Starting again-need help with night time non stop eating

A few thoughts:
- has this always been an issue, or only after you started trying to lose weight? Some people have issues with overeating in the evening because they restrict themselves too much during the day and then lose control.
- alternatively, is there a way to fit these foods into your diet in moderation? You don't have to eat healthy all the time, it's okay to have a treat occasionally. (Heck, pretzels sound pretty healthy to me) I nearly always leave room in my calorie allotment for an evening snack, that's just my personal preference. But I manage my portions.
- if you aren't able to moderate these foods, another strategy would be to simply not have them in your house. Even if only as a temporary measure until you get things under control.
- sometimes it's also a matter of habit, so try to find something to do that makes it harder to eat snacks. I walk laps around my living room when watching TV, for example. Other people perhaps knit or crochet, for example.

As others imply, it's helpful to try and figure out what the root cause is. Some possibilities:

1. Over-restricting calories
2. Not having figured out what's most filling for oneself quite yet
3. Over-exercise
4. High stress
5. Poor sleep quality/quantity
6. Sub-par nutrition
7. Boredom
8. Need for self-soothing
9. "I worked hard and I deserve it"
10. "I've already blown it so I might as well keep eating"
11. Habit. (Best dealt with by finding a replacement habit, ideally a non-food one vs. trying to quit cold turkey, in most cases)
12. Social triggers ("all my roommates are eating chips and dip", "it's someone's birthday so I have to eat cake", etc.)

I'm not suggesting all of those things have to be perfect in order to control appetite: Just saying that often one of those may be the root cause of appetite spikes. It can be different things at different times.

It can help to notice if some days are better than others, then consider what may make the difference. If you have a theory about what made the difference, you can test it out by repeating the scenario, to see if the same pattern develops.

For example, I notice that when I got enough protein in a solid breakfast, I had fewer problems with my appetite later. I verified that by repeating high-protein bigger breakfast for a few days, and found that that worked. That specific thing won't matter for everyone, but it did for me.

In a way, I think successful weight loss is just a sequence of analysis and problem solving opportunities. If we tune into that, sometimes there will be useful insights.

Best wishes: Success is worth the effort!

P.S. I started out just over the line into obese BMI, too . . . and lost down to around the weight I was in my 20s, and (IMO better yet) have stayed around that for 8 years since. It can work!

I've had some positive results with planning in my calorie budget to have a 160cal protein drink very close to bedtime. What a lot of weightlifter will do is have casein protein before bed. It turns thick and makes you feel full a long time.

Hobartlemagne wrote: »

I've had some positive results with planning in my calorie budget to have a 160cal protein drink very close to bedtime. What a lot of weightlifter will do is have casein protein before bed. It turns thick and makes you feel full a long time.

This is what I am doing as I crave chocolate like crazy