Late night cravings! HELP
galmarva
Posts: 2
The most challenging part of my journey is my late night cravings......for all the wrong food that I know is in the kitchen. I get online or watch t.v., listen to music anything to stop my inner fatness telling me to go to the kitchen and eat some cookies!!! Any suggestions on what has helped you? Do these cravings eventually go away as I am only in my first week.
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Replies
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I have the same prob0
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I get the same cravings and eat fat free strawberry yoghurt instead.0
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Throw the unhealthy foods away! Cut some veggies or fruits in advance!
Good luck! 0 -
I roll over and wake up my husband. Soon the food cravings are forgotten....0
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Ditto over here! It IS a constant struggle for me. I do it mostly I think because I'm bored...really need to keep myself occupied. It doesn't help that I'm usually not even tired until 1am or so lately. I can't go to bed unless I'm tired or else I will just lay there. I'm moving my dinner time back to like 8-9pm. This way I KNOW I'm not really hungry and have more will power to NOT give in to the munchies.0
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I can not resist hostess donuts and I smash them up in a glass of milk, sooo good!0
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I have been a total naughty one for MFP recently and have put on some weight! but a really useful thing for me was to wait an hour for my pudding. Whether and apple or a piece of cake I MAKE myself wait an hour.
I won't lie, some night I am watching the clock like a HAWK, but waiting that hour helps me appreciate my dessert and stope me snacking later on!
If I do snack at say 10 or 11 a weight watchers yoghurt is a good one, it is yummy sweetness and only 50 calories! YUM YUM!
I am starting a MyFitnessPal feature day on my blog if you would like to check it out! I will be updating on progress, any yummy recipes I discover, tips and confessions of my weak moments! I hope to meet other people through it and it could be a fun way of keeping myself motivated with the diet if I am sharing it with the internet! Check it out if you are ever bored, it would be great to get to know some people doing MFP!!
http://amy-made-up.blogspot.co.uk/
Good luck!!0 -
If you're not truly hungry but just crave something bad for the sake of it then try brushing your teeth......it works....honest! 0
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I second the teeth brushing strategy. By time I'm done brushing the craving has gone down a bit, plus who wants to eat a cookie after toothpaste?! Okay, I do. But the cookie doesn't taste as good after toothpaste, so it is a good deterrent0
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not being a smartass...
go to bed.
sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.0 -
If it's something sweet i'm craving, I usually make a hot chocolate with a teaspoon of cocoa powder and some hot water, with a splash of soy milk (and maybe a teaspoon of agave or maple syrup to sweeten it a bit more) (: it hits the chocolate/sweet craving and is under 100 calories (:0
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true dat whenever i have bad cravings i brush my teeth and i know if i eat something sweet it will taste nasty so it's a win win situation i don't eat the junk and i have clean teeth lol :laugh:If you're not truly hungry but just crave something bad for the sake of it then try brushing your teeth......it works....honest!0 -
This is a big problem for me too so I son't have the food in the house. I'm not a great "sweet" lover so that's not a problem but if I had crisps or other savoury stuff I would be in trouble. I have a box with low fat crackers etc in. I have some jaffa cakes which sort my sweet tooth out on the occasions I get it. Other than that I have a big bowl of fruit. What I know is that for this to succeed I have to learn restraint. Losing the weight is not enough. I try not to have more than 2 or 3 crackers/biscuits/Jaffa cakes a day.
The other option of course is to take up a hobby that will keep your hands and head busy. I've started knitting again. However, if all else fails I go to bed early. It may not be exciting but I want to succeed and if that's what I need to do to avoid bingeing then I will.
Good luck 0 -
1. Stop buying these things. Having kids/hubby/significant other is not an excuse. If it's not healthy for you, it sure isn't for them either!
2. If you MUST, get snacks in single serving packets. It is more expensive, and easier to ration. The cost will deter you from overeating, and the packets will help you keep control of it.
3. Replace snack foods with things like Greek God's Strawberry Honey Yogurt. It is thick, sweet, and DELICIOUS but also good for you. I use it (when I can) to satisfy the craving for sweet and creamy that usually gets me going for ice cream.
4. Studies show that if you crave sweets, fruit often satisfies the craving just as well if not better than sugary things like cake. So, stock up, and make yourself do it.
5. Don't beat yourself up if you need chocolate today. We all have days where we need a treat. That's the thing though. It's a TREAT, should not be an every day thing.0 -
This is a big problem for me too so I son't have the food in the house. I'm not a great "sweet" lover so that's not a problem but if I had crisps or other savoury stuff I would be in trouble. I have a box with low fat crackers etc in. I have some jaffa cakes which sort my sweet tooth out on the occasions I get it. Other than that I have a big bowl of fruit. What I know is that for this to succeed I have to learn restraint. Losing the weight is not enough. I try not to have more than 2 or 3 crackers/biscuits/Jaffa cakes a day.
The other option of course is to take up a hobby that will keep your hands and head busy. I've started knitting again. However, if all else fails I go to bed early. It may not be exciting but I want to succeed and if that's what I need to do to avoid bingeing then I will.
Good luck
i have the opposite problem imma sweet lover lol it's not a good thing! :laugh:0 -
If you steer clear of sweet and starchy stuff for about two weeks, the cravings do diminish. Though, maybe, since timing is,consistent, you need to budget an evening snack?
