Evening cravings!
alisampm
Posts: 182 Member
What works for you all who get craving son the evenings?
I can eat well all day and then binge at nighttime.
I can eat well all day and then binge at nighttime.
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Replies
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Sometimes when we "eat well" all day and then struggle in the evening, it's a sign that we're not actually eating enough during the day or that we aren't prioritizing finding foods that we truly enjoy. So first, I'd make sure that isn't the case.
If that's not it, I have found that having a cup of tea and some engaging hobbies is enough to keep me on track. Other people have success with making sure to save some calories for snacks.6 -
Ditto above. Especially if you eat dinner at around 5-6 and then stay awake until 10-11. Throughout the rest of the day it's pretty normal to get hungry again if you haven't eaten for 5 hours, so why would evening be all that different?
I tend to eat a smaller meal or snack right after work and then have supper a bit later in the evening to help stay satiated until I go to bed.
It may also be a case of not eating foods that are giving your body what it needs nutritionally, too. If you aren't already, I recommend tracking macros and seeing whether you are hitting your targets there. Finding the right balance of nutrients can be helpful with curbing cravings.4 -
Ditto above. Especially if you eat dinner at around 5-6 and then stay awake until 10-11. Throughout the rest of the day it's pretty normal to get hungry again if you haven't eaten for 5 hours, so why would evening be all that different?
I tend to eat a smaller meal or snack right after work and then have supper a bit later in the evening to help stay satiated until I go to bed.
It may also be a case of not eating foods that are giving your body what it needs nutritionally, too. If you aren't already, I recommend tracking macros and seeing whether you are hitting your targets there. Finding the right balance of nutrients can be helpful with curbing cravings.
Yes, I forgot to add that I intentionally eat dinner rather late so I don't have to worry about getting hungry again. I'd rather feel some hunger in the afternoon between lunch and dinner (or have a small snack) and go to bed relatively full.1 -
For me, it helped reduce evening cravings if I got a sound breakfast with adequate protein, then good protein levels through the day. This isn't universal, but I'm not the only one I've seen say they experienced this.
Also, a thing to think about is that hunger sensations can sometimes result from accumulated fatigue, which of course tends to be at its highest toward the end of the day. If this is the case for you, some things that could help with those cravings would be striving to get adequate good-quality sleep routinely; adopting stress-management techniques that work for you if your days are stressful (stress is fatiguing/depleting); keeping exercise at a frequency/duration/intensity that's energizing rather than fatiguing for the rest of your day (then gradually increasing if you wish to keep a bit of challenge as you get fitter).
Many people like to save some calories for evening snacks, which is a good strategy for those who sleep better with something in their stomach (and a bad one for people for whom that causes acid reflux or poor sleep
). The idea that "eating after X o'clock" will inherently hinder weight loss is a myth.
Another thing to consider is whether your cravings are really hunger-related, or have a component of habit or boredom. If it's habit, it's usually easiest to change an undesired habit by replacing it with a new and desirable one. For a snacking habit, that could be something like a cup of tasty herb tea instead of calorie-laden snacks, or taking a few minutes for some relaxing stretching.
Or, for new habits or to address boredom-related snacking, it can be a good plan to revive an old hobby, or adopt a new one. Particularly good are hobbies that require clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or create dirty ones (painting, gardening, carpentry, etc.).5 -
For me, it helped reduce evening cravings if I got a sound breakfast with adequate protein, then good protein levels through the day. This isn't universal, but I'm not the only one I've seen say they experienced this.
Also, a thing to think about is that hunger sensations can sometimes result from accumulated fatigue, which of course tends to be at its highest toward the end of the day. If this is the case for you, some things that could help with those cravings would be striving to get adequate good-quality sleep routinely; adopting stress-management techniques that work for you if your days are stressful (stress is fatiguing/depleting); keeping exercise at a frequency/duration/intensity that's energizing rather than fatiguing for the rest of your day (then gradually increasing if you wish to keep a bit of challenge as you get fitter).
