Tracking evening snacks... Honestly

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maggskelly
maggskelly Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I struggle with tracking what I eat past 6pm because it's usually a binge of junk food that way exceeds my calorie goal. I feel ashamed to input all of what I end up eating. Any tips for overcoming this?
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Replies

  • amritamalu
    amritamalu Posts: 1 Member
    edited December 2018
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    i keep a Greek salad or any salad with minimal dressing ready in my fridge or blueberries ,popcorn . Low calorie options which I can munch on . Also having a protein snack around 4 pm like peanuts really keeps me full for the next 3 hours .hope that helps:)
  • dulinh
    dulinh Posts: 99 Member
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    If I eat it, I log it. I don't think there is much point to only logging a partial day... Personally I find that if I have to log it, I might decide not to eat it and I ultimately end up making better choices.

    I'm currently logging a massive amount of Christmas cookies... even so I can still stay within my calorie goals.

    I don't think I'm qualified to address the feelings of shame that you mention. Sometimes I look at my log and think 'holy smokes I ate too much' but my feelings don't much further than that. I just move on and make better choices next time. Logging everything helps me make the connection that 'yep, that was too much' and also helps me see my better choices moving forward.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    The act of weighing out each serving might help put the brakes on.

    Add notes to your log about what you are feeling when you binge.

    Try snacking on more filling or richer foods. I can eat Cheetos all day, but I can only handle half a serving of parmesan whisps.

    To break the habit, find a new one. It is hard to eat while knitting, walking, doing yoga, reading nutrition books....
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    stop buying foods you over eat on. i dont buy junk food often because i cant leave it alone. when i do buy it, i take out my portion and leave whatever it is on the counter for the boy and the man to devour. they gobble it up quick too, they know i dont buy it much LOLOL
  • lvose5119
    lvose5119 Posts: 15 Member
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    Logging forces you to look at your habits and allows you to reasses. Do I want a record of the McDonald’s meal I had? No way! But I did, and my perceptions of those foods changed and I don’t find myself craving it like before
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Do your best to take the moral component out of it.

    Your log is just a record of what you ate, shame doesn't have to be a factor.

    Some people find that being consistent with logging actually helps them bring the behavior into control.

    If you are truly having binges (I'm not clear if you're talking about a real binge or just in the informal term of eating more than you wish you had), please consider getting some professional help. You aren't alone and many people have found that getting help improves quality of life.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Figure out why you're binging... only then can you work to correct the issue.
  • colmarie96
    colmarie96 Posts: 6 Member
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    Very wise advice, glad I tuned in. I also eat at night, and I know that it is loneliness. Thank you all for the strategies.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    colmarie96 wrote: »
    Very wise advice, glad I tuned in. I also eat at night, and I know that it is loneliness. Thank you all for the strategies.

    I find it worse this time of year. At least in the summer I can go out and keep myself occupied, but winter is too dark for a walk or run, so it's in front of the tube and a snack comes out.

    Bleh
  • PumpJockeyy
    PumpJockeyy Posts: 98 Member
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    Could also try pushing your last meal and hour or 2 later than 6pm, may trick you into not wanting to snack on anything or not as much atleast
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    i stopped binging in the evening when i started planning some evening snacks into my diary (i do a bowl of cereal right before bed which helps)
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Amerek412 wrote: »
    "eat what you log, not log what you eat"

    I've never heard it phrased that way, but I like it, and I agree with it, and I'm going to steal/use it.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    i stopped binging in the evening when i started planning some evening snacks into my diary (i do a bowl of cereal right before bed which helps)

    Pre-logging for the evening definitely help me. I eat every evening before bed.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    are you possibly under eating the rest of the day leading to the binging?

    I eat before bed. Whatever calories I have left in teh day (a minimum of 100) before bed. I keep appropriate snack food i enjoy but not foods i may have a harder time using self control on (like say a big bag of chips)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I just wanted to agree and highlight what's already been posted:
    1. Make sure your calorie goal is appropriate. If you are trying to lose weight fast with a very low calorie goal, that could easily be what's causing you to lose control. Faster isn't necessarily better.
    2. Save some calories for an after dinner treat.
    3. Weigh and log your portion FIRST, then eat it. Prelogging as much as I could as often as I could made it so much easier for me to moderate, and to decide whether I was really hungry or really making the best choice.
    4. If there is something else causing you to binge - stress eating, boredom, loneliness, etc - figuring that out can make it easier to come up with a strategy.

    Good luck!
  • margbarco
    margbarco Posts: 128 Member
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    Sometimes logging that second, third, fourth, or fifth serving of chocolate helps me stop before I have yet another. Otherwise, it’s easy to say, “Oh, I’ll just have another bite,” not realizing you’re eating serving number seven or eight, for example.

    I don’t mind my calories being in the red by a few hundred (100-250) once in a while. But if I see the number exceed -300/400, I stop right there!

    If I wasn’t logging I’d have no clue by how many servings or calories I’d gone over, and a lot of the times it’s not as bad as I think. Nothing an extra walk won’t cure the next day. Whereas if I hadn’t logged, I’d think the worst and maybe want to give up / sabotage my progress.

    So, logging every bite keeps me on track.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited December 2018
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    Forcing yourself to log honestly may be exactly what you need to begin to take control. Seeing the cut-and-dry info in black and white can help you see what's really happening, removed from the emotional aspect.

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