night eating help

It is such a bad habit since I quit smoking 3 yrs ago and I did it last night after doing so good...I posted my day then BAM got up and ate huge bowl of cereal...cant control myself...help!!!

Replies

  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    me too, am interested in what others say. I been chewing sugar free gum. I think I posted a topic on this once, will have to go back and read it.
  • I'm a night eater as well. I've been eating a smaller snack before bed, and drinking a glass of water or cup of decaf tea with it. Try something like a pickle or a couple crackers.
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    Either... find something to replace the food (do a bunch of planks/situps/pushups.. take a bath... do a puzzle... whatever floats your boat)

    OR... Realize the you have to eat then and plan for it... figure out what you want and save the calories for it though your day......
  • vedra_b
    vedra_b Posts: 136 Member
    i am an night eater to. i never ate breakfast or lunch so i started eating both. i then knew i would want my nightly popcorn so i would leave room in my diary for that. i also use to have a bag or doritos and a candy bar. now its popcorn and a mango if i have to have sweet. Also i found that if i exercise at night i dont feel the need to eat so i try to swim on fridays and clean my house at night. helps also the kids are asleep and dont mess the cleaning i just did. anyway good luck! i know the stuggle so please feel free to add me.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I eat lighter during the day to have more calories at night. Works for Me. Time of day for calories does not matter.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
    I was a huge night eater up until recently and since changing up my macros and calories a bit I have found that I'm not even hungry enough to think about snacking at night. I basically make sure that I get all but 100-200 calories by the time dinner is over so that I have a little wiggle room just in case I feel like a snack but otherwise I am eating so much throughout the day that I never feel hungry enough to snack between my planned meals. I've been doing TDEE-22% with 40/30/30 macros... diary is open if you need ideas. Hope this helps!
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
    My sister takes Konjac root capsules to curb her late night cravings for food. She also takes them before eating sweets when she craves them so her body doesn't absorb all the sugar. I've never taken them but she loves them for curbing her appetite.
  • borkys
    borkys Posts: 10 Member
    I keep busy with hobbys, instead of watching TV. Sitting in front of the TV causes me to binge everytime. If it really gets bad I just go to bed. Extra sleep always helps.
  • I started knitting again (apparently now it's becoming trendy too). It keeps my hands and brain busy so I don't think about food.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    I tend to eat at night as well. I just save calories for a snack later at night.

    Lately I have been having some air popped popcorn with a bit of margarine, popcorn seasoning and some nutritional yeast. It's a great little snack!

    Save calories for a snack.. Make it a snack that takes a long while to eat. If you go for cereal, weigh out a poriton and than eat it without milk. Have some baby carrots, cut up fruits or veggies, etc. I have made nori and spinach chips before too for a snack at night. Really low cal.

    Otherwise, keep yourself busy. Drink tea... go for a walk... read a book... do some exercise... clean the bathroom... brush your teeth... organize the bookcase... just do something to keep yourself busy. Some days I'm good, others I need to snack on something.
  • barb1241
    barb1241 Posts: 324 Member
    Plan your night snacks. I almost always have something when my hubs gets home from work at 11;30 P.M.-even sangria, cheese, chocolate. When I don't muck it up, it works just fine no matter the time. If you know you eat at night-make it possible and part of your plan so it is doable all the time.
  • smilingirisheyes
    smilingirisheyes Posts: 149 Member
    If I get the urge to eat late at night, I immediately brush & floss my teeth and go to bed if I can. But i hate the whole brush/floss routine, so the idea of having to redo it is enough to motivate me.
  • RooBug88
    RooBug88 Posts: 55 Member
    I am the same way... I work third shift and my husband works second/third shift swings, so my schedule constantly changes, thus leading to frequent night eating. I just try to keep about 200-300 extra calories at the end of my day just in case I get a really bad urge. Other than that, a big glass of water (or sparkling flavored water-still calorie free!) is surprisingly good at calming the tummy rumbles. I know I saw a few people mention sugar free gum... have you tried all of the Extra Dessert Delight flavors?!? They are AHHHMAAAAAZING!!!!! 8oz of water and then a stick of dessert flavored gum might be all you need to kill cravings without going over your goal. Good luck!
  • DJStewie
    DJStewie Posts: 92 Member
    If I get the urge to eat late at night, I immediately brush & floss my teeth and go to bed if I can. But i hate the whole brush/floss routine, so the idea of having to redo it is enough to motivate me.

    Yes!!!!

    I floss, brush, wash, and drink a big glass of water. So when I do get the urge to eat later that night, I think...naaa, why waste all that time I spent cleaning and then I have to do it again...no way......works well for me!
  • WickedZoey
    WickedZoey Posts: 401 Member
    Plan for it and make healthy choices if you're a night eater.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    What works for me is to avoid higher carb foods later in the evening... Peanut butter, almonds, Greek yogurt, protein shakes, protein bars all seem to do the job for me. My favorite lately is to blend a chocolate protein shake with a few frozen strawberries... Tasty but it also keeps me satisfied through the night. I purposely leave myself three hundred calories at the end of the day and it gives me some leeway to have a snack that will satisfy and fit into my macros. Feel free to add me and check out the food diary... Anyone is welcome to...
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    Plan for it and make healthy choices if you're a night eater.

    ^^ Exactly! If it's after midnight, I add it to my morning breakfast total & adjust accordingly.
  • Bssh
    Bssh Posts: 123
    I'm a night eater too. I plan for eating more calories at night (eating less during the day) and it works out fine. No guilt. Another thing that might work for you is intermittent fasting - there are lots of different types, but 16:8 fasting requires you to eat only within an 8 hour window. I often do this and my eating window is 2-10pm. It works for me. See my ticker for the weight I've lost eating really well at night.
  • I'm a late night / watching tv kind of snacker too! Its my vice - its what I'm used too, as that's what I've always done. For me, I think the trick is going to be to change my habit by replacing my need to grab whatever crap junk food I can get my hands on, to something else - reading, light exercising, writing my feelings in a journal. I'm an emotional eater, which is something that I am trying to stop - its not easy. I think the most important thing to remember is that its a day to day process - just take one day at a time.
  • Ajellyfish77
    Ajellyfish77 Posts: 36 Member
    Oh that is a HARD one! I think we have all been there :P Ok well a couple things I find help. One...try drinking some water. You can have a twist of lemon. Put it in a pretty glass with some fancy ice and make it a treat. The effort of building it makes it special. If you really can't resist a bed time snack go for something really healthy like some raw veg or heck some cooked veg you can have like .5 cup of green beans for 15 cal. A baked patato and .5 cup salsa is less then a 100. keep it small and try to do something active. Better yet skip the snack and go for a walk if it isn't TOO late.

    I know you can do it :) We all just have to support each other and we will all reach our goals :)
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I could never go to bed hungry. That feeling in my stomach would eat at me until I had to get up and have something. Somehow, my mindset changed recently, and I'm enjoying that feeling. I have a snack a couple hours before bed, and that hungry feeling is usually starting to set in just about the time I'm climbing into bed. I like giving my digestive system a break at night, and it's definitely reduced nighttime reflux. Eat all your calories, have your snack, and if you start to feel a little hungry, learn to embrace it.
  • 100 calorie bags of popcorn, black decaf green tea with equal in it, sugar free gum ( I especially like the dessert flavors--and have been known to eat 3-4 pieces:) I have also started to eat dinner later in the evening.
  • jamie88moore
    jamie88moore Posts: 54 Member
    thankyou everyone what help...AWESOME!!!!