually, I'm too full to eat anymore, I've undone all of my hard work, my hsuband's undone all of his hard work, my tummy feel gross, I've usually wasted the whole evening and now I'm starting to get that feeling of dread from being totally unprepared for the next day. And in the morning, I feel like I got run over by a truck.
So here's what I'm going to try - purposely having a good, healthy dinner - but not a fantastic dinner - until I've proven that I can handle the yummy goodness. That's Step 1 for me. Then Step 2, if I need a warm, happy feeling in the evenings after I've had my dinner, drink hot tea instead! And then, Step 3, I loved the suggestion above about just going to bed if I can't control myself. Very, very good suggestion.

vyvrhovat

someone pm'd me about some meditation ideas, I'm also going to get a buttload of celery and carrots to try that too! I'll look into the skinny cow stuff, and I'll definitely leave notes ALL over my kitchen to encourage me not to overeat. AND MY DOOR, so maybe I wont want to go out and get something so badly! the idea about walking to it is perfect, actually, since a lot of the places are really close to me. I'm going to try to do that too. if I absolutely CANNOT resist, I'll make myself walk to get them. that'll definitely be discouraging, since I'm always pooped. haha. I'd love to go for bike rides but it is so hot here at nights right now that I reeeeally don't even want to go outside once I get home, but I will probably just have to get over this.

thanks for all the tips, everybody. it was really helpful! we'll see if I can make any of this work for me. here's to hoping, because I'd be pretty pissed off if I ate back every single pound I've lost since january. haha.

fitwatch

this might be a crazy idea. rather than eat dinner, eat a small snack and go to bed early. you will wake up early too but you won't feel like you are eating to make up for a lost meal rather you will just breakfast again.