How do you stop yourself from overeating?

winterazalea

Hi, so I lost 50 lbs over the course of 5 months, from June to October 2012. I plateaued about November last year and have yet to lose more. I'm a college student and have been having a really hard time scheduling time to workout, since I pull multiple all-nighters each week and commute. I figured I could just workout when I can and focus on eating healthy. The problem is, I now seem to binge eat at night. I'll do okay the entire day but at around 10pm I just crack. I usually go for sweets and whatnot, and I eat way more than I should and end up feeling terrible about it. This has gone on for about two weeks now. I'm really worried I'm going to gain back everything I lost, and I still have over 60 lbs to go to reach my ultimate goal (and healthy) weight. I just don't know what to do...is there anything you guys do to stop that vicious urge to just pig out?

utuxia

first off, congrats on lossing 50 lbs. I am just starting out and hope to be able to make the same claim in 6 months time.

my wife and I suffer from the same sort of problems at night. we try to walk at least 30 minutes about 4 days/week. That helps motivate us not to overeat. But its tough. If you can, I recommend working for a company that has an onsite gym. At least in the corporate world, this is pretty common these days.

I find a smoothie made with frozen strawberries and some protein powder is more satisfying than the local Dairy Queen Blizzard.

operator646

Hi! Ae you drinking alot of water and other liquids? I know it sound like the same old story, but it is true that most of the time we feel like eating or wanting to eat, we are really thirsty or somewhat dehydraed. Try it and see it there is a difference. Also, make sure that you are getting a substantial amount of protein in everyday. If you are getting in at least 60-85 grams the hunger shouldn't be as bad.
Now that I said all the practical stuff, sometimes I have to resort to telling myself "every day is not a special occassion".

weightloser122

i'm in the same situation. i lost 30 lbs starting in june 2012 and the past 3 weeks im just totally over it. its like you couldnt pay me to go to the gym and im struggling to limit my calories to 2000 (i used to have no problem sticking to 1300). im scared im going to gain the weight back yet its not motivating me to get my butt in gear. hopefully we can turn this around!!

ninerbuff

Eat off smaller plates. 9" ones are available.

It's much easier for the body to extract nutrients from cooked and processed foods than from whole or raw foods. People get more energy per ounce out of cooked hamburger than they would from a raw steak.

winterswish

I'm with you! Full time college student who actually loves her exercise time (what a great stress release!) but finds more often than not I'm writing late into the night and getting up early to make classes. Those long nights are tough to get through without blowing caloric intake. It sounds good to say plan for it, but you don't always know it's going to happen and if I plan for it and then don't need the wiggle room, I've got an unrealistic deficit late at night. If I eat 'normally' through the day (expending my caloric budget by say, 9pm) and then wind up awake until 1am working, I'm going to go over.

Grrrr! I also know full well the effect that lack of sleep plays on weight loss and that needs to change. I'm at this two months now and down 19lbs, but it's been stalled out for about two weeks due to lack of sleep/overeating at night.

matt2442

Drink water before you eat..makes you feel full

treenuh_x

Eat off of smaller plates. Use small baggies (snack baggies) to portion out things adequately. Eat more protein/fat in comparison to carbohydrates - you'll be more satiated and not want to eat as much. Drink a lot of water. Brush your teeth. Go for a walk/jog. Lift some weights.

mcruseturner

I struggle with the same problem, I'll do good most of the day, but then at night I just way overdo it... I've tried "dietary supplements" that claim to expand in your digestive tract and curb your appetite with limited results, they seemed to work for about a week, but after that they really didn't help... I'm hoping that if I can suffer through the late night cravings without giving in (maybe I'll just go to bed early) that eventually the cravings will go away... kinda like letting a toddler cry themselves to sleep... :sad: I'll let you know how that works out for me... lol

sabimausl85

same here. depression causes insomnia, gives me more time to eat...UGH!
what i just thought about today is...prepare some fruit before you go to bed and place them in the refridgerator. thats something handy, ready to eat, and we might be more likely to take the fruit than something thats not prepared.

just a thought that appeared this night when i walked away from the fridge with some cheese...

Ed98043

Whatever you were doing to lose that first 50 lbs must have worked...but I know it's hard to stay focused when you're on a lengthy plateau, so my suggestion would be to find a way to get the scale moving downward again so you'll stay motivated. Change up your diet, maybe try something you haven't tried before. Lots of suggestions on here from people who have broken plateaus - like intermittent fasting, calorie cycling, tinkering with your macros, or only eating unprocessed foods for a while. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise (so they say), so I'd definitely look at your food intake. I can't see your diary, but your body has obviously gotten used to your intake and made metabolic adjustments so you'll need to change it up.

