Late Night Cravings... (BAD)

frenzytime517

About half of the time I do eat breakfast and the other I skip. That's not a problem for me. My lunch is normal and so is my dinner. I want to limit my snaking to twice a day, but after dinner is when the snack cravings start... How do I prevent this? Anyone have any suggestions?

tinabatinaflc

my only suggestion to that problem is define what you want - savory or sweet - and find something that is lowish in calories that you can still have. the alternative to something lowish in calories is to save some cals for whatever you REALLY want. also, chug a glass or two of water before and after dinner.

what types of things are you snacking on?

frenzytime517

The glass of water before and after dinner does sound like it might work. I'll try that, Thank you.

As far as my snacking goes... It's usually something low in calories/carbs or sugar free.

What do you do about controlling your snacking?

tinabatinaflc

i plan for it. i KNOW that i'm going to want to eat something after dinner, so i make my best guess as to what that will be..usually its something i've been craving all day, like buffalo wing pretzels or gummy bears or something terrible like that. if you save some calories at each meal, even just 50 or 75, you'll have enough to eat something real - not some gross low calorie/not good enough fake out.

i dont know if you are the same way, but i find that i could eat low cal/low carb crap all night long and NEVER feel satisfied...so you have to eat what you crave and make it count. along with the water, if you LOAD UP on salad and veggies (especially raw) at dinner, you'll also be more full and less likely to down the entire bag of hot buffalo wing pretzels portion out an amount that suits your calorie needs and enjoy it. does that help?

Sarah0866

Eat a high protein dinner with a lot of veggies for low density and high volume to keep you feeling full, and if you still wanna snack, I typically snack on berries or sunflower seeds pending on whether I'm craving salty or sweet..sunflower seeds take a while to shell so it takes longer to eat them and I don't consume as many calories (plus they're healthy fat), and berries satisfy my sweet tooth without setting me off track

frenzytime517

@anastarrr

I do need to set certain things I'm gonna wanna have as a snack. Maybe if I'm hungry and have already had my treats, I can down a glass of water to fill me up. Thanks again for your help.

imogenjade

options hot chocolate!!!

caraiselite

eat dinner late, or break it into 2 meals.
exercise so you can eat more
go to bed earlier

frenzytime517

@Sarah0866

Sometimes I don't have enough veggies in my meals. I better add more to each of them. I was thinking sunflower seeds were bad you you... They are one of my favorites, maybe I'll try that. Unsalted nuts are high in protein. I'll have to pick some up when I get food stamps on the 15th.

pinballwizzo

I've had this problem a lot too, and for me it's just a mouth fixation. Not really being hungry at all, but wanting to eat.
I try to find something to satisfy that, like chewing gum or having a mint.

SaraBrown12

My suggestion is eat loadsa protien in your evening meal to prevent later hunger. If your still on a munchie then glug some water. If your still peckish then i would try a merangue maybe for sweet or rivitas for savoury as they are both pretty low calorie in small doses.

placeboaddiction

I'm a sleep eater. I've started to introduce a bowl of cereal with milk before I go to bed. It's helped drastically. 300(over estimate) calories well worth it.

frenzytime517

@caraiselite

I can't go to bed early. I have a son to take care of.

frenzytime517

@pinballwizzo

That's an interesting idea... Thank you.

Automofo

I have this same problem and what I've found is eat a plain yam or even a potato by microwave or steaming it. Nothing on it. A stivia soda also helps me with the sweet cravings. Another one is eat a bowl of sprouted wheat cereal with unsweeten soy mik like ezekiel brand with westsoy. Full of protein with little fat and sugar. 300 total cals too. Best of luck

vvanm

My favorite appetite killer is flavored decaf coffee with 1 tsp sugar and 1/3 cup of Almond milk, or 1% milk. Organic Cinnamon Hazelnut Creme is my choice.

frenzytime517

@placeboaddict

I'm usually only hungry for snacks between dinner and bed time. I don't have a problem during the night, but thank you.

frenzytime517

@Automofo

I might try that cereal.

tibeck01

After supperr, before bed is when I get cravings a lot too. I have heard that eating after a certain time is bad, but I don't know if that is true or not. Save some calories for a snack at that time...and I have found that when I do my daily workout late in the evening after supper my food cravings go away and all I want is water.

pinballwizzo

*I'm going to elaborate on that point, I feel like I didn't say much about it.

It's kind of how smokers use gum to quit smoking, because its an oral fixation problem (as well as nicotine). I just found that I liked snacking, not for the actual eating to fill up part, but for the action. That's why the gum and mints help.
Hunger snacking might be reduced by drinking two glasses of water at each meal, and rounding out how filling each meal is. (big breakfast, small lunch and a large dinner always makes me want after dinner snacks. I don't know why, it is just something I've noticed. So med breakfast, med lunch, med dinner work really well.) A warm drink, such as coffee or tea and help with feeling full. So can lemon water.

I hope this helps, and that you can reach your goal successfully! : )

frenzytime517

@vvanm

I was never much for coffee.

ToughTulip

eat dinner late, or break it into 2 meals.
exercise so you can eat more
go to bed earlier

I like these ^^

ToughTulip

Are you actually hungry, or is it like a bored eating?

frenzytime517

@tibeck01

I've heard about not eating after a certain time is bad too. I think there is some truth to that. I think your metabolism slows down at night, but I might be wrong.

Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt

If I start getting late night munchies, first I stop to think if I'm actually physically hungry, or if it's just restlessness/stress/winding down from a long day making me think of food. If it's the latter, I figure out some way to relieve stress that's NOT eating - talking to the hubby, journaling, cleaning something, etc. If it's actual hunger, I might have a glass of 1% milk to calm that hunger down, and leave it at that. If I'm STILL hungry and it's getting too hard to resist, I make myself go to bed earlier to keep myself from blowing it. Yeah, that cuts into my free time (since the wee hours of the night are the only time I get anything done), but it works.

ToughTulip

@tibeck01

I've heard about not eating after a certain time is bad too. I think there is some truth to that. I think your metabolism slows down at night, but I might be wrong.

This is a big myth actually! Meal timing is irrelevant. I eat a ton before bed

emnk5308

Brush your teeth REALLY good! Rinse with really strong mouthwash too. You wont wanna eat anything after that I have this problem too.. It sucks because you don't crave healthy stuff at night..

frenzytime517

@pinballwizzo

Well, I do enjoy gum (fav. Spire Mint). Is lemon water any good?

frenzytime517

@SergeantSunsh

...I think it's more bored eating...

graelwyn

If it is actual hunger, and it usually is, I have some fruit, such as a pear, apple, apricots, and a tub of cottage cheese before bed, as I am one of those people who will not be able to sleep if she is hungry., I have that snack every single night before bed actually. It is part of my routine and has caused no issues.

If it is boredom, take up some cross stitch or something that will keep your hands busy, or get involved in something online, like this forum or second life or somesuch to divert your attention from food.

frenzytime517

@Drop_it_Like_

You're right, I do need to think about weather I'm actually hungry or just bored more often.