Evening Eating Weakness !!

I definitely have this issue too. Am trying really hard to come up with strategies. It's all about figuring out what you are using food to replace...

You could eat a big lunch so that you are still a little full by 7pm, or wait to eat till later and then have a BIG meal (within your calorie goal). Also if you don't want to eat but feel tempted you can brush your teeth and use mouthwash.

I have the exact same problem! It is a tough time to get through. I also struggle around 3PM.
I find a hot cup of tea helps, seems to ward off the need to eat ---- but it has to be caffeine free or I'll be up all night! Those 90 calorie Fiber One bars are good with a cup of hot tea There are many good flavors: lemon, chocolate chip, brownie.
Or I will have a cheese stick and some almonds and a glass of ice water with lots of ice (that makes it easier for me to drink!)
Shut down the kitchen completely. Brush your teeth. Tell yourself it is okay to feel a little hungry. Sit with that. Wake up in the morning and feel good that you skipped those nighttime snacks!

I want you to know that I think everyone is different and has different needs. In my experience, what you describe indicates that you are not eating enough throughout the day, and that by the end of the day your calorie deficit is too large, so you get very natural urges. If you're eating on average more than 1000 calories below your TDEE, then in my experience this can definitely lead to feelings of urges -- your body WANTS to eat at maintenance. It really does. We just tend to misinterpret the signals in some cases and mistake thirst for hunger and things like that.

That being said, I myself have two "natural" (for myself) eating patterns. (1) eat very small snack-y meals throughout the day, and a 1000 calorie dinner as late as I can. (2) eat a 1000 calorie breakfast late in the morning and eat very small snack-y meals the rest of the day. So let's say I'm talking about a day where I'm using the (2) style. If my breakfast wasn't large enough, and/or my snacks aren't large enough, I'll want to eat dinner later (or snack on junk after 8 pm). Where if I am eating in my (1) style, then if I don't get enough calories at my snacks and dinner, I get to 8 pm or so, and want to snack... even though I just had a HUGE-ish dinner. Because I'm eating at too big of a deficit, the huge-ish dinner, for me, just triggers the desire for MORE to fill that calorie deficit I've let become too big. If I intend to have energy to perform during my workouts, and not have weird urges and binges, then I know I need to only average around a 500 calorie deficit per day. Any more, and it just isn't sustainable for me, personally.

There's many strategies. This is just mine. I hope you find what works for you and is sensible.

Someone earlier mentioned brushing your teeth, and as simple as it sounds, it usually works for me. At around 8:30 I figure out what I'm bring to work for lunch tomorrow and do any prep I need to. Then I sit down with a cup of mint tea and one small piece of dark chocolate (whatever brand I have on hand, I pick a less than 100 cal size serving). When I'm done with that I brush my teeth.

It usually works!

I peeked at your diary and your protein is VERY low. You are not even hitting MFP's minimum suggested amount. If you are hungry at the end of the day, try getting more protein. I have my macros set at 40/30/30. That puts me at about 100 grams of protein per day. I heard a theory once that we continue eating until our protein requirements are met. That often leads to over eating, because most of the foods eaten are low in protein. It's a wild guess theory, but makes sense to me.

With all the exercise I do I can eat around 1750 cals.
That goes. 430 cals breakfast in which I include my day's semi skimmed milk allowance, 300 - 400 lunch, 150 - 200 snack about 4pm, 70 for a small Pernod at 6pm, 400 dinner at 6.30pm, that leaves me 300 - 400 cals to eat later at about 8.30 - 9pm. I usually have some fruit stewed in stevia and some plain yoghourt, then maybe a piece of cheese if calories allow.

After that you have to tell yourself the dsy is over!

If I am starving at bedtime I eat a couple of indigestion tablets like Rennies. I find that takes the edge off.

Good luck. Also remind yourself " hunger is not an emergency."

This is a HUGE problem for me right now. I know it comes from 2 separate issues. !) I'm not sleeping well. I'm in grad school and I just took a big promotion. I am super stressed out and I wake several times during the night. Often I walk downstairs to get a (not so healthy) snack around 2am. 2) I don't eat enough during the day on many days. By the time I get home I am ravenous. But, since I still have school work and a family to contend with, I rarely get any form of a "dinner" until 8pm or later. While I try to keep healthy things like almonds and protein bars at work, I am far too busy and wound too tight to eat much.