JonnyR214

try drinking seltzer water or sparkling water, it'll fill you up quicker than regular water and you wont be as tempted

kusterer

I thought night eating was always a no-no. But now I save calories (often by not eating until lunch) and eat what's left at night. And I am losing weight so far. Few calories left and craving sweets? My wife and I find that those 50-80 calorie frozen "whole fruit" bars work pretty well.

Lulzaroonie

Sometimes it's hard to stop. Sometimes it's ridiculously hard. Anything from telling myself "No, you don't need that," to distracting myself with something.
It doesn't always work, and occasionally the restraint does weaken, but it's not the end of the world. Just gotta pick yourself up and be strong again.

MooMooooo

There's no magic answer.

Join Overeaters Anon and/or get some private therapy.

Good luck xxx

lucii0uzz7

i have those nights too and i know they can be tough! so what i do is drink a big glass of water, brush my teeth and distract myself with something else.

metacognition

I do the same thing.

Just remember that your hunger is not your fault, it's the result of hormones and your body trying to cope with the situation that it's in! If you try to manage the conditions that set off the hunger, you won't need a lot of will power.

People go for sugar when they are run down and tired. I get hungry if I stay up later than usual, so I have to be careful to spread out my calories for the day so I can eat something late. Have something small (100 calories) with some protein in it, like half a can of tuna on a slice of light bread (100 calories). Avoid sweets, they will set off a sugar crash that leaves you hungrier within an hour. Go to bed when you are tired, you are craving food so your body can try to help you stay awake longer. Not getting enough sleep also makes a person prone to overeat sugar / carbs. Avoid munching on stuff without counting it - I learned this the hard way when I powered through half a box of cereal!


Also recognize triggers that mess up your hunger. It could be stress, being tired, going too long between one meal and the next, or having a certain food in the house. For me, visiting relatives and being around a dozen plates of junk food ruins my good intentions. I have to make sure to eat constantly throughout the day to minimize the hunger when I get to that large meal. I measure, stick to only a few foods and try to excuse myself from the table as soon as i am done.

lauren3101

Tbh, from reading what you wrote, a good nights sleep will help. Seriously, sleep is actually important for weight loss and pulling all nighters regularly is not going to help. Your body probably needs energy.

Symphony2010

I have this problem too. The solution? Don't have sweets in your home. If you don't have it you can't eat it. I use to pig out on anything high in carbs so I stopped purchasing any foods like that. So now if I pig out its like on a bowl full of watermelon. Lol

swampy1901

Try some of Paul McKennas' Theory? I can't say that I've read his book but the theory behind his thinking is pretty much as follows -

Say you make up a butty box with Ham Sandwiches, Yoghurt, Choccy Bix and a packet of Crisps!
You eat the Ham sandwiches when you are hungry - that's ok!!
Now you have just eaten sandwiches you may still feel hungry but you have just fed yourself and given yourself some nourishment. So leave your yoghurt, choccy bix and crisps!!
Leave it for 20-30 minutes. Go and do some work or whatever.
Then ask yourself are you still hungry? You shouldnt be - you had a sandwich not 30 minutes ago!!
Still a bit peckish - ok have your yoghurt or other item you fancy out of your butty box.
Leave it again for 20-30 minutes. No-one is saying you can't have what's in your butty box - but you are actually giving your body a chance to digest what you have eaten - so your brain will switch off the 'I'm hungry gremlin!' in your brain.
Eventually you should find that your brain begins to register when you are hungry or if you are eating because of boredom or greed. You can apply this theory to your meals - you've eaten half a plateful - not so hungry now!! But I'll have half of what's left on my plate - leaving a quarter or so. Pleasantly full now - I'll leave the rest!!
Gradually you will cut down what you are eating and it will become second nature. It's kind of telling yourself that you can have that choccy bar but later - you are not depriving yourself which is where diets can fail. You can have that choccy bar but maybe only half of it - in an hour or so. Try it and see.

Symphony2010

Try some of Paul McKennas' Theory? I can't say that I've read his book but the theory behind his thinking is pretty much as follows -

Say you make up a butty box with Ham Sandwiches, Yoghurt, Choccy Bix and a packet of Crisps!
You eat the Ham sandwiches when you are hungry - that's ok!!
Now you have just eaten sandwiches you may still feel hungry but you have just fed yourself and given yourself some nourishment. So leave your yoghurt, choccy bix and crisps!!
Leave it for 20-30 minutes. Go and do some work or whatever.
Then ask yourself are you still hungry? You shouldnt be - you had a sandwich not 30 minutes ago!!
Still a bit peckish - ok have your yoghurt or other item you fancy out of your butty box.
Leave it again for 20-30 minutes. No-one is saying you can't have what's in your butty box - but you are actually giving your body a chance to digest what you have eaten - so your brain will switch off the 'I'm hungry gremlin!' in your brain.
Eventually you should find that your brain begins to register when you are hungry or if you are eating because of boredom or greed. You can apply this theory to your meals - you've eaten half a plateful - not so hungry now!! But I'll have half of what's left on my plate - leaving a quarter or so. Pleasantly full now - I'll leave the rest!!
Gradually you will cut down what you are eating and it will become second nature. It's kind of telling yourself that you can have that choccy bar but later - you are not depriving yourself which is where diets can fail. You can have that choccy bar but maybe only half of it - in an hour or so. Try it and see.

