3 - 5pm blowout

I’m looking for advice please..
I am in control of my eating until around 3pm and then I crave food and keep blowing all my hard work! We eat as a family around 5:30 and even if dinner is almost ready, I can’t seem to control myself. Can anyone help with some advice please.

Replies

  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    What does your diet look like before 3 pm?
  • sparkyvenkman
    sparkyvenkman Posts: 115 Member
    edited April 2019
    I usually have lunch about 11:30 and dinner at 6p. I plan a snack between because I know a craving will happen about 3ish. Works for me, usually I have a yogurt and a serving of cheerios. Maybe try to work a small snack in? Could help you out with that mid day craving I make sure not to go more than 4-5 hours without any sustenance.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    edited April 2019
    I am reasonably hungry before dinner. It usually subsides if I don't give in.

    My day is broken up into two meals or blocks of time. One at about 7AM and one at about 4PM. I usually have a snack midday of 200-300 calories and then a snack/dessert after dinner of about the same 200-300.

    Either you have your calories set too low in general or you need to find a way to eat more food earlier in the day or a small amount before dinner but then wait. I find pre-planning my midday snack to be helpful. I'll eat it then wait. I almost always want more than that snack, but if I don't give in then I can make it to dinner.
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
    Grab a snack.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Can you describe more about what a typical day looks like? How many cals total are you eating? What do your meals prior to 5:30 look like from both a food and calorie perspective? Do you exercise? Do you eat back those calories burned? And what constitutes a “blowout” in the 3-5:30 block you’re concerned about? What types of foods are you giving into and how many calories?
  • DawnLahrCygiel
    DawnLahrCygiel Posts: 6 Member
    Because it is the same time everyday maybe you can prepare for that. Raw veggies and hummus, apple with non fat plain yogurt as a dip or a hardboiled egg with a cup of water. It is hard to make new changes but you can do it. :D
  • newmum2010
    newmum2010 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks for your responses so far.

    My target is 1500 cals a day. I eat breakfast around 6:30: 50 gms overnight oats, almond milk, with frozen berries 250-300 cals
    11:30: Lunch is usually sandwich or salad with turkey salad around 300 cals
    Throughout the day: 3 coffees with half sugar and milk
    Around 2pm: an apple and oatcake
    Blow out usually sugar based chocolate bar or biscuits or either peanut butter or too many nuts (Totalling around 300 cals)
    Then I’ll have dinner if around 600 cals (gousto meals from scratch)
    I exercise 5 times a week (cross fit/running/ walk everyday/ HIT class (myzone states around 400 calls per session)
    I drink around 2 litres of water and sleep around 6.5 - 7 hours a night
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for your responses so far.

    My target is 1500 cals a day. I eat breakfast around 6:30: 50 gms overnight oats, almond milk, with frozen berries 250-300 cals
    11:30: Lunch is usually sandwich or salad with turkey salad around 300 cals
    Throughout the day: 3 coffees with half sugar and milk
    Around 2pm: an apple and oatcake
    Blow out usually sugar based chocolate bar or biscuits or either peanut butter or too many nuts (Totalling around 300 cals)
    Then I’ll have dinner if around 600 cals (gousto meals from scratch)
    I exercise 5 times a week (cross fit/running/ walk everyday/ HIT class (myzone states around 400 calls per session)
    I drink around 2 litres of water and sleep around 6.5 - 7 hours a night

    Doesn't sound like you are that much over your target? 200-300 a day maybe? 1500 may be too low for you, especially with your level of exercise. Where did you get the 1500 goal from? If it was MFP, you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories in addition to your MFP goal. That could be why you are struggling.
  • chrisredmayne
    chrisredmayne Posts: 28 Member
    I used to be the same until I started intermittent fasting and now I never get snack cravings
  • newmum2010
    newmum2010 Posts: 9 Member
    I got the recommended cals from an external website someone in MFP recommended Mdee? Or something like that. I didn’t know you were supposed to eat the exercise cals.

    Thanks for your advice!
    Leeanne
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    I got the recommended cals from an external website someone in MFP recommended Mdee? Or something like that. I didn’t know you were supposed to eat the exercise cals.

