Maintaining weight, how to avoid late night snacks?

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Replies

  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    Wow i never heard of mixing cottage cheese w/pnut butter lol yuck lol,but i do like cottage cheese, that sounds like a good night time snack! Thanks!

    I thought it sounded gross too. I heard about this on a bodybuilding forum and tried it out and I love it now!
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    bkate24 wrote: »
    I complete my diary entry right after dinner (or even after I've weighed the raw components and it's cooking). For me that's an incentive to not eat more because it's nice to see the total and the "if every day was like today" message at the bottom.

    You could do similarly but just pre-log a healthy snack and then complete the day's entry. Once you see the total calories for the day that are in range, you feel proud and don't want to lose that feeling by adding more. At least that's how it is for me.

    Also, sometimes I still feel like I need a dessert or evening sweet because I'm still in the mindset that your dinner isn't complete without one. But when that happens, I just make sure I plan ahead and have a dessert/snack option that fits in my calorie budget (as others above said). What I did was buy great quality but suuuper dark chocolate (Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie for me). It took me a while to get used to it and I had to take small bites because the flavor was so intense, but once I adjusted to it, regular chocolate tastes horribly sweet to me and I can't eat more than like 30g of it anyway. Plus, with just two flat squares of the really dark chocolate, it was so strong that my chocolate craving was satisfied.

    Good luck!
    Thanks! That's actually a good technique

  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    I am one of those people that loves to eat late/snack late so I don't try to avoid it. My evening meal is typically the largest meal I eat all day & I usually make sure there are several hundred cals leftover after it for dessert/late snacks. I normally get well over 50% of my entire daily calorie intake between 7-11:30pm.

    Eating late isn't a bad thing as long as it fits your overall calorie goal as opposed to being additional calories that you eat after already reaching your goal for the day so if that is when you enjoy eating I would say don't avoid it, just fit it in.
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    misschoppo wrote: »
    I am one of those people that loves to eat late/snack late so I don't try to avoid it. My evening meal is typically the largest meal I eat all day & I usually make sure there are several hundred cals leftover after it for dessert/late snacks. I normally get well over 50% of my entire daily calorie intake between 7-11:30pm.

    Eating late isn't a bad thing as long as it fits your overall calorie goal as opposed to being additional calories that you eat after already reaching your goal for the day so if that is when you enjoy eating I would say don't avoid it, just fit it in.
    Thanks! It's nice to know im not alone lol

  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
    If you are an evening snacker, then just plan it into your day. Save enough calories to allow for a small serving of whatever it is you like whether its fruit, chips, nuts, popcorn, whatever. Just be sure you plan it into you day and you will be fine.
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    If you are an evening snacker, then just plan it into your day. Save enough calories to allow for a small serving of whatever it is you like whether its fruit, chips, nuts, popcorn, whatever. Just be sure you plan it into you day and you will be fine.
    Thanks!

  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
    I pre-log my food every morning and allot for snacks. I usually have a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle Bar for dessert. Tonight I am having two. Each is only 100 calories. After dinner I complete the day's entry and do not allow myself anything I haven't logged for the day.
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    PinkyPan1 wrote: »
    I pre-log my food every morning and allot for snacks. I usually have a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle Bar for dessert. Tonight I am having two. Each is only 100 calories. After dinner I complete the day's entry and do not allow myself anything I haven't logged for the day.
    Thanks! & I'll give one of those truffle bars a try!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I save around 300-500 calories for my evening snacking :smiley: I eat whatever I darn well fancy as long as it fits into those calories or thereabouts :smile:
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    I save around 300-500 calories for my evening snacking :smiley: I eat whatever I darn well fancy as long as it fits into those calories or thereabouts :smile:
    Thanks!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Same as when losing... I don't. But it's relatively easy for me I guess, I know it's just a couple hours then I'll sleep and get to eat in the morning, so even when I'm hungry I can ignore it.

    +1, although it looks like we're in the minority on this thread. I was thinking about this thread today, wondering why hunger after dinner doesn't bother me. I do have snacks, but I prefer them during the day. If I prelogged I'd probably be ok with an evening snack, but my experience with after dinner snacking is it gets out of hand. I guess my self control gets tired towards the end of the day. It's mentally easier for me to stop thinking about food after dinner.
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Same as when losing... I don't. But it's relatively easy for me I guess, I know it's just a couple hours then I'll sleep and get to eat in the morning, so even when I'm hungry I can ignore it.