Thanks that's a great idea. I will try it

GaiaGirl1992

Keep healthy things at hand, and resist buying sweets and stuff. if you can, keep a drawer full of healthier snacks next to you in your desk, so when you reach for something, you're better off than with sweets.

EmmaKarney

Eat in your underwear looking at yourself in the mirror.

The__Deflator

If I got the feeling that I need something to eat at nighttime (even if I'm not "hungry" at all) I'll just brush my teeth! After that, if I still feel to eat, I remember myself that I need to brush them again, what I dont want to

ruckerbenton

First of all, you are not alone. I have lost about 30 lbs in all and have gained some back. It is really a motivation zapper. I'm trying to make sure I log all the late night snacking calories the next morning. Seeing all the calories I consume when I binge is a wake up call every time but does it make me change my behavior? Hmm. Setting small, realistic goals like, "I'm NOT going to binge tonight." I have accomplished this once or twice. Not having the food you like in the house is a good one...I just find something else to eat. I'll pray and seek support from my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) friends but I never get to the phone--It's just too late to call anyone! I could go on.

I like the idea of addressing the plateau. By opening up my calories some, I was able to make a bit of forward progress. Movement toward my goal makes me happy. I've considered saving calories for a late night snack and planning it into my daily food plan. This has helped some too. I have to recommit to exercise. I slacked off and have to admit it.

It's very hard to change habits and move toward a healthier lifestyle. Holding ourselves accountable for our behaviors is about the hardest thing we can do. There are no easy answers cause if there were neither of us would be doing this self destructive stuff. Continue to be aware. Work on you and evaluate what drives the late night eating. Best wishes breaking this habit!

cheexy85

This one personally works for me. I just remember the extra time I would spend on the cross trainer trying to burn off the food. Works like a charm :happy:

bbriscoe13

I have the exact same problem. I eat popcorn at night to stop me from eating other things. I make sure it fits in my calories and my macros. I find that if I put things in little bags of their serving size, I won't eat more than that. If I have the whole box/bag, then I will. I try not to keep things in my house that allow me to snack, so that helps. If you do buy chips or snacks, immediately split them up into servings. It really does help me. I have never believed in the whole eating after a certain time thing, so if you want to eat at night, then eat at night. Just make sure you have enough calories to do so. Good luck!

Lulzaroonie

Eat in your underwear looking at yourself in the mirror.

Why? So they can shame themselves why they eat?
Changing eating habits is a positive lifestyle change, no-one should be made to feel bad about losing weight, no matter how much they want it.
Body shaming, whether passive in this situation, or active, isn't acceptable, and you shouldn't encourage people to feel bad about themselves.

ladyraven68

Eat in your underwear looking at yourself in the mirror.

I'm going to try this lunchtime in work - better check if I've got on matching underwear.

Female_On_Fire

Water or green tea right before meals and whenever you start to feel hungry. I also pop a piece of gum in my mouth. Keep yourself busy and distracted. Read, call someone, stand up and do some jumping Jack's, go to your closet and find something you're hoping fits better after weight loss and try it on. Tape a picture of yourself on the fridge that you don't like. Talk yourself down. You can do this!

ladyraven68

Hi, so I lost 50 lbs over the course of 5 months, from June to October 2012. I plateaued about November last year and have yet to lose more. I'm a college student and have been having a really hard time scheduling time to workout, since I pull multiple all-nighters each week and commute. I figured I could just workout when I can and focus on eating healthy. The problem is, I now seem to binge eat at night. I'll do okay the entire day but at around 10pm I just crack. I usually go for sweets and whatnot, and I eat way more than I should and end up feeling terrible about it. This has gone on for about two weeks now. I'm really worried I'm going to gain back everything I lost, and I still have over 60 lbs to go to reach my ultimate goal (and healthy) weight. I just don't know what to do...is there anything you guys do to stop that vicious urge to just pig out?

Plan your day better, log everything the night before or in the morning.

Log your night time treat, and then plan the rest of your day, so that you can still stay within your calories, hit your macros, and still have your treat.