"I got the late night munchies..." How do I stop night cravi

ido10612
ido10612 Posts: 51
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
I do great with my diet during the day but once 8:30 9:00 rolls around and Ive finally sat down on the couch to relax I get cravings. My late night binging is how i got fat in the first place. My evening routine of winding down at night and watching a few tv shows before bed turned into a period of mindless eating. So now when I watch tv at night its hard to sit there without a bags of Lays. I crave things like cookies and chips. What should I do to stop these cravings? Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • jeanie✰
    jeanie✰ Posts: 127
    I have the saaaaame problem. I've been able to put up with it by eating a piece of fruit, then drinking lots and lots and lots of water! I get so full on water...where would I even fit chips?!
  • jenlayport
    jenlayport Posts: 154 Member
    dont deprive yourself. Im the same way. If I get hungry I grab a handful of cereal like cheerios. It satisfies the crunch that I want but isn't packed with fat. =)
  • Lauren_Whitney
    Lauren_Whitney Posts: 26 Member
    You could snack on a lot of celery, cucumber, watermelon etc. (very minimal calories) and drink a lot of water or seltzer instead, that way you will make yourself full and not able to binge without getting nauseous from doing so. Putting a little bit of salt on the celery makes it better too.
  • ValerieSW
    ValerieSW Posts: 32
    Do something with your hands instead of putting them into a bag of chips. I make a lot of jewelery while I watch TV. It tends to take my mind off the food. In fact, I find on days when I am crafting I often forget to eat until I'm ravenously hungry.
  • RobertaG
    RobertaG Posts: 205 Member
    Don't bring junk into the house
    Change your bedtime routine, maybe relax in a different way to initiate a new mindset that won't make you want to eat junk food like you did before.
  • noexcuses1218
    noexcuses1218 Posts: 332 Member
    gum? a cup of hot tea? chai's awesome; has lots of spices that will help stop cravings. lemon ginger would work well, too, i'd think.
  • CWood323
    CWood323 Posts: 20
    I brush my teeth, and save a couple cups of my daily water intake for night time. Yeah you gotta go a few times before you hit the sack but water fills me up pretty good.
  • rsqsquad05
    rsqsquad05 Posts: 125
    I do my workout at night for this very reason! I do 20 - 30 min of cardio during the day and then my P90X aftr the kids go to bed. I am just not hungry afterward, Its great! Im a late night snacker for sure!
  • rhiannonlotton
    rhiannonlotton Posts: 9 Member
    Greek Yogurt! It's packed with protien so your belly will feel full - and you've only put in about 125 calories.
  • rider72
    rider72 Posts: 119
    Brush your teeth after dinner.... good way to combat the need for something with flavor.
  • Darlis
    Darlis Posts: 191 Member
    I always hoard a few calories for the late night munchies, usually cereal and skim milk. Normally Cheerios, but if I have a sweet tooth it's Special K Red Berries. I have lost 48 lbs so far so guess it's working!!!
  • rsqsquad05
    rsqsquad05 Posts: 125
    I tell myself ok, you can have (whatever snack that I probably shoudlnt have) after your workout..it gets me pumped for the workout and by the time its overwith I dont even want it andymore!
  • lind3400
    lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
    Do something with your hands....Im always on a laptop when I watch tv.....or getting up and do some jumpining jacks or sit ups or squats when you feel the "urge"
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
    I brush my teeth, and save a couple cups of my daily water intake for night time. Yeah you gotta go a few times before you hit the sack but water fills me up pretty good.

    Why are you "saving" water? You should have it any time all the time! The more the better!
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    Make sure your getting enough calories, protein, fiber, water during the day. Alternately, you could plan for an evening snack and save the calories necessary to cover it. If you're determined you don't want to eat at night, you might have to try doing something besides watching tv for a while -- maybe read a book or magazine in a different room -- to break the habit. Good luck!
  • AmyJo54915
    AmyJo54915 Posts: 103
    If you really feel you need to go for the chips, I suggest Special K cracker chips. They come in sea salt and sour cream and onion. :wink:
  • MeredithLee11
    MeredithLee11 Posts: 192 Member
    A couple people have said it already, but brushing my teeth after dinner usually helps me with last night cravings.
  • Inlet
    Inlet Posts: 135
    Carbonated water with a tiny splash of juice helps me. Also, reg water, an apple, diet soda(if the cravings ate really bad), dill pickles (for salt cravings), and hot tea.
    I stay out of the kitchen and go to my room when cravings hit or its too hard. :p
  • moriaht
    moriaht Posts: 251 Member
    I save up my calories for night haha probably not the best idea... but so far it has worked!
    Also I find if I have my laptop while I'm watching tv I don't eat.
    Ohh and keep yummy things like blueberries and cherries in the house for when you can't stop muching. Ohhh or if your a chips and salsa freak like me, eat hot salsa on melba toat. YUM! Lots of sodium but better than a bunch of fat and calories.
  • dayzeerock
    dayzeerock Posts: 918 Member
    If you don't keep junk in the house in the first place you won't be able to make a grab for it. If your home is only stocked with healthy foods, you'll have no choice but to much on something healthy when you search your pantry for something to feed the cravings.
  • Scoochie1
    Scoochie1 Posts: 121 Member
    If its crisps you want, then Walkers Baked are the way to go - only 2g fat per bag
    Sometimes if you 'want' something you will just wind up eating everything around you to compensate :)
  • ItsMeLori
    ItsMeLori Posts: 346
    I have the same problem. Keeping fruit and veggies in the house helps. Celery is great to snack on, hardly any calories. I try and save a yogurt for evening but it doesn't always satisfy those cravings. Try and stay away from carbs at night... no breads, cookies, cereals.
  • amymariehill
    amymariehill Posts: 1
    I have the sweet cravings and not so much the salty. I get an herbal tea called Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice (they sell it at Walmart). It's a really sweet cinnamon tea and drinking the hot tea relaxes me and calms my appetite. Best of all it's no calories! Good luck with your night time munchie victory! :smile:
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    Just have something planned out for that time frame... a snack that fits into your calorie goal for the day. I am also someone that like to eat A LOT of something. 100 calorie bags of microwave popcorn or Veggie Straws. Just be sure to weigh out your portion and account for what you are eating. If you eat a lean protein with that carb snack, you make it a balanced meal and the protein will help to fill you up. How about an ounce of shredded sharp cheddar (reduced fat) cheese over the popcorn? YUM! Or a small serving of raw almonds with it? I usually make a protein shake at night for my treat. 7 - 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, 140g or so of frozen berries.. mix in the Magic Bullet for a few seconds and you have a healthy, thick "milkshake" that is packed with protein and fiber!
  • martyc91
    martyc91 Posts: 55
    Sugar free popsicle!
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    Carrots have helped me and also the 40cal hot dogs with 40cal bread. It's not the best but when I'm really hungry at night I try to fit a snack. I hate those cravings at night :grumble:
  • jwaitman
    jwaitman Posts: 367 Member
    find a low fat option and find something else to occupy your hands with. During my evening ritual of TV watching I am also usually on the computer or finishing up last minute chores prior to bed. It helps to keep me from thinking about what I can eat next.
  • leix
    leix Posts: 176
    I have a cup of tea haha
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
    Drinking lots and lots of water has helped when the cravings hit. Also if you get lots of protein and fiber throughout the day and snack between meals and after dinner you won't be hungry at all.
  • OtakuEngineer
    OtakuEngineer Posts: 31
    I had the same problem... it didn't even matter what the food was though, I just got used to eating late at night since I stay up so late watching TV playing games working on software projects, etc. What I found was that it was just the action of chewing on something that I got really used to and it was associated with food. So I started chewing gum and that has really really helped out... it takes care of the habit I've built of chewing on something while doing what I do... and if I really want a snack, I can have something small, but a small portion, and that's all, and then I go back to gum and it has really worked, I'm not craving food all the time late at night when I sit in front of my computer any longer.

    I also did stop keeping a lot of the things I used to snack on in the house in the first place.
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