How do you talk yourself OUT of late night snacking?

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  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
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    I have a problem - I eat right all day, but at night, I will talk myself into eating and almost always blow over my calorie goal. Afterward, I will think about what I did wrong and try to correct it, telling myself that I have to stop talking myself into eating, and instead, talk myself OUT of eating, as well as avoiding the whatever I think was the trigger. Not all the time - but often enough that it can become a week long habit, then I'll stop doing it for a couple weeks, then I will start doing it again.

    I have tried a couple different things - eating or not eating dinner (not eating dinner means I only have a post-workout protein shake and sometimes a small <100 cal bedtime snack), eating a bigger breakfast, changing up when I eat during the day... It makes me think it's not something I can regulate with my body, but rather something I need to regulate mentally.

    I've just thrown away the rest of the food that I have been snacking on lately, which I have not done before (and it really hurt me to do so!)...

    I'm sure (I think?) I'm not the only one out there who tells themselves, 'Oh, this and this won't cause that much harm', 'oh, I'll just eat less tomorrow' and so on --

    for those of you who successfully can do so, how do you talk yourself out of it? Have you found anything that works for you?

    I used to have to try to talk myself out of late night snack back when I didn't eat properly. Now, based on how I eat, I NEVER GET HUNGRY AFTER DINNER. As a matter of fact, I sometimes have to remind myself to drink my special hazelnut milk that is my reward before I go to bed for eating right that day, LOL.

    Here is my secret: I eat like a KING for breakfast, I eat in the morning within 30 minutes of waking up, I get lots of nutrients and healthy omega 3-6-9 fats for breakfast, and most importantly of all I get at LEAST 20 grams of PROTEIN for breakfast. Every morning. Without fail. No matter what. (And I eat clean, healthy foods all day. And I eat every 2-3 hours for a total of 6-7 feedings a day.)

    That breakfast sets the stage for a great day. I have seen the results over and over again if I skimp on breakfast: I get hungry all day and I crave snacks late at night. Its amazing that what I have for breakfast affects how I get hungry late at night after dinner but it does! I saw this pattern in myself over and over so many times that now I never dare to compromise my breakfast because I know what the results will be!

    So heck with willpower and inner conversation: just short-circuit the desire in the first place! :flowerforyou:

    (Btw, the only time I DO get hungry late is if I stay up too late. So I've learned to get my *kitten* into bed too!)
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
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    It may be that you are not getting enough protein. The RDA for protein is 0.8g protein per kilogram of bodyweight. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiply by 0.8.) MFP's default protein percentage is 15%, which may not work out to enough grams of protein for an obese or overweight person. Do the math and make sure that you are getting that amount in grams, at a minimum. Some people advocate getting even more protein (as much as 1g per pound of lean body mass. (Calculate your lean body mass by multiplying your weight in pounds by your body fat percentage and then subtracting the result from your weight. Example: 200 pounds bodyweight x 40% bodyfat = 80 pounds fat. Lean Body Mass = 200 - 80 = 120 pounds lean body mass.) However, some people believe that eating more than the RDA is unnecessary. It is a personal choice that you have to make for yourself.

    The important thing is that ingesting enough protein makes a difference in the level of your satiety and appetite. I found that when I increased my protein intake I stopped grazing all day or all evening. I simply don't get hungry or have cravings anymore.

    I aim to eat around 25-30g of my total protein allotment at breakfast and around 25-30g of my total protein allotment at lunch. (The rest fits into planned snacks and dinner.)

    Increasing your protein doesn't have to mean going all crazy Atkins or Dukan. You don't have to drop your carbohydrates to drastically low levels, simply increase your protein according to the guidelines outlined above.

    Good luck with curbing your snacking.
  • caffeinel
    caffeinel Posts: 16
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    Bump!
    I see some execellent tips here.
    For myself I tend to snack a lot as well.
    All goes down to willpower. Sleep at a fixed time, no staying up.
    But then again, I seem to have insomnia all the time... So for me it's just willpower.

