End-of-day *kitten* ups...

PoisonSugar
PoisonSugar Posts: 51
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do at the end of the day to curb my appetite? I have a habit of doing SOOOOOOOOOO well during the day, then bam! right at the end of the day, it's 2 cupcakes, a 20oz of Pepsi and a few chips on the side! EVERY DAY for the past 2 weeks! 52 days until my wedding I feel like a moose! Help!
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Replies

  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,447 Member
    May sound weird... but... do you have a hobby? I know for a lot of people their workday is pretty scheduled... wouldn't you say that helps allow you to watch what you do, simply by keeping yourself busy?

    I notice when I have things to do, I think of food much less. Whether it's a quick clean of a room, reading a book for a while whatever, it may help! Otherwise try and have some pretzels with nutella or cream cheese. Gives the crunchy/rich fix without all the cals and fat!

    Good luck!
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    then bam! right at the end of the day, it's 2 cupcakes, a 20oz of Pepsi and a few chips on the side!

    are these things in your home ? Get them out! not there you cant wat them.
  • LoveMy4Kids
    LoveMy4Kids Posts: 231
    I agree, don't buy them then you won't be tempted to eat them!!! It sounds so easy, but really its all in YOUR hands!
  • vennie
    vennie Posts: 12 Member
    Hey I hear you! Get some gum, or some really good treats that are low in fat and low in sugar content, ie some ww stuff, and have that on hand for when the sugar gremlins come calling. There are some really good options out there. I find chewing gum is a good way to stop me from going to the cookie jar. If it's in my house, I will eat it, and drink it. Good luck !
  • Problem is, I bake cupcakes out of my home as job #2. I'm around them quite a bit. Chewing gum is a good idea - as nothing tastes good with mint flavored gum. A few good options! Thank you ladies!
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    You may not be eating enough during the day, so your body is demanding food at the end to compensate. You might be getting enough cals, but if your body need something specific (like protein or fiber), you can be stuck with that empty feeling and the need to munch.

    It might also just be stress eating. If your wedding is coming right up, you may be eating because you are nervous or overwhelmed. One of the best ways I have found to combat this is to exercise. Consider going for a walk at 7pm, or whenever you would normally start sabotaging your cal intake for the day, or hop on a bike. Even just 30 min of casual activity will boost your endorphin levels and curb your cravings for crap food.

    You might also think about stocking up on some "portion control" fun foods. Get some 100cal snack bags and treat yourself to one with a glass of milk. Find some fun tea that you like and sweeten it with a bit of honey... that might help with the craving for the sugary soda.

    These are some of the things that help me a bit. Keep treking!

    Cheers!:flowerforyou:
  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
    Go and burn some calories! Fitness is the best stress reliever and will rid you of an antsy feeling!!!! Run or walk just move it!! Also brushing your teeth, soaking in a tub or polishing your nails (little hard to stuff your face when your putting on polish)!! And as the others have said , do not have it around!! Best wishes and congrats on the upcoming wedding. Hey maybe you should hang the dress close to the kitchen, kind of a reminder!!!!
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    Can you plan yourself a fun snack to have in the evenings the same time you usually would eat the less than healthy foods? Just scedule in your meal diary and when 7pm comes...or whatever time it's snack time?. :) Could be popcorn, sugar snap peas and hummus :laugh: (using the example because I only tried them last week and fell in love:love: ) or whatever appeals to you, but preplanning is the key I find.

    Good luck,
    Becca

    Yikes scary 2nd job, cupcakes in the house:frown:
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    Brush your teeth when you decide you are finished eating for the day. It is hard to eat again with minty fresh teeth! :)
  • jl_salhuana
    jl_salhuana Posts: 5 Member
    Dear Sugar
    I hope you find this useful.

    Your daily calories goal is too aggressive. 1200 Daily calories for you is not even healthy. The calories calculaor is only as good as what you tell it to do.

    Get some better goals. Like losing another 10 pounds, for now.

    Your food log is visible, so I checked.

