Most of my calories in snacks at night?

Makoce
Makoce Posts: 938 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can anyone help me out? I've been struggling lately even more with late night snacking.
I DO stay in my calorie goal, which is great, but I defiantly want to try to lower the snacking as it seems most of my calories go to that and it puts me at risk for binging.

Simple answer would be, eat more during breakfast/lunch/dinner so you have less calories for nighttime right?
Well, when I do that, that's when I end up going over.
I actually binged over 2,000 calories the other night for the first time trying that.

I don't think about food all day long, then after dinner around 6 PM it hits me and my switch turns on.

I use to go to bed at like 12AM and now Im in bed as early as 9PM to try to avoid it.
But it's so hard to ignore sometimes. I drown myself in water to no avail.
Is it just habit that I have been practicing?
Or is there something wrong with my diary?

How do you guys deal with this.
I get obsessive over food at night and no matter what I cant stop thinking about eating.
Sometimes I get anxious waiting for nighttime just so I can snack snack snack.

Any help? :(
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Replies

  • SugarLou57
    SugarLou57 Posts: 84 Member
    Drink some herbal tea, fills you up, and is warming. You can make it sweet if sweets are what you crave.
    Plan a snack - then stick to it.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Drink some herbal tea, fills you up, and is warming. You can make it sweet if sweets are what you crave.

    Unfortunately I don't like tea.
    Or maybe I havent found the right flavor of tea ( Any recommendations? )

    -- but I really don't like any kind of hot beverage.
  • smudgekat
    smudgekat Posts: 45
    I have exactly the same issue, cant wait to see the answers!
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    Make sure you're getting enough water. Many times we drink when more active during the day and sit at home at night and don't think to drink. Your body cannot tell if you're thirsty or hungry.

    Don't consume foods while doing something else - watching tv, playing cards, etc. Eat. Then go back to what you were doing.

    Try adding a small protein heavy meal in place of snacks.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Make sure you're getting enough water. Many times we drink when more active during the day and sit at home at night and don't think to drink. Your body cannot tell if you're thirsty or hungry.

    Don't consume foods while doing something else - watching tv, playing cards, etc. Eat. Then go back to what you were doing.

    Try adding a small protein heavy meal in place of snacks.

    I drown myself in water. I can't stay out of the bathroom. Everyone makes fun of me, hahaha!

    That is a part of my habit - I eat while watching TV, online, etc.
    That is what I spend my time doing as when Im not doing my normal job, Im making money off online art commissions so Im at my desk a lot at night.

    THOUGH, I have tried sitting at the table to eat my snacks and returning -- but then I just leave the room, eat a snack, come back, leave the room and snack again - so that doesn't help either. My mind is made up that Im going to devour the house, so it doesn't care what it has to do or how it has to do it.

    Oh no, Im possessed!
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    it doesn't matter when you eat as long as you are at a caloric deficit. If you don't think about food all day, and like to eat at night, there's nothing wrong with consuming most, or even all of your calories past a certain time.

    Of course, if this leads you to binge, as mentioned in your post, it won't be a good idea but I wonder...if you planned to eat in a way that feels more natural to you (most of your calories at night) you may not have that urge to binge.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    it doesn't matter when you eat as long as you are at a caloric deficit. If you don't think about food all day, and like to eat at night, there's nothing wrong with consuming most, or even all of your calories past a certain time.

    Of course, if this leads you to binge, as mentioned in your post, it won't be a good idea but I wonder...if you planned to eat in a way that feels more natural to you (most of your calories at night) you may not have that urge to binge.

    I tried not eating all day ( or snacks such as carrots, small calorie things ) then eating mostly everything at night -- but it still leads to a binge.
    I'm not quite sure why. ( Then I start thinking about food all day AND night because I havent eaten. )
    I don't change my daily habits, where I sit, work, etc. just because it's nighttime.
    It's uncanny.

    Especially when I get on a roll of one snack after the other, it gets harder to stop.

    I crave that bloated over-full feeling, I think?
    Because Ive been abusing seltzer water/diet sodas to achieve this feeling when I snack.
  • Aleta7
    Aleta7 Posts: 92
    I do the same thing I eat after six pm. And I don't eat all day. except for a full meal between 2 and 4 pm. I gave up trying to turn the day around. I just try to stay under the calories for the day. It seems to work for me.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    I do the same thing I eat after six pm. And I don't eat all day. except for a full meal between 2 and 4 pm. I gave up trying to turn the day around. I just try to stay under the calories for the day. It seems to work for me.

    See my above post :(
  • ainokea8
    ainokea8 Posts: 95
    I do the same thing! Most of my calories go towards snacks too. Honestly I'm snacking as we speak.

    I find it hard to curb my late night cravings and I always end up succumbing so this is what I do. I just go ahead and eat it but I log them in as breakfast for the next day instead of as snacks for today. So the next morning when I wake up, I see I already ate x amount of calories for breakfast so I just eat less for breakfast. Which is fine by me since I'm never really hungry in the morning anyway. And breakfast is usually the lowest-caloric meal of the day for me, because I'll usually just have some yogurt and fruit or a piece of toast with cream cheese.

