HELP! Curbing Late Night Grazing

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nina8611
nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
in Food and Nutrition
The hardest part of dieting to me is night time! All I can think about is FOOD especially SWEETS! I want to know what to eat to curb my grazing habits? I noticed I have to make myself to eat throughout the day because I'm not that hunger but as soon as the sun goes down & I'm craving! Any input would be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Replies

  • mandiw665
    mandiw665 Posts: 5 Member
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    It could be blood sugar levels. My sugar cravings are better when I cut out sugary stuff altogether and I have to stay off alcohol too as that makes me crave sweet foods. I find it doesn't bother me too much in the mornings but can get worse during the day especially if i have skipped breakfast. Do you find that once you eat sweet stuff you just crave more?
  • danglewtf
    danglewtf Posts: 29
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    I've found that WHAT I eat during the day (as opposed to how much), and how active I've been, has a huge impact on whether I feel like grazing after dinner.
    If I've had a lazy day then I generally don't eat as much during the day, and that's when I go and stand at the pantry trying to find snacks. For me, simpply not having easy cheat snacks around is the way to avoid them. That way, if I MUST snack then I need to choose from things like rice cakes with philly, or fruit/vegies, or maybe a piece of dark chocolate. Drinking extra water seems to help too.

    I also changed my evening routine - I find that I want to snack if I watch television, but if I read a book, do some scrapbooking, or play a game then my hands and mind are busy.

    Good luck beating the habit!
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    Maybe look into intermittent fasting. Its not for everyone, but the concept of fasting for an extended part of the day, followed by a window where you consume your food may work for you, especially if you find that you have to force yourself to eat during the day. There are so many ways to achieve your goals while having fun and maintaining sanity. There are times when, because of my schedule, I have had the majority of my meals and calories at night (I'm talking about 2,500 calories after 8pm. And I didnt gain a pound!) As long as you hit your macro and caloric goals, you don't have to put yourself in a box of eating every two hours or a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meal timing and frequency don't matter.
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
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    Cottage cheese before bed...
  • EmoJew
    EmoJew Posts: 94 Member
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    Maybe look into intermittent fasting. Its not for everyone, but the concept of fasting for an extended part of the day, followed by a window where you consume your food may work for you, especially if you find that you have to force yourself to eat during the day. There are so many ways to achieve your goals while having fun and maintaining sanity. There are times when, because of my schedule, I have had the majority of my meals and calories at night (I'm talking about 2,500 calories after 8pm. And I didnt gain a pound!) As long as you hit your macro and caloric goals, you don't have to put yourself in a box of eating every two hours or a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meal timing and frequency don't matter.

    This worked for me.
  • rpashkowski
    rpashkowski Posts: 1 Member
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    Brush your teeth after dinner. Then consume mints, like Altoids, which are very low calorie every half hour until bedtime. The mints will interfere with the flavor of other foods. You can also try chewing a bit of cinnamon bark - soak it in water to soften and then chew intermittently. Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and also interferes with the taste of other food. Floating a bit of cinnamon bark in a cup of herbal tea will also help.
  • Ivyzmama
    Ivyzmama Posts: 108 Member
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    It's probably just habit. You can 1. exercise (home equipment and/or videos or a routine you make up for yourself); 2. keep busy around the house; 3. get yourself a comfy chair as far as you can from the kitchen and read something or do crafts; 4. "close the kitchen" after dinner - clean up and turn the lights off and don't go back in; 5. drink water or tea but no food after a certain hour; 6. learn to meditate (it's relaxing like food is) or 7. go to bed early and start getting up early in the morning to go exercise or get a head start on your day.

    Some people say not to exercise at night, but I did last time I lost weight. I found that after 10 -20 minutes on the exercise bike, my food craving had passed AND I had gotten more exercise in AND it did not hurt my ability to sleep at all. I wasn't trying to bust a gut - I just did mild exercise to keep me busy.
  • sunfirelynn
    sunfirelynn Posts: 186 Member
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    I find one or two pretzel rods works for me!
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks for the input!
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    I never skip breakfast or my whole day is ruined! I have noticed that when Splenda is added to anything it makes me carve more sweets so I only drink unflavored water...no more diet drinks! Thanks for the input.
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    I can relate to the night time eating so I try to keep fruit available for those cravings. I also have a drink water app on my phone to remind me to consume more water. I'm drinking about 100oz daily.
  • ElizabethLovesFood
    ElizabethLovesFood Posts: 54 Member
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    baby carrots or grapes with cottage cheese..if i have enough ill make a little fruit plate variety..low cal and helps the sweet tooth
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    I will look into imt fasting & thanks for your input!
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    Awesome advice! I walk 3 miles after work to de-stress myself & it has helped curve my night eating during the week. It's the weekend that messes me up. I have started reading at bedtime to relax instead of TV which is full of food commericals....ugh!
  • nina8611
    nina8611 Posts: 25 Member
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    I love cottage cheese raw veggies but what is the best fruit to nibble on?
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
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    l glutamine powder helps with sugar cravings also, eat more during the day. Focus on some protein and balance fat and carbs. Sounds like you are not eating during the day and making up at night.
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
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    strawberries are low glycemic so are blueberries.
  • apothecarist
    apothecarist Posts: 193
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    I love cottage cheese raw veggies but what is the best fruit to nibble on?

    How about some frozen or fresh blueberries? lots of antioxidants, lower in sugar than other fruits like bananas for instance. Also, raspberries, blackberries are some good choices.
  • Adrasteis
    Adrasteis Posts: 110 Member
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    I've always been a nighttime grazer, so I usually eat my majority of calories in the evening followed by fruit, yogurt, popcorn (no butter) and cereal. I can't sleep at night if I don't have my grazing.

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