    Please eat more natural foods. Fruits, fresh vegetables. The industrial foods: frozen, canned, etc. Contain too much sodium which makes you retain water.

    A direct answer to your question: drink a glass of milk at night. It will curb the appetite - maybe. My thought is to increase calories a bit, and male sure that those calories come from fresh natural foods.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    Dear Sugar
    I hope you find this useful.

    Your daily calories goal is too aggressive. 1200 Daily calories for you is not even healthy. The calories calculaor is only as good as what you tell it to do.

    Get some better goals. Like losing another 10 pounds, for now.

    Your food log is visible, so I checked.

    Please eat more natural foods. Fruits, fresh vegetables. The industrial foods: frozen, canned, etc. Contain too much sodium which makes you retain water.

    A direct answer to your question: drink a glass of milk at night. It will curb the appetite - maybe. My thought is to increase calories a bit, and male sure that those calories come from fresh natural foods.
    I have to agree the cals seem pretty low for you, I looked through your diary for a couple weeks. Your daily suggested cals went from 1800's all the way down to the 1200's recently. You body is probably carb starving and junk food is in the house so you eat it without much thought. Eating far closer to what MFP suggests for your daily cals would likely help curb the nighttime carb craving.

    I know we all want to hurry hurry hurry and lose but to keep it off we have to slow down our pace and lose it the healthy way so it WILL stay off and we won't be trying to take off the same lbs. we just took off.:ohwell:

    Hth a bit:flowerforyou:
    Becca
  • SLambertAlaska
    SLambertAlaska Posts: 197 Member
    Going for a walk (dog loves it) about 1-2 hours after dinner is really helping me. I follow up w/ice tea - the flavor seems to satisfy more than water. Took a while to rid my house of junk food (2 teenage boys) but we're down to "have to be desperate" snacks. Congratulations on your 11 pounds! Good luck with the next 11!
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    Dear Sugar
    I hope you find this useful.

    Your daily calories goal is too aggressive. 1200 Daily calories for you is not even healthy. The calories calculaor is only as good as what you tell it to do.

    Get some better goals. Like losing another 10 pounds, for now.

    Your food log is visible, so I checked.

    Please eat more natural foods. Fruits, fresh vegetables. The industrial foods: frozen, canned, etc. Contain too much sodium which makes you retain water.

    A direct answer to your question: drink a glass of milk at night. It will curb the appetite - maybe. My thought is to increase calories a bit, and male sure that those calories come from fresh natural foods.

    Good advice here too. I do want to clarify that frozen fruits/vegetables are often as healthy as (and sometimes healthier than) fresh vegetables. The OP may have been referring to frozen meals/dinners though... which are loaded with sodium.

    I will tell you this -- for the amount of calories in Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones frozen dinner I can make a lunch that is MUCH more filling and better for you -- load up on fresh veggies and fruit, throw in a can of water-packed tuna or some leftover grilled chicken -- use lemon juice as dressing or lemon juice/olive oil... yum! Throw on a few hard-boiled egg whites if you want even more calories or protein in there.

    I also tend to snack at night. Luckily I have banned most unhealthy snacks from my house so my options are cheese, fruit, leftovers, smoothies, etc. Sometimes frozen yogurt or sherbet. I try to plan most of the day's meals beforehand and then leave a few hundred calories for misc. snacks.
  • lds25
    lds25 Posts: 68
    my new fav late nite snack is Quaker Caramel Corn Rice Cakes. at 50 cal each I can afford 2 or 3 each evening!!
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    I have the same issue -- doing well all day and then snacking at night but lately I've broken the habit using some of the advice listed above.
    + Stovetop popcorn with black pepper
    * Laughing cow cheese wedge with carrots or other raw veggies
    * Nonfat frozen yogurt with fresh berries and a teaspoon of honey
    * Tea with a splash of milk

    Or doing activities:
    * I'll watch a video from bodyrock.tv and do five minutes of Zuzuna's workouts. Just looking at her is inspirational!
    * Hot bath and a mud mask -- you can't eat with a mask on!
    * Walk around the neighborhood -- I got a book about plants and flowers in my area and have loved roaming
    * Brush my teeth and hit that "complete today's entry" button on MFP!

