How do you cut the nighttime cravings?

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MidnightRunner88
MidnightRunner88 Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
I do great staying on track dietwise throughout the day, but when the day winds down at home, I want to eat everything in my fridge.

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  • rj0150684
    rj0150684 Posts: 227 Member
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    I think it depends on why. Is it boredom? Habit? Hunger? If you’re just bored, try doing an activity (other than sitting in front of the tv). Maybe go for a walk, read a book, talk to somebody. For a habit, try substituting a new habit like eating carrots instead of chips or having some flavored sparkling water or something, or go non-food and knit or play a game on your phone to keep your hands occupied. If you’re actually hungry, make sure you’re eating enough calories and, if you are, try adjusting when you eat (like maybe move a morning snack to after dinner). Alternatively, you could cut down slightly throughout the day to bank a few hundred for a good after dinner snack.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,474 Member
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    Agree that you need a better definition of your issue. There’s a lot of misinformation about eating in the evening. Like- never eat after 7 or 8 pm. It doesn’t matter when you eat, and if it did, it’s not worth the stress.

    So my approach to after dinner snacks has been to figure them into my plan. I get the most bang for my calories with a frozen treat. My current favorite in Breyer’s No Sugar Add Ice Cream. About 120 Cals worth. I eat this about 8:15. Then I hold back another 50 cals for just before bed for fruit or a piece of a snack bar. Sometimes I skip the second snack.

    This approach uses about 10% of my calories for after dinner. But the whole thing is designed to avoid “just say no” line in the sand confrontations with myself. Few things worse than trying to stare down snacks late in the evening when you’re worn out.

    And I do my snacking on a schedule because I find delaying manageable. And otherwise I’d eat both snacks at 7:30 and soon be back for more.

    You also need to consider if your overall calories are too low.

    But you can plan your way around this if you work at it and experiment. Hope this helps you some.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I don't think you can stop the cravings from appearing. But it's your choice to act on them, or not. You can make it easier for yourself.
    1. Eat a varied and balanced diet (enough of all you need, not too much of anything), and schedule meals (and snacks) smart - find the optimal fit for your needs and wants.
    2. Don't demonize any foods, foodgroups or nutrients. No foods are healthy or unhealthy, aiding weightloss, or fattening. All foods can be eaten in moderation. Eat food you like. Don't eat food you don't like. (But do try new things occasionally.)
    3. Reduce the temptation load - buy single servings, or not at all, or just when you're eating out, of foods that are too easy to overeat.
    4. Get enough sleep and rest, and manage stress and emotions.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    The others had great insights on trying to identify if it’s really hunger or habit.

    If nothing else helps, I’ve got a “snack box” that has baggies of 100 calories snacks - pretzels, protein bars, etc. and different fruits, and things in the fridge like hard boiled eggs, light string cheese, greek yogurt. That way, if I really am hungry, I can have something that’s not going to “break the bank”.

    I try to look at my food log before I have a snack - to see where I’m low. If I’m low on protein, I’ll have that - if I can afford a carb, then I’ll have that. I’ve noticed that even if I go over with one of these types of snacks, then I will still usually lose.
  • artbyrachelh
    artbyrachelh Posts: 338 Member
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    Great suggestions! I will add my salvation, which is hot herbal tea. It really suppresses my hunger. But may I be the jerk and share, that really I've found hunger to be a part of eating at a deficit? I'm not talking about weakness, extreme deficit, not eating enough. I'm talking about eating 100 calories lower than maintenance: I'm hungry before bed and it totally sucks. But then, I find I lose weight. So... my thought is this: my lifestyle change (from eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and slowly gaining gaining gaining) to watching my choices, honestly counting calories, involves feeling hungry. And it's ok. A little hunger is ok. It's a new part of my new lifestyle change. But I realize this sounds unhelpful and patronizing, so I'm sorry. Really, because obviously I'm still a long way from my goal, and I do occasionally still binge eat! But I just wanted to point out that even with excellent eating choices, high protein, high fat, high satiety choices, you really still may feel hungry before bed!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I save calories for something after dinner, usually ice cream
  • thelettermegan
    thelettermegan Posts: 49 Member
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    a warm cup of tea right before bed time can help, and I find that the less sugar I eat, the less I crave it.

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