late night snacking

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xrayvision77
xrayvision77 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some help learning how to get beyond the late night snacking in front of the TV. It's my biggest downfall :( what are some things y'all do? I need to know how to avoid it in general. Trying healthy options to snack on does not work or seem satisfying
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  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
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    I do a 12 hour fast. Every night I eat dinner and I stop eating. I have a mini chocolate (44 calories) at most. It's not easy, but it works for me.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    Other suggestions would be to re-examine your food choices, maybe have things at dinner that will have you feeling full/satisfied long enough that you won't have the urge to snack at night, or work it into your daily calories along with figuring out a snack that's low cal but volume.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I ended up accepting it and making a snack that takes me time to make, Lately iv been having a big bowl of cinnamon sugar glazed roasted butternut squash with dark chocolate chips and sometimes some peanutbutter. Delicious, Huge bowl, Takes 40 mins or so to prep and keeps me from being to bored/hungry/ snacking until right before bed.

    For me i enjoy snacking i sleep better full so i just work with it no reason not to eat late unless it gets you out of your deficit. Save calories for snacks.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I ended up accepting it and making a snack that takes me time to make, Lately iv been having a big bowl of cinnamon sugar glazed roasted butternut squash with dark chocolate chips and sometimes some peanutbutter. Delicious, Huge bowl, Takes 40 mins or so to prep and keeps me from being to bored/hungry/ snacking until right before bed.

    For me i enjoy snacking i sleep better full so i just work with it no reason not to eat late unless it gets you out of your deficit. Save calories for snacks.

    ^This. If you want to snack at night, save your calories for then. The majority of my calories are consumed after 8pm, and I have a meal right before bed. I honestly can't go to bed unless I have ice cream right before. No need to change habits unless the snacking is blowing your caloric intake goals.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    This was my biggest hurdle when I started. I love snacking while watching TV - it's one of my favorite past times.

    But I did learn that I CAN eat something (planned, usually around 200 calories), but I can't eat unlimited amounts of what I want. I also made myself compliant to a time...snack time is 8pm. That's it. If I get to 9pm and I haven't eaten my snack, I skip it. It basically means I'm not hungry and I don't need it. If I eat my planned snack and I'm still hungry, I go to bed. It's just another one of those times where you have to say "no".
  • xrayvision77
    xrayvision77 Posts: 6 Member
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    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    The most effective thing you can ever do is build the habit. However, building the habit is going to prove hardest likely because your old ways are so ingrained in your mind. And that's ok - we are all like that in some way.

    For me, I've never been a big night snacker - I deal with binge eating but it's not necessarily at night or in front of the TV. However, based on what I've done here's a couple things you might be able to do to break the habit you want to get rid of.

    1. Stop watching TV at night - read, go for walks (although winter is coming), spend time with family, play board games, go to the gym (if you work out) during that time. If you find it's eating in front of the TV that's the trigger, stop pulling the trigger.
    2. Replace what you're eating. If you absolutely cannot give up that TV time, for whatever reason, replace the foods you have in the house. Pre-portion snacks that are lower in caloric value but higher in nutritional value. Then if you do snack you aren't completely blowing your day in one sitting. Some suggestions might be: carrots with hummus; home made oat muffins; apple with PB or other nut butter; yogurt and fruit; applesauce and hemphearts; some home made trail mix; etc etc.
    3. Keep your mind occupied. Do you knit? Or doing embroidery? Now might be the time to take those up. If you absolutely have to watch TV at night - and that's ok, no judgment from me - maybe keep your hands and mind otherwise occupied. If you knit or crochet or something you can still watch whatever shows you like, but your hands will be busy and you might be able to keep your mind off of food by having to count stitches or something - I dunno, I don't knit but it sounds right ;) lol

    ETA: Get an adult colouring book to add to #3 . . . That will definitely keep you occupied while you watch TV

    Thank you so much. I actually have an adult coloring book and never thought to do it while I watch TV!
  • xrayvision77
    xrayvision77 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you all for these suggestions! Hopefully one works for me
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,344 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Do you find you're not very hungry or have more self control during the day? I was a night eater but with excellent control during the day. So now I fast until 12pm-1pm most days and save all my calories for after 12pm, I have a light lunch then at evening/night I have all those calories saved up to satisfy myself. I stopped fighting my bodies natural hungry times, been doing this for a couple years now and I find it's something natural to me so I will do it long term and it keeps me happy. Check out Intermittent fasting(there are many ways to do it) if it sounds like something that would work for you. Just to be clear you are still getting your allotted calories for the day, you are just shortening the times when you have them therefore eating bigger meals.
  • abbynormalartist
    abbynormalartist Posts: 318 Member
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    Plan for it if you want it.