    Good luck! You can do it. It takes two weeks to break the habit, so see if you can make it through 14 days and it will get easier after that.
  • Rhaeven
    Rhaeven Posts: 123 Member
    I used to be a huge night time eater/snacker!!! It was so bad that sometimes my stomach pangs actually would wake me up around 3am every morning. Since I have started eating on a more regular schedule and healthier foods...this has improved a HUGE deal. I do eat a lot of protein during the day and this may help. I also rarely hit my calorie goals, I'm always under, but have not been crazy hungry like that since I've been eating more often, and healthier. I also find if I eat a lot of carbs during the day, I tend to want them more later. I am trying to stay away from the processed foods and stick with whole raw fruits/veggies and lean meats. Seems to be helping a great deal.

    I am also with the previous posts...gum and/or brush your teeth (Listerene works amazingly LOL) and adding some exercise, if I'm having a really hard time..hot tea is perfect, there are some yummy dessert type teas that are calorie free...add some splenda and half and half and its like dessert for next to no calories.

    Good luck!!!
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    hot tea is perfect, there are some yummy dessert type teas that are calorie free
    Good luck!!!
    sounds interesting, care to share more? lol Never heard of these type, or least I can't recall

    Thanks for any info:flowerforyou:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    I have the same issue -- doing well all day and then snacking at night but lately I've broken the habit using some of the advice listed above.
    + Stovetop popcorn with black pepper
    * Laughing cow cheese wedge with carrots or other raw veggies
    * Nonfat frozen yogurt with fresh berries and a teaspoon of honey
    * Tea with a splash of milk

    Or doing activities:
    * I'll watch a video from bodyrock.tv and do five minutes of Zuzuna's workouts. Just looking at her is inspirational!
    * Hot bath and a mud mask -- you can't eat with a mask on!
    * Walk around the neighborhood -- I got a book about plants and flowers in my area and have loved roaming
    * Brush my teeth and hit that "complete today's entry" button on MFP!

    Good luck! You can do it. It takes two weeks to break the habit, so see if you can make it through 14 days and it will get easier after that.
    Mud mask! What a treat far better than any doritos I've ever eaten at least it sounds that way to me since I stopped eating all that.:laugh: So relaxing, I've done facials but not as familiar with mud masks. Do you buy the type you use or do you make up your own? Would love to hear more!

    TIA:flowerforyou:

    OP is getting a ton of fun new ideas and you are so right, can't eat with a facial mask on that's for sure!
    Oh we all so need to keep the pampering going Girls! We so deserve it:heart::smooched:

    Becca:heart:
  • ianpagehall
    ianpagehall Posts: 7 Member
    Hey I have the same issue's at the end of the day at work and again once I am home and everyone else has gone to sleep, I ended up hunting for food, as I felt I was starving :) I found a solution that works for me and so far in the past 3 weeks I have lost 7lb.

    Anyway its as boring as trying to curb the eating habbit with salad. I only go for 2 - 3 things.. so I am limited in my choice, might work for you if you like otherstuff.

    Basically I have a packet of Celery Sticks on my desk and out of the fridge at home, and I constantly munch on one of them.... I dont get the starvation feeling or the desperation for food. I now have a packet or cherry / mini plum tomatoes and some cherries or strawberries on my desk at work for some variation.

    I am eating as much of that kinda of thing as I like and after about a week I was actaully enjoying eating the tomatoes.

    This worked for me / is workign for me.

