I don't understand why I keep failing...

genmilan

When ever I try to diet I fail. I'm not that hungry during the day so I eat good, but at night I get so hungry I can eat everything in the world that's bad. Why do I do this?? If anyone can help that would be great because I never succeed with this.

ERnurse

Hi gfatfree - I understand how you feel - I think part of the problem is we have to think of it as being healthy - not being on a diet - I know we keep hearing from everywhere "it's a lifestyle change" yes it is - but easier said than done. I have found being on here - and talking to everyone I can about it that it can be helpful - I have also watched alot of Dr Oz and I have noticed when I go shopping now I hear the different little things that are said on his show pop into my head - for example, the white bleached flour = not good! So now I just stay away from the white flour stuff. I think also we are too hard on ourselves - we call ourselves failures or losers or whatever - and that causes us to sabotage ourselves...I am still struggling with these things myself - I am going to start reading Dr Oz's new book "YOU on a diet" and see if it is useful too - just hang in there and stay on this board - I think this place is the best thing I have come across in all my years trying to lose weight - it will work this time!

JE55Y

You've got to eat regularly, have small meals throughout the day and not binge at night. When you eat late in the evening or at night, you aren't active like you are in the day.

I know how hard it is to diet, and how easy it is to eat an entire packet of biscuits.

beyondchowhound

When ever I try to diet I fail. I'm not that hungry during the day so I eat good, but at night I get so hungry I can eat everything in the world that's bad. Why do I do this?? If anyone can help that would be great because I never succeed with this.

At night I go crazy also. I really miss chocolate so I have some diet hot chocolate made with water and add a bit of milk to it, so that is my chocolate fix. I also make sugar free jello and plop some plain yoghurt on top (to pretend it's whip cream) and add a tsp of maple syrup and then for some reason, i don't feel deprived. I have my jello maybe an hour after dinner or however long I can go and then an hour after that, or however long I can go, I make my hot chocolate. That's how I get through the evenings. Otherwise I would blow it. An apple or a banana just does not do it for me. Those are my daytime foods. Glass of water works also but I find it too boring. Good luck.

proudloser

Okay, I WAS the same way. I love to eat at night and usually don't even care much about eating durning the day, lol. I started to not allow myself to eat ANYTHING after 7pm and if I get hungry I make some grean tea and have it either hot, cold, slushy like, and every now and then use some splenda if i'm craving something sweet. THIS has worked for me so great becuase no matter what i'm craving it kind of helps and it curbs appetite anyway. If i'm craving comfort food I have it hot, if I just want to much I have it slushy, etc. Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

tonyc

What works for me is to try and drink as much water as possible after four or five . I also enjoy (2) rice cakes with two tablespoons of peanut butter as a snack. Try and plan some activities at night, even if its just errands.

Hels40

Night time munching is my down fall too,so you are not alone. I have been eating healthier since 4th jan this year and have found that saving calories for something i love in the evenings totally satisfies me. I adore chocolate so try to be good all day and have a few chunks in the evening. Although i try not to eat any later than 7pm.

SugarHi

I do agree with others. I try to keep myself as busy as possible in the evenings. I'm in my comfort place when I'm at home... any bad and or old habit I had will try to worm it's way out.

For a few weeks, I decided I would do all of my laundry in the evenings and that I would do part of my work out at night too. I find that when I start exercising again, the feeling of needing to eat subsides. Sometimes we need to fail at something 25+ times before we get the hang of something new. Though it's frustrating, it's perfectly normal. You will and can over come this. Don't be too hard on yourself. Try tomorrow just as hard as you tried today. Each day will get easier. Good luck !

lab_goddess

I am battling the urge to eat in the evenings also. I stop, think, delay, and usually, I can make that work. It is tough to say the least. Sometimes, when I think about eating at night, I am not hungry, I am just thinking about food, and how pleasant something to snack on would be. Just the taste of it, the texture... very tough to avoid, but I am starting to see results, and I find that i want the results more than the snack. I do try to eat supper a little bit later--7 or 7:30pm, which helps me realize that I shouldn't be hungry. If I absolutely can't delay, I try to have a piece of fruit or some home made popcorn (not microwave), and really watch the portion sizes. Good luck! Everyday, you start with a clean slate--let yesterday be history!

literaryshots

You need to find a hobby, something that you can do to avoid boredom eating. It sounds old fashioned, but I taught myself to knit. I make things for my family and friends and for charity. I pick a simple enough pattern that I can read, talk on the phone, or watch some tv if I want, but with my hands occupied it's hard to eat too.

I've also used the tape trick. Sounds silly, but it really does work. After you've cleaned up put a piece of masking tape across the doorway to the kitchen, or the pantry, or the fridge. It makes you more aware if you go back that way. Then you can take a second to make sure your are really hungry, not thirsty or bored, or whatever.

I hope these tricks might help you.

cbdrcg

This has been the story of my life. "Good" all day long and then a feeding frenzy from about 6 until bed time because I'm so hungry.

Then, I finally listened to what others had been telling me all along. You HAVE to eat breakfast, even if it's just a Greek yogurt and some fruit. Then you HAVE to have small meals all throughout the day. Keep them to under 200 calories per meal. You "cheat" when you are hungry. My meals are breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. The goal is to keep from feeling hungry or letting your tummy growl. Give it good stuff to digest and work on all day long. Eat whole grain breads and pastas. Throw out anything with bleached enriched flour. Snack on fruits and veggies. Eat hummus for a veggie dip. It really is incredibly good. Eat almonds. Throw out the old peanut butter and get the REAL peanut butter (as in ground peanuts), or better yet, eat almond butter. That can be used as a fruit dip. Eat small portions. Track your calories throughout the day. It really does work.

