Why are nights the hardest?
sweetkisses4738
Posts: 2 Member
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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Replies
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Idk what it is but I feel like if I'm starving.. and would love to eat something right now..
but I already had my dinner 4 hrs ago 
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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?0
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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...0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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.0
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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! 0 -
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!
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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
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It's HABITUAL BEHAVIOR. Just do what I do. I save calories for the evening.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?
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
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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?Start planning for evening snacks. I personally prefer to skip breakfast so that I have space for a late evening snack/meal.
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
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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!0
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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!0 -
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 0 -
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.0
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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.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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If you're hungry, eat!! Try eating something with fiber to keep you full longer.0
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@sweetkisses4738 nighttime eating has been my nemesis for a while and I've been most successful when I've given myself a cutoff time to eat at night (8pm) and then had tea and water before going to bed. Also, when I'd have protein with dinner helped too!0
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