Evening cravings ?!!

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shivvv_x
shivvv_x Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm almost one week into my diet and I am struggling with the cravings I get after dinner! I'm craving sweets, crisps, cake anything. I don't have this problem during the day, has anyone got any tips for a newbie on a diet? Thanks!
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  • katiefridley
    katiefridley Posts: 151 Member
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    My advice is to stop calling it a diet. These are permanent changes, right?
  • trina412
    trina412 Posts: 3
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    I find when I'm craving something sweet, I am satisfied with a nice hot cup of diet hot chocolate, especially if the craving is chocolate, but I also love diet jello with a dollop of cool whip. very low calories and makes me happy.!
  • Mara_
    Mara_ Posts: 104 Member
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    Eat dinner later on the evening. Or eat a piece of fruit.
  • Karen2BFit16
    Karen2BFit16 Posts: 2
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    I struggle with the same issue. I find chewing on peppermint sugar free gum to help. I think I may need to find other activities to do as well as I think watching TV contributes to the problem.
  • shivvv_x
    shivvv_x Posts: 14 Member
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    Diet hot chocolate? I never new such a thing existed, need to look out for that :)
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I always end up eating more for my evening snack than I do during the day. Just how it is.

    Trying planning out what you'll eat. There's nothing wrong with eating a post-dinner snack (if I don't, I wake up completely ravenous). I found fruit is a great snack. I also drink tea (or more recently, a glass of wine) after dinner. I find I just want something to taste, and this keeps my taste buds happy without gorging myself because I can happily sip it for a while.

    I also used to keep individual wrapped pieces of dark chocolate around to satisfy my chocolate craving.
  • vickivw
    vickivw Posts: 2 Member
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    I have his problem too. I like raw veggies, so a raw piece of cabbage, carrots, grape tomatoes, turnip (if sweet - I hate the bitter ones), celery, etc. Most of these are about 20 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Won't affect your diet much, and always healthy. If this won't work, then keep tossed salad made up with a dressing permitted on your diet ready. Something with strong enough flavor will offset the sweet craving if the flavor is strong enough.

    Worst case, keep very small individual pieces of chocolate or a single piece of hard candy or a breath mint can give you some flavor or "sweetness" in your mouth without consuming a lot of calories. I find the more sugar I eat, the more I want. After about 2 weeks, if none, sweet craving will wear off altogether. Takes discipline and determination though.

    Also, sometimes I just go brush my teeth. Mouth freshness and not wanting to mess that up helps me not want food sometimes.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    eat fruit..
    or get skinny cow and have one of those
    If you're craving something at night, that means your not getting enough of sometimes during the day.
    I find that I crave chips sometimes awful if i don't get enough sodium during the day.

    The easiest thing to do though is make a fruit salad and when you want something sweet have a bowl of that with some whipped cream on it. I like the jello suggestion too.. i'm just not a huge fan of jello.. i eat very little food that isn't real, whole foods.

    Oh yes.. sugar is evil.. the more you have of it the more you crave it.. Hardest habit to break and easiest one to slip back to. have to find substitutes for it. I slipped over Christmas and it was hard to stop.. Just forgive yourself if you slip and keep subbing other thing for the sugar and it will go away eventually./
  • mwownbey
    mwownbey Posts: 43
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    I have been trying to eat an orange or tangerine. The time it takes to peel it seems to help.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Do you track sugar? If I eat a lot sugar I always get more sugar/carb cravings later. The foods you said you were craving are all sugary or some other simple carbs. Try to get more complex carbs like oatmeal in or carbs with more fiber like vegetables.
  • rettigkl
    rettigkl Posts: 18
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    This probably isn't what you want to hear, but I just tell myself that anything that has sugar in it is poison, and that I can't eat it. I know it would be bad for my body to eat it, especially after nine p.m. But if I do give into the craving, I'll have something that is <200. Good luck!
  • GrannySparkle
    GrannySparkle Posts: 225 Member
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    Diet hot chocolate? I never new such a thing existed, need to look out for that :)

    Oh yea...it is good. Now the directions are to use water but I don't like it that way. I use skim milk
  • beaming
    beaming Posts: 3
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    A handful of roasted almonds might give you the crunch you're looking for and satisfy your cravings. Sometimes, a sliced orange can be all that is needed or try chilled sparkling water with a drop of lime (this helps me). Good luck.
  • shivvv_x
    shivvv_x Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks guys, all of these ideas seem great!!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    someone else said it. it's not a diet. if you want to be successful it has to be a lifestyle change. I have a snack every single night. sometimes it's some nuts (almonds/cashews/pistachios)..... or a protein shake.... or greek yogurt mixed with a little protein powder and some almonds..... you're probably restricting yourself too much (hence the term DIET!)
  • JustGinger7
    JustGinger7 Posts: 9 Member
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    My best advice to you is save calories for dessert. It sounds to me like you really ave a sweet tooth! if you are constantly denying yourself your cravings, you are more likely to give up. The key to weight loss is not to diet, it is to change your lifestyle. Just remember, everything in moderation. Weight watchers makes some individual desserts that are about 150 calories each. Lower calorie options include jello, pudding, sugar free Popsicles, fudgesicles, or fresh fruit. My favorite is baked apples with cinnamon and Splenda, with a little cool whip.
  • shivvv_x
    shivvv_x Posts: 14 Member
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    Do you track sugar? If I eat a lot sugar I always get more sugar/carb cravings later. The foods you said you were craving are all sugary or some other simple carbs. Try to get more complex carbs like oatmeal in or carbs with more fiber like vegetables.

    I just looked at my diary and yes my sugar has been slightly over each day! Maybe I should watch that more carefully aswell as my calorie count. Will try adding oatmeal in more!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Favorite night time chocolate fix - DARK CHOCOLATE! :bigsmile: I break off a few squares (1/4 of the Trader Joe's 72% Cacao chocolate bars), and eat them slowly, often dipped in a tablespoon of peanut butter, or with a small handful of raw almonds. A little dark chocolate is good for ya, and satisfies the craving for me.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
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    I usually sit down at this point and ask myself: would you LOVE to eat a bowl of salad now? Or is it only the bread/chips/whatever you want?
    If I'm honest and the salad also seems attractive, then I am hungry and then I make sure I eat. (Not the chips.) If not, well, then it really is craving and I quickly engage in distraction (sit down to the piano or play something on the computer). If it is reaally really bad, make a hot bath and just sit in it with closed eyes for an hour...
  • shivvv_x
    shivvv_x Posts: 14 Member
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    someone else said it. it's not a diet. if you want to be successful it has to be a lifestyle change. I have a snack every single night. sometimes it's some nuts (almonds/cashews/pistachios)..... or a protein shake.... or greek yogurt mixed with a little protein powder and some almonds..... you're probably restricting yourself too much (hence the term DIET!)

    Hmm yes it is a lifestyle change, but feels like a diet at the moment until I get to the weight I want. I have a beach holiday in 9 weeks in which I want to notice a change to my body, however I do agree that the term diet makes me want to restrict some things from my intake. Everything in moderation though, right?

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