    Another way I use is to try on old clothes, and when it doesn't fit me, it gives me motivation to stay strong and not snack at night :)
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
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    I drink tea. Sometimes I'm just bored so that keeps me occupied for 10min or so.

    Or I eat popcorn for my night snack. I air pop it and it's filling and low calorie.

    I know this about myself so I try to save a LOT of calories for 6pm and later.
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
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    I was the same as you. I would eat well all day and come night time, I was craving ice cream and chips. I would tell myself a little will be ok. I woke up one morning and looked at myself naked in the mirror. It might be hard to do, but you really have to take a good look all over and decide if it is worth it. I decided that day that I would be going to the gym and eating properly. It has been 20 days now and I do not snack at night but I do allow 1 day for a treat if I want it.

    When I am working out I track my calories. Then I will look at what I want to eat and decide if it was worth all that pain I just went through. 99% of the time it isn't. I eat lots of Protein to keep me full.

    It is easy to say..oh I gained 5 lbs, no big deal I can take that off and then another 5 and another 5 until it seems like you can't do anything about it so you slip into a depression and eat. This is a terrible cycle that I am sure many of us have gone through.

    You have to have it set in your mind that there is no more and you want a healthy start. Throwing out your snacks are a great first step. Have a glass of water or a few nuts to see if it passes. They say brush your teeth (not sure if it works).

    Good Luck, you are in the right direction-keep it up!
  • rebbylicious
    rebbylicious Posts: 621 Member
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    4 ideas

    I do a short workout video to earn extra calories for whatever I am about to indulge in- if I don't do extra exercise, then I didn't earn the calories for the snack. (i like ot have approx 200 calories left at the end of the day after snacks) I like to have extra calories in case workout calories are over estimated or in case i wasn't exact in measuring (i eyeball a teaspoon or tablespoon.. pretty close usually because I bake)

    I keep single serve bags of natural popcorn - one of them is snacky but not "heavy"

    Drink some tea

    Brush your teeth
  • gracetillman
    gracetillman Posts: 190 Member
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    In the past when I have had success at losing weight and the desire for snacking would start -- I had a little dialog with myself trying to figure out why I want to eat -- am I hungry or bored or want to eat something for the taste etc... Depending upon the answer I gave myself (and I kid you not it can get pretty funny) I would employ a different tactic in response.

    If I am hungry -- I would find a healthy snack and limit the portion and eat.

    If I was bored -- I would find something else to do

    If I wanted to taste something -- I would brush my teeth and then I couldn't do it.

    If I thought it might be because I was actually slightly dehydrated I might make a cup of tea or have some ice cold water.


    I just try to figure out why I want the snack and then deal with the reason.
  • Jolene8992
    Jolene8992 Posts: 127 Member
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    Pig out on air popped popcirn with a little pepper and Parmesean cheese. Does the trick
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
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    willpower

    Learn it and use it ^^

    The only thing/person that can stop these habits is you and your willpower. Just start working that willpower muscle as often as possible and soon it will be strong enough to resist anything.

    Actually, willpower can get you going initially, but no one can sustain something every day for the rest of their life based on willpower alone. Willpower is a limited commodity. The secret is two-fold: 1) Work *with* your body instead of against it. There are ways to eat so that you don't even get hungry at night! and 2) More powerful that willpower is the Positive Feedback Loop. Learn it and use it. Track your results so that you are rewarded each time you make the right decision. Post on your newsfeed and get encouragement from your friends each time you make the right decision. Track your progress to feel good about your series of good decisions over time. Get your loop going, make it strong, and it will sustain you with an ease and consistency that willpower can never match. :flowerforyou:
  • sneakyjean
    sneakyjean Posts: 15 Member
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    I am a huge nighttime snacker. Hot tea, as many people have said, does help because you have to sip it, and herbal teas can be sweet which cuts some of my sweet tooth craving as well. That, with a bowl of popcorn or a bag of Smart Pop (100 cals, no GMOs, etc) and from that point on, it's will power, sadly. I tend to eat that snack around 9:00pm and then I brush my teeth and Just Say No. ;-) Also, I cut the starchy-carbs out of dinner most nights, so I'm eating protein and veggies mostly at dinner, which saves me calories for the inevitable evening snacking.

