Not attacking the fridge, How do you do it?

caterpillardreams

Ok So tonight for the 1st time in a while, I did not snack on anything. I ate my dinner had a small dessert and no late night munchies.
every single night I am so so hungry, I eat enough throughout the day, but once I'm sitting down I want to just chow down. I know its not hunger cause I could eat even after I am stuffed.
So tonight I drank a full glass of water then later on had a hot tea.
What do u do?
Or do u have any good late night snacks that are not gonna sabotage my hard work.
Thank you all.
I feel like the hungriest person alive sometimes. I am the cookie monster/

Elen_Sia

I've not had the munchies in a long, long time and I just realized this after seeing your post. It's most likely because my evenings are pretty hectic most of the time so I don't plop down on the couch much. I also spend a lot of time during the weekends and an evening or two during the week preparing my meals in advance. And I go to bed pretty early every night because I like getting into work hours before everyone else does.

If you have calories to spare for the day, you should not feel guilty about having a snack. Maybe a cup of plain low-fat yogurt with a quarter cup of nuts and tsp of honey? A couple of hard-boiled eggs? A slice of low-cal/low-sodium cheese (e.g. Swiss) on a piece of crispbread? Wash it down with a cup of hot peppermint tea.

oker673

At my apartment, I have to squeeze and suck in my gut to open my fridge. It helps! LOL. There are some better options, like if you go for a normal sized candy, there are minis of them normally. There is also string cheese and those 100 calorie packs which I have used as a snack. Making sure you get your recommended amount of water is the best thing you can do. I make sure to drink a lot of water and I have had no cravings yet.

Vansy

You've trained yourself to snack/munch at night....so do the same thing in opposite. Train yourself to NOT eat at night while witting around watching TV. After a week or two it won't even take any effort to not sit around and eat snacks at night.

Lyssa62

I grab a handful of grapes before I head to bed..and munch on them while I do a couple laps up and down my stairs before heading to the bedroom. That keeps me happy all night while I sleep I have fallen in love with grapes and don't feel guilty about taking 4- 10 of them at a time. I do log them all ..but would much rather be logging them than the paper plate of chips I used to eat.

chinakat72

Don't keep tempting stuff in the fridge! I know, easier said than done, especially if you don't live alone. But seriously, get rid of as much as you can, just don't have it around. Then stock up on stuff you can feel good about. I know it doesn't always sound as good as a bag of chips, but a crunchy apple can be satisfying. Fat free microwave popcorn, low fat yogurt, carrots and low cal dip, etc.

I also like to set a cut off time when I stop eating for the day. I started with a late time, 9pm and slowly moved it up. Now it's 7pm. I would enter all my stuff on MFP and then "close" the day so I wouldn't be tempted to eat anything I had to add to my food journal. Another thing is keep your mind and hands busy. Crossword puzzles, knitting, putting together puzzles. Keeps your mind off the food. Good luck!!

kiltiemacbagpipes6

I'm a munchy kind of guy. And I love chips. A lot. The only thing that keeps me sane before I go to bed is drinking obscene amounts of water. I mean, like between a half gallon and a gallon (over several hours).

As an added bonus, it's a serious deterrent to hitting the snooze button in the morning!

ftellstrom

i dont keep any snacky stuff in the house. SO i just stand in the kitchen and gripe cuz i have the munchies, and drink a glass of water or hot tea or some coffee...its slowly getting easier

Spanaval

My eating pattern is shifted. I like to eat at night, so I do. Most days, I don't start eating until after noon, and there are plenty of calories left over at the end of the day for snacking.

MoreBean13

1) Eat enough calories of a well-balanced diet of nutritious foods
2) Allow yourself treats occasionally so you don't feel deprived
3) If you know you're going to attack the fridge- stock snacks that won't blow out your macros and plan for the calories to do it. Eating late won't make any difference if the calories and macros fit in to your plan.

LittleMissDover

I like to have a snack between 8 and 10pm most nights as I eat dinner with the children at 5pm so I'm hungry by then so I make sure I save enough calories to do so and don't beat myself up about it.

SweetCheekszx0

I don't put bad things in it lol.. I can have whatever I want from my fridge lol.. And I dnt believe in not eating after a certain time I eat when I'm hungry ❤

PapaDunx

I'm a munchy kind of guy. And I love chips. A lot. The only thing that keeps me sane before I go to bed is drinking obscene amounts of water. I mean, like between a half gallon and a gallon (over several hours).

