How to break eating at night habit

tashahornsby
tashahornsby Posts: 2 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,
If anyone has good advise on how to break the bad habit of night time eating (snacking after dinner), I would be so appreciative. I always seem to do so well all day long with my diet and then when the day is finally done and I can relax, I end up caving and eating things I shouldn’t when I’m not even really hungry. Thank you!
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Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Eating dinner late so there is no time for snacking worked for me.

    You could also leave some calories for an evening snack and keeping lower calories things that you enjoy on hand.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,185 Member
    I save about 200 calories for an after dinner snack. As long as you stay at your calorie goal then there is nothing wrong with snacking after dinner.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Can you save some calories for an after-dinner snack?
    If not, and if you're not even hungry, then sip some tea or chew some gum.
    Some people also find it helpful to brush your teeth after dinner to curb the evening snacking.
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    Remove yourself from the temptation, as in distance yourself from the food / kitchen.
  • maryjennifer
    maryjennifer Posts: 124 Member
    Here are some tips from wikihow: https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Eating-at-Night
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    tashahornsby wrote: »
    Hello everyone,
    If anyone has good advise on how to break the bad habit of night time eating (snacking after dinner), I would be so appreciative. I always seem to do so well all day long with my diet and then when the day is finally done and I can relax, I end up caving and eating things I shouldn’t when I’m not even really hungry. Thank you!

    option 1: have a selection of low-calorie-density items for habit snacking. Particularly stuff that helps fill your macros/nutritional requirements and take a while to eat. Especially if you are busy all day and eating on the go, late night can be a good opportunity to fit in a plate of high fiber vegetables for instance (like seasoned broccoli or snap peas). Or stock up on frozen berries if they go on sale, etc. Sugar-free jello. An apple (takes longer to eat if slowly chopped up, and dipped in cinnamon/splenda). Edamame in the shell. Pomegranates. sipping diet soda optionally with SF flavored syrups. sipping tea. (note: this probably works more successfully if the house is not also full of hyper-palatable high-calorie-density food).

    option 2: find an exhausting hobby that keeps you out of the house until late enough that you'll want to go straight to bed bypassing the kitchen when you get home.

    option 3: find an in-house hobby that utilizes your hands (some people knit/crochet/read specifically to keep the boredom snacking at bay).
  • shannonprovenzano2812
    shannonprovenzano2812 Posts: 60 Member
    A few suggestions:

    1. Eat later. If you have the ability, push each meal back an hour starting with breakfast.

    2. Save calories for a little later. Substitute the foods you're craving with something comparable (for example, if you're dying for chocolate chip cookies, eat a chocolate chip granola bar. If it's chips you want, have a small portion that fits into your calorie budget.)

    3. Set a goal for yourself and make that your top priority. What I mean by this is, if your worst time is at night after dinner, tell yourself that your only goal is to not snack after dinner. Tell yourself that you wont eat anything until tomorrow.

    4. Keep yourself busy. If you're preoccupied with something else, you wont be constantly thinking about food.

    Good luck! you'll make it through.
  • Ryansworld84
    Ryansworld84 Posts: 83 Member
    Eat a plate full of low calorie veggies. That might work.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
    Popcorn. You can air pop it and control your additives and eat a bunch before it amounts to much.

    I'm lazy and just buy the 100 calorie bags. It's still like 4 cups and helps that urge to om nom nom nom in the middle of the night.
  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
    I have no luck giving this up completely...so now I just weigh out a serving of popcorn and drink a grapefruit selzer. Crunchy....carby and bubbly goodness.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Brush your teeth, go to bed.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,585 Member
    I agree with those saying it's fine to snack after dinner as long as you have the calories for it.

    That said, if you still want to cut down the snacking habit, think about the cause or trigger, and deal with that. That may help you make changes.

    Some possibilities are:
    * habit (so get a new evening habit to distract, maybe menu planning? ;) ),
    * boredom (maybe a new hobby, ideally one that requires clean hands, like knitting or drawing?), or
    * social cues (i.e., family is snacking; maybe sip a cup of herb tea?)

    Best wishes!
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    I found that if I just push my whole day back a little it helps with the late night snacking. Instead of eating breakfast at home, I eat it at work, around 9 or 10 .. I end up having my dinner around 8-9PM, and the night time snacking has gone way down.

    Rather than changing what you eat, maybe a small timing adjustment would address this for you.
  • tashahornsby
    tashahornsby Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone, I’m going to try your suggestions and report back about what works
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    I try to keep around 300 calories spare after dinner, so I can have an evening treat. Tonight it'll be coconut soy yoghurt, berries, a bit of vanilla protein powder, and a sprinkle of granola for crunch.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Find out why you are doing it (and if you want to stop doing it). There could be several reasons:

    do so well all day long with my diet - are you undereating, or depriving yourself of food you like? What's your height and weight, and what are your calorie target? Do you hit that every day, with/without the snacking? Are you cutting out any food groups or heavily down on a macro nutrient?

