A Habit I Need To Quit

Tennessee2019

I don't know when it started, but I need to find a way to stop it.
I usually climb into bed sometime after 11pm & even at that hour I am not tired - just bored. So I turn on the TV to watch something I have Tivo'd. 20 minutes into watching a show, I start thinking about the things in our pantry or fridge & my brain tells me that I was under my calorie goal today, so it is alright to think about food.
I try to re-focus on the TV show & sometimes even find something else to watch, but then my stomach kicks in with a growl. Now whether this is because I am actually hungry or my brain has completed its inventory & is playing tricks with my stomach, I don't know. But when it comes to the 2 to 1 battle (brain & stomach vs me) I always lose!!!
I end up pausing what is on the TV & heading out to the pantry. I try to find good things (granola bar, veggies) to eat but sometimes my sweet tooth joins the battle & I end up with cookies or crackers. I take these items back to bed, set them down on the nightstand, get back under the covers, roll on my side & start munching. Soon after I have taken the last bite of whatever I snacked on, I start to get sleepy, shut the TV & fall asleep.
The next morning I wake up to find remnants (wrappers, crumbs or carrot tops) of the stuff I ate the night before & get mad at myself for caving in again. I just can't figure out a way to break this habit.
Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

ZugTheMegasaurus

The best advice I can give you is to stop acting like you're a passive observer here. The things that I'm seeing that are problematic are phrases like "But when it comes to the 2 to 1 battle (brain & stomach vs me) I always lose," "sometimes my sweet tooth joins the battle & I end up with cookies or crackers," and "I wake up to find remnants".

None of that is happening. There's no one else involved here. It's just you. You are controlling all of those actions; they do not happen without your consent and efforts. You are not helping yourself by pretending that this mysteriously happens or that you're powerless to these incredible forces.

The first step is taking ownership of your actions. It's not that your body was taken hostage and forced to eat cookies; you decided that you wanted the cookies more than the granola, vegetables, or nothing. You don't have to feel bad or punish yourself, but you need to acknowledge that it was your own conscious choice.

etavi

Don't keep these things in the house! Thats the only thing that works for me.

anubis609

Eat more protein.

PeachyPlum

This sounds exactly like me when I was really stressed and my doctor had me on Ambien to sleep.

Maybe next time you do this, take a photo of the snack mess the next morning, preferably with you in it. Post the photo on the pantry door to remind yourself what you're really doing.

Also, if you want a snack, sit at the table to eat it. I've had to make a no food except in the kitchen rule for myself.

hazelsmrf

I would not eat in bed. Make a new rule, no eating in the bedroom.

Make another new rule: Don't put anything in your mouth until you've logged it in your food journal. If you write it at least you're being accountable for it before it happens.

ninerbuff

I don't know when it started, but I need to find a way to stop it.
I usually climb into bed sometime after 11pm & even at that hour I am not tired - just bored. So I turn on the TV to watch something I have Tivo'd. 20 minutes into watching a show, I start thinking about the things in our pantry or fridge & my brain tells me that I was under my calorie goal today, so it is alright to think about food.
I try to re-focus on the TV show & sometimes even find something else to watch, but then my stomach kicks in with a growl. Now whether this is because I am actually hungry or my brain has completed its inventory & is playing tricks with my stomach, I don't know. But when it comes to the 2 to 1 battle (brain & stomach vs me) I always lose!!!
I end up pausing what is on the TV & heading out to the pantry. I try to find good things (granola bar, veggies) to eat but sometimes my sweet tooth joins the battle & I end up with cookies or crackers. I take these items back to bed, set them down on the nightstand, get back under the covers, roll on my side & start munching. Soon after I have taken the last bite of whatever I snacked on, I start to get sleepy, shut the TV & fall asleep.
The next morning I wake up to find remnants (wrappers, crumbs or carrot tops) of the stuff I ate the night before & get mad at myself for caving in again. I just can't figure out a way to break this habit.
Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

I do this every night! (Although I don't eat in bed, but downstairs in the living room). This is why I'm not hungry in the morning and skip breakfast. You just have to find a way to account for those calories daily. I eat bell peppers, turkey slices, cereal etc. and have been doing it for the past several years this way.
It doable, you just have to account for it.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ElizabethRoad

I start thinking about the things in our pantry or fridge & my brain tells me that I was under my calorie goal today, so it is alright to think about food.
I try to re-focus on the TV show & sometimes even find something else to watch, but then my stomach kicks in with a growl.

If you are under your calorie goal it is ok to eat. If your stomach is growling it sounds like you are actually hungry. I would get out of bed and eat something. Just don't eat it in bed... sit down at the table and pay attention to what you're eating.

But when it comes to the 2 to 1 battle (brain & stomach vs me) I always lose!!!

Who are you exactly? Don't act like your brain is a separate entity.

vim_n_vigor

I looked at your diary, get some fruits, veggies, lean proteins and you will feel much better and satisfied. I would feel like I was starving with what you eat. You have a lot of calories but very little nutrients.

tig_ol_bitties

If you don't have junk in the house, you can't eat it. Problem solved!