Beating evening snacking?

arielle144
arielle144 Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
I do a good job of eating well during the day but in the evenings I have trouble controlling my snacking at night- mainly sweets or carbs. I think it's mainly habitual or boredom. Any tips to help get over this?

Replies

  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    Stop. Seriously, just don't do it. Drink water, or go to bed. Eventually you won't want to.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I keep my hands busy. I clean or read a real paper book, maybe play with Lego's a bit. I also like to have hot tea before bed some nights if dinner was earlier than usual. I also try to have dinner about 2 hours before bed so Im not terribly hungry.
  • TriciaSmith2015
    TriciaSmith2015 Posts: 66 Member
    I allow myself some air popped popcorn. I know that I will want some sort of savory snack, and this is a sensible compromise.
  • April_Chicken
    April_Chicken Posts: 19 Member
    I am so the late afternoon or after dinner cravings chick. I'm also the kind of person who gets a craving in my head and it doesn't go away until I get it.

    Sometimes, I will keep a diet cream soda in the fridge because it's sweet and has zero calories or just grab some light kettle corn. Lately, I'm playing mind games with myself like, how much cardio will I have to do to work that off. So far, that has been working.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    The best advice I got from here was "save calories at night for snacking."
    I know I like to have something sweet after dinner and a snack before bed, instead of denying myself I save calories.
    I drink tea after dinner also.
  • jwify1233
    jwify1233 Posts: 2 Member
    I too am like you I do so good during the day and always want something sweet at night and almost always go overboard. I have heard of saving the calories for night time snacking. I should try tea that's a good idea!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Don't buy snack foods.
  • Xxlune
    Xxlune Posts: 34 Member
    When it got really bad, I would just go to sleep. I know this sounds super depressing (and it kind of is) but you cannot eat when you are sleeping so that takes care of that..
  • carissaym2016
    carissaym2016 Posts: 13 Member
    edited April 2016
    I usually have dinner a few hours before bed and try not to go to bed too late (otherwise my stomach thinks it needs food). But I like to leave about 100-150 extra calories in case I need them. Apples, yogurt, hardboiled eggs all fit in there. I'm also trying to get out of the habit of eating in the bedroom. Such a bad habit. Good luck! Took me a while to curb eating late at night :)

  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
    I like to save most of my calories for the evening so that I am able to eat lots at night. It suits me better; I'd rather be hungry at work when there is no food around than hungry at home where I'd be tempted to break my diet (and I like to have fewer big meals, rather than lots of smaller meals).

    You could hold some calories back to allow yourself the snacks without going over your calorie limit.
  • Elie_a
    Elie_a Posts: 2 Member
    Keep a bowl of ready to eat Tomatoes, cucumber and celery. Cucumber and Celery are what they call "negative calorie" food (i.e. you burn more calories trying to digest them than the calories you will ingest). it's a healthy snack and will make you full. also, getting a glass of water whenever you need to resist a temptation will temporarily give you the sensation of being full, so it may help you skip the craving period
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
    arielle144 wrote: »
    I do a good job of eating well during the day but in the evenings I have trouble controlling my snacking at night- mainly sweets or carbs. I think it's mainly habitual or boredom. Any tips to help get over this?

    I have myself programmed to drink a smoothie right before bed. If not, I know where things end up....
  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
    edited April 2016
    Elie_a wrote: »
    Keep a bowl of ready to eat Tomatoes, cucumber and celery. Cucumber and Celery are what they call "negative calorie" food (i.e. you burn more calories trying to digest them than the calories you will ingest). it's a healthy snack and will make you full. also, getting a glass of water whenever you need to resist a temptation will temporarily give you the sensation of being full, so it may help you skip the craving period

    This isn't true btw. The calories are very low, so they are good snacks, but there is no such thing as a negative calorie food.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative-calorie_food
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Yes, dont eat it.
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
    NaturalNancy wrote: »
    The best advice I got from here was "save calories at night for snacking."
    I know I like to have something sweet after dinner and a snack before bed, instead of denying myself I save calories.
    I drink tea after dinner also.

    Yes a thousand times yes. It was so much better for me when I stopped fighting myself and what I'm like--I love a snack at like 11 pm. It's so much easier and happier for me to save 200-300 calories for that snack, and I enjoy it so much more than I ever enjoyed eating breakfast, which I was on the sad impression you "had" to do to diet. Enjoy you late night snack! Remember, this is for life, so make it fit who you are.
  • mickimalbrough
    mickimalbrough Posts: 11 Member
    Just like others have said, I try to save a few calories for an evening snack. I tend to eat an early dinner (between 5-6) so then I get hungry again later in the evening. So at that time I'll eat something low cal but filling. Like Carmel flavored rice cakes, air popped popcorn, fiber one bars....etc. then I always follow it up with a giant glass of water. Like 24 oz. It fills me well.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    This is just a little trick for people that don't pre-plan and end up winging it.

    You can start counting your calories at night if you don't want to plan it out, and then adjust during the day. First meal would be something like nightly snack, then breakfast, lunch, dinner. It's a mental thing, doesn't give you more calories, but may help you adjust your meals during the day based on what you have left from the night before.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cvD2Di4_xQk/RoCDMMa4nuI/AAAAAAAAAVA/oqTEZ_5ec7Y/s320/fudgsicle-no-sugar-added-764338.jpg
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
    y0d71g41d1a2.jpeg
  • Menelsch
    Menelsch Posts: 2 Member
    Elie_a wrote: »
    Keep a bowl of ready to eat Tomatoes, cucumber and celery. Cucumber and Celery are what they call "negative calorie" food (i.e. you burn more calories trying to digest them than the calories you will ingest). it's a healthy snack and will make you full. also, getting a glass of water whenever you need to resist a temptation will temporarily give you the sensation of being full, so it may help you skip the craving period

    Good advice with the cucumber and celery. Thanks
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    mickimalbrough wrote: »
    Just like others have said, I try to save a few calories for an evening snack. I tend to eat an early dinner (between 5-6) so then I get hungry again later in the evening. So at that time I'll eat something low cal but filling. Like Carmel flavored rice cakes, air popped popcorn, fiber one bars....etc. then I always follow it up with a giant glass of water. Like 24 oz. It fills me well.

    This^

    If it's boredom sitting in front of the tube.....do something with your hands. Take up crochet, play solitaire, buy an adult coloring book, ANYTHING to keep yourself a bit distracted.

    I sit down to watch TV with a big glass of ice water, sometimes I fancy it up with lemon slices. I do allow myself some light popcorn.
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    sugar free popsicles and fudgsicles are 15 and 40 calories respectively. Also I get the tollhouse mini cookies and bake 3 at a time or just eat the raw dough (150cals for 3 cookies)

    But tbh I save most calories for dinner and my nighttime snack. I have less than 200cals at breakfast, about 200-300 at lunch, and the rest are all for dinner/snacks
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    +! for saving calories for the evening. I actually save a lot of calories - 1000+ if I can - for late evening. It's my quiet alone time. I can structure the rest of my day because I can look forward to what I have planned for night time.
  • arielle144
    arielle144 Posts: 5 Member
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    This is just a little trick for people that don't pre-plan and end up winging it.

    You can start counting your calories at night if you don't want to plan it out, and then adjust during the day. First meal would be something like nightly snack, then breakfast, lunch, dinner. It's a mental thing, doesn't give you more calories, but may help you adjust your meals during the day based on what you have left from the night before.

    I love this idea. Thanks!

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