Never satisfied after dinner
KBmoments
Posts: 193 Member
I've been noticing a pattern lately. I'll eat dinner, but then continue to scrounge around for food...maybe 30 minutes later or so.. and continue this the rest of the night. Sometimes I can control all the snacking, but more often than not, I'll keep asking myself, "Hm, what else can I eat?" I eat pretty early (around 6), so then I have the whole rest of the night to think about what else I could be eating! I don't think it's because my meals aren't tasty, because I do enjoy them.. I guess it's more of just compulsion to eat more or never really feeling "full".. or just plain wanting to 'eat.' Anyone else deal with this and/or have overcome this problem?
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Replies
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eat later. eat desert. save up some calories for an evening snack, etc...0
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What are you eating for dinner? Is it mostly carbs? Perhaps you aren't eating enough protein and fat.0
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*Side note* I eat super early because I'm usually very hungry right after work. I've tried eating later, but then I would snack beforehand b/c I'd be so hungry.. and then my snack would basically be my dinner. Then, I would eat another dinner on top of that lol.0
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I used to do this, until I realized that I was eating because I'm tired. Now I just drink water to feel full, and go to bed early
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I overcame it when I got sick of being fat. I stopped doing it.0
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This is my problem as well, I try to eat late because of it.. and save dinner as my biggest meal
But I'd love to solve this too 0 -
My dinners vary a lot. But, I will be mindful to add more protein!0
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Try brushing your teeth right after dinner - this works for me. Also, I don't snack at all after dinner if I am preoccupied. Like, if I am busy cleaning the house or going for a walk I don't even think about food. But if I am feeling bored, I will open the fridge, pop some popcorn, etc.0
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*Side note* I eat super early because I'm usually very hungry right after work. I've tried eating later, but then I would snack beforehand b/c I'd be so hungry.. and then my snack would basically be my dinner. Then, I would eat another dinner on top of that lol.
I call that an eating pattern...I do similar...I just work it into my day. I eat dinner late and am hungry right after work..so I have snacks planned. I know what my snacks are going to be and I eat them in a planned portion. Have a plan...0 -
I did this and still do if I don't follow my routine, which is:
Eat dinner
Clean up
Decaf coffee
GET OUT OF KITCHEN
stay out until snack around 8pm
LEAVE KITCHEN FOR NIGHT
If I putter around the kitchen after those set meals, I'm doomed to eat compulsively.
I try to save enough calories to enjoy a high fat, high calorie snack, like homemade walnut/oat/PB bars. It helps if my snack is filling and something I look forward to.0 -
These are going to be general tips since I can't see your diary:
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Stop drinking your calories
Drink more water, you could just be thirsty and mistaking it for hunger
Eat less caloric dense food such as watermelon over banana or chicken breast over steak.
Consider breaking up dinner into two meals, I usually eat dinner around 4 and have a snack around 7
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cwolfman13 wrote: »*Side note* I eat super early because I'm usually very hungry right after work. I've tried eating later, but then I would snack beforehand b/c I'd be so hungry.. and then my snack would basically be my dinner. Then, I would eat another dinner on top of that lol.
I call that an eating pattern...I do similar...I just work it into my day. I eat dinner late and am hungry right after work..so I have snacks planned. I know what my snacks are going to be and I eat them in a planned portion. Have a plan...
Good idea...0 -
I did this and still do if I don't follow my routine, which is:
Eat dinner
Clean up
Decaf coffee
GET OUT OF KITCHEN
stay out until snack around 8pm
LEAVE KITCHEN FOR NIGHT
If I putter around the kitchen after those set meals, I'm doomed to eat compulsively.
I try to save enough calories to enjoy a high fat, high calorie snack, like homemade walnut/oat/PB bars. It helps if my snack is filling and something I look forward to.
yeah...definitely get out of the kitchen.0 -
This might get me kicked off of the forums, but right about the time I got really motivated to lose a little weight, a friend posted an article about how a little bit of wine right before bed can actually help weight loss. I don't have either the article or the study handy, but it sounded good to me. I've been drinking 4 oz red wine after dinner and before bed. It's something that I can sip slowly and not feel like I need more. It feels like a treat, and amazingly, it actually takes away that hollow, hungry feeling I ALWAYS have after dinner and most meals. I make sure it fits into my calorie goals. I do NOT drink before meals...this is the only alcohol I use. Not sure if it would work for everyone, but it sure helps me!0
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I did this and still do if I don't follow my routine, which is:
Eat dinner
Clean up
Decaf coffee
GET OUT OF KITCHEN
stay out until snack around 8pm
LEAVE KITCHEN FOR NIGHT
If I putter around the kitchen after those set meals, I'm doomed to eat compulsively.
I try to save enough calories to enjoy a high fat, high calorie snack, like homemade walnut/oat/PB bars. It helps if my snack is filling and something I look forward to.
I like the idea of having some decaf coffee afterwards! I love coffee and might feel like it could be a ceremonial end to my meal.0 -
I have dinner around 7 pm and go to bed around midnight or 1 am. I plan a couple of snacks each afternoon/evening.0
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Have you tried eating 6 small meals a day, rather than the traditional 3 meals? I know it's helped me alot. I used to be ravenous when I got home from work as well, until I started incorporating healthy snacks throughout my day. It helps your metabolism and you won't be dying of hunger at 6 pm! Perhaps you can even find time for a workout before dinner. That way, by the time you finish, shower, make dinner, it is already much later in the evening and you won't have as many cravings after. Everyone's different but I find when I stick to protein and veggies for dinner (rather than carbs or pasta), I feel much more full throughout the night. Saving room for an after dinner treat is a must too!! Drinking herbal tea also helps curb appetite and you can have it with your snack . Woohoo! Problem solved and you'll sleep much better for it. 0
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i would try to save some calories for an evening snack. whether from cutting a few from your meals, or getting in a bit of a workout.0
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I'm the same way! It's become such a habit -I'm not even hungry when I feel the need to have a snack.
