Trouble maintaining with a busy life

btk71789 · February 2015

I'm sure that others out there share my situation. 2 years ago, I lost 70 lbs, going from 282 to 212. Even though my BMI at 212 is still considered overweight (I'm 6'4"), I have a decent amount of muscle, so losing more than a few more pounds would honestly have made me too skinny.

Two years later since I hit my goal weight, my weight has crept back up some, especially in the past 6 months. A big part is that I got slack about counting my calories for while, since I'm a graduate student and spend about 12 hours a day either studying or working. Right now I'm at 233. I don't feel really overweight, but its not where I want to be, I was really comfortable at my goal weight. I've gotten better about tracking my meals recently, but that isn't really the problem...

I seem to have a really hard time controlling my snacking, especially at night when I have to read and study a lot. Does anyone else have a difficult time with this? Some days I stay well within my calories when I have time to work out. I typically eat around 2300-2400 every day (I'm allowed 2020 per day in order to lose 1.5 lbs per week), regardless of whether or not I exercise, and at least half of that comes from night snacking. I think if I could figure out strategies to control the snacking then I would be more successful at getting back to my original goal weight and maintaining that. I wish I had time to exercise more, but that really just isn't an option as long as I'm in school. I do exercise some, mainly on the weekends, but 1, maybe 2 days isn't enough to counterbalance the over-eating during the week.

Does anyone else experience the urge to snack at night? How do you control it?

SideSteel · February 2015

One option would be to try to reduce energy intake throughout the day so that you have some additional calories to use at night when you prefer to snack.

Another consideration would be to evaluate WHY you are snacking at night and also look at what you're snacking on. What I'm getting at here is that you could be eating for reasons other than hunger and sometimes it helps to identify that. As far as WHAT you are snacking on, you could also look to see what opportunity might exist to reduce the calories you eat at night but not necessarily to eliminate snacking.

I'll give you one example: Tonight I wanted something sweet. Last night and the night before I had ice cream. Today I thought I'd keep calories lower so I opted for greek yogurt with a little bit of honey, a bit of protein powder stirred in, and an orange cut up into it. Probably cut out ~150 calories and got a good chunk of protein in on top of that.

And that's not to suggest that you have to do that all the time -- but it's a strategy worth your consideration.

Finally, I'd look at your environment as well to see if you're mindlessly snacking on whatever is laying around. This can contribute to a buttload of extra calories and some environmental management can mitigate some of that.

softblondechick · February 2015

Drink herb tea. Or study at the library, away from the food.

nxd10 · February 2015

I am an academic, and we spend a lot of our time sitting. Try getting a fitbit and count your steps. You're going to be living this life forever - all the research says exercise makes you think more clearly and makes you more productive. It will certainly make you healthier.

Snacking at your desk is THE WORST habit to get into. What I do is eat regular meals. At 9, as I'm settling in for my second shift of work, I have a desert I like - usually 1/4 cup of ice cream and nuts and/or a banana. Satisfies lots of cravings. Fewer than 200 calories. It fits into my day well. After that I drink tea or water.

Sometimes if I'm up really late I might have another <100 calorie snack at 11, but usually I just have water. If I snack, I go for something like an apple or cheese on a ryvita. Something with crunch and something satisifying with some nutrition. Again, it fits into my calories.

Don't snack at the computer or watching tv or reading. It will absolutely make you fat. It's mindless eating. Eat things you enjoy and pay attention to them when you're eating them. You will eat less and enjoy it more.

RaspberryTickleChicken · February 2015

Absolutely yes!

It was one of the last habits that I tweaked & it was probably one of the more challenging.

This is what I did to minimize the p.m. snacking after dinner:

The obvious one - I don't buy or stock any of my go-to nutrition poor snack foods. ie. Doritos or Chili BBQ Fritos. Simply by restricting access can help tremendously. I apply the same strategy at work by never carrying cash for vending machines.
I have dinner later than the typical dinner time, leaving less time for snacking before bed.
Dinner is probably my heaviest meal of the day. I chalk it full of high fiber veggies (feel full longer) & lean protein then chase it down with a huge glass of water and a cup of hot tea. By the time I consumed all this I'm too full to even look at snack.
Once in the blue moon I will still snack but I have more nutrition rich or at least not as processed versions. ie. dark cocoa dusted almonds in a mini snack cup (visually I'm getting a lot to snack on instead of putting it in a regular size bowl & visually feel deprived - silly mind trick I know but it works for me) POPCORN! Dusted with chili powder, paprika for flavor and sometimes shredded cheese for some indulgence.

Consciously, Pro-actively, Mindfully, doing this it took me about 3-4 months to reign in the p.m. snacking. And even if I do now, it's no big deal because it's healthier versions of the old habit.

Best of luck to you!

dopeysmelly · February 2015

It might depend on what @sidesteel mentioned - why are you snacking in the first place?

