I can't control my evening snacking ):

2

Replies

  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    If you have no problem during the day, you can start tracking from 5pm to 5pm instead. It makes no difference, but it's a little mind trick so that you make sure you are within your goals. Just use your daytime willpower by staying within the calories leftover from the previous night.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Get rid of the "rubbish" you are snacking on. If it's not there, you can't eat it.
    I like to have ONE square of an 86% cacao chocolate bar after dinner. It's only 60 calories, very satisfying, and even has some health benefits.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    When I get the evening munchies I just go straight to bed with a book. I won't eat/drink in bed because of crumbs and spills and I love reading more than watching TV.

    I used to do needlepoint (haven't done it for a while), which keeps both hands busy and you can't have greasy fingers. An alternative might be to paint your nails. I think anything which keeps both hands occupied might work.

    Willpower is a myth. You have to think in terms of structuring new habits which take the place of old ones.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
    I'm experimenting with pre-logging the day. I see what I can have while watching t.v. - yippee! Somehow seeing it written is keeping me compliant, and I'm not reaching for more. So schedule a favorite snack.
  • evinston
    evinston Posts: 31 Member
    I use a convoluted process for snacking. All snacks are in cupboards. I only take out a (weighed) portion of the snack and I will log it in MFP before I put it in my mouth. (I know some advocate weighing portions in advance and putting them in baggies but I prefer the extra time it takes to weigh it each time I want it.) For some foods I end up going back to the kitchen several times. I will often set a timer or tell myself "if you're still craving it at 8pm then you can have it" or I might say "you can have this for breakfast tomorrow" or "you can eat an apple instead". Basically anything that makes snacking a nuisance and less mindless.

    I LOVE the idea of setting a timer...I'm going to give that a go. Timer, glass of water or tea, and if I still want it when the timer goes off, I'll have it. Thanks for that tip!!!!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I'm the same, basically I believe we need to replace this habit of snacking. "Not hungry" to me, means I did fine all day I'm just stuck in a habit. I don't think protein is my problem, neither is deprivation because I eat junk all the time. It's a time of day eating habit that needs breaking or replacing.

    I do it every night, eat to my 1500 calorie goal (including dinner, I prelog the whole day) and I'm satisfied- it's just a habit. Seriously, weeks on end undone by evening munchies. Tonight I have a plan. I'm using a text message scheduler to send myself texts at my usual snack times and insisting I have a cup of tea. It's flavorful and I have tons of options, and I do enjoy tea so I'm hoping I can work hard at establishing a cup of tea as I relax in the evening.

    Here's to baby steps. I have set a goal to avoid those evening snacks for 5 days. After 5, I have a planned treat to add into my day. Next week the goal will be 7 days and just build from there until my treats are only planned events and not mindless munchies.
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
    This helps me at least. 30 minutes after dinner I'll brush my teeth and floss. Remember that proper flossing takes a few minutes, and cavities cost a lot of money to fix. That piece of cake looks delicious, but I already flossed and can't be bothered to do it again, so I lose my appetite lol.
  • ubermofish
    ubermofish Posts: 102 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Get rid of the "rubbish" you are snacking on. If it's not there, you can't eat it.
    I like to have ONE square of an 86% cacao chocolate bar after dinner. It's only 60 calories, very satisfying, and even has some health benefits.

    Yup. Ditch the garbage food and keep some cut up veggies in bags in the fridge. You can take 200g of cauliflower, 100g of broccoli, and 150g of celery, plus 2oz of fat free ranch, and only consume 158 calories. That is a POUND OF VEGETABLES that will keep you extremely full with next to no impact on your bottom line.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    I save 200-300 calories for an evening snack. I usually look at what macro goals I have not met, select something that fits, and log it BEFORE I eat it.
  • jammer1963
    jammer1963 Posts: 106 Member
    I'm fine all day, I can easily eat well and healthy then when I get home from work I have a nice healthy and filling dinner where I'm NOT hungry after but then we sit down for the evening or get in bed and watch TVs, then it all go to pot and I can't help snacking or I get the most overwhelming craving for rubbish food and I fail

    All my hardworking ruined every night ):

    How can I stop this???

    I think a small snack is important after dinner. I don't know what time you eat dinner, but I'm a early diner. I eat about 5-5:30 and then I'll have a healthy snack around 7pm, whether I'm hungry or not. My snack is usually a slice of Bimbo bread with 2-tbsp of peanut butter. It's a nice balance of carbs and protein which keeps me going until bed time, which is around 10pm. I don't know if your a coffee drinker but I also find that a cup of coffee will also curb my appetite for about 2-hrs.
  • rajushank84
    rajushank84 Posts: 10 Member
    I can't control it either, for me its more late night than evening. So.. simple. I just log some food for the evening/night as soon as I wake up, and use only the remaining calories/macros during the day :). Ice cream is even more tasty when you know its already accounted for!
  • jammer1963
    jammer1963 Posts: 106 Member
    Jruzer wrote: »
    - Find something else to do in the evenings besides sitting in front of the TV
    - Change up when and how much you eat so you've got some free calories available in the evening. I usually allot myself 1000 kcal or more to have after 10 PM.