Like a few others, I try to eat my dinner as late as possible so that my dinner is my in front of TV "snack". I'm more successful with this if I eat lunch as late as possible i.e. 1pm, then I can usually wait until 7pm to eat dinner.
If I do end up snacking, I pre-measure and log it. That way I can assess the damage beforehand - sometime the damage is too much and I put the snack away.
It also helps to keep myself occupied mentally - being on these boards can do a pretty good job, Facebook, sometimes I work on a puzzle, or read a book... although, I usually just like to veg out in front of the TV.0 -
I've been noticing a pattern lately. I'll eat dinner, but then continue to scrounge around for food...maybe 30 minutes later or so.. and continue this the rest of the night. Sometimes I can control all the snacking, but more often than not, I'll keep asking myself, "Hm, what else can I eat?" I eat pretty early (around 6), so then I have the whole rest of the night to think about what else I could be eating! I don't think it's because my meals aren't tasty, because I do enjoy them.. I guess it's more of just compulsion to eat more or never really feeling "full".. or just plain wanting to 'eat.' Anyone else deal with this and/or have overcome this problem?
I'm an evening snacker; I was raised as one, it's something I enjoy (to an extent) and a pattern that I have no urge to break. That being said, I budget for it, which is what it sounds like you're not doing. I have 1700 cals per day to work with at the deficit I want right now, and I leave 500-600 a night for snacking. That lets me have just about whatever I want.
On the nights where for some reason I haven't been able to set that aside (maybe I did restaurant lunch with a friend, etc) then I typically have a couple cups of tea throughout the night. It's comforting and filling enough that I don't look for much in the actual food department; and if I do, I make sure that I have 100-200 cal or less snacks on hand like an original fudgesicle (80 cals) or melba toast with some laughing cow cheese and apple wedges (160ish).0 -
Thanks for all the helpful tips!! I will be incorporating these for sure.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »What are you eating for dinner? Is it mostly carbs? Perhaps you aren't eating enough protein and fat.
This was a big problem for me. I ate tons of veggies for dinner, but not much else, and I'd be hungry again about half an hour later. Now I eat bigger portions of protein, and make sure to eat some fat with my dinner, or I know I'll be raiding the fridge soon after.0 -
I started delaying breakfast so that I could eat a snack after dinner. It just works better with my schedule, too. I'm in a rush in the morning. I enjoy having a treat once I finally sit down after the kids are in bed. And I'm more tolerant of being hungry when I'm busy at work.
That is just one idea. Point being - think about what options open up if you decide to work with your natural patterns rather than trying to change them.0 -
Late night snacking was a problem for me. But once I started distributing my calories to allow half of them to be my supper, it changed everything. Plus I try to leave a hundred extra so that I can snack on 100 calories of pistachios, which for some reason fill me up. Sometimes I don't, so I don't get to eat pistachios. Tweak it all around to find what works best for YOU! Where there's a will, there's a way.0
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For the longest time I was the same way. I would never be full after dinner and I'd just snack until bed. I started planning two healthy snacks for after dinner but eventually that stopped working. I wasn't satisfied. Now I don't snack at all after dinner, for about two weeks now. Once I start I can't stop so I just stopped all together. I'm actually used to it now. I think it was more a mental thing because after a few days of ignoring the "need" to snack I no longer wanted it. I drink a lot of water as well at night, atleast 32 oz or more so I am sure that helps a lot as well.0
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I used to be very hungry after work as well. So at lunch time I had normal lunch, and then I grabbed a plate of cucumber and green bellpepper and munched away on that until it was time to go home. It kept me full, I wasn't hungry and I could work out after work. And it tastes good as well and is very low in calories.0
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I save calories just for that. Im on 1530 a day, and try to keep 1000 for dinner and evening snacks. Usually 500 dinner and 500 snacks.0
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I used to be very hungry after work as well. So at lunch time I had normal lunch, and then I grabbed a plate of cucumber and green bellpepper and munched away on that until it was time to go home. It kept me full, I wasn't hungry and I could work out after work. And it tastes good as well and is very low in calories.
I truly admire you for snacking on cucumbers and green bell peppers. Two of my least favorite raw vegetables (radishes are #1). I would rather snack on my knuckles!0 -
*Side note* I eat super early because I'm usually very hungry right after work. I've tried eating later, but then I would snack beforehand b/c I'd be so hungry.. and then my snack would basically be my dinner. Then, I would eat another dinner on top of that lol.
I have to eat a 3-3:30 snack. If I don't then I'm so hungry when I get home @ 5 I go crazy shoving things in my mouth. An apple and 1 oz of cheddar cheese takes care of it or even 1.5 ounces of nuts. I'm fine until I get home and serve dinner @ 6-6:30.
Also, my meals never seem DONE until I've had something sweet. I always have some sugar free chocolate covered caramels in the freezer (it takes forever to eat one when they are frozen) and I'll eat two or three of those one at a time. If I have room in my macros I keep some single serving Hagan Daz cups in there as well (If there's a quart container I wind up dipping into it... the single serves keep me more honest). If my macro are SUPER close I'll go with something like an orange or some grapes. Just SOMETHING sweet to signal food time is over. I also try to wait as long as I can before dipping into dessert. If I eat it @6:30 right after dinner I'm looking for more in an hour.
If I'm still looking for something after that I shove a piece of cinnamon gum in my mouth. Anything you eat right after you've been chewing that is going to taste gross.... and it lets me gnaw on something...0
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