    Ian

    PS I weekly post my weight on facebook, and thats a fair amount of motivation once the comments start to roll in... :)
  • badrianne
    badrianne Posts: 101
    When you say "end of the day" what do you mean exactly? If it is 7 or 8 PM I definitely think others have made some great suggestions. But if it is around 10-11 PM and you have no further obligations for the day....drink a glass of water and GO TO BED!! Sleep is a essential part of good health anyway. You will do both your body and your mind some good by catching up on some ZZZ's!
  • My shifts vary. Lately I have been picking up a lot of second shifts, getting out at 11p. I have pretty good lately about getting out and jogging for 45 minutes to an hour everyday (with the exception of rainy days and when I work double shifts). Excellent ideas, ladies and gentlemen! I appreciate all of your help!
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    I have the same issue -- doing well all day and then snacking at night but lately I've broken the habit using some of the advice listed above.
    + Stovetop popcorn with black pepper
    * Laughing cow cheese wedge with carrots or other raw veggies
    * Nonfat frozen yogurt with fresh berries and a teaspoon of honey
    * Tea with a splash of milk

    Or doing activities:
    * I'll watch a video from bodyrock.tv and do five minutes of Zuzuna's workouts. Just looking at her is inspirational!
    * Hot bath and a mud mask -- you can't eat with a mask on!
    * Walk around the neighborhood -- I got a book about plants and flowers in my area and have loved roaming
    * Brush my teeth and hit that "complete today's entry" button on MFP!

    Good luck! You can do it. It takes two weeks to break the habit, so see if you can make it through 14 days and it will get easier after that.
    Mud mask! What a treat far better than any doritos I've ever eaten at least it sounds that way to me since I stopped eating all that.:laugh: So relaxing, I've done facials but not as familiar with mud masks. Do you buy the type you use or do you make up your own? Would love to hear more!

    TIA:flowerforyou:

    OP is getting a ton of fun new ideas and you are so right, can't eat with a facial mask on that's for sure!
    Oh we all so need to keep the pampering going Girls! We so deserve it:heart::smooched:

    Becca:heart:

    Burt's Bee's has a great canister of powdered mud that you can make your own masks with -- you can add anything you want to it depending on your skin type (carrot juice, grapefruit juice, green tea or just plain water). Slather it on and relax for 20 minutes or so. Works wonders! Couldn't agree with you more on the pampering!
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    I tried lots of things, and these were the most effective for me:

    An eating cutoff time (mine was 8 pm) at that time I cleaned the whole kitchen, and then it was "closed" for the evening. If I really wanted to eat anything, I could, but had to clean the kitchen all over again.

    The big one (and this is a recent one for me) is that I quit eating while watching TV. I find that if I have to turn the TV off, go sit at the table and just eat, the urge almost always disappears. Which means, I wasn't actually hungry.

    I agree strongly with other posters that some of this may be due to your calories being too restricted. I used to binge because I was physically starving by the end of some days (when I started here at MFP I was a chronic under-eater...and binger, and the two were completely related.) So, don't discount the idea of eating more calories during the day.:flowerforyou:

    And, my pampering trick is painting my nails. When I started the no eating with TV thing, I literally painted my nails every day (I got pretty good at self-manicures). When they were painted, I slathered coconut oil on them and put on these little cotton gloves. No eating with goopy glove hands, that's for sure!
  • NykkieC
    NykkieC Posts: 622 Member
    Bump! These could be useful tips for bored and emotional eaters, too...
  • Dear Sugar
    I hope you find this useful.

    Your daily calories goal is too aggressive. 1200 Daily calories for you is not even healthy. The calories calculaor is only as good as what you tell it to do.

    Get some better goals. Like losing another 10 pounds, for now.

    Your food log is visible, so I checked.

    Please eat more natural foods. Fruits, fresh vegetables. The industrial foods: frozen, canned, etc. Contain too much sodium which makes you retain water.

    A direct answer to your question: drink a glass of milk at night. It will curb the appetite - maybe. My thought is to increase calories a bit, and male sure that those calories come from fresh natural foods.
    I have to agree the cals seem pretty low for you, I looked through your diary for a couple weeks. Your daily suggested cals went from 1800's all the way down to the 1200's recently. You body is probably carb starving and junk food is in the house so you eat it without much thought. Eating far closer to what MFP suggests for your daily cals would likely help curb the nighttime carb craving.

