Help please! Nervous nibbling is killing all my hard work!

aat3877

Hi everyone, I need some suggestions on how to deal with nervous nibbling. I do pretty well during the day, because I am busy but at night, it is a different story. Need to redirect my nervous energy somehow. Thanks!

poodlelaise

Can you plan some of your calories for the evening? That way it wouldn't be hurting anything. The only other thing I can think of would be to mix up your evening routine. Do your grocery shopping, or laundry or some other busy work during the time of evening when you like to snack.

robert65ferguson

Have you thought about putting high carb stuff out of sight and making up a bowl of healthy munchies eg chopped raw veg to help wean you off the habit.

Sharonks

celery and cucumbers are great night munchies with a bit of yogurt dip or if you have the cals some hummus. I try to save a few cals so I can have some low carb ice cream or a piece of chocolate at night. I also tend to stay pretty busy up until about 9 pm. Then I brush my teeth and watch tv for a little bit then go to sleep. Brushing my teeth signals my body its time to stop eating and I only drink water after that.

ldg323

This may sound silly, but what about trying to do something other than eat with your hands. Maybe enbroidery or something like that?

Crochetluvr

I spend time here...but crocheting keeps my hands occupied, too.

I also plan evening snacks. Sometimes I need them, sometimes I don't. But I fit them into the numbers just in case.

nill4me

What is it that you are nervous about, or do you just have excess energy to burn?

I find find that if i get up early enough, i have pretty much expended all my energy by 9pm, which is about bedtime for me. I get up at 430 am daily to workout for 30-45 minutes...so that is when my day starts (during the work week anyways - i cut myself some slack on the weekends).

Perhaps, as another poster suggested, finding an alternative occupation for your hands/mouth would help, as it almost sounds like you have a habit you are trying to break? Substituting good calories for bad is a start, but is just that...a substitution, and doesn't really do much to dispell the urge to put hand to mouth...

Maybe working in some light exercise would help dispell some of that energy, or the nervous part....either would be good i would think.

A light walk after work or dinner to clear your mind?
Play a game on the Wii? Yoga?
clean out a closet - not quite as fun as the Wii, but productive none the less.
Phone a friend or relative?
Take up a fun new hobby such as scrapbooking, or jewelry-making (you can reap the benefits of these yourself, or knock out christmas!)?
Venture out to the library?
Give yourself a manicure?

I have also found that adding Melatonin to my nightly regimen has greatly benefitted my ability to sleep continuously through the night....not so many wakeups. This means i'm more well-rested, and better able to tackle my day, so i dont feel so "uptight" and on edge all the time.

aat3877

Thanks everyone! You gave me some good ideas. Yes, I am trying to break the habit of late night snacking. I am nervous because my 20 year-old daughter is having a baby. She isn't married, has little education and no job. At least her boyfriend is still around and being very supportive. Little one should be here in about a week.