Otherwise, more fiber or green veg or protein or even fat in your earlier meal may help. And not overeating at dinner - some people get a blood sugar crash after big or starchy meals.
Tootpaste or grapefruit makes other stuff taste bad.
If you crave crunchy, celery might work. Salty, a cup of bouillion or a slice of cheese or a half-dozen almonds. Sweet, an apple or light yogurt or frozen berries. Chocolate, a Hershey's kiss or a light cocoa. Cottage cheese can be good. A glass of milk or V8. A cup of herbal tea. A slice of beef rolled up in lettuce.
Good luck!0 -
I agree - for me its the hardest part about watching my diet and managing portions. I just try to convince myself that all those pizzas and doritos in years past have a price.
My bigger issue - watching Chicago Bears football games and not totally gorging myself on delicious football food.0 -
For me, they went away. Now at night I look forward to apple slices, dipped in Peanut butter or Almond butter.
I heard it takes 3 weeks to pick up a new habit.. and to drop an old one. For me, I kid you not, 3 weeks and I was craving apples. I used to hate apples!
They say "you crave what you eat"..this proves true! Just hang in there. the first 3 weeks can be really hard. I noticed if I exercise at night, I am not hungry. So many times I have been craving junk food and decided to hop on my treadmill instead.. it really kills the hunger.
Another trick... Your brain gives you the exact same feeling when you are thirsty as it does when you are hungry. I did not know this (or believe it) Ever feel like "Man! I just can not get enough food! What the heck!!" ..get a tall glass of water, chances are? you are thirsty! lol (True)
Another trick.... Carbs.. Carbs are evil to me, I mean white potatoes, pasta, chips, cake, Corn, popcorn, Bread, muffins, waffles, all that good stuff. There is hardly ANY protein in that stuff, if any at all, and they tend to make you more hungry! Try to really lower the carbs, just get the carbs from veggies, some fruit and low carb tortillas or low carb bread... The less bready carbs you eat, the less you will crave them. DO eat carbs.. just eat good ones! Sweet potatoes are an EXCELLENT carb!
These are all just trick I have learned myself over the past year. And trust me, I still battle, but it is NOTHING like it was.
Now as far as chocolate goes... I don't think there is any trick for chocolate! If there is... I need to find it!
one more thing... I try to get protein every few hours when I eat, protein is what will get you through til the next eating time, and even a cheese stick or cottage cheese, peanut butter.. all that stuff is great before bed.. it gives your body something to work on for the time you are sleeping 0 -
I have heard that about people that are quitting smoking too. Thanks I will try it.0
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just dont keep all the junk food in the house! only keep healthy stuff and once your body gets used to clean eating your cravings will change! i used to eat evrything chocolate,donuts,muffins,candy bars.. all that DAILY. and now thinking about that stuff kinda grosses me out:P i also found that when i have not eaten enough food i tend to crave more junk food....so make sure your eating enough! idk your calories...but 1,200 is NOT enough0
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I just read an article that said late night cravings can be attributed to a Vitamin B deficiency. Eat chicken or fish for dinner (high in B12) and see if that helps. My husband buys my favorite chocolate Toblerone but he keeps it hidden where I can't find it. Each night if I have a craving (and I do) he gives me one small triangle and I savor it. About 40 calories.0
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Protein is awesome for cravings esp. cheese sticks for me. With increased exercise the body wants protein instead of sugar.0
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I brush my teeth, drink 16 oz of water, then do 10 or 20 situps to reconnect me with my body and my goals. Then I wait 15 minutes if I still want it I enjoy it. But 99% of the time the craving is gone and I feel empowered by the experience.0
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Yes, I always get the urge to eat late at night while watching TV or reading. I am so good during the day, but nights are my weakness. I have recently also quit smoking, so I have double trouble at night. I try to eat smart-pop popcorn, carrot sticks, apples, grapes or I eat a couple of tablespoons of organic or natural peanut butter. It really seems to help.0
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make sure your diet is good, and that your dinner has a good protein in it. protein keeps us fuller for longer.
when i first started, i had issues too with snacking at night- sometimes i still do! what i do is eat ice blocks. those kids popsicles are great. there's only about 30 cals in them, and you can spend forever eating them. and you can have a few. they're enough to curb the sweet craving, and cold enough to stop you wanting biscuits afterwards if that makes any sense. i also always have a few hard boiled eggs in the fridge ready to go- i've found that really useful too. if i'm hungry (esp when i've just got home from work and have to wait for dinner) i eat one of those little suckers. boiled eggs are a good healthy source of protein that will stop you feeling like you want to munch other stuff.0 -
If you know food is there, you are going to eat it so help yourself out and throw it away. If it's not there you can't eat it.
If you have a partner that isn't onboard with you and your lifestyle change, ask him to hide it from you and to not eat it in front of you.
But to satisfy that desire for something in my mouth, what helps me is herbal tea! My personal fave is called Forever Nuts by David's Tea. There's so many flavours available that you're bound to find one you like. Also if you still have super cravings - have a square of dark chocolate with your tea. Helps me every time 0 -
not being a smartass...
go to bed.
sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
This! Brush your teeth and go to bed!0 -
I roll over and wake up my husband. Soon the food cravings are forgotten....
Awesome...0 -
Every night I allow myself an ice cream cone from Mcdonalds. Only 150 calories. Makes me happy.0
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