Evening Binge Eating

hammarst
hammarst Posts: 12
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys-
Having a lot of trouble with overeating in the p.m.! I find that I can eat healthy, low cal foods during the day, but crave simple carbs and sugars in the evening. Portion control and willpower are real problems for me, even after adding a late-day workout to my routine. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated!

Replies

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    Can you leave aside enough calories for a slice of bread with peanut butter on it? Or avoid behavioral triggers, like watching TV with idle hands?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I used to do this. It's how I gained all that weight in the first place.

    For me, what worked was to pre-plan a small quantity of the type of snacks I used to eat into my meal plan for the day. So, instead of binging on an entire package of cookies, I'd plan just one into my evening. Eventually I started replacing those cookies with high-quality dark chocolate or other better snacks, which satiate me even in very small quantities. Hey, since I'm buying so much less, I can afford to up the quality!

    I found that, psychologically, not going "over" my day's calories was a barrier for me. So, if one cookie fit into my day's goal, I'd eat and enjoy it guilt-free.
  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    I'll try that tomorrow. My goal is to avoid food after 7:00 p.m., but that's proving very difficult for me. Maybe eating a smaller supper and leaving myself some wiggle room will help. Thanks so much for the reply!
  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    I'd like to try that, Segacs. I think lack of planning ahead is really contributing to the problem. Time to buckle down! Thanks for the reply!
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Yeah, I just read your reply about trying not to eat any food after 7pm. I think that sort of approach might not be the best one for you. I mean, calories don't care what time of day you eat them. And trying to restrict yourself so much could be contributing to the problem.

    Give yourself permission to enjoy the foods you like, albeit in smaller quantities. Then it won't seem so much like a "diet" and will feel more like a lifestyle change that you can sustain indefinitely.

    Life without chocolate, after all, is not much of a life.
  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    Very true. Maybe I'm putting too much stock in time of day.
  • SexyKatherine73
    SexyKatherine73 Posts: 221 Member
    I have my dinner at 7.30pm kitchen is closed after that to me .... my partner goes off to graze ... I found having extra veggies on my plate helps a lot too.

    that being said I'm not really a night time snacker, if I'm gonna do it, it will be way before dinner :(
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,996 Member
    I eat most of my calories in the evening after work (usually 8pm and later). I eat up till about 11:30pm each night right before bed, BUT I stay within my total calorie allowance for the day. One thing I personally do is not eat again till 12:00pm the next day. Some people can't do it that way, but it works for me.

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  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    I always skip breakfast and sometimes lunch. I am a natural-born night eater and my days are sedentary. Working with my preferences instead of fighting them has helped my weight loss tremendously.
  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    I used to do that, Niner! I'm generally not hungry before noon, but have been told that I should be eating breakfast in the morning for health's sake (I usually stick with a fruit/veg protein shake). I don't think it would be difficult for me to put off eating until a bit later... Just not sure what the healthier choice would be! Thanks for the tips :)
  • ephiemarie
    ephiemarie Posts: 264 Member
    I intentionally "save" calories during the day for my evening snack time. Sometimes I will skip dinner entirely so I can have more snacks later. For me, I find food much more enjoyable when I can sit down and eat it in peace, which doesn't happen until all the kiddos are in bed.

    I have different go-to foods depending on what I'm craving on a given day. Tonight I wanted crunch, so I had a giant salad with lots of fresh veggies and nonfat cottage cheese (not a typical snack I guess, but it felt like a lot of food for relatively few calories). If I'm craving something sweet, one of my favorites is nonfat Greek yogurt (like the 80-calorie Dannon varieties) with fresh berries and a squirt of Reddi Whip. I put it into a bowl so it feels like more food. Another option is sugar free Jell-o with Reddi Whip (mmm...the orange is the best!). I also eat chocolatey protein bars and try to convince myself it's a candy bar. Other options I like include sliced zucchini/carrots/snap peas with hummus (gives you that chip & dips feeling) and popcorn.

    There's nothing wrong with evening snacking if you budget your calories to allow for it.
  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    obscuremusicreference wrote: »
    I always skip breakfast and sometimes lunch. I am a natural-born night eater and my days are sedentary. Working with my preferences instead of fighting them has helped my weight loss tremendously.

    This sounds like me!! I've been concerned about skipping morning meals- for health reasons... But my appetite really doesn't kick in before noon. Interesting to hear that surrendering to this helped you! :)

  • hammarst
    hammarst Posts: 12
    Thanks Ephiemarie! Sounds like you crave healthier foods than I do! Hopefully my appetites will adjust with my new lifestyle... Right now Veggies really put me off. Jello sure sounds great, though. ;)
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    I don't eat breakfast, have a light lunch, and have most my cals in the evening.
  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
    I have a snack right before bed.

    When I first started losing weight, having that nighttime snack in place was psychologically very helpful. If I had dinner at 6 p.m., I knew I still had another meal coming, so I didn't get anxious about not getting to eat again until the next day. No anxiety = no grazing in the kitchen.

    And by grazing, I mean full on face in the fridge binge. :smile:
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    hammarst wrote: »
    obscuremusicreference wrote: »
    I always skip breakfast and sometimes lunch. I am a natural-born night eater and my days are sedentary. Working with my preferences instead of fighting them has helped my weight loss tremendously.

    This sounds like me!! I've been concerned about skipping morning meals- for health reasons... But my appetite really doesn't kick in before noon. Interesting to hear that surrendering to this helped you! :)

    Oh yeah, if you're diabetic or have other issues skipping meals might not be a good idea. But if you're doing it because you think it slows down your metabolism or something, that's a myth. I used to believe it, too.
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