    Other snacks that have helped, for variety: Granola thins (they have chocolate on one side, crunchy and 80 cals), Frozen Whole Fruit Bars (Edy's I think, at 70 cals), frozen greek yogurt (yoplait has one, and some others), pretzel rods (three rods = 120cals).

    It's hard. For me, sometimes REALLY hard. But I've learned that those hours are when I blow my diet, so I've tried to find strategies. Good luck to you!
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,771 Member
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    A good late night brisk 2 mile walk works for me. It not only lets me get in extra calories (about 250), it gives me time to collect my thoughts/mediate/plan for tomorrow. I'm nicely tired when I get home, it decreases any appetite I might have, and after a nice bath, I'm out for the night.
  • Tammycakes101
    Tammycakes101 Posts: 2 Member
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    Definitely a hard habit to break. I too have recently threw all snacks in garbage, not buying anything bad...If it's not here I will not eat it:)
  • miadhail
    miadhail Posts: 383 Member
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    I usually eat throughout the day, and make sure that I have a decent dinner that fills me enough that I don't feel hungry after. However, when I do have late night cravings, or cravings after any meal anytime in the day, I replace it with a better alternative like a fruit (I love asian pears!). Or, just drink a glass of water. Very often our body mistakes thirst for hunger.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I usually have calories left for a snack, sometimes I go for a walk JUST to have some peanuts or whatever. I have to eat a snack after dinner, like HAVE TO... so I account for it in my day. If I know I will need 200 calories to get me through Walking Dead, then I will make sure to budget that in my day. I have about 1800-2000 calories I can play with so this makes it easier for me... not sure what you're eating but that's my system.
  • wiffieclark1
    wiffieclark1 Posts: 2 Member
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    I cut it out completely, when I have the craving I drink hot tea (any flavor) if that doesn't work I chew gum. So far it's worked for the last 3 weeks. I'm waiting to see the results on MFP.
  • Bunnybeesweet
    Bunnybeesweet Posts: 165 Member
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    floss and brush my teeth after dinner.
  • hayleysuel
    hayleysuel Posts: 46 Member
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    Get minty fresh! Whenever my snacking starts snowballing, I run to the bathroom, floss, brush & mouthwash!

    My white cheddar rice cakes leave a taste in my mouth making me want more! So I think the mint makes that go away. Also, you've just brushed your teeth for the night! You don't want to have do that again later! :laugh:
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    If you are engaging in out-of-control eating late at night, then I'm sorry, but you are not "eating right" during the day. If you were, you wouldn't be feeling those urges to keep eating, even after your calorie allotment has been used up. So the first thing I would recommend would be taking a closer look at your diet and figuring out what isn't working for you (you're not getting protein or fat or whatever).

    Then look at more specific behavioral issues:

    Get rid of all the "snacks" or foods you could potentially binge on, and stop buying them.

    Create a menu for the week, and only buy the things you need for those meals.

    Log all your food in advance so that you have a game plan every day and you can see how each food you eat fits into your overall goals. That way, you aren't just blindly making one wrong choice after another.

    Go to bed earlier. Simple, but effective.

    And you're right that you've got some work to do mentally. You are going to have to convince yourself that food is supposed to keep you alive, not provide entertainment value. Find other things to cure your boredom.
  • madworld1
    madworld1 Posts: 524
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    I have the same problem. Sometimes it's genuine hunger, but most times it's more of a ritual. I feel like I can't sleep if my stomach isn't full. I would say that it is "soothing."

    Last night I did much better though. I got hungry (really hungry) around 1 last night. So, I ate a little pack of almonds. They were satisfying and I was able to go right to sleep. I hope that I have found something that will continue to work.

    I feel your frustration.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I don't, by the end of dinner if not the end of lunch I've planned out my food for the day including my late night snack. If I want to snack on something more caloric, I work it into my exercise for the day... I have a full gauntlet of snacks, mostly healthy, that are of varying calorie amounts and varying carb/fat/protein amounts. I am capable of not eating everything just what gets me to and keeps me under my goals.

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