As an added bonus, it's a serious deterrent to hitting the snooze button in the morning!

Bloody hell!!! I'd pee like a racehorse!!

tonkrz

I consistently have a bedtime snack--usually about a quarter of a serving of almonds or other nuts, maybe some cheese. For my body, I've found the best results by making my bedtime snack really small and consisting of mostly protein and fat. It doesn't take much at that time to keep me from getting hungry during my sleep time.

I also eat five times a day, though, usually 2.75 to 3.25 hours apart. That's close enough that I don't get ravenously hungry. My final meal of the day is usually about 2.5 hours before bedtime, then I have that bedtime snack.

Like SweetCheekszx said, I don't tell myself I can't eat after a certain time, and the only foods in my kitchen are foods I've determined are okay to eat.

After a couple weeks of that, I didn't even want any of my former late snacks.

ang3h

You might need to rehaul your eating habits.

I used to be a grazer.. I rarely ate an actual meal, I would just snack throughout the day. I recently realized that I was allowing myself to binge by not having structured meals.. now I'm actually cooking myself meals three times a day and I haven't had the urge to binge. I'm still in the kitchen and handling food, just not shoving it all in my mouth.. and what I do shove in my mouth is something filling and home-cooked and I'm generally tired from cooking and don't feel like going back into the kitchen to continue snacking.

Perhaps try it, it might work for you

Oh and another thing... I force myself to take a sip of water between every bite I take, whether it be a meal or a snack. It helps prolong the eating experience and fills me up.

genefabes

three things have always worked for me:

1. if it will tempt me that bad I don't keep it in the house. and let's face it: if I'm dying for chubby hubby icecream and all that's in the fridge is chicken and broccoli, I'm just going to pass and get over it. and I'd rather go OUT once a week for a designated treat and be done with it have it in my house.
2. replace the craving with action. get a hobby. go for a walk.
3. I adopted the "kitchen is closed" rule my mom always enforced as a kid. dinner is done, the kitchen is spotless, lights out, shut down. I even fill up my water bottle for the last time so I generally don't have to go back in there at all.

darrensurrey

I eat enough throughout the day, but once I'm sitting down I want to just chow down. I know its not hunger cause I could eat even after I am stuffed.

Couple of things:
1) Always save a couple of hundred calories to eat in the evening if you know you're going to get like this.
2) Ration yourself so you don't sit there stuffing your face like there's no tomorrow for the first 5 minutes then crave other stuff.
3) You're bored in the evenings. Stop watching crap on TV. If it isn't crap, you wouldn't find it boring and thus want to stuff your face with food!

flynnfinn

i am a snacker. i actually pre-plan my days. first, i enter my snacks AND THEN i enter my meals. but my snacks are always good snacks...like yogurt mixed with ricotta and peanut butter...or wasa fiber bread with cottage cheese. almost always, the calories from my snacks make up almost half of my calories for the day.

i also have trained myself to think that once i hit the buttom on MFP's site that says "complete food entry for the day", that's it. kitchen is closed, food is off limits. it's a mental thing and it works for me.

Killing_Perfection

One piece of 85% or 99% dark chocolate does wonders to satisfy if it's absolutel necessary.

Other than that I actually just plan my snacks. If I feel like I need something sweet today, I spend the day watching what I can eat and what not to be within my calories and macros.

Sometimes I just shrug and eat an apple, calories or not. It's healthy and just 100 kcal, so why the hell not.

And other than that: Bubblegum.

darrensurrey

Oh, be interesting to see your diary and calorie goals...

jesspi68

I have to eat within an hour or so of going to sleep or I end up feeling like I am going to pass out when I wake up.

debslily

the water and tea are an awesome idea. I chew on a few almonds or sunflower kernels. good fat and nuts are supposed to help feel full.

caterpillardreams

I eat enough throughout the day, but once I'm sitting down I want to just chow down. I know its not hunger cause I could eat even after I am stuffed.

Couple of things:
1) Always save a couple of hundred calories to eat in the evening if you know you're going to get like this.
2) Ration yourself so you don't sit there stuffing your face like there's no tomorrow for the first 5 minutes then crave other stuff.
3) You're bored in the evenings. Stop watching crap on TV. If it isn't crap, you wouldn't find it boring and thus want to stuff your face with food!

I will try saving some calories.

Honestly I have very little bad snacks maybe once every couple of weeks we may have some chips. I just like to eat food.