Hunger? Maybe try pre-logging to include a whole bunch of snacks in the evening, so shift around your calories to fit when you are most hungry. Boredom/to keep hands busy? Maybe try to just STOP snacking at all, and replace with cups of tea or a water bottle which you fill up every time you feel the urge to snack (distraction).

I did the second when I first started to lose weight (I would graze continuously at my desk). It was very tough for the 1st week, tough for the 2nd and by the 3rd, I was OK.

I now do the first on days when I work out so I don't get a sugar crash the next day.

jane837 · February 2015

RaspberryTickleChicken wrote: »

Absolutely yes!

It was one of the last habits that I tweaked & it was probably one of the more challenging.

This is what I did to minimize the p.m. snacking after dinner:
The obvious one - I don't buy or stock any of my go-to nutrition poor snack foods. ie. Doritos or Chili BBQ Fritos. Simply by restricting access can help tremendously. I apply the same strategy at work by never carrying cash for vending machines.

I have dinner later than the typical dinner time, leaving less time for snacking before bed.

Dinner is probably my heaviest meal of the day. I chalk it full of high fiber veggies (feel full longer) & lean protein then chase it down with a huge glass of water and a cup of hot tea. By the time I consumed all this I'm too full to even look at snack.

Once in the blue moon I will still snack but I have more nutrition rich or at least not as processed versions. ie. dark cocoa dusted almonds in a mini snack cup (visually I'm getting a lot to snack on instead of putting it in a regular size bowl & visually feel deprived - silly mind trick I know but it works for me) POPCORN! Dusted with chili powder, paprika for flavor and sometimes shredded cheese for some indulgence.

Consciously, Pro-actively, Mindfully, doing this it took me about 3-4 months to reign in the p.m. snacking. And even if I do now, it's no big deal because it's healthier versions of the old habit.

Best of luck to you!

I have a tendency toward evening binges, too, so I know how hard it can be! I've done all of the same things as RaspberryTickleChicken's list, and these changes worked well for me. Here are a few more ideas:

- Don't keep snacks in the room where you study

- Make sure you're getting enough sleep -- I know it's tough to do this when you're balancing school and work, but sleep can have a huge effect on your willpower and your food choices.

- If it's actual hunger you're feeling, make sure you're eating enough quality, filling food throughout the day (fats, proteins, fiber are all great for this). And remember, it's always better to consistently eat a little bit more and avoid a binge caused by allowing yourself to get too hungry toward the end of the day.

- If you're eating out of habit, do something to shake up your routine -- for example, if you study at home, maybe try going to your school's late-night library instead? Then you can create a new habit that doesn't involve snacking.

cotewalter · February 2015

My suggestion is keep the snack type foods out of the house. No chips, cookies etc. Too easy to grab and go. I allow myself microwave popcorn but I buy Jollytime light and it's about 275 calories a bag. Who eats a recommended serving of whatever it is? But it does take some effort to make it.

savvyfantastic · February 2015

Staying up late and snacking have previously been an issue for me. The ultimate response that worked for me though wasn't addressing the snacking but the studying/staying up late. I moved to a model where I studied and wrote 200 words (of ANY kind, notes, essays, whatever) every day while studying. Even on days when I had nothing due, on Saturday mornings etc. That reduced my stress, helped me with my time, and resulted in less late night crazy sessions.

neurex · February 2015

I've mainly had difficulty keeping up with exercise regimens during my PhD studies. It is easy to interrupt something that is not an established habit. I don't really have better recommendations than others about night snacking, not keeping snacks around seems like a really good suggestion. You may want to pre-plan some snacks, because it can be helpful to prevent your blood sugar level from dropping.

I have found that running has been really great for me, once my fitness increased enough. Aerobics are great for the brain

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btk71789 · February 2015

I appreciate all the suggestions!

To address a few things, I am almost certain that I snack because it helps me study. I often feel as though I need to snack on something while I study in order to concentrate. Seems strange, but I've tried isolating myself from snacks by going somewhere I have no access to food, and it makes me far less productive. I know this is also a big part because on nights where I really don't need to study much, I am really able to curb my snacking to almost none.

I wish I could change my study habits, i.e. where I study, but living 30 minutes away from my school doesn't make studying at the campus library feasible unfortunately, so I am kind of stuck with studying at home. I at least have made changes over the past couple weeks to study more in my office instead of on the couch, making the snacks not as accessible. I'm thinking one strategy would be to not allow myself to bring any food, just water into the office, so that way if I want a snack it has to be a study break in the kitchen or living room, and not a constant thing.

I'm also going to try to simply not buy my foods I have a harder time resisting when they are in the house. Probably the most effective solution. I'm going to give these a try, and maybe eat slightly larger meals so I won't feel like I am still hungry when I start studying at night. I'll be sure to let you hear from on how I'm doing with curbing my snacking!

Trouble maintaining with a busy life

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