    Is this the time everybody else is eating? Would it be better to save up calories for some after dinner snacks?

    Do you think there are certain foods you shouldn't eat? Fearing foods we like only make us crave them more, and when we give in, we can't stop eating.

    If there are foods you don't want to eat too often, limit access to them. Don't buy it and you won't be tempted.

    Humans don't just eat because we are hungry, we eat for pleasure, in company, for comfort, according to mood and occasion.
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    If its not because you are hungry its out of habit or boredom. When I first started this healthy and fit new me lifestyle and I was done with my calories for the night I would brush my teeth and gargle with some nasty medicine tasting mouth wash and then drink water... the water taste gross after the mouth wash so it was a turn off to food, at least it was for me. After a few months of being on my routine, I didn't even crave a night time snack anymore. If you are snacking because you are hungry, you could leave some calories for a night time snack, but also make sure that you have plenty of healthier go to items available to you instead of something that you will regret in the morning. Like the above poster said you should never feel like there are foods you "shouldn't" eat... everything can be eaten in moderation and within your calories but having go to snacks ready/prepped will help with the mindless overeating and lets face it, we tend to do that when we are sitting in front of the TV. :p

    Best of luck to you!
  • gcaracciolo2
    gcaracciolo2 Posts: 130 Member
    I suggest finding what times of the day you are most hungry and plan your days according to that. I tend to enjoy a large dinner so I sacrifice having a big breakfast and lunch. With this approach, I'm pretty full after dinner and satisfied throughout the night without eating.

    Hope this helps
  • vanmep
    vanmep Posts: 410 Member
    A few strategies I use:
    Evening hobbies- started piano lessons, quilting, yoga
    Big cup of tea - few calories, warm and comforting, fills my belly for awhile
    Leave some calories for after dinner snack
    Low calore snack options - popcorn, popsicles, cheese nips crackers with laughing cow cheese
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    You have to replace every "bad" habit with a "good" one. Read a book, go for a run, bike, hike, etc. Anything that limits your ability to put food in your mouth and focus on something else.

    Doesn't matter what the activity is, just do something you love, or want to love.
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    Some really good ideas, here. Honestly, it doesn't matter when you eat, just how many calories you eat. If you find you're "snacky" (as hubs and I put it) at night, just plan for it. This is what I do, but what works for you will probably be quite different: I use Intermittent Fasting (eating only during a certain time window) 5 days a week to reduce my calories to 700 lower than my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). During the week, I only have coffee with creamer until 4:00, which means I can have a big dinner. And if I feel like a snack or two in the evening, which usually happens, I have raw veggies for the first snack, then cookies or candy for my second snack, if I feel like it. I usually feel like it. I won't lie. But I plan for it, so it's not a big deal whether it happens or not.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    I gave up trying not to eat then. Instead I budget calories and pre weigh snacks, to stay within my range.
  • 2baninja
    2baninja Posts: 519 Member
    find something that will keep you busy, I aim for reading a book, magazines don't work very well, but a good book you don't want to put down, works wonders, or play a video game, a few years ago I finally started playing candy crush, it was very addicting, I didn't want to stop to go find food
  • sksk1026
    sksk1026 Posts: 215 Member
    I found it easier to just save some calories for snacks, later - I sometimes have as much as 300 calories left for snacks. There is no rule that says you can't snack as long as you stay within your calorie limit. Dieting is about developing a personalised eating plan. Things to try:
    1 Adjust your eating period and just start eating later in the day so you still have calories left for late snacking.
    2 You could consider skipping a meal too e.g. no breakfast, so you can have lots of calories for snacks later.
    3 Go for a walk and use the calories earned for snacks.
    Make sure you snack on something satisfying that you really want - an extra portion of cauliflower is not a snack! I make sure my snacks are high volume (air popped popcorn + olive oil + white cheddar flavour) or intensely tasty (garlic crackers + blue cheese + jam + red wine) or last a long time (seasoned sunflower seeds I have to shell to eat while watching tv).
  • Wingsont84
    Wingsont84 Posts: 335 Member
    Not sure if mentioned, but didn't want to read everyone comments, but eat some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese as they are long active protein. Also drinking water or eat a salad
  • 01189998819991197253Z
    01189998819991197253Z Posts: 560 Member
    Things that keep your hands busy work great for me. I used to knit hats or crochet blankets until i broke the habit. Arm knitting is fun as it works up very fast and no purl stitch.
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