I usually stay up late with hubby because that is our only alone time while the kids are asleep, I can not give that up, we need that time alone. Like I said I invest in tea and that helps, its just in my mind I I think of food more often then my husband does. even if I dont touch the stuff.

Someone also mentioned that they dont start eating till later on in the day, and that may be why I want to eat late, I will just make sure to make the same good choices at night that I do throughout the day.

Thank you all for your advice, very helpful.

bulbadoof

I have a small portion of whatever "snack" it is I want and a glass of water.

One cookie, glass of water.
Five potato chips, glass of water.
Quarter cup of ice cream, glass of water.
Two or three pieces of candy, glass of water.
One or two squares of a chocolate bar, glass of water.

Not only do I appreciate whatever it is I'm eating more, I don't feel like I'm depriving myself and I usually satisfy whatever craving I have in a few bites anyway. The glass of water helps me to feel fuller, so I don't want to keep eating after that.

If I don't want anything specific and I just want my mouth busy, I munch on celery, carrots, etc. Celery has like, 5 calories for a big stalk.

darrensurrey

I eat enough throughout the day, but once I'm sitting down I want to just chow down. I know its not hunger cause I could eat even after I am stuffed.

Couple of things:
1) Always save a couple of hundred calories to eat in the evening if you know you're going to get like this.
2) Ration yourself so you don't sit there stuffing your face like there's no tomorrow for the first 5 minutes then crave other stuff.
3) You're bored in the evenings. Stop watching crap on TV. If it isn't crap, you wouldn't find it boring and thus want to stuff your face with food!

I will try saving some calories.

Honestly I have very little bad snacks maybe once every couple of weeks we may have some chips. I just like to eat food.

I usually stay up late with hubby because that is our only alone time while the kids are asleep, I can not give that up, we need that time alone. Like I said I invest in tea and that helps, its just in my mind I I think of food more often then my husband does. even if I dont touch the stuff.

Someone also mentioned that they dont start eating till later on in the day, and that may be why I want to eat late, I will just make sure to make the same good choices at night that I do throughout the day.

Thank you all for your advice, very helpful.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't have this time but if you fill it with something else eg a hobby you can both do together, you'll find the time spent is quality time and it will fly by so you don't even think of snacking. :-)

BrianSharpe

Plan your daily intake to allow for a healthy evening snack? ( a piece of fruit maybe)

neetneetneets

oh gosh, I'm exactly the same! I go to the kitchen and cut off a small piece of bread, a little biscuit from the pantry, some cereal, before I even realise that I DON'T need to eat it. Then I eat it and regret it. But all those suggestions are really really good! It's comforting to know I'm not the only one like that.

When I have it, I chew on sugar free chewing gum - because pretty much nothing mixes well with a minty flavour! I also typed up a sticky on my desktop and I write on it 'yes' or 'no' for the days when I ate 'responsibly'. I'm going to grade myself each month for how many days I ate 'responsibly' (I don't actually have a definition of 'responsibly', aside from it meaning mindful, healthy eating). Dude, if there were a 'snackers/grazers anonymous' I'd be in it. I swear it's the snacking that's preventing me from losing as much weight as I could.

clarkindee

You've trained yourself to snack/munch at night....so do the same thing in opposite. Train yourself to NOT eat at night while witting around watching TV. After a week or two it won't even take any effort to not sit around and eat snacks at night.

Great answer and I totally agree. If you are eating enough calories you aren't really hungry. SO MUCH of this whole thing is mental. One other tip --- the more you watch TV (unless you are watching non commercial TV) the more you will think about food. You are being bombarded with images of food. How can you not think about it then?

Make a new nightly routine and stick to it. If you have extra time, take one last walk around the block, work on a project, do a quick load of laundry, organize your clothes and stuff for tomorrow. What ever you do--don't let it have to do with the food or kitchen. My rule is, once dinner is over and the kitchen is cleaned up, it is CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. I won't even go in there. Good luck!

robin52077

What did that poor fridge ever do to you?
I hope it attacks you back...

ladylu11

Make yourself some homemade protein bars.

I workout late and that is what I have when I get home with a tablespoon of almond butter. I need the protein after my workout and some of the bars I make are so good I feel like I'm eating a dessert.

Jamie Eason has some good recipes
Dashing Dish has a good carrot cake protein muffin

Just do some searching for a kind that you like and make up enough for the week. keep them in the fridge and you're good to go.

clarkindee

LOL!!!!!!!! (fridge attack pic).:laugh: