How to Cut Snacking After Dinner!?

jaydutchie
jaydutchie Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I’m a generally good eater throughout the day. I always get a healthy breakfast—eggs, toast (sometimes with half an avocado if I’m feeling fancy) and a turkey/veggie sausage. I don’t snack throughout the day. And I don’t have a problem with overeating at meals. My problem is at the end of the day, after working and treating my body well—I like to have a snack and just relax after dinner. So I have popcorn or chips or something like that. How do I cut those cravings? I think it’s more out of habit than actual hunger. Any thoughts? Thanks!
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Replies

  • savagecorey2
    savagecorey2 Posts: 14 Member
    When I start wanting to eat I do a hot cup of tea and sip on it. Then I brush my teeth. Once I brush my teeth I’m done.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    you can save calories and keep the snack
    or try brushing your teeth right after dinner and putting a big annoying sign on the pantry
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    As the others said, if you're within your calories, it's not an issue.

    If you just want to quit the habit, in general, log into the Late Night Snacking thread. I'm on the app, so can't post a link. Logging into that thread has kept me from snacking for over 100 days now.

    Good luck!
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    I leave room for a night snack. I don't always eat it, but I leave 100-150 cals in case i want a snack.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    edited September 2019
    savagecorey2 wrote: »
    When I start wanting to eat I do a hot cup of tea and sip on it. Then I brush my teeth. Once I brush my teeth I’m done.

    Same for me, with the brushing/flossing. I generally eat dinner and then if I'm having something sweet I eat it within 1 hour usually. So my teeth are clean and kitchen is "closed" by like 7 pm.

    I'm careful not to go too low on calories so I'm rarely feeling legitimate hunger after that, anyway.

    I think it helps that my husband, despite being an evening snacker, goes for things I don't care about like chips, pretzels, or protein PB mixture. If he was snacking on tacos, ice cream or chocolate, I'd be in trouble.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    i always have a bedtime snack. luckily for me, i love double chocolate chunk quest bars, sometimes with a kroger version of a sugar free fudgecycle (the kroger ones are yummier), so i get that last 20 grams of protein before bed.
  • jaydutchie
    jaydutchie Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you guys! I like the brushing teeth idea and maybe opt for a protein heavier snack. I usually don’t go over my calorie limit but it’s definitely a bad habit that I wanna kick.
  • bear2303
    bear2303 Posts: 251 Member
    seltzermint555 wrote: »
    savagecorey2 wrote: »
    When I start wanting to eat I do a hot cup of tea and sip on it. Then I brush my teeth. Once I brush my teeth I’m done.

    Same for me, with the brushing/flossing. I generally eat dinner and then if I'm having something sweet I eat it within 1 hour usually. So my teeth are clean and kitchen is "closed" by like 7 pm.

    I'm careful not to go too low on calories so I'm rarely feeling legitimate hunger after that, anyway.

    I think it helps that my husband, despite being an evening snacker, goes for things I don't care about like chips, pretzels, or protein PB mixture. If he was snacking on tacos, ice cream or chocolate, I'd be in trouble.

    Agreed with the above too! I have an issue with snacking after 8:00 p.m. sometimes i save my calories for an actual snack post dinner but most of the time i am just bored and looking for something to do so I snack. Because of this i've tried to implement that my kitchen is closed post 8:00 p.m. unless there is something specific that i know is built in to my day. It has helped me break through my plateau finally!
  • StaciMarie2020
    StaciMarie2020 Posts: 68 Member
    In that scenario, I'd just budget calories for that snack.

    I'm the opposite - I feel the need to eat often thru the day. So I typically have a small breakfast/small lunch/small second lunch. I also eat a late dinner which factors into that I suppose.
    jaydutchie wrote: »
    So, I’m a generally good eater throughout the day. I always get a healthy breakfast—eggs, toast (sometimes with half an avocado if I’m feeling fancy) and a turkey/veggie sausage. I don’t snack throughout the day. And I don’t have a problem with overeating at meals. My problem is at the end of the day, after working and treating my body well—I like to have a snack and just relax after dinner. So I have popcorn or chips or something like that. How do I cut those cravings? I think it’s more out of habit than actual hunger. Any thoughts? Thanks!

  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    jaydutchie wrote: »
    Thank you guys! I like the brushing teeth idea and maybe opt for a protein heavier snack. I usually don’t go over my calorie limit but it’s definitely a bad habit that I wanna kick.

