Lose control at night!

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kete05
kete05 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I have about 50 lbs to lose. I want to lose 80. I am doing a great job during the day. But once my kids go to bed and I am just sitting around I tend to binge on random stuff. Like tonight. First I had an apple with peanut butter. Then a pudding cup. Then a bunch of graham crackers. I am not hungry but I have a compulsion to eat. Its like I lose all of my will power at night. And it may not sound like a lot but it pushed me about 300 calories over my daily goal. Does anyone else do this? Anyone have any tips on how to control it? Or some good, healthy options that seem indulgent? If I pre-plan my night eating maybe I won't go overboard?
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Replies

  • Hummingbird914
    Hummingbird914 Posts: 76 Member
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    If you want to eat at night you have to space out your meals. Make it so you still have calories to eat at night. There are a ton of healthy snack recipes you can find on pintrest. Kale chips, flourless muffins etc. Fill your fridge with healthy snacks like fruit. Get rid of the graham crackers and pudding cups.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    I eat smaller meals during the day because I know I'm gonna wanna snack after dinner. I always leave 3-500 calories to eat between dinner and bedtime
  • heatherlewisis
    heatherlewisis Posts: 118 Member
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    Just go to bed.
  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
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    Pre-planning would be a good idea.

    I really just forced myself to stay within my day's calories and it stopped being an issue (it's still super hard, but I am doing it so it's not something I consider an issue). Before I got on my fitness journey I would eat half a box of whatever sweet I bought that day, it never lasted beyond 2 days. After I started counting calories I just told myself "Look, if you don't hit these calories, you're not going to be happy. You can eat another brownie tomorrow you'll have to deal with just eating one tonight."
  • hevarrrrr
    hevarrrrr Posts: 8 Member
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    this happens to me sometimes. i think i've worked out triggers!

    1. boredom. so now if i have time to snack i'll stick a workout dvd on (doesn't always work lol)

    2. hydration. if i haven't drunk enough water it tends to make me hungry at the end of the day. so now i have reminders to drink water in my calendar!

    3. fruit and veg. i an sure this links to the above but the leas fruit or veg i eat for lunch appears to have a lasting inpact on what i have for tea! my 2.5 year old isn't big on veggies but i now squeeze them onto the plate! i find too much fruit also makes me hungry.

    hope this helps.

  • whiteblossom14
    whiteblossom14 Posts: 240 Member
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    It's a hard thing to stop doing. And going over your goal is not the answer. Do a bit more work out to compensate what your eating you will soon want to keep those extra calories and you will see the weight drop off x
  • Nanogg55
    Nanogg55 Posts: 275 Member
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    Been there, eaten that. Things that have helped me:
    • Eat dinner, brush teeth and go to bed. OR,
    • Leave extra cals in your daily allotment to allow for an evening snack after dinner and THEN brush teeth. Or,
    • Eat dinner, brush teeth and take up hobby like knitting, crochet, puzzles,etc. OR,
    • Eat dinner and suck strong peppermints when you feel the urge to graze. Peppermints make food taste strange (at least to me) and easier to resist. Remember to log the mints; they can add up! Honestly though, the biggest help I have found is to go to bed early after dinner. Once my teeth are brushed and I am in bed it;s not hard to resist the grazing urge. I can even stay "up" watching TV or reading in bed and resist the urge.
  • gabstotheabs
    gabstotheabs Posts: 7 Member
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    I do a couple of things. Mainly I wait as long as I can all day to eat. Sometimes I will drink 100 calorie muscle milk shakes and chew gum through breakfast and lunch. That way, when dinner rolls around and I make a healthy 400 calorie dinner, I still have ~400calories to play with in terms of snacks. If I don't eat the snacks, great! If I do, no harm done. Second, I get sugar free puddings, 100 calorie bags of popcorn, and flavored rice cakes to up the volume and lower the calorie intake if I feel like munching and crunching for a long time.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
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    Personally I save 300 or 400 calories for night time snacking. Like you, my kids go to bed and I want to sit down and eat in peace! I pay attention throughout the day to make sure I save enough and do a longer workout if it's a tight day. I usually plan the snack I'm going to eat so I don't just sit a mindlessly eat chips straight from the bag. I love popcorn because I can have a big bowl for not a lot of calories!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Pre-log your days to include your night snacks.
  • Domicinator
    Domicinator Posts: 261 Member
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    I do one of three things when I get like this at night:

    1. Brush, floss, mouthwash. Having a clean mouth is a good motivator to not eat.

    2. Hop on my bike and take a jaunt around the neighborhood. Always gets my mind right.

    3. Fire up the Playstation 4.

    With me it's a mental game. My stomach feels fine, and I am physically not hungry, but my brain is telling me to eat everything in sight. I just have to get my brain to think about other things.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    I really relate to this, OP. The suggestion to go to bed is not a bad one.

    Even if I have 300 calories to spend, I wind up going over because of a domino effect. It's a matter of discipline and healthy distraction. I've enjoyed reading the tips for success!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Once I changed my diet (to LCHF) I found it easier to control my evening intake of food. That being said, some days I feel snacky and save calories for later, or I just eat 100-300 calories over and possibly cut back on next day's breakfast.
  • mlaccs
    mlaccs Posts: 25 Member
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    I am sure you know this but for me the night stuff is helped by NOT having foods around that are triggers or bad for me. If there is ice cream in the fridge then it MUST be consumed to save the planet. If there is no ice cream in the fridge then I am not likely to go out and buy some.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    What's LCHF?
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    Low Carb High Fat (I think)
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I have to leave myself 300 calories for night (sometimes 500) or I binge eat at night. Always leave yourself something so you know you can eat at night. I also know I eat a lot at night because I'm tired. When I get tired my body sends me hunger signals... They aren't actually hunger signals... It me being tired and my body is looking for a form of energy (food)
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
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    I think planning your meals with room in the evening for snacks is the best bet. The teeth brushing with mouth wash is helpful, too. Night time snacking is breaking me at the moment. Funny how giving advice is much easier than doing.
  • ElkeKNJ
    ElkeKNJ Posts: 207 Member
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    I agree on the pepermint taste. I drink peppermint tea to keep me from snacking. I think the warm feeling in the stomach also satisfies me.
  • glitzy196
    glitzy196 Posts: 190 Member
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    I buy snacks i really want, right now it is drum sticks. I look forward to it and it is only 110 calories. For me eating exactly what i want is more satisfying than random crap, so i don't feel the need to kust keep eating because whatever i grabbed didn't 'hit the spot'. I also go as long as i can without eating in the morning. Most days i can go from 6:30 to 12:00.

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