    You don't find that eating that many calories that late at night affects your weight loss? I'm just curious because I've heard that eating too late and when you go to sleep, your more likely to store those calories then burn them off.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    jammer1963 wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    - Find something else to do in the evenings besides sitting in front of the TV
    - Change up when and how much you eat so you've got some free calories available in the evening. I usually allot myself 1000 kcal or more to have after 10 PM.

    You don't find that eating that many calories that late at night affects your weight loss? I'm just curious because I've heard that eating too late and when you go to sleep, your more likely to store those calories then burn them off.

    No. Complete myth. As long as you are in a calorie deficit, it doesn't matter what time you eat them.
  • skinnyforhi
    skinnyforhi Posts: 340 Member
    I'm fine all day, I can easily eat well and healthy then when I get home from work I have a nice healthy and filling dinner where I'm NOT hungry after but then we sit down for the evening or get in bed and watch TVs, then it all go to pot and I can't help snacking or I get the most overwhelming craving for rubbish food and I fail

    All my hardworking ruined every night ):

    How can I stop this???

    Your diary is closed, but I do have a few questions. How many calories do you eat at dinner? And what is your total for the day? And what time do you eat dinner? I eat a decent meal at 7:30 or 8 and it would never occur to me to snack at night. I think because I eat so late. That long stretch between lunch and dinner is the toughie for me!

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    jammer1963 wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    - Find something else to do in the evenings besides sitting in front of the TV
    - Change up when and how much you eat so you've got some free calories available in the evening. I usually allot myself 1000 kcal or more to have after 10 PM.

    You don't find that eating that many calories that late at night affects your weight loss? I'm just curious because I've heard that eating too late and when you go to sleep, your more likely to store those calories then burn them off.

    Complete myth. As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight regardless of what time you eat.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Plan a snack for the evening. Save enough calories for it. Portion it out.
    If you are not hungry then try chewing gum, drinking water, brushing your teeth and waiting 20 minutes. Mint gum works for me.
    Keep busy. Maybe change up your activities.

    Are you eating enough protein and fats during the day? Are you eating all your calories and some calories earned from exercise?
    Is your goal realistic and reasonable? You aren't trying to lose 2 lbs a week when you are less than 50 lbs overweight are you?
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    I eat 90cal Chapmans ice cream bars (Tiger Paws are my new fave) after dinner, or air popped popcorn with some popcorn flavouring. Save yourself 200cals for after dinner and reduce your snack size.

    NEVER take a whole bag of chips to the couch. Always always weigh a portion, log it, and put the package away.
  • Guns_N_Buns
    Guns_N_Buns Posts: 1,899 Member
    vivmom2014 wrote: »
    Somehow seeing it written is keeping me compliant, and I'm not reaching for more. So schedule a favorite snack.

    I agree with this. For me, being consistent with the logging is key; if I have an impulse to have an evening snack, I log what I anticipated having. If that number is red at the bottom, it's enough for me to remember how much I'd regret eating it, knowing beforehand it was over my goals. If I'm still fighting my brain for something, I just make sure it'll still keep me at a deficit. That snack tastes so much better when you're not resenting every bite for making you 'fail' that day.
  • andrewq6100
    andrewq6100 Posts: 415 Member
    if I feel the urge coming on to snack I hit a glass of water, walk around for a few minutes so that the boredom goes away (my problem is eating when I'm bored at night lol) and if all else fails, snack on something small like under 100 cals or a 100 cal bag of popcorn. if it fits your macros!
  • kareeRose
    kareeRose Posts: 32 Member
    I seem to have a lot more will power in the mornings. Skipping breakfast has hepled me a lot, I think it's because I know that I have plenty of calories that I get to eat that day. If I use up most of my calories through out the day then after dinner is harder because I know most or all of my calories are gone. So when I want a snack I tell my self I just going to eat one serving of cookies, or one serving of whatever (it won't hurt) and by the time I'm done I've eaten the whole row or "sleeve" and then I feel guilty. I feel like I've ruined every thing and I'm going to stuck being fat for the rest of my life. Now if I save most of my calories until the end of the day I can eat until I'm stuffed and don't want to snack, being stuffed before bed may sound bad but it feels better than going way over my calories because I just couldn't stop eating the dang cookies. Also if I do accidently binge I just count the calories I ate that night and dividie them by the number of days I have left to work out for the week and tack them on to my next few workouts. So when I'm walking that extra 20 or 30min after I'm already soo tired it reminds me of what that whole row of Oreos actually cost me.