    Thanks for your advice!
    Leeanne

    What are your stats?
    What is your goal - weight loss? How much?
    You can enter those stats, activity level and a reasonable rate of loss and MFP will provide you a calorie target, which as mentioned, does not include exercise calories.

    Your basic daily plan seems like you might be missing some protein? Fat? Sometimes adjusting your intake to supplement a particular macro helps address satiety, hunger and cravings.

    Also, are you logging accurately, using a food scale?

    For the exercise routine you described, I don't think 1500 gross calories is likely enough for you, but would need to know your other stats for sure.
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for your responses so far.

    My target is 1500 cals a day. I eat breakfast around 6:30: 50 gms overnight oats, almond milk, with frozen berries 250-300 cals
    11:30: Lunch is usually sandwich or salad with turkey salad around 300 cals
    Throughout the day: 3 coffees with half sugar and milk
    Around 2pm: an apple and oatcake
    Blow out usually sugar based chocolate bar or biscuits or either peanut butter or too many nuts (Totalling around 300 cals)
    Then I’ll have dinner if around 600 cals (gousto meals from scratch)
    I exercise 5 times a week (cross fit/running/ walk everyday/ HIT class (myzone states around 400 calls per session)
    I drink around 2 litres of water and sleep around 6.5 - 7 hours a night

    Are you eating back your exercise calories? How much weight are you losing on average per week?
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    Is it possible to move anything back a bit, have lunch or your apple and oatcakes later on?
    Might be just me but I find it much easier to have a long morning with no extra food than a long afternoon.

    Or you might find adding some peanut butter or hummous to that snack helps, it would be some planned extra calories that prevent eating more later.
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    What does your diet look like before 3 pm?

    This. Are you being overly restrictive earlier in the day? Also, have you played with macros? I find that making sure I have enough protein is critical. Finally, try some sort of exercise mid-afternoon. (If you are at work and can for example, go for a 5 minute brisk walk.)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,253 Member
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for your responses so far.

    My target is 1500 cals a day. I eat breakfast around 6:30: 50 gms overnight oats, almond milk, with frozen berries 250-300 cals
    11:30: Lunch is usually sandwich or salad with turkey salad around 300 cals
    Throughout the day: 3 coffees with half sugar and milk
    Around 2pm: an apple and oatcake
    Blow out usually sugar based chocolate bar or biscuits or either peanut butter or too many nuts (Totalling around 300 cals)
    Then I’ll have dinner if around 600 cals (gousto meals from scratch)
    I exercise 5 times a week (cross fit/running/ walk everyday/ HIT class (myzone states around 400 calls per session)
    I drink around 2 litres of water and sleep around 6.5 - 7 hours a night

    Satiation is different for everyone, but I personally tend to find protein snacks to be more satiating. I'm not sure what the nutrients for your oatcake are, but I'm guessing mostly carbohydrates, bit of fiber, bit of fat?

    You might try an experiment of subbing a different 2PM snack you enjoy, with different nutrients (heavier on fats or protein, since your current one is probably higher carbs and fiber), like maybe a hard-boiled egg, string cheese, not-too-many nuts, crispy chickpeas, . . . ?

    I agree with others that 300 calories may not be a big deal. If you've been working on weight loss for a few weeks already, then your weight loss rate is the best guide to whether you're over-restricting. Many people here think 1% of current body weight per week is a reasonable maximum, and slower is better when it's more sustainable, or for folks getting within 25-50 pounds of goal weight.
  • NadNight
    NadNight Posts: 794 Member
    Is it possible for you to change your meal times and have breakfast and lunch a few hours later? I used to have breakfast at 6 and lunch at 12 then dinner at 6 which is a long time between meals. I’m a bit hungry in the mornings but not ravenous so now I put off breakfast until 9 or so then have lunch after 1:30. A small snack gets me through til dinner then.

    I think experimenting is the best thing you can do to see if three full meals work well for you or if more of a small meal and grazing style is more your thing. Play with your routine to see where and how you can improve/change it
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for your responses so far.