    +1, although it looks like we're in the minority on this thread. I was thinking about this thread today, wondering why hunger after dinner doesn't bother me. I do have snacks, but I prefer them during the day. If I prelogged I'd probably be ok with an evening snack, but my experience with after dinner snacking is it gets out of hand. I guess my self control gets tired towards the end of the day. It's mentally easier for me to stop thinking about food after dinner.
    I completely agree, maybe it's just bcuz after being cautious of what we eat ALL day, by night time we're like "F@&# it" I'm still trying to do better though.

  • wherethetrailends35
    wherethetrailends35 Posts: 18 Member
    what they all said
  • pumpkinpocalypse
    pumpkinpocalypse Posts: 104 Member
    edited August 2015
    I used to never ever snack or have dessert after dinner and that was working well for me (didn't feel any particularly strong craving for it), but my mom has the biggest sweet tooth EVER and never stops buying new ice cream pots or cakes or very indulgent desserts everyday/every week...and eats a lot of it all the time. At some point you just really get tired of having all those things shoved up in your face constantly...and you give in. I've always been very reasonnable with my portions and don't necessarily have dessert every night but it happens quite often now (especially because my birthday was not so long ago and we have tons of leftover cakes around). I just eat normally during the day and try to leave a little 100-250 calories wiggle room for dessert, just so i don't feel *kitten* and deprived when i see my mother digging out the ice cream from the freezer at 9-10pm when i had a long day on top of exercice (and could use a treat). Plus, i may be a health nut, but to be totally honest a little sweet really feels great from time to time. As long as i ate well and fulfilled my nutritional needs that day, and that i feel a little hungry or not completely bloated from my last meal, it can't hurt me much so I allow myself some.
  • TracyV125
    TracyV125 Posts: 100 Member
    I save calories for my nightly snack. I love my coffee after a long day and tend to have a healthy snack with it.
  • bevetly97
    bevetly97 Posts: 1 Member
    As a night snack person I know it is partially due to pain levels, which I am working on with my doctor.
    Now I will work hard to try save some calories. I realize that when stress hits I tend to overeat.
    I usually compensate by eating less the next day and walking more.
  • lmsaa
    lmsaa Posts: 51 Member
    Lots of good suggestions here already. I leave calories for a snack at night, usually an 80-cal yogurt, a slice of cheese, or some nuts. It helps me to prevent the really late night snacking if I move away from the kitchen earlier in the evening. Even if I am going to stay awake and watch TV or read, if I leave the family room (which is off my kitchen) by 10 pm and relocate to bed in my pajamas, I never go back to the kitchen. When I'm too close to the forbidden snacks, I am much more likely to indulge at midnight.
  • high_carb_daisy
    high_carb_daisy Posts: 4 Member
    Im the same! Am always hungrier at night, I find if I eat my dinner a bit later than usual (say an hour or two later) then am not inclined to snack so much. And like others said, dont deny yourself food! I have often 300 calories plus before bed, usually sweets like dried fruit, and losing weight :smile: good luck and hope you keep maintaining!
  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    I used to never ever snack or have dessert after dinner and that was working well for me (didn't feel any particularly strong craving for it), but my mom has the biggest sweet tooth EVER and never stops buying new ice cream pots or cakes or very indulgent desserts everyday/every week...and eats a lot of it all the time. At some point you just really get tired of having all those things shoved up in your face constantly...and you give in. I've always been very reasonnable with my portions and don't necessarily have dessert every night but it happens quite often now (especially because my birthday was not so long ago and we have tons of leftover cakes around). I just eat normally during the day and try to leave a little 100-250 calories wiggle room for dessert, just so i don't feel *kitten* and deprived when i see my mother digging out the ice cream from the freezer at 9-10pm when i had a long day on top of exercice (and could use a treat). Plus, i may be a health nut, but to be totally honest a little sweet really feels great from time to time. As long as i ate well and fulfilled my nutritional needs that day, and that i feel a little hungry or not completely bloated from my last meal, it can't hurt me much so I allow myself some.
    Thanks! I live with a junk food junkie lol it does make it hard,but not impossible! Thanks

  • Detroitcity86
    Detroitcity86 Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks guys