Secret to warding off late night munchies?

Try a date - they are sweet (so will satisfy a sweet tooth) and eaten slowly they take time and can be filling. Make sure you get dates with the pit still in it. That means you can't just pop it in and chew quickly! you will need to take small bites instead. One date is usually enough for me.

I take my dogs for a walk. Not hungry when I return, I just want a water or cup of tea. The other thing I might do is fold clothes to keep my hands full so I can't stuff my face

eat dinner later or break it up into 2 meals.

I take my dogs for a walk. Not hungry when I return, I just want a water or cup of tea. The other thing I might do is fold clothes to keep my hands full so I can't stuff my face

I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! do some chores around the house keep yourself busy.

Water.

my solutions

#1 do something - take up a new hobby. learn to knot, sew, macrame anything to keep you occupied. on those days i am sewing i am good. if i sit down to watch TV i munch. ( this is my most important one)

#2 play movie bingo. if for example you are watching CSI Miami give yourself some exercise and cues ( i.e. every time Horatio whips off his sunglasses do 5 squats) and pick adverts so anytime a Procter and gamble advert come on you have to do five crunches or 10 star-jumps) anything to keep your attention on the program and away from the kitchen.


#3 never ever eat from the bag. measure out one portion and then wrap the packaging up and tape it shut. make it an effort to get back into it. if you can freeze it! I make banana chocolate flapjacks (UK oat bar thing) and freeze them so i have a sweet treat but i have to defrost it to eat it!

#4 invest in child-locks for your kitchen cabinets. this will meant you have to think to open the kitchen cabinets! no more mindless eating ( or at least until you can open the child-locks without thinking about it by which time hopefully the habit is broken)

#5 set yourself Challenges and rewards - if i can not eat chocolate for a week i will save xxx money (7x however much you habit) and then i can reward myself with xxx. be as competitive with yourself as possible try and go longer and longer ever time. or even just have a series of non food rewards for successes things you really want to do/ have (as i saw on a motivational post - " don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!")

#5.5 or as i saw recently on a post have a slim/ sexy/ weight loss jar) every time you don't munch put that money in a savings jar and then when you reach a goal weight you can raid it. make it a competition (one guy was doing it for petrol money every time he cycled).


#6 if you want to much, change someting;
activity, whatch TV/ read a book/ walk/ sort out a packed lunch for tomorrow/ phone a friend/ paint your nails/ garden/ get in contact with that friend you have not spoken to in ages...
location: sitting room/ bed room/ go outside/ (stay out of the kitchen ) go and collect the post/ check emails/ visit friends family...
change quality 70-80% dark choc instead of horrid ( in the UK) cadburys.
change quantity portion out 1/2 a portion ( 1 cookie instead of two) and seal the packet and get away ( and gradually reduce or buy less bad option )

#7make it yourself. if there is something you like learn how to make it yourself. even if you make a full fat option it will be better for you as there will be no preservatives, HCFS or other unpronounceable chemicals that aren't necessarily doing your body/ digestion any good.

#8 go on the internet and ;;post on MFP, research how much exercise you are going to do to work off that snack, read the ingredients list and try and fighre out what all those things you don't know what are are - you will soon not want it!

good luck
edit:
#9
join this challenge
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/690799-no-more-late-night-snacking-august-2012?page=2#posts-10163843

brush your teeth

Exactly! I've been doing this for years and I can only think of a couple of times where I broke down and ate something and had to re-brush... but those all involved a drastic change in my plans vis-a-vis sleeping.

If i want anything late at night I chug a crap ton of water then force myself to do 20 pushups before putting anything into my mouth. Usually by the time I've done that I already talked myself out of it.