How do you prevent after dinner sweets & snacking?

2

Replies

  • babycatchfire
    babycatchfire Posts: 156 Member
    Brushing your teeth helps + chamomile tea. If you like something sweet you can always add stevia or splenda.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    I was in the hospital for 6 weeks about a year ago and got a dessert for every lunch and supper, and then care packages from friends. When I got home, I had horrible cravings for candy, cookies, diet coke, etc. But I couldn't leave my house because I could only walk about 20 feet at that point, so I just dealt with it, and after about 2 weeks the cravings were gone again. I just don't buy sweets or ice cream, etc. If I want it, I buy the single serving little cups, individually. I suppose it helps that I'm 15 miles from the nearest grocery store. But I just don't buy the stuff I know I would over eat. If you go a week or so without it, the cravings go away.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited April 2016
    My after-dinner routine is to consume 5 prunes and 2 fiber gummies. These serve a good purpose. Then if I have budget for sodium, a hot pickle. This is my special treat.
  • melissamk89
    melissamk89 Posts: 20 Member
    jennylm87 wrote: »
    Currently battling the urge to snack and I am resisting and it is working. I just keep reminding myself of the progress I have made so far and it seems to be doing the trick.


    That's what I did tonight...it's not worth it! I drank a big glass of water and it helped a lot :) we've got this!
  • melissamk89
    melissamk89 Posts: 20 Member
    babycatchfire wrote: »
    Brushing your teeth helps + chamomile tea. If you like something sweet you can always add stevia or splenda.

    I tried chewing gum after dinner tonight and it actually helped! Must be similar to brushing your teeth, it took my mind off of snacking and made me feel satisfied
  • melissamk89
    melissamk89 Posts: 20 Member
    sthome925 wrote: »
    As long as I eat every 3-4 hours and include protein in every meal, I've been able to get rid of all my after dinner cravings. I aim to have between 60-80 g of protein each day.

    Good advice, I think I do need to up my protein intake! I focused on eating more protein today (I already eat 5-6 small meals a day but tried adding some sort of protein to each meal) and I really did feel more satisfied after dinner and didn't feel the need for a late night snack or chocolate! Thank you!
  • GiselleBrand
    GiselleBrand Posts: 7 Member
    1) Flossing and brushing your teeth and getting out of the kitchen and dining room would be a good start to prevent snacking.
    2) Whenever, I go away on a meditation retreat, I do not have dinner at all every night for 10 consecutive nights. And I am always pleasantly surprised that I never experienced hunger once.
    3) Mind mastery through meditation works miracles and powerfully steers our minds away from food. Try it some time.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Try fasting. Skip breakfast, eat lunch and dinner, and snack with the leftover calories after dinner.
  • R_is_for_Rachel
    R_is_for_Rachel Posts: 381 Member
    Firstly you need to listen to your body. Are you actually hungry? If not, then make the conscious decision not to eat. If you think you are then have a drink because the chances are you actually are just thirsty. I drink lots of herbal, green, white teas. I have a camomile that's kinda sweet but naturally so, which takes away the sweet cravings. Good luck!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I just save some calories to enjoy something sweet every night. I know I can't live life without them, but a little moderation (usually I have 1-2 servings of ice cream) works.
  • sbl1881
    sbl1881 Posts: 213 Member
    I don't try prevent it - I just work it into my daily calories.
  • thetrudster1
    thetrudster1 Posts: 8 Member
    I have the same problem, except it is after every meal. I am not hungry, I just want something sweet. I started using the 20 minute rule, and it is working so far. I set a timer (or Seri ) for 20 minutes. If I still want something sweet after the timer goes off, I will have it. But that hasn't happened yet. After 20 minutes of not thinking about it, the craving is gone.
  • auger8164
    auger8164 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I am the same way, so far I've been staying under my calorie intake everyday so, I usually make myself ants on a log, one or two stocks is plenty, or I opt for a small bowl of cheerio multi-grain cereal. Snack on it like that, I get the sweetness and the crunch. Hope that help! Good luck:-)
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,964 Member
    Drinking alcohol in excess and falling asleep
  • JShailen
    JShailen Posts: 184 Member
    I used to have this problem until I simply stopped. That's it. I wish I could offer better advice but that's literally what I did. After a few weeks of not having a snack after dinner it simply became habit to not have one.

    Although I should add, I usually have a hot drink after dinner and sometimes a banana before bed. The hot drink is either tea or teas with soya milk or a 40 calorie hot chocolate. The banana is rare, only if I'm low on calories for the day really.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    I try to find something busy to do at night. If I sit in front of the TV it is too easy to think about food, but if I go out for a walk, write, even play video games my hands and mind are busy and I don't have as much time to think about snacking.
    I also like to brush my teeth and even go to bed early.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    GiselleBrand wrote: »
    1) Flossing and brushing your teeth and getting out of the kitchen and dining room would be a good start to prevent snacking.
    2) Whenever, I go away on a meditation retreat, I do not have dinner at all every night for 10 consecutive nights. And I am always pleasantly surprised that I never experienced hunger once.
    3) Mind mastery through meditation works miracles and powerfully steers our minds away from food. Try it some time.

