Any advice on avoiding nighttime eating?

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LovesTheSeasons
LovesTheSeasons Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
I can eat as planned all day and exercise a decent amount. However, right before I go to bed I have this crazy urge to eat cookies (plural!) and down several glasses of milk. Every night. And, this is not new behavior since i joined MFP. i have done this for decades.

Recently, I wised up (duh!) and quit baking and buying cookies but am now desperately eating handfuls of cereal. Help! Any advice on how to stop this behavior? Also, I have a family so at some point I need to learn to live with the food that is in the house.

Thanks. Can't wait to get some advice or hear if others struggle with this.

Replies

  • bridgjones75
    bridgjones75 Posts: 14 Member
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    It is a habit. You can either save calories in anticipation, or you can work on changing the habit. If watching grown television is your trigger, do your nails or something with your hands. My husband and I began doing yoga most nights instead of sitting on the couch. Whatever works for you.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    id say just go with it. log what you want to eat before bed in the morning, that way you wont go over and you get what you want.

    I used to eat fruit toast with peanut butter every night before bed. i just added it in the morning cause I knew I would eat it.

    previously I felt like I had to do that, but I've been doing IF (intermittent fasting, 8 or 6 hour eating window - i.e 12pm-8pm eating window, 16 hour fast till the next day at 12) i've found its helped me break patterns like that and now I can take it or leave it.


    :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    get the cookies out of your house then you won't eat them ...

    I don't think an alcoholic would keep alcohol in the house, and neither should a cookieholic ...

    I don't keep any junk food in my house except for a tiny bit of ice cream...

    good luck...
  • _Moose51_
    _Moose51_ Posts: 86
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    This seems to be a pretty common problem with people I have talked to, myself included. I would love to know how to fix it, I suspect it has something to do with routine and habit but I would love suggestions also if people have them.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    get the cookies out of your house then you won't eat them ...

    I don't think an alcoholic would keep alcohol in the house, and neither should a cookieholic ...

    I don't keep any junk food in my house except for a tiny bit of ice cream...

    good luck...

    kinda hard when you got kids. i imagine.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    Drink very cold water, drink sparkling water, drink water with vinegar, drink herbal tea with no sugar. It is a habit that slowly will break.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    I know that I'm gonna want a snack in the evening, so I just leave room for it in my food diary. Cut back just enough on your other meals that there are enough calories left at night for a bowl of cereal with milk, or a cookie with milk. I look forward to my cereal at night now, and am not tempted to eat junk. But if having a cookie sends you overboard, just keep them out of the house.
  • michele2377
    michele2377 Posts: 50 Member
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    Try eating your dinner a little later
    Brush your teeth after your last meal
    Have some low calorie things you can grab instead of junk. Even a sugar free jello snack pack will help your junk cravings
  • janeosu
    janeosu Posts: 140 Member
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    If I get snacky in the evenings, I drink a chocolate EAS advantedge protein shake. It really works for me - gives me something sweet and eliminates cravings!
  • Annie_ga
    Annie_ga Posts: 72
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    I agree - get the cookies out of the house. I have kids too and having junk food in the house doesn't help them either.

    I too was having an issue eating cereal in the afternoon - around 3:00 I was starving. So this week I've switched around my foods:
    I eat fruit and V8 juice in the morning (used to eat oatmeal), lunch and then for my snack, I eat my 250 calorie really filling oatmeal with blueberries and protein powder. This has helped me a ton to be really full when I'm most tempted.

    Maybe you have something like my oatmeal after dinner. 250 filling calories is way better than 600 empty ones.

    No doubt it's a struggle, but you can do this!
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    I'm a nighttime junk food eater myself. here are some things I try to do to get my mind off of my craving:

    drink 16 oz of water
    get ready for work for the next day (lay out my clothes, make my lunch)
    now that it's warm, I step outside for a bit and relax or take a short walk
    brush my teeth and wash my face
    have a mini spa treatment (foot scrub and lotion candle)
    visit myfitnesspal and look at the success stories, especially the ladies that lift
  • untogether01
    untogether01 Posts: 23
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    I have 2 squares of dark chocolate every night before I brush my teeth and go to bed. I log it in the morning so I make sure I'm not going over my calories. While I don't feel guilty, I do wonder if nighttime eating is delaying my progress. Feel free to add me if you want to keep each other in check :)
  • angieandcal
    angieandcal Posts: 1
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    Every morning I enter my entire days food into my diary and then I am able to see where I can move things around. I also add a skinny cow chocolate truffle ice cream bar every day - that's my treat, but I don't always eat it. The next morning I review what I ate and finalize my diary before I enter the next day. By having everything infront of me it allows me to see where I have extra calories or if I am going over so that I can adjust easily. I think you need to allow yourself indulgences but make sure you track them. :love:

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