Many people like to save some calories for evening snacks, which is a good strategy for those who sleep better with something in their stomach (and a bad one for people for whom that causes acid reflux or poor sleep ). The idea that "eating after X o'clock" will inherently hinder weight loss is a myth.
Another thing to consider is whether your cravings are really hunger-related, or have a component of habit or boredom. If it's habit, it's usually easiest to change an undesired habit by replacing it with a new and desirable one. For a snacking habit, that could be something like a cup of tasty herb tea instead of calorie-laden snacks, or taking a few minutes for some relaxing stretching.
Or, for new habits or to address boredom-related snacking, it can be a good plan to revive an old hobby, or adopt a new one. Particularly good are hobbies that require clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or create dirty ones (painting, gardening, carpentry, etc.).
I think I need a hobby. I’m mostly bored. And I really enjoy cooking for enjoyment and that’s hard when the kid is awake.
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Night time snacking is tricky! It can be a few different reasons. So many good ones listed above. For me it's boredom sometimes or nerves. If I'm feeling snacky I ask myself "why". If it's stress, I'll often grab my favorite tea, or go to bed early. If it's because I actually am hungry I'll see what food group I have left on my nutrition plan to eat. If it's boredom, I'll brush my teeth and get as far from the kitchen and get occupied in a good show or a work project or laundry lol. You'll figure it out and conquer it! I know you will!1
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I find that a banana and a tsp of peanut butter after dinner satisfies me.1
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The only time I struggle to control my night time eating is if I am below my misery line for more than 2 days in a row. This happens if life gets in the way or I am not fueling my activity effectively enough.
Many people want to lose their weight fast so regardless of how much they need to lose they select 2 pounds per week which creates a daily deficit of 1000 calories. That rate of loss is really for people with more than about 75 pounds to lose. For some people with that much to lose that deficit still drops them into misery and they need to select to lose even slower.
Others either do not log their exercise or do not eat back some of the exercise calories if they do. This also creates a higher deficit which can lead to binge-like overfeeds.
Still others think that the calorie goal line is the maximum they should eat and they keep trying to be under it and sometimes way under it. If a rate of loss was selected during guided set-up the calorie goal should include the deficit.
I am not saying any of these apply to you but a lot of people come through here with problems because they eat too little so it is usually worth mentioning.5 -
Like the OP I have evening cravings. I plan my meals out in advance. I find it much easier to stay within my calorie goals if I know exactly what I am going to eat and how much. I always have a reserve of uneaten calories that I can use for what ever I seem to be craving. When it comes to satisfying that craving, I always drink a full glass of water first. Then when I indulge my craving it takes less to satisfy me. Good luck, you will find what works for you.1
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Brush your teeth or eat somehhing minty... mine was one after eight chocolate3
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Diet jelly - aeroplane brand is approx 28 calories per 500ml. I have 1 bowl every evening.
I drink tea in winter, mint or camomile.
I drink non-caffeinated aminos in summer - just 1 scoop in 500ml water.
Honestly, losing weight is hard and you’ll feel hungry. Sometimes I just go to bed so I won’t eat more!!1 -
I sort of do intermittent fasting for this reason.
I'm not that hungry at breakfast, but find I want to munch at dinner/in the evening. So I stopped eating breakfast (caveat: I run first thing in the morning, and have recently started having a banana before my run because I can't run fasted. Still kinda doing IF), so I have my first meal at lunch time because that when I'm hungry, and this gives me more calories at night, and I stop eating at 8pm. I'm not hard and fast in this, but it definitely works best for me.1 -
Seconding brush your teeth or go to bed earlier or drink mint tea.1
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Cream crackers...0
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Having the time to be home Abbas’s cook real meals with Whole Foods through the day and saving 200 calories for an evening snack has helped this so so so much!
30 pounds down!1
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