Why are nights the hardest?

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sweetkisses4738
sweetkisses4738 Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
I'm loving my new healthy lifestyle and I'm mentally prepared, losing weight, and focused. Until the evening. I'm pushing through and doing everything by the book but I'm having battles every night to sneak eat, cheat, and just plain old dream of junk food. How do I push through this? Is it mental habits? Is it a physiological battle?
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  • carmenvalenciia
    carmenvalenciia Posts: 1 Member
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    Idk what it is but I feel like if I'm starving.. and would love to eat something right now.. :s but I already had my dinner 4 hrs ago :'(
  • allenalrayes21
    allenalrayes21 Posts: 11 Member
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    I definitely feel where you are coming from and it is a struggle but my friend described it as knowing the difference between your body being hungry and you craving food. Most of the time that is the case, also a thing that really helped me everyday was drinking my daily gallon to gallon and a half of water. What is your diet like? What is your workout regime like? Do you take any substances or anything of the sort?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Yep, the evenings are when my munchies monster comes out. I do fine during the day and then Bam!!
    This is one of the reasons I go to bed early most nights and watch TV in there instead of the living room which is right next to the kitchen...
  • Dandelie
    Dandelie Posts: 153 Member
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    If you are kicking things you enjoy out of your diet, the reaction is going to want it more. So perhaps you should schedule a small portion of what you are wanting as a snack, and eat it during the evening. That way you can feel like you are still enjoying your junk food and it is right at the time you have been wanting it.
  • juanbastias22
    juanbastias22 Posts: 18 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Yep, the evenings are when my munchies monster comes out. I do fine during the day and then Bam!!
    This is one of the reasons I go to bed early most nights and watch TV in there instead of the living room which is right next to the kitchen...

    I agree. Going to bed early helps shelve that craving.
  • stolen_spoon
    stolen_spoon Posts: 20 Member
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    I think we are so used to sitting and mindlessly eating that it's difficult to divorce the two. Like having a cigarette with a morning coffee or after dinner. It's hard to do one without the other.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    Start planning for evening snacks. I personally prefer to skip breakfast so that I have space for a late evening snack/meal.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    No witnesses? Hahhah I get the munchies after kids are in bed ;). . . Don't keep junk food in the house so I don't have a choice but to make good decisions when it comes up!
  • samanthachen
    samanthachen Posts: 360 Member
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    Jennloella wrote: »
    No witnesses? Hahhah I get the munchies after kids are in bed ;). . . Don't keep junk food in the house so I don't have a choice but to make good decisions when it comes up!

    Haha this. And this is exactly why I plan on a decent amount of calories to enjoy at that time. I should say that it isn't perfect, and I don't always get the large snack I want. Sometimes it's just a small banana, or a piece of cheese, or a TBSP of peanut butter, but not giving up my favorite time to snack has made sticking with this much easier.

    I hope that helps! :smiley:
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,264 Member
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    Well for me, that's when the goodies start talking to me from the pantry, and I'm so tired, I sometimes listen. Brushing my teeth helps. So does a cup of tea. When all else fails, Cheetohs and beer are my go-to :blush:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,585 Member
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    sweetkisses4738 wrote: »
    I'm loving my new healthy lifestyle and I'm mentally prepared, losing weight, and focused. Until the evening. I'm pushing through and doing everything by the book but I'm having battles every night to sneak eat, cheat, and just plain old dream of junk food. How do I push through this? Is it mental habits? Is it a physiological battle?
    It's HABITUAL BEHAVIOR. Just do what I do. I save calories for the evening.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,585 Member
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    VeryKatie wrote: »
    Start planning for evening snacks. I personally prefer to skip breakfast so that I have space for a late evening snack/meal.
    Exactly what I do. I'm happier eating at night and not in the morning. All I have to do is get up, brush my teeth and get ready. And who wants to eat after having TOOTHPASTE BREATH?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • nmiacroglies
    nmiacroglies Posts: 2 Member
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    I am the same way! I get home at night and all I want to do is eat something.. I already ate my dinner at work, it's really hard to fight the urge to snack on something!
  • Jecka987
    Jecka987 Posts: 47 Member
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    Research has shown that willpower is a finite resource, that depletes as we make choices and use it, so by the end of a day of making good strong choices it can feel a lot harder to resist temptations. Implement some rules (like brushing teeth when you finish eating), save some cals, distract yourself - I used to paint my finger nails 1) to distract myself and 2) cause then you can't pick anything up without ruining them so you don't eat :)

    Also, unless you eat really early, if its been 4 hours since your dinner you should probably go to bed!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,585 Member
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    Also, meal timing doesn't matter. You CAN eat your dinner at 8:30-10:00pm if that's what you want to do.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • fbcarlson
    fbcarlson Posts: 283 Member
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    I have found that if I do not watch TV, I do not crave snacks at night. But if I sit on the couch and watch TV, the adds start putting cravings in my mind. So I either skip the TV or I record the shows I want to watch and skip the ads.
  • MarziDeThrall
    MarziDeThrall Posts: 98 Member
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    I am the same way at night. Luckily, most of the time all I want in the morning is coffee, so I save those breakfast calories for a nightly snack. Works out pretty great for me. I've also used crushed ice to keep my crunch cravings in check.
  • Rdsgoal16
    Rdsgoal16 Posts: 302 Member
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    I wish I knew....I did a Les Mills body combat and came home at 7:30 fitbit said I burned 982 calories....I tried everything to not eat like a beast.......NIGHTS are the hardest.
  • LuckyNumbers
    LuckyNumbers Posts: 208 Member
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    I have the same struggles, and it's a combo of issues for me. I'm usually bored at night, or stressed from the day (putting a toddler to bed is so fun!! Where's the sarcasm font?), or there's a snack in the house, etc.

    A lot of the previous suggestions were good, and I'll list some of my tactics here:
    - I do some chores (laundry, dishes, litterbox, etc.)
    - Prep my breakfast and lunch for the next day.
    - Get all my gear packed for work (along with my daughter's)
    - Groom (wash my face, brush my teeth, floss, brush my hair, do my nails, pluck my eyebrows)

    I also *usually* don't have trigger foods in the house (or at least, I'm not the one who purchases them). Except wine. I always have wine.
  • laurenjennifer1987mfp
    laurenjennifer1987mfp Posts: 55 Member
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    Personally my worst time is the hour after work... tired, stressed, hungry, more inclined to binge and over compensate for hunger! Once I've eaten I can put my level head on. If I'm hungry I eat a bit more, if I'm bored I find something to do rather than heading to the fridge.

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