eating well during day; then binging after right dinner

kas1317 · April 2015

I have been doing very well and dropped 12.5 pounds in 5 weeks through counting calories and a little exercise. I am now 2 lbs away from my goal weight and for the past week have had intense cravings for "something sweet" right after eating dinner (which is always lean protein and veggies). Last night I pigged out on eggo waffles with peanut butter and honey on top, which has now caused me to gain a little bit back. Why is this happening all of the sudden and how can i curb this?

rybo · April 2015

How restrictive were you in losing weight? Sometimes people are overly restrictive and it leads to binging.

JenAndSome · April 2015

I think it really depends. Your diary is closed so we can't see how many calories you're consuming. Just as a guess I would say not enough. Pigging out on waffles with peanut butter and honey very likely did not cause you to gain weight again unless you ate the whole containers of each. It takes a 3500 calorie surplus to gain a pound. You can expect small fluctuations up and down when you weigh every day.

If you open your diary some really great people will give you some really great advice.

Capt_Apollo · April 2015

leave yourself 150 calories for some kind of after dinner treat. those skinny cow ice cream sandwiches are good.

Sued0nim · April 2015

save calories for the evening

kas1317 · April 2015

i am probably being too restrictive but have had a few cheat meals here and there. i think a little treat in the evening that is low cal may do the trick. im not sure if i am hungry or just want something tasty!

leggup · April 2015

With only 2 lbs left to lose, are you set to lose .5 lbs/week?

AmZam05 · April 2015

I've noticed that when I don't get enough fats in my diet, my sugar cravings are through the roof. When I get enough protein and especially fats, my cravings lessen quite a bit. Since your diary is closed I can't really give you much input but since you said you typically have lean protein and vegetables, I'm guessing you're eating low fat. Fat is a very satiating macro and shouldn't be neglected.

You can also keep some small treats in a jar, like life savers or Hershey kisses. When you get that craving have one or two pieces, close the jar, and try not to go back into the jar. That works for me too.

hupsii · April 2015

AmZam05 wrote: »

I've noticed that when I don't get enough fats in my diet, my sugar cravings are through the roof. When I get enough protein and especially fats, my cravings lessen quite a bit. Since your diary is closed I can't really give you much input but since you said you typically have lean protein and vegetables, I'm guessing you're eating low fat. Fat is a very satiating macro and shouldn't be neglected.

You can also keep some small treats in a jar, like life savers or Hershey kisses. When you get that craving have one or two pieces, close the jar, and try not to go back into the jar. That works for me too.

^^^This, I have noticed the same thing - low on fat = huge sugar cravings

kas1317 · April 2015

i lost quickly at first, now it is about .5 pound a week or so. ok, well, maybe having a treat at night will help. it is just painful to see the scale go up (even just a tad) after i have been so careful. you know? thanks pals!

rushfive · April 2015

I usually save some calories during the day so I can have a sweet snack in the evening.
I agree with the above.
If you are severely restricted, your body may be telling you to get some more of the nutrients.
Good Luck.

katsmo · April 2015

I think it's okay to eat after dinner. Some have a mindset that you shouldn't eat after a certain time, but I've been able to have a light snack at night while still losing weight consistently. If you are legitimately hungry and not just eating out of boredom, I think it's fine to eat something. Just leave a little room in your goals for it. I had a scoop of ice cream with blueberries last night and popcorn the night before. There's no shame in it!

CaffeinatedConfectionist · April 2015

Gotta agree with everyone else who has said to make sure you're setting an appropriate deficit, and to save some calories for late night-snacking. I've found I do best if I fast until I get home from work and also eat a late dinner with a pre-bedtime snack. I also have a tendency to midnight snack, so I try to make room in my day for that, too. Nothing beats a frozen reese's peanut butter egg at 2am.

JessNelson_ · April 2015

It's probably just water retention from the increase in sugar. You wouldn't have gained a lb that quickly. Drink a lot of water today and by tomorrow i bet you're back down to where you were before the bing.

staticsplit · April 2015

Save enough calories to have one waffle with peanut butter and honey. That's like what, 300ish calories? It's also a good balance of whole carbs (if you use the whole wheat waffle), good fats, and a bit of natural sweetener.