    My target is 1500 cals a day. I eat breakfast around 6:30: 50 gms overnight oats, almond milk, with frozen berries 250-300 cals
    11:30: Lunch is usually sandwich or salad with turkey salad around 300 cals
    Throughout the day: 3 coffees with half sugar and milk
    Around 2pm: an apple and oatcake
    Blow out usually sugar based chocolate bar or biscuits or either peanut butter or too many nuts (Totalling around 300 cals)
    Then I’ll have dinner if around 600 cals (gousto meals from scratch)
    I exercise 5 times a week (cross fit/running/ walk everyday/ HIT class (myzone states around 400 calls per session)
    I drink around 2 litres of water and sleep around 6.5 - 7 hours a night

    you may want to switch that 2pm snack to something more satiating like a protein. I will do rice cakes with cookie butter and cheese sticks, or fruit with a greek yogurt protein fruit dip and that works as well. You can still meet your calorie range with those options.
  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
    I used to eat apples as snacks. I never really looked forward to them, never really enjoyed them and they never did anything to satisfy my hunger. Now I eat one of my favourite foods on earth, crunchy natural peanut butter on half a slice of whole grain bread, every single day. I ALWAYS look forward to it, I ALWAYS enjoy it and it allows me to manage my hunger until my next meal. You might want to consider switching up your snack and making it slightly more calorie dense.

    Also, what time of day do you exercise? because I find that can affect what time I am most hungry at and meal timing around when I exercise helps.
  • newmum2010
    newmum2010 Posts: 9 Member
    I tend to exercise at 6am (30 min HIT class) or 8pm ((CrossFit or a run) and I have all for 30 mins most lunch times
  • newmum2010
    newmum2010 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks for all your advise and insights into what works for you. The last couple of days I have had a morning snack of peanut butter and apple at 11am, then lunch at 2pm once I start to feel hungry again. I’ve noticed a difference in my hunger already. Although I am definitely ready for my dinner when I arrive home, so far I’ve been more in control in the afternoon. I loved the comment earlier on in the feed “nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to eat” this has really encouraged me to think about why I was choosing those types of snacks.
    What a great forum and support network 🙂
  • jdsass82
    jdsass82 Posts: 19 Member
    Use these episodes to practice improving your discipline. Nobody is pointing a gun to your head and telling you to eat or else. You sre making a decision to do what you’re doing. Maybe the gratification you receive is greater than your weight loss goals. I assume you have such goals, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be sharing about your behavior.

    Discipline can be cultivated and made stronger with practice.

    This is terrible advice. OP is looking for solid tactics and strategies, not chastisement. You sound like a jerk.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    jdsass82 wrote: »
    Use these episodes to practice improving your discipline. Nobody is pointing a gun to your head and telling you to eat or else. You sre making a decision to do what you’re doing. Maybe the gratification you receive is greater than your weight loss goals. I assume you have such goals, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be sharing about your behavior.

    Discipline can be cultivated and made stronger with practice.

    This is terrible advice. OP is looking for solid tactics and strategies, not chastisement. You sound like a jerk.

    And yet, if you read OP's comment right above yours, she says the gun to the head comment really worked for her. Different strokes for different folks.
    newmum2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for all your advise and insights into what works for you. The last couple of days I have had a morning snack of peanut butter and apple at 11am, then lunch at 2pm once I start to feel hungry again. I’ve noticed a difference in my hunger already. Although I am definitely ready for my dinner when I arrive home, so far I’ve been more in control in the afternoon. I loved the comment earlier on in the feed “nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to eat” this has really encouraged me to think about why I was choosing those types of snacks.
    What a great forum and support network 🙂

  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
    I struggle with hunger before dinner, usually between 2-4pm. If I don't do something for it, I'll blow it too.

    I make a glass of ice water, if that doesn't do it I eat a tblsp of Adams peanut butter.. When available I'll eat a banana or some strawberries or cherrie tomatoes, and stop there. Then it's a discipline thing.

    Now some days I don't get a craving at all. Discipline is not a bad thing, I see it as a triumph.