    If it's just a habit you don't want, the easiest way would simply be to eliminate the availability from the house. People and most things tend to follow the path of least resistance. It's easier to snack on something that's there vs having to leave the house just to buy a single serving of chips/popcorn. It may not affect your overall calorie goal to have snacks, but dietary habits are learned, which means they can also be retrained.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,226 Member
    Usually it's easiest to break a habit by replacing it with another habit. In this kind of scenario, a non-food/drink habit would be best, and some have been suggested above.

    Another thought is to take up an absorbing new hobby or resume an old one, especially something that requires clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument . . . .) or creates dirty ones (gardening, painting, carpentry . . . .).

    If you want to or are willing to stay within a realm that includes some food/drink, something like a cup of special relaxing herb tea can be a good ritual.
  • PennyP312
    PennyP312 Posts: 161 Member
    Typically, my calories are gone after dinner :(
    So, I chew minty sugar free gum. It really helps signal to my brain that my eating window is over for the day. Really curbs my cravings for snacks, usually 😉
  • healingnurtrer
    healingnurtrer Posts: 217 Member
    That's a habit I've worked on too. After dinner I was frequently eating when not hungry, and I finish my calories at dinner. Since I was snacking to relax I just make sure I replace the behavior with something else to relax. Also I drink water. I say to myself- hey I'm doing this to relax now instead of eating after dinner. Instead of saying to yourself - don't eat, don't eat, don't eat- you could say - DO relax some other way. (Watch tv, chat w/ a friend, art/ creativity, go for a walk, relaxing bath, etc.)
  • healingnurtrer
    healingnurtrer Posts: 217 Member
    Danp wrote: »
    jaydutchie wrote: »
    Thank you guys! I like the brushing teeth idea and maybe opt for a protein heavier snack. I usually don’t go over my calorie limit but it’s definitely a bad habit that I wanna kick.

    Out of curiosity what makes you think that after dinner snacking is a bad habit? What do you see as the downside or negative consequence of consuming a part of your daily calorie target later in the day?

    I'm curious too. For me, stopping late-night snacking resolved some reflux issues. Not sure if there's another reason it'd be necessary if it doesn't cause you to go over calorie goal.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    If you enjoy the snacking and are not over cals, I don't see any reason to worry about it.

    Personally, I much prefer eating my cals at meals, so made a decision to do so. Cutting out late night snacking was more about not snacking in general, which I prefer, and that I tend to eat dinner late anyway.

    Deciding the structure you prefer for your meals/snacks and then sticking to it will work, whatever the schedule chosen, IMO (I have nothing against IF, but it's hardly unique in being helpful for this). If mindless evening snacking is just a bad habit, maybe try to replace it with something else -- I used to have herbal tea in the evening which substituted for a desire to snack at times.
  • Lobsterboxtops
    Lobsterboxtops Posts: 92 Member
    I’ve developed a tea habit in the evening. For me it’s part of the winding down process that helps signal that bedtime is coming, and it’s something that I can keep up when I’m traveling for work. Something very satisfying about the ritual of sitting down with a hot beverage and a tv show or a book.


    I’ve never been an evening snacker, but sometimes will have treats which my tea. I’ve been into the the brookside açaí dark chocolate things..or crack berries as I call them. They are easy to portion and satisfy my want for a snack.

    So I guess I’m with the others that say find a substitute ritual/habit to replace the snacking with. Plenty of non food ones available, such as hand intensive hobbies that can be picked up and set down without a lot of effort (knitting, paracord item making, etc.), light activity (dish washing, counter cleaning, mail sorting/shredding).

    I find that it’s the mindless activities that are the dangerous ones, internet surfing, tv watching, game playing.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I like to keep a few calories for a small snack, like a serving of low-cal ice cream or a small bowl of popcorn. If I'm out of calories and fighting an urge, then I do something to busy my hands like work on my art or play a video game.
  • almostsuperpowered
    almostsuperpowered Posts: 135 Member
    I grew up with chips being a nightly routine. Nowadays I reach for a perrier.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    jaydutchie wrote: »
    Thank you guys! I like the brushing teeth idea and maybe opt for a protein heavier snack. I usually don’t go over my calorie limit but it’s definitely a bad habit that I wanna kick.

    Why do you think this is such a bad habit? I snack on popcorn after dinner when my wife and I are watching t.v. before bed...I don't see anything wrong with it at all. If it's not taking you over your calorie targets, I don't see the issue. Having some popcorn after dinner isn't treating your body badly.
  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
    This was also my struggle. For me it was non-stop evening snacking. I stopped buying chips and things I didn't control very well and substituted with cheese and crackers and fruit. I always plan for 1 large snack in the evening 2-3 hours after dinner and fit it into my calories. Knowing I have 1 big snack in the evening greatly helped me stop the constant evening snacking.

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