Late evening cravings

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JasonJoyHedenskog
JasonJoyHedenskog Posts: 143 Member
in Motivation and Support
Advice on how to beat cravings after dinner? I always crave something sweet or carbs. I can do good all day but then after dinner I sabotage myself. Any tips?
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Replies

  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Are you on a low carb diet? If not, are you able to moderate a treat that fits in your calories for the day? Have you tried fruit?

    Is the craving part of an established habit? In other words, has it been a common practice to have something sweet while watching TV?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,948 Member
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    I save some calories for after dinner. Then I go to bed soon after. If I stay up for more than 2-3 hours after dinner, I want to eat again. Early to bed early to rise is my strategy.
  • stephaniek511
    stephaniek511 Posts: 86 Member
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    What these folks said. I also use sugar free jello, if you like it. Sweet enough to cut the hankering and minimal calories.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    I have to plan to have something after dinner into my calories because I hate going to bed without food in my stomach.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,102 Member
    edited November 2019
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    Bizarrely, eating a solid breakfast with ample protein (primarily), and getting good nutrition through the day (to a lesser extent), helped reduce my evening cravings. (Maybe I'm just weird ;) ).

    Sleep or stress (overall) can also be factors, because fatigue affects appetite.

    ETA: Other contributors can be boredom or habit. Getting rid of a habit is usually easier if one replaces it with a new, better habit, rather than trying to quit cold turkey. Could be something like hot herb tea, or a bubblebath, or light exercise. Resuming an old hobby or starting a new one are good for both habit and boredom. Especially good are those that require clean hands (sketching, needlewook, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or create dirty ones (painting, gardening, carpentry, etc.).
  • ellie117
    ellie117 Posts: 293 Member
    edited November 2019
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    I've always had this problem. Unfortunately the only way I've been able to kick it is by not keeping my go-to snacks in the house. It's tough, but I can't have what I want if it's not available to me.

    If I snack after dinner, I split a bag of Orville's Natural lightly salted popcorn. Or I'll sometimes have sunflower seeds or pistachios.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    Cantaloupe tastes like creamsicles to me so that’s great for dessert.

    If you choose to avoid snacking in the evening, brush your teeth after dinner.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    I'll struggle with this for the rest of my life, but all in all that's a mark of a damn good life.

    I eat light in the morning and afternoon and save my calories for the evening, figuring my margin of error is safer by doing so. I drink water before/during snacking and I do something active at night. This is a bit of a struggle as this is my only down time and I want to spend as much time as possible with the family, so we end up watching something together or playing a game.

    We moved recently and now have much more to do with all the land, so this helps a lot.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    I'll struggle with this for the rest of my life, but all in all that's a mark of a damn good life.

    I eat light in the morning and afternoon and save my calories for the evening, figuring my margin of error is safer by doing so. I drink water before/during snacking and I do something active at night. This is a bit of a struggle as this is my only down time and I want to spend as much time as possible with the family, so we end up watching something together or playing a game.

    We moved recently and now have much more to do with all the land, so this helps a lot.

    Staying active at night helps me with the cravings too. I have trouble for the same reasons, but I always feel better when I'm active at night, both from a physical and mental standpoint. Otherwise it feels like I'm just waiting for work to start the next day rather than living my life.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    RelCanonical wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    I'll struggle with this for the rest of my life, but all in all that's a mark of a damn good life.

    I eat light in the morning and afternoon and save my calories for the evening, figuring my margin of error is safer by doing so. I drink water before/during snacking and I do something active at night. This is a bit of a struggle as this is my only down time and I want to spend as much time as possible with the family, so we end up watching something together or playing a game.

    We moved recently and now have much more to do with all the land, so this helps a lot.

    Staying active at night helps me with the cravings too. I have trouble for the same reasons, but I always feel better when I'm active at night, both from a physical and mental standpoint. Otherwise it feels like I'm just waiting for work to start the next day rather than living my life.

    Popcorn, baked chicken, eggs, and oatmeal are my go to fillers when I want to feel full.

    That and I've been doing a lot more reading at night instead of watching shows. It's hard to munch and read.
  • wagmtcocom_pb
    wagmtcocom_pb Posts: 11 Member
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    Your not alone. I love to snack at night. Ice cream is my achilles heel.
  • gemiller87
    gemiller87 Posts: 137 Member
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    I started switching to popcorn for that evening craving, fiber, protein and pretty low calorie. The fiber/protein make it pretty filling too!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    gemiller87 wrote: »
    I started switching to popcorn for that evening craving, fiber, protein and pretty low calorie. The fiber/protein make it pretty filling too!

    Pop Secret 100 Calorie Kettle corn....sweet & salty.
  • ellie117
    ellie117 Posts: 293 Member
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    wagmtcocom_pb wrote: »
    Your not alone. I love to snack at night. Ice cream is my achilles heel.

    Have you tried lower calorie ice creams like Skinny Cow or Halo Top? Not as much variety as Ben & Jerry's but it definitely saves calorie wise.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    I'll struggle with this for the rest of my life, but all in all that's a mark of a damn good life.

    I eat light in the morning and afternoon and save my calories for the evening, figuring my margin of error is safer by doing so. I drink water before/during snacking and I do something active at night. This is a bit of a struggle as this is my only down time and I want to spend as much time as possible with the family, so we end up watching something together or playing a game.

    We moved recently and now have much more to do with all the land, so this helps a lot.

    Staying active at night helps me with the cravings too. I have trouble for the same reasons, but I always feel better when I'm active at night, both from a physical and mental standpoint. Otherwise it feels like I'm just waiting for work to start the next day rather than living my life.

    Popcorn, baked chicken, eggs, and oatmeal are my go to fillers when I want to feel full.

    That and I've been doing a lot more reading at night instead of watching shows. It's hard to munch and read.

    Apples and greek yogurt hit the spot for me usually. (: I'll also often split my dinner portion in half and have part at dinnertime and part before I go to bed. Tonight I'm having two egg sandwiches.
  • JasonJoyHedenskog
    JasonJoyHedenskog Posts: 143 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas! I’ll try these!
  • Sponge86
    Sponge86 Posts: 10 Member
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    I found freezing a muller light yoghurt and having it with some fruit is like having ice cream. Helps me avoid snacking x
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,565 Member
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    I agree with saving some calories for after dinner. Once I'm done eating for the day I brush my teeth and put my Invisalign in. I usually have a big mug of herbal tea, some "sleep", after dinner, or relax type of tea to unwind.
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
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    OMG, nighttime can be my downfall! It's sooo easy to grab a cookie, or a handful of cheezits...it's just mindless eating. I prefer to drink my calories, so if I have a glass of wine, I won't snack. Tea is a good second choice. Otherwise---and this is not the best solution, but it works for me---I go hide upstairs and read. Last night I left spouse watching TV by himself at 7:30---I just couldn't handle the temptation!

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