    I know we all want to hurry hurry hurry and lose but to keep it off we have to slow down our pace and lose it the healthy way so it WILL stay off and we won't be trying to take off the same lbs. we just took off.:ohwell:

    Hth a bit:flowerforyou:
    Becca
  • oops... that didn't work as I had hoped. But in response to the entry above, my goals didn't drop from 1800 to 1200. For the most part they have always been anywhere from 1350-1200... The 1800 that you see are my daily calories as well as exercise calories. But please, I don't want to hear, 'you need to eat your exercise calories'. Weight loss is about creating a deficit. I don't want to maintain, I want to lose. THanks again all for all the great advice!
  • Rhaeven
    Rhaeven Posts: 123 Member
    hot tea is perfect, there are some yummy dessert type teas that are calorie free
    Good luck!!!
    sounds interesting, care to share more? lol Never heard of these type, or least I can't recall

    Thanks for any info:flowerforyou:



    So for hot teas that taste like dessert...yummy...lol My most current favorite one is made by Celestial Seasonings, its Chocolate Caramel Enchantment Chai; its just regular boxed/tea bags tea, not the premade mixes....Has zero cals, carbs, sugars and such... I add in a bit of Splenda and a splash of 1/2 and 1/2 or milk, not enough to even add 20cals in there. The cream/milk makes it a bit thicker and creamy. This helps a ton with my sugar cravings. i think any chai would would work well, but this one..I just couldn't pass up. Think I'll make a cup now..I brought the box over here to type it out...lol and it smells soooooo good.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    hot tea is perfect, there are some yummy dessert type teas that are calorie free
    Good luck!!!
    sounds interesting, care to share more? lol Never heard of these type, or least I can't recall

    Thanks for any info:flowerforyou:



    So for hot teas that taste like dessert...yummy...lol My most current favorite one is made by Celestial Seasonings, its Chocolate Caramel Enchantment Chai; its just regular boxed/tea bags tea, not the premade mixes....Has zero cals, carbs, sugars and such... I add in a bit of Splenda and a splash of 1/2 and 1/2 or milk, not enough to even add 20cals in there. The cream/milk makes it a bit thicker and creamy. This helps a ton with my sugar cravings. i think any chai would would work well, but this one..I just couldn't pass up. Think I'll make a cup now..I brought the box over here to type it out...lol and it smells soooooo good.

    Those teabags smell so good that I put them in my drawer like a sachet!!
  • leadvocalchick
    leadvocalchick Posts: 59 Member
    Problem is, I bake cupcakes out of my home as job #2. I'm around them quite a bit. Chewing gum is a good idea - as nothing tastes good with mint flavored gum. A few good options! Thank you ladies!

    Same here - except I bake cookies, brownies, pies, fudge, sloppy joes, BBQ pork, and on and on and on...

    I just tell myself that those aren't for me!! And, if I'm tempted, I go on-line and search for low-cal recipes!! And, if that doesn't work - I just drink a bottle of water and go to bed!!

    Good luck to us all and stay strong!!
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
    oops... that didn't work as I had hoped. But in response to the entry above, my goals didn't drop from 1800 to 1200. For the most part they have always been anywhere from 1350-1200... The 1800 that you see are my daily calories as well as exercise calories. But please, I don't want to hear, 'you need to eat your exercise calories'. Weight loss is about creating a deficit. I don't want to maintain, I want to lose. THanks again all for all the great advice!

    I'm worried you may be misunderstanding the calorie goals: the goal MFP calculates for you ALREADY includes a deficit. A pretty aggressive one if you're down in the 12-1300 range.
    Go into your goals, just briefly, and change to maintenance. See what will actually be a maintenance level for you, with no extra exercise. Now change it back, but bear that figure in mind. Anything under that figure, is a deficit.
    The calorie goal MFP gives you, if you have selected to lose weight, is NOT a maintenance level.
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