    My husband and I both love snacking in the evening after the kids are asleep and we have some time to veg and watch TV (and eat sweets in peace!). So, I usually plan my day out with four "meals" instead of the traditional three. A late morning breakfast, a lunch, a dinner and about 200-400 calories for evening snacks. Sometimes I skip breakfast and just shift my meals a few hours- so the usual calories set aside for breakfast really work for lunch, lunch calories go to dinner, etc, etc, which leaves dinner calories for evening snacking (or what we sometimes call 2nd dinner!).

    I'll tell you what works for me - plan for it the day before or early in the morning. I can't sit around and munch on what I want in the evening and log it later- that's a recipe for disaster. But, if I plan ahead of time I can be very content with tea and cookies or a bag of popcorn and some yogurt (or whatever) if I know that's what fits in my day. It's a guilt free indulgence. Also, I like to have some "healthy" snacks, or snacks that help me reach my protein goals, such as strawberry cottage cheese, homemade protein bars (like a cookie for me), etc. That way I don't feel like I've just used up those calories on sugar. Though, I do that sometimes too!
  • belleflop
    belleflop Posts: 154 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I know this might go against conventional wisdom here, but two questions.

    Does late night snacking put you over caloric intake for the day (eat more than you burn)?

    Second, if you can control quantity (say put a fixed amount of whatever you are eating in front of you to ensure caloric deficit), and late night snacking is something you enjoy, why not embrace it?

    It would be one less thing you have to "take away" from yourself, you are still in a deficit, win/win!
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    My husband and I also are big TV snackers. I leave 200 cal for that and eat a combination of a 100 cal bag of popcorn, or a 90 cal fudgesickle. If I didn't leave room I often snack anyway but make sure the next day I leave room. Especially on the weekends!
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
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    I love to snack. I make it work in my calories because it makes me happy and there is no reason to be miserable in life. That being said most of my snacking has always been boredom so finding a use for your hands like the coloring book or knitting ( I use to make hats for newborns) or when you think snack doing ten push-ups or squats instead.
  • sdolan91
    sdolan91 Posts: 250 Member
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    If i'm hungry at night I will brush my teeth or play a video game to take my mind off of it.
  • jdlobb
    jdlobb Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I've found that a protein shake a few hours after dinner, right when i start to crave snacks, will keep me satiated through the night. I usually drink one around 9pm. I know it'll cost me 140 calories, so I leave that amount open as I'm tracking the rest of the day, or I'll pre-log it.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
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    dieselbyte wrote: »
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I ended up accepting it and making a snack that takes me time to make, Lately iv been having a big bowl of cinnamon sugar glazed roasted butternut squash with dark chocolate chips and sometimes some peanutbutter. Delicious, Huge bowl, Takes 40 mins or so to prep and keeps me from being to bored/hungry/ snacking until right before bed.

    For me i enjoy snacking i sleep better full so i just work with it no reason not to eat late unless it gets you out of your deficit. Save calories for snacks.

    ^This. If you want to snack at night, save your calories for then. The majority of my calories are consumed after 8pm, and I have a meal right before bed. I honestly can't go to bed unless I have ice cream right before. No need to change habits unless the snacking is blowing your caloric intake goals.

    Me too
    I dont eat breakfast, im not hungry so why waste the calories. At lunch i have a salad as im still not overly hungry, it comes in between 150-200 cals. The rest is used for dinner and snacks. I try to stop before i fall asleep
  • MilesAddie
    MilesAddie Posts: 166 Member
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    A lot of good advice on here, I'll share what works for me when it comes to late night...

    I eat late. Always have. And I heard all the horror stories about eating late at night and losing weight, so I tried to cut it out. I tried eating a big breakfast, or eating small meals throughout the day, or eating a big dinner, or mindfulness. None of it seemed to help. I always ended up eating late.

    Now I plan for those late night calories. I have no problem getting through my day with a few hundred calories for breakfast and lunch, which leaves me with over a third (round 700) calories for when I'm the most hungry, which is usually when I'm decompressing after the kid is asleep and I can finally have an hour to myself. I don't have to feel guilty or ashamed because this is how I've planned my eating to end up.

    It's working for me. Dropped from 194 to 164, and I've never gone to bed hungry.

    Maybe give it a shot! Safe travels.
  • Goober1142
    Goober1142 Posts: 219 Member
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    I eat dinner late, and only at the table. I gave up eating on the couch watching TV. Funny thing is, whenever I sit down at the kitchen table I start thinking about food! We certainly can change our programming if we try.
  • JRSINAZ
    JRSINAZ Posts: 158 Member
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    I chew gum when I get hungry and don't want to eat. Been working for me but to each there own.
  • another_chelle
    another_chelle Posts: 42 Member
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    I've found that I'm more likely to snack the closer I am to the kitchen. After dinner I'll move upstairs and watch TV in our loft or in my bedroom. It's much more of an effort to have to go downstairs for a snack. Also as others have mentioned I have my favorite low-calorie snack if I can't resist the urge.

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