    This way you get to satisfy your craving so you also prevent yourself from binging later.
  • LC458
    LC458 Posts: 300 Member
    I was hungry the other night and I ended up having a big ole cup of Almond milk. 8 oz is a serving (30 cals) but I probably drank a 12 oz. It has a bit more substance than water and it is flavorful (i like it at least). My mom growing up always used to give me a glass of milk if I was still hungry when it was time to go to bed, maybe because she didnt want to cook anymore or she just knew it was just enough to not make me feel hungry. That and its kind of a "mind over matter" thing. Ask yourself "why am I hungry?" I ate 1600 cals (example), breakfast, lunch and dinner so maybe I'm not so much hungry but rather bored? or nervous? or anxious? We can have several feelings that may trigger us to want to eat but I think as long as you are getting your cals and nutrition throughout the day it is going to have to be one of those things probably where you have to use mind over matter and simply know your not hungry and try this for a week. It could be a bad cycle where you feel like you want to eat at night so just think about it, are you really hungry?
  • Journeygirl
    Journeygirl Posts: 40 Member
    That is definitely my mode. I'm a teacher, so I'm so busy during the day that I don't think about food. At night, look out! I have been trying to really pump up my protein consumption during the day. Protein drinks, protein bars etc. The days that I have really been successful, I consume much much more protein during the day, and have a really tasty satisfying dinner at around 7 or 7:30. A dinner with lots of bulk, veggies, protein, starch, that way I am fully satisfied. I might have a planned dessert too and then I'm satisfied. I have been making protein shakes with 1 to 2 T peanut butter, vanilla almond milk and ice cubes. It feels like a treat and leaves me really satisfied. So, I guess I'm finding treats that I feel good about but are not too calorie dense and that I won't OD on.
  • Peaches_bianca
    Peaches_bianca Posts: 1 Member
    I have to say I have the same problem I have a huge urge to binge at nightr. I always leave about 300-350 cal for myself at night. I plan my snacks to be filling and eat them slowly. My go to one lately is 2tbls of peanutbutter 190cal with an medium apple 60cal and a glass of 1% milk I go hold out as long as I can after dinner go for it then I take my butt to bed. BUt u have lost 61 lbs so far whatever ur doing is working dont worry so much
  • mistress8956
    mistress8956 Posts: 265 Member
    I have the same problem. I allow myself one snack after dinner and then after that it's water. It's all mind over matter!
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Thanks guys. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

    Now to figure out how to help us! Haha.
  • mmcdonald700
    mmcdonald700 Posts: 116 Member
    How does anyone go all day without eating/eating very little? I get a serious headache when my blood sugar takes a dive. That's usually when I can tell it's time for lunch or supper - I feel a slight headache coming on that leaves after I eat. Anyway, yeah like someone else said as long as you're eating at a deficit it doesn't really matter when you eat. I think you're just in a bad habit... I was too. I would eat a big snack, then supper at like 8 or 9, go out and come home at 12-1 and then have a snack of some supper leftovers. Basically it just took me realising... you're not actually hungry. Even if I have an earlier supper (like 6 pm) and by 12 I am a little hungry... I just go to sleep, my body already had all the fuel it needed for the day and I'll eat when I wake up in the morning (I eat breakfast every day). Just try telling yourself no for a week or two when you are approaching your calorie goal for the day and see if you start to curb your habit. That's what I did... I just stopped. Now it's not routine to come home and stuff my face at 12. How bad do you want this? Sometimes you have to make an active choice to just stop eating. Also helps to eat less calorie dense food that doesn't really fill you up because you'll run through your daily calories and not be satisfied/full. Anyway, that's my two cents.
  • LanceKarcher
    LanceKarcher Posts: 43 Member
    Why not eliminate all of your snacking foods from the house? Keep only a couple stalks of celery or broccoli available. The other thing is that exercise to the point of working up a good sweat seems to be an appetite suppressant for me. After a couple weeks of this it might change your urge. Just make a point of trying it for awhile.
  • ainokea8
    ainokea8 Posts: 95
    You can also substitute your snacks. This doesn't mean you have to substitute them with rabbit food like celery stalks or carrot. For example, if you get a chocolate craving don't eat an entire bar of chocolate which can be 500+ calories right there. Instead, get a small piece of toast (65 calories) and put one teaspoon of nutella on it (27 calories) and that's only 92 calories! You will feel full because of the toast AND you still get your chocolate fix from the nutella.

