Serious, Major Self Control Issues

I'm the same, late night snacker (and I don't normally eat dinner until 6.30). I'm trying healthier snacks (fruit, dates) or making a very thick smoothie. And if I still want to eat, a chew gum. Maybe 'reserve' a couple of hundred calories to use late at night and you don't have to feel guilty then.

I used to chew gum when I felt hungry. I found it fooled my brain enough to buy me time until my next scheduled meal. Most gums are less than five calories, but maintain flavor for a good deal of time and can fill a craving. I eventually quit the gum altogether, but it's the only thing I can recommend.

coco_bee wrote: »

I had this problem. Ask yourself these questions "how hungry am I? Is it my stomach that is truly hungry as in rumbling hunger or is it emotional hunger to satisfy my taste buds? how am I feeling? what am I really craving? Is it because I am tired and what I really need is sleep? not food. Is it because I'm thirsty and the body needs water, not food.

If you really are (stomach) hungry, have a yogurt with a few walnuts or a hot chocolate milky drink to settle those hunger pangs so you can sleep without suffering. Mindful eating and also meditation is what I practice and it really does help with binge eating.

Thanks Coco_Bee reading ty his really helps.

You CAN control yourself, you are just not choosing to do so.

You can train yourself not to be a night eater. Here's what helped me:

1. Eat substantial meals early in the day, with significant protein.
2. Stay VERY well hydrated. If you are a larger person or more active, 8 glass a day might be be nearly enough.
3. Eat dinner later. There is no rule that you need to have dinner at 5PM. I like to have a light dinner between 8-10 PM. An alternative to that would be to plan/budget for a snack later at night.
4. Establish an earlier bedtime and be as consistent about it as possible. Sleeping pills or a nightly Benedryl might be helpful--obviously something to run by your doctor before you try it.
5. Exercise regularly. If you put a lot of effort into exercise, it's not so tempting to ruin your progress by overeating.

It takes about 3 weeks to start establishing new habits. If you can force yourself to stay on track for that long, you might see progress.

Good luck!

ATI I suggest taking small steps at a time. Establish a small rule for yourself (for example no chocolate candies after 9pm) and work from there, most likely small steps are easier to keep and gradually you can increase your goals. it's like exercise if you're a runner you won't start from running 26 miles your first day, maybe you will jog 5 minutes, walk 5, jog again, etc...same way with self control, little steps

Personally, I usually have dinner at 5pm too, and most of the time I'm fine afterwards. Sometimes I'm not but I ignore the hunger because I know it might lead to eating too much... On the rare days when I'm so hungry that I just can't think about anything else, I eat (and yeah I end up going way over, like last night, but it's hormones - shouldn't be a problem for you, lol).

Anyway, make better choices during the day (more protein and good fat, less carbs), or leave calories for a nighttime snack. And adjust your calorie goal so you don't end up starving every single night. No diet is going to work if you're starving all the time. There's nothing wrong with setting your goal to 1.5 or 1 pound a week, if it's going to make you stick to it instead of making you want to quit and overeating at night.

So what do you do in the 6-7 hours between dinner and bedtime? Many people here would be envious to have that much free time to exercise. If a 5 o'clock dinnertime is inflexible, plan for four meals.

tequila5000 wrote: »

After I've reached my calorie goal for the day (after my evening snack), I too find that I sometimes want to keep snacking. If I brush and floss my teeth, that usually works for me. Its easy for me to say "no thank you" when my mouth is nice and clean. I also know that if I am overtired, I am very tempted to keep snacking. Sometimes I just lay down and go to sleep.

There's a difference between 'wanting to keep snacking' and being genuinely hungry though...