Exercise. Again, yuck! But you need to move. I used to say, "me and sweat don't get along." But, you have to move. You don't have to be a star athlete, but go for a walk, ride a bike, etc.

Good luck!

Jennwith2ns

There are 2 things that have been helping me with night cravings.

First, I eat throughout the day like other posters have said. I eat every 2-3 hours, something small. I save a snack for after dinner, something with protein usually.

Secondly, I workout at night. I would love to do it in the morning to raise my metabolism for the day, but personally it helps me better if I workout at night. I eat dinner around 6 then workout at 7 and have my post-workout protein after that. I don't eat anything after 8 and go to bed at 10. It has worked for me so far. I never feel like pigging out after a good workout!

Nich0le

there are many solutions and you will have to find what works for you.

One is to have a time of night that the kitchen is closed. Most recommend 2 hours before bed and the kitchen is off limits. easier said than done.

eat more during the day. We tend to be so busy with life during the day that we don't notice the subtle hints of hunger our bodies may be sending and then when we relax our brain says go and we over eat. A recent study showed that people who ate 1/3 to half of their daily calories at breakfast had less night time snacking and lost more weight than those that ate low cal breakfasts. Plus, you have all day to burn off your big breakfast.

Eat more often. Like I said, busy busy busy and we forget to notice so instead try planning ahead and include snacks. try to eat at least every 4 hours. I find that it's as simple as eating an apple between lunch and dinner or yogurt and a handful of nuts.

Include lots of fiber foods and water. Fiber keeps you full longer and your intestines love it.

When in doubt, drink a big glass of water, we often mistake hunger and cravings for dehydration signals, again, related to our busy lives.

I find that I have a sweet tooth after dinner so I keep little treats, my favorites are sees lollipops, only 80 calories and they come in many flavors and they take awhile to suck on so one of those and some water and I can usually curb the late night munchies.

Take a look at your food diary, if you aren't really keeping one start and be religious about it for at least two weeks. Make notes of the time of day you ate and what you ate and how hungry you felt before eating or inbetween the meals and this will give you the tools to determine what portion of your day you need to eat more or less.

Planning ahead is a great tool. I find that if I take time today to plan for tomorrow and pack up all my food for work (except dinner) then I have choices during the day and I have no excuse NOT to eat what I should. Also, save salad for dinner, lettuces can lead to that afternoon slump, instead use it for dinner and then you are full of fibery food and you may not feel like eating all night and you may actually sleep better because of it.

Nich0le

OH, and one last thing to add to my long list don't deprive yourself. You should be able to have a little of the many good things there are to eat in life. If you want chocolate have some chocolate but keep it to a serving. Plan it into your day so you don't feel like you had your treat and that ruined the whole day and now your just gonna sit down to the troff and go to town. Depriving yourself will only make you think of what you can't have and then you will want it more and when you have a moment of weakness you run the risk of going over board.

HonestOmnivore

I agree with the others -

Start making yourself eat a good breakfast even if it's just a light yogurt with fruit (I eat a 60 calorie yogurt mixed with fiber cereal), and then a mid-morning snack! I try to hold off eating lunch until after 12, and make sure that no matter WHAT I eat a snack at 4 PM! My 4PM snack is the most important. It gets me through the end of my work day and gets me home. I'm not starving that way! If I am still starving when I get home i eat an apple before dinner. I don't eat my dinner until around 7 (which is technially bad but the snack helps make my evening longer). I eat dinner as slowly as possible and then drag out my final snack.

For me the key is making sure I'm not starving when I come home. I try to make lunch my biggest meals most days but leave enough calories either a light dinner or a "snack" dinner plus late night snack!

genmilan

Haha the tape trick sounds kind of cool I'm going to try it, thanks =]

kirra_80

I brush my teeth after eating dinner, that way I have to really think about whether or not I want to eat something else. Sometimes if I'm really hungry I give in, but most of the time it works and stops me from eating more than I need.

loopfinder

I'm exactly the same, it's because we call it a diet and that word automatically feels negative.
Also you might want to check for diabetes, i get hungry at night because i'm prone to diabetes and also used to have it years ago before I lost weight. Just a thought, hope you manage to get on top of it all.

Mamakatspokane

A couple things have helped with my late night snacking....

eat more throughout the day so I'm not as hungry
Work out at night instead of sitting in front of the TV (Get a treadmill or elliptical to go on while watching tv)
brushing teeth after dinner
saving some cals for a "special treat" by portioned controled deserts...if things are prepackaged I tend to only eat one..if it's a gallon of ice cream...I'll just eat the whole thing.

You CAN do this!:flowerforyou:

swim4fit

Hi everyone! This blog has really helped me tonight. I have fallen off track and I really just began. I was feeling great and happy that I lost 1 pound....I know, not much. Then, I just fell off. I do the evening eating also. I agree with the postings I have read tonight. Lots of really great suggestions; I'm going to try them. I think partially I get bored and then I JUST GIVE IN. Exercising a bit at night might help also. Green tea is really good to me, I am going to try that also. I have also found the little Clementine's have helped a lot ---the ones from California that I bought are really, really sweet and hit the spot!

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!