Changing meals around?

cannonsky

Like many people on this site, I have trouble controlling night time eating. I'll be very good throughout the day and it'll all go to **** at the end... not often, mind you... but I get the compulsive eating urges enough to know that there's a problem. I eat six meals a day (all pre-planned), but I'm wondering if the types of foods I plan for the evening could be contributing to my desire to eat everything in sight. My evening snack is usually an apple with some cheese and then some sort of sweet thing that has a decent amount of carbs... not horrible things... just the least healthy things of my day... I'm curious about the idea of maybe switching around when I eat those types of foods (to earlier in the day) and replacing my night snack with something I would normally eat earlier.. like veggies...or bacon (yay for bacon). Thoughts? Insights?

Diary is open... ignore the week or so of non-logging... family was in town.

*edit to note that my calorie goal is set to a cut of my TDEE....so I don't eat back most of my exercise calories, if any*

cannonsky

bump?

Sidesteal

Like many people on this site, I have trouble controlling night time eating. I'll be very good throughout the day and it'll all go to **** at the end... not often, mind you... but I get the compulsive eating urges enough to know that there's a problem. I eat six meals a day (all pre-planned), but I'm wondering if the types of foods I plan for the evening could be contributing to my desire to eat everything in sight. My evening snack is usually an apple with some cheese and then some sort of sweet thing that has a decent amount of carbs... not horrible things... just the least healthy things of my day... I'm curious about the idea of maybe switching around when I eat those types of foods (to earlier in the day) and replacing my night snack with something I would normally eat earlier.. like veggies...or bacon (yay for bacon). Thoughts? Insights?

Diary is open... ignore the week or so of non-logging... family was in town.

*edit to note that my calorie goal is set to a cut of my TDEE....so I don't eat back most of my exercise calories, if any*

I think you should try it and see.

I also think you should entertain the idea of eating fewer but larger meals to see if that keeps you satisfied longer.

WendyTerry420

Don't worry about what time of day you eat so much as the actual food you eat. If you keep only low-cal, ready-to-eat snacks in the fridge, you should be set.

I have the opposite problem This past week I've had anywhere from 200-300 calories left at the end of the day, but I'm not hungry. It caught up with me this week when I found myself weak and hungry all day yesterday.

cannonsky

I think you should try it and see.

I also think you should entertain the idea of eating fewer but larger meals to see if that keeps you satisfied longer.

I have no clue how that would go for me... I've always been a grazer... I'm worried waiting longer between meals will make me devour them too quickly when I do eat.... but maybe..

Sidesteal

I think you should try it and see.

I also think you should entertain the idea of eating fewer but larger meals to see if that keeps you satisfied longer.

I have no clue how that would go for me... I've always been a grazer... I'm worried waiting longer between meals will make me devour them too quickly when I do eat.... but maybe..

That makes sense. Ultimately, as long as you are eating the same total daily amount of calories and maronutrients it is entirely personal preference how to divide those into your meals, and this goes for both meal size and frequency. You should experiment.

avir8

What if you keep your meals the same but eat them later than normal. Eat breakfast at 11 lunch at 3 then dinner by 9 so you won't be eating extra just later

cannonsky

What if you keep your meals the same but eat them later than normal. Eat breakfast at 11 lunch at 3 then dinner by 9 so you won't be eating extra just later

I sorta do that now... because I work out in the morning and then have a protein shake my "breakfast" is at about noon.. I have a tendency to spread the food out in my meals labeled "snacks" so that I have something every hour... but I'm thinking about maybe eating at the same time so it feels like a full meal