I have gained a few pounds in the last couple weeks because of this issue and I don't know what to do about it. Sometimes, I also think that I am eating to comfort myself and deal with the stress when I otherwise wouldn't feel the need to eat. I know exercise would help calm me but if you have any suggestions on how I can fit a workout into 12 hour workdays, grad school, and 3 kids PLEASE share because I am exhausted, frustrated, and at a total loss.

If you aren't getting enough calories in during the day, and this leads you to be ravenous and overeat at night, then I suggest keeping something like Ensure or protein powders around at the office. I'd personally rather eat some almonds or an apple, but if i'm going into a meeting and I know I'll be hungry if I don't eat, it helps me to drink a protein shake. No one knows what's in my water bottle... YMMV. This is just my thoughts for you.

I peeked at your diary and your protein is VERY low. You are not even hitting MFP's minimum suggested amount. If you are hungry at the end of the day, try getting more protein. I have my macros set at 40/30/30. That puts me at about 100 grams of protein per day. I heard a theory once that we continue eating until our protein requirements are met. That often leads to over eating, because most of the foods eaten are low in protein. It's a wild guess theory, but makes sense to me.

Can you suggest a high protein but low fat, low calorie snack? I have a really hard time hitting my protein goals while staying under my 1200 calories and 24 grams of fat.

Chicken has lots of protein and if you eat skinless breasts it is also low in fat

You may also be at too aggressive of a deficit at that calorie goal

Thanks. Unfortunately, a lactose allergy makes a lot of things like yogurt impossible for me. I have tried hard boiled eggs, lactose free cheese, nuts, and I have had some luck finding a vegan/dairy free protein powder (although it's super expensive). Things like eggs & nuts are high in fat, so that adds to the fat intake issue.

I'm trying to lose about 8 to 10 lbs. I am 5'2", currently 122 lbs. So, I try to stay under 1200 calories a day and 24 grams of fat. I have had others tell me that is too low but it worked for me for awhile and I am an accountant....I'm pretty sedentary. For awhile I was trying to go low fat, low carb & very high protein but, with the stress & no time to workout these days, I'll try whatever isn't going to make me blow up.

Do what works for you. Chicken and turkey breast are low fat, if that's what you're into. But like I said, there's no reason to stick to 24 grams of fat, if you want more and your doctor hasn't told you to lower your fat intake. Just my 2 cents. YMMV.

Yes, I have to allow for a "bedtime" snack of some kind of carb like slice of toast, rice cakes, banana (honorary carb) or I can't sleep. When hungry in evening earlier sometimes I eat vegetables.

Do what works for you. Chicken and turkey breast are low fat, if that's what you're into. But like I said, there's no reason to stick to 24 grams of fat, if you want more and your doctor hasn't told you to lower your fat intake. Just my 2 cents. YMMV.
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Thanks! I appreciate any suggestions people have. Lately, I haven't been staying that low with my fat intake. Most days in the last couple weeks I am in the 30s to 40 just because something like a handful of nuts is something quick & easy to grab. Chicken or some sliced turkey is a good option, you're right about that.

I am definitely an evening eater. I just plan for it. I log my entire day the night before and go ahead and log usually at least 300 calories for evening snacks. Then I spread the rest out throughout the day. If you know you are a nighttime eater, try this.

I tend to keep my meals small because I like to snack at night. I usually still have 300 other so calories left after dinner for snacks!

same here - I like to snack on almonds, prawns and reduced fat cheese at night when I'm watching tv so I try and make my evening meal lower in calories to stay within my daily allowance

I wanted to add another something to this.

It took me about 2 years to lose 100 lbs. And nearly every day I ate a square of dark chocolate as my afternoon treat at work. And every night I ate a small bowl of ice cream (eventually I switched to sugar-free, to cut the calories further). Almost every day. Of course, I'd obviously fit those "treats" into an overall calorie goal for the day. But I got to "look forward" to the planned treat. And this helped me not snack on other things, knowing I had ICE CREAM waiting for me at home if I didn't run thru that McDonald's drive thru to get a shake or some fries.

Sprinkling cocoa or cinnamon on top of the sugar-free ice cream helped make it seem more of a treat.

Honestly, any craving or quirk you have, many of us have been thru it and either (1) worked thru it until the urges passed, (2) found a substitute, or (3) just fit the craving into our day. We all have different personalities and different hormonal/emotional needs.