LATE night snacking....

volume77

i save the majority of my calories for night. Ive tried everything to battle this, so far this is the only thing thats worked for me. Plus i never eat breakfast anyways ) just coffee.

volume77

No eating past a certain time helps. Also, eating later in the day isn't so great because you are less likely to burn off the calories. Io if you are going to snack, make sure it's negative calorie foods.

face palm

volume77

I snack right up until I go to bed most days, but I'm not much of a breakfast person....So I always have the calories to play with at night when I'm hungry. I plan it that way.

this

Sincere24

i save the majority of my calories for night. Ive tried everything to battle this, so far this is the only thing thats worked for me. Plus i never eat breakfast anyways ) just coffee.

I do the exact same thing, it's become a habit especially since I used to stay up all night trying to finish papers and/or study. It's interesting the way one can train their body. However as of late I've attempted myself to stop eating at 9 or so given my heart-burn problems lol, i've managed to stop snacking at about 11pm. So far I think i'm doing well calorie wise, save up my calories for a rainy day and/or drink a glass of milk before heading to bed if push comes to shove.

MarisaDLS

You didn't mention if you were able to eat enough during the day at regular intervals, I hope you are.

If I don't eat at regular intervals during the day, by the time I get home I am ravenous, which is not a good state to be in.

Everyone has willpower, but it takes energy to constantly resist temptations and to consistently make what we know rationally are good choices for us.

A bad day (or just a long day) can sap you of all the energy and willpower you started the day off with, and you find yourself saying, "Oh whatever" and diving into a big pile of "Questionable Food Choices" once you get home.

1. Set yourself up for success:

If you know you cannot help but snack at night, plan healthy snacking ahead of time.

Have presliced/precut veggies and whip up a nutritious dip, ie low cal cottage cheese with herbs is good.

Cut up apples and apply lemon juice so they don't go brown, store them in plastic containers.

Always plan food intake ahead of time, so you are prepared for the inevitable cravings that occur.

Have them in your fridge readily visible in the front so they are the first thing you see when you open your fridge.

2. Remove temptations:

Remove anything that is too tempting for you that you find yourself losing eating control over when your willpower ebbs.

Everyone has their Achilles' heel, mine are snack chips, I never have them in the house PERIOD.

Allow yourself controlled snacks, ie 100 cal bags of microwave popcorn.
(If I get bigger bags, I know I will finish the whole bag), the healthy fruits/veggies mentioned above.
whole grain crackers with low fat cheese.

3. Distract yourself with other activities:

Read a book, call up a friend to talk, clean your house, do laundry, vacuum, play an instrument, occupy yourself with a hobby you enjoy doing, play a computer game.

I suggest doing something that takes some effort and a bit of concentration, so your mind is preoccupied.

4. Forgive yourself if you do succumb to temptation,

Review what led to the slipup, visualize yourself acting differently in the future and plan accordingly to help yourself succeed at your healthy eating goals.

5. Perservere. Know that each positive step you make leads to your ultimate goal of being healthy.

Hope this wasn't too long a post and that this has been helpful.

nataliescalories

Save some of your calories for later in the day.

Word.

sharonKay65

Late nights are awful for me. I can be on track all day and just fall off the wagon in a big way late at night, especially after a marathon work day. No matter how bad it gets, I am impeccable with tracking. It does not diminish the calorie count but it is keeping me honest.

I agree 100% get in the habit of tracking everything. At least you know where you stand. I think being honest with ourselves about our eating habits or patterns is not only essential but it can really be beneficial, especially when or if I find myself repeating the same pattern. (like late night snacking, eating due to boredom or emotional eating) I am trying to remind myself that I am learning to make life long changes when it comes to my eating habits rather than just "being on a diet" I think the one thing that has helped me more than anything is just having healthy snacks instead of "junk" food. I was at the store earlier and I was looking at some of the Low-Calorie or fat free cookies and when I was reading the label, I thought to myself that wouldn't be too bad if I just ate one serving... that is one cookie, and suddenly my better judgement kicked in and I knew in all honesty if I bought them, I probably would not stop at one cookie. I hate to say I don't trust myself, but I knew, I did not need that temptation so I ended up buying some low fat snack crackers instead. (Maybe someday I will try again on the cookies, but not today ) I know it would be way too easy at times to fall back into old habits!