    It's all about snacking smart.
  • morethanthis0
    morethanthis0 Posts: 260 Member
    I m the same way! I would always go crazy after work. I still leave most my calories for dinner/snacks but I try not too eat fast (which is what I would do at night and scarf down all the food!). Eating slower has helped me. I wait a little while after my snack and after awhile I realize I am satisfied!
  • SmileCozYouCan
    SmileCozYouCan Posts: 315 Member
    You need lots of protien!
  • MapleFlavouredMaiden
    MapleFlavouredMaiden Posts: 595 Member
    Eat more during the day, especially protein. Make sure you are eating ENOUGH calories (not what MFP recommends but what a good calculator or tracking device says is your TDEE - 15% or some small deficit). If you are staying in your calorie limit but eating at night because you prefer to, then I don't see the problem. As long as you are eating in a deficit, it doesn't matter WHEN you eat your calories so much.
  • hazstar
    hazstar Posts: 17
    To stop myself eating after 7/8, I eat a big tea of low calorie soup and a pile of veg (i.e peas, broccoli) so then I am really full from that and I'm not interested in eating. :)
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    I crave that bloated over-full feeling, I think?
    Because Ive been abusing seltzer water/diet sodas to achieve this feeling when I snack.
    I JUST JUST JUST posted this in another thread...and it addresses what you just said so I'll paste it...
    I think one of the biggest challenges some of us face...is that we feel (or felt) compelled to eat until we are "full". Yes, I could, in the past, absolutely eat an entire pizza and a big bottle of soda and then still go for the burger and french fries and then what's for dessert? and an after-dessert snack. I'd be full to the point of being uncomfortable. and it was never enough!.

    After a few months of watching my portions and tracking calories, I became comfortable with a less-than-full belly. "Not feeling full" is no longer a signal to eat...and that helps me keep my calories under control (most of the time, lol). As a matter of fact, I embrace that empty, light feeling now...I experience a sense of freedom because my body literally is less weighed down with food, and less sluggish. (I hope no one interprets that as disordered eating, I eat a good number of calories every day, I just often save most of them for the evening and have a period of "emptiness" in the morning or middle of the day)

    There are lots of strategies to help you stop snacking, and you will have to find what works for you... my point is just that once you put in the hard work of changing your bad habits, there is a good chance your body and mind will learn that you don't need to keep eating until you are full.
  • bjg2993
    bjg2993 Posts: 107
    In response to the fruit tea thing, I'm not sure if you have Twinings in the US but they do really lovely ones like raspberry and echinacea (my favourite).

    If you add in some sweetener or sugar they are great, I drink them all the time at night. They also come in multiflavour packs so that could be a good place to start as then you get to try a variety and not waste a lot of money.
  • vickytoria82
    vickytoria82 Posts: 3
    This used to be me until a few months ago! I read a book called think yourself thin and it talked about binge eating. Now whilst I didn't binge I would spend a lot of my time snacking in the evening 1 because i was bored and 2 i often ate chocolate in the evening and I worked out that my body wasn't satisfied by this and therefore the endless hunger cycle continued.

    The book I read talked about linking eating to a feeling of joy and pain. We get the joy of eating the chocolate or whatever it is, we then feel pain as we've eaten it. Well why don't we not eat that snack in the evening? that would give us joy? but I want to eat and when we do....pain? Which is better? It can end up being a never ending cycle. I could not believe how this worked for me and the joy I get now from not eating lots of snacks in the evening is greatly satisfying. I too did not want to eat too much during the day just in case I over did it on the snacks in the evening. I am still careful with what I eat during the day and if i don't use the evening calories I then keep them as a deficit for when I have a meal out or when I do end up over eating. (which often happens)


    I don't know if this will make any sense or work for you but it has worked wonders for me and i thought there was no hope for me!
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    during the week i only eat two meals a day, one at about 11am and the other about 8pm, because i eat quite late and am in bed by 10 i don't need a late night snack

    weekends i do snack but i have plenty of calories in reserve, try getting into a habit and soon it will become the norm, i would suggest pushing back your dinner as late as possible

    you can work round it with planning and a little short term willpower
  • Vivienne1950
    Vivienne1950 Posts: 1
    so glad to see so many others with the same as me, it is not that I am hungry, it's just 'mmmmm what can I eat now' and it drives me nuts and I have done the same thing, gone to bed really early as an avoidance technique !
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    What about choosing snacks that you can eat more slowly, so you still get the activity of snacking without too many calories? I love steamed artichokes, and you can sit for an hour watching TV and eating one. Air-popped popcorn without oil or butter is good too.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Make sure you're getting enough water. Many times we drink when more active during the day and sit at home at night and don't think to drink. Your body cannot tell if you're thirsty or hungry.

    Don't consume foods while doing something else - watching tv, playing cards, etc. Eat. Then go back to what you were doing.

    Try adding a small protein heavy meal in place of snacks.
    That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Your body absolutely knows the difference between hunger and thirst, as they are controlled by two completely different bodily systems that have nothing to do with each other. That's like saying you can't tell if you're writing with your left hand or right hand.

    OP, it's just a habit you've created. The only fix is to break your habit.
  • laursoar
    laursoar Posts: 131 Member
    I used to be this way too. When I'm home, I limit myself to one snack after dinner now. I plan all of my days in advance too, which helps me always make sure I have room for what I want. It's going to be tough at first to get out of the habit, but you definitely will with time. In the meantime, chew gum, drink lots of water, etc. after your one snack.

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