    I do #1(after my Ben and Jerry’s) and find it helpful, additionally nasty mouthwash helps too. Have to do some meditation and see if that helps.
  • MegSchuy16
    MegSchuy16 Posts: 189 Member
    When I crave sweets I just drink a bottle of water and have a piece of fruit.. usually grapes, watermelon, or an apple. It always helps me.
  • fitdaisygrrl
    fitdaisygrrl Posts: 139 Member
    It's a huge issue for me too and on the weeks I've been successful it's when I tell myself "this week, my goal is not to eat after 8 p.m."- that is usually the time when my little one is down and I want to sit on the couch and just watch some tv, and also the time I want to snack. So my little rule of "just, not after 8" allows me to have a snack or dessert after dinner (and make room for it in my day) and I reach for herbal tea as my "couch treat." I find if I say something like "nothing after dinner" then I feel deprived and eventually rebel.
  • mgookin1
    mgookin1 Posts: 72 Member
    I eat 2 cups of lite premade kettle corn for only 140 calories. It satisfies the sweet cravings.
  • DterMined2012
    DterMined2012 Posts: 540 Member
    This a big issue with me also! I can be on point with diet and workout all day and give it all up after dinner by bingeing on sweets.....I am to the point of calling it an addiction! I wasn't like this a few years ago, don't know how it got started. It's a problem for both my husband and I. It doesn't do any good to not buy them when we grocery shop because we live within 2-3 minutes of convenient stores and double kwik stations. This thread was meant for me. I am open to any suggestions.
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
    edited April 2016
    One of my biggest hurdles was late night snacking. Even if I wasn't that hungry, I HAD to munch on something while watching TV with my husband. It was like my stress relief. Now, I eat dinner at around 7-7:30, save calories for a lowfat greek yogurt, green olives, or Luna bar to eat if I'm snacky, and drink a hot cup of tea if I still need something in my tummy.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    edited April 2016
    --Don't buy the sweets.
    --Have your sweet and then brush your teeth.
    --Try completely eliminating them from your diet for three weeks.
    --Have a family member hold or lock up your sweets.
  • DoneWorking
    DoneWorking Posts: 247 Member
    Don't fight it; accommodate it. Add a meal in your MFP log and call it snacks. Then whatever snacks you want, load them first, then build the rest of your meals around it. Just don't go too heavy on the snacks or you won't have room for B, L & D. Good luck!!
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    melissamk89 wrote: »
    Good advice, I just need to prove to myself that I can say no! Thanks :)

    Sounds like it hasn't worked. And guess what, just saying "No" doesn't work for a lot of people. They need to change their environment and habits.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    MommyL2015 wrote: »
    DanSTL82 wrote: »
    Very simple: Don't keep sweets and "snack foods" in the house. That way, no matter how badly you want them, they aren't there for you to consume. Make it so that the only things in your fridge and pantry are ingredients for meals.

    Unless your'e like me last weekend. We had no chocolate ice cream. I wanted chocolate ice cream, so I went to the store and got some. Just because it isn't in my house means nothing. Will power is everything. When I was somewhere around 8 months pregnant with my twins, I went to walmart at 10:00 at night because I needed smarties. I ate inhaled the entire bag.

    I do this a lot less than I used to, and last weekend, I did have the calories for the ice cream but just didn't have the ice cream. I'm about 1/2 mile from the nearest grocery store, which happens to be open 24/7, so the only thing stopping me from actually getting what I want is money or outside temperature/weather.

    I still think it's better to make yourself leave the house to get something than to have it at home. The best thing, when possible, is to go to a café, have a pastry and coffee and then leave. It may sound wasteful, but if you go out and buy a bag of candy and know you will consume the whole thing that night, it would be better to dump half the bag.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    I don't keep any snacks in the house that would blow my day. I simply can't eat enough apples, broccoli or cucumbers to go over my limit each day. My rule is that if I really want a sweet that badly, I should have no problem putting my walking shoes on to purchase a single serving. If I don't want it that bad, forget it. I want you to know that not once have I put on those walking shoes to go to the store :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    It's mind over matter for me and plenty of water/tea.
    Takes time to get out of the snacking habit but it's totally achievable :smiley:

    In saying that you could also save a few hundred cals for night-time fixes :smiley:
  • rosecropper
    rosecropper Posts: 340 Member
    Yes the after dinner grazing would kill my daily goals!
    Now I've set up my meals on mfp as "breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper" (plus a snack).
    Basically I divide the majority of my calories over 4 meals instead of 3.
    Dinner is eaten right when I get home from work, then supper about 3 hours later.
    Psychologically, it helps to think of it as a balanced meal rather than late night snacking. I put all the food on one plate and eat it all at once, so the calories can't creep up on me. And I try to plan it out like an actual meal too- with healthy portions of fiber, protein, fat, & complex carbs.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    edited April 2016
    It is a habit. But, I find that when I start eating meals throughout the day that are protein and a carb balanced, I don't get cravings as much. This seems to be key for me and happens every time I start eating this way. I do however eat a protein fiber bar every night. The flavors are chocolate mint, cookies and cream, and peanut butter Caramel. Although it is a processed food it's still healthier and I feel like I'm eating a candy bar every night.
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