Hi, my name is Becca and I'm a late night snacker

PlunderBunneh
PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
edited October 1 in Motivation and Support
Please help me! I'm trying to make better choices about my snacks, but I really need help in this area. My husband works all day and goes to school most nights, and the kids go to bed at 7. I've got three hours to myself and even though I know I'm not actually hungry, I find myself rummaging through the pantry and fridge out of boredom. And then the nights where I actually am hungry after dinner, I really over indulge and the entire day goes to hell.
I need some help here!
I've gotten rid of the really bad food (no chips, no cookies, only really light ice cream) but I'm knocking back at least three hundred extra calories during those bored brainless hours. I start the night off swearing I won't have snacks, and that turns into "oh, well it's only a couple of twizzlers, those are practically fat free..." and goes from there.
What do you do? What should I do?

Replies

  • ShelbyLB
    ShelbyLB Posts: 431
    You sound a lot like me.....what I find works is to LOAD UP on water....and I dont know if you are a soda drinker or not but if I feel a late night craving coming on, I drink a caffeine free diet soda and it makes me feel satisfied!!!

    Remember that the choices are YOURS to make...have a great day!
  • adk88
    adk88 Posts: 143 Member
    I used to be really bad for that. I agree with the water. Also, I put a sign on my fridge that says "You are NOT hungry. You are bored. Learn the difference." It gets easier after a while. I found that chewing gum is really good for me to distract from wanting to snack.
  • jbing07
    jbing07 Posts: 46 Member
    Hang in there, you can do it. You might want to look into gums like Extra, Orbit, and Trident, any of the fruity flavors. They can help curve cravings, and are ususally on 5 calories a piece. I really like the Extra gum, because they have flavors like, Strawberry Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, and Key Lime Pie. Good Luck!
  • carbonfybr
    carbonfybr Posts: 22 Member
    Why not snack on something decent if you are going to snack?
    Baby carrots, cucumbers, celery, apples, nectarines, strawberries, raspberries and glass or 2 of water.
  • DrawnToScale
    DrawnToScale Posts: 126 Member
    I hear you. I have felt free to eat at 11pm just before bed for many years. As a result - I've steadily gained. It doesn't even have to be junk food - another small helping of dinner left-overs, or some PB&J, etc in the evening will turn a good calorie day into a bad one. And don't get fooled by the "fat-free" excuse - to lose weight - its calories that count. Are you logging all your food - even your evening snacks? I find that recording everything that passes my lips helps keep my honest. I've also found that plenty of ice cold water is your friend! Good luck!
  • jennyonthespot
    jennyonthespot Posts: 98 Member
    Do something else! Occupy your hands and your brain so that you have something else to focus on. This may not be your thing, but I like to knit. You don't want to dip your hand into a bowl of greasy popcorn when you're working on something pretty. Try to find new challenges if you get bored with what you were doing. Its so easy to take a snack with you to eat in front of the computer or in front of the tv. I totally agree about drinking a diet soda. It has some taste and its bubbly, so it satisfies you in a certain way. I also really like to get a tall glass of sparkling water and squeeze a couple of lime wedges into it. Same concept with the bubbles, but this one has no aspartame. :-)
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
    My husband is in a band, so I am on my own a lot of evenings too. This is what has worked for me: hula hooping! I have always wanted to be able to hula hoop, but haven't ever been able to keep the hoop up. So now, when I'm feeling snacky and bored, I pull out the hula hoop I bought and just watch TV and practice. I pick a television show that I like and is about 45 minutes long (right now it's Dr. Who) and just hula hoop. So just find something you want to try or something you find fun, and do that instead. And for the record, I'm pretty darn good at hula hooping now!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories