Evenings are thee WORST enemy!!

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  • AvocadoPit
    AvocadoPit Posts: 22 Member
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    Evenings are the worst for me too. I used to save my kcals so I could have a bit of leeway at night in case I get insane cravings, but I find that is actually counterproductive. If I eat evenly throughout the day and try to never be superhungry, the evenings get easier. So now, lunch is my biggest meal a lot of the times, to keep me full throughout the day, and dinner is mostly just to last those last few hours. So I guess you could try to change around when you eat to see if there is some way that is better for you!
  • huango
    huango Posts: 1,007 Member
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    They are the worst for me also.
    Especially since our family eats dinner at 5pm. And I go to bed ~11pm.
    So I had started a bad habit of snacking at around 8pm. The problem is that I never would want to eat the healthy Greek yogurt (full of protein), etc, but would snack on chips or chocolate covered almonds, etc.
    Those extra 100-500 calories every night nullified all the calories I burned while killing myself at TurboKick or Zumba, etc.

    So I now do 2 things (I’m on Day 4 of it, so let’s see how long I can keep it up):
    1. I split my dinner into 2, so I would eat half w/ the family at 5pm. Drink 2 cups of water. And then eat the 2nd half at 7:30pm after I put the kids to bed.
    2. Right after my last bite, I brush my teeth and put in my nighttime mouth guard (like a retainer, to prevent nighttime teeth grinding). It’s part of my bedtime routine; I just do that part a lot earlier.
    It’s been working so far.

    (My friend is funny: she says she could suck melted ice cream with the night guard in. So this method wouldn’t work for her. Or she could just take it out!) :)

    Hey, the snacking at night became a habit over time, so why can’t wearing a mouth guard (to deter me from snacking) become the new habit?

    Amanda
  • Jen32285
    Jen32285 Posts: 281 Member
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    I'm the same way. It's because in the evenings I always end up being bored. I'm good all day and then I snack like crazy at night. I've been doing good for the past week.
  • jdstallings
    jdstallings Posts: 4
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    Very good advice, IMO.

    Referring to the "watch micros somments above, 40/30/30." SOrry posted this in the wrong manner
  • Natelywills
    Natelywills Posts: 71
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    Yeah, I had the same problem. I'd avoid breakfast, have an early lunch and then pig like crazy at night.

    I've found that the best thing is to have a light breakfast of about 1/4 of your calorie allowance, do the same for lunch and then save your larger sum for the evening. Eat a good meal and leave about 150-200 calories for snacks and grazing. That's a candy bar, a bowl or two of cereal (depending on what you have) a pack of chips, a portion of jelly beans, popcorn, etc...

    The good thing about that, too is that you HAVE to eat your numbers so you get used to that snacky reward at night and it's something to look forward to. I've been doing this for about 4 weeks now and it's made a HUGE difference.
  • Jezebel_Barbie
    Jezebel_Barbie Posts: 198 Member
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    Save yourself some calories for the evenings and use them when you snack. I eat lightly during the day but my appetite really gets going in the evenings, so I just make sure I have enough left over for a snack after dinner.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
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    I drink a cup of coffee from my wonderful Keurig machine and then I am not hungry, if that fails then I clean house because you can not eat while cleaning.
  • tri201288
    tri201288 Posts: 1
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    Think yourself thru it. Are your really hungry? Do you really need it? Your not starving you just ate.
    Cravings have a name.
    Hunger is a physiological state.
    It takes at least 30 days to starve to death
    4 A's
    Avoid
    Alter
    Adapt
    Accept

    Put your energy in a different project!
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
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    Idle hands are the devil's playground!:devil:

    Find a hobby, learn to play guitar, read a book..........boredom eating is very common, one of the reasons I'm glad my kids keep me running around like a loonie with their soccer.

    absolutely true! I crochet, I write...I find when I do sit and watch TV I just want to zone out and snack.
  • debw1216
    debw1216 Posts: 5
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    I hear ya, you get all settled in, watching a tv program and a doritos commercial comes on. I try to leave the room for commercials, throw a load of laundry in, unload the dishwasher, let the dogs out, something to keep my mind of munchies. So far, so good but I am only on week 2 :ohwell:
  • tmacmoto
    tmacmoto Posts: 286 Member
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    Evenings are tough...I use a eating schedule.
    7AM Breakfast
    9AM AM Snack
    12PM Lunch
    2PM Afternoon Snack
    5PM Dinner
    8PM Late Nite Snack

    My Late Nite Snack is usually some kind of protein. Whether it be a shake, yogurt, or egg. And make sure you keep up with drinking your water.

    But, keeping yourself busy with a hobby, activity ( I play xbox Kinect games), late night snuggle, etc. Just keep yourself distracted and then its bedtime. Hope this helps
  • tlinval
    tlinval Posts: 175 Member
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    I can't eat after dinner. This is MY own rule for ME, because it just triggers binge eating and that's never good...I mean, who binges on veggies??!! NOT ME! I know you can eat at any time of the day, but for me it's never good.

    I keep myself busy. Crochet, read, watch a movie, paint my toenails, play cards, take a shower...and if all else fails I go to bed!! I get the munchies when I'm sleepy so I might as well get some rest! I vividly remember how I felt the next morning after an evening of binging/snacking. I'd beat myself up, I'd feel horrible physically, I never slept well, etc...I think about all those things and it helps me stay away.

    *IF* I'm honestly hungry after dinner, I make myself a small mug of warmed milk with sugar free raspberry syrup. That's treat enough for me, it works.
  • rswood62
    rswood62 Posts: 80 Member
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    bump
  • cldwyer150
    cldwyer150 Posts: 20
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    I do my workout in the evenings to help with this problem. After working out and having a shower I don't feel the need to snack anymore. It's a great way to sweat away the stress of the day!
  • FireSwan
    FireSwan Posts: 170 Member
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    *IF* I'm honestly hungry after dinner, I make myself a small mug of warmed milk with sugar free raspberry syrup. That's treat enough for me, it works.

    mmm, that sounds delicious...I must try this!
  • SteffieMark
    SteffieMark Posts: 1,723 Member
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    Evenings are tough...I use a eating schedule.
    7AM Breakfast
    9AM AM Snack
    12PM Lunch
    2PM Afternoon Snack
    5PM Dinner
    8PM Late Nite Snack

    My Late Nite Snack is usually some kind of protein. Whether it be a shake, yogurt, or egg. And make sure you keep up with drinking your water.

    But, keeping yourself busy with a hobby, activity ( I play xbox Kinect games), late night snuggle, etc. Just keep yourself distracted and then its bedtime. Hope this helps

    I do almost this exact thing. My times are just 30-60 minutes later. I even have a funny alarm that goes off on my phone to "Remind" me to eat.
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
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    Hey ya'll-

    I need some tips/help/support or whatever for the evenings.. They are the absolute worst time for me. I usually end up failing. :/ And I hate to admit it, but I don't track it either... I sometimes get bored and want to find something sweet and salty or one of the other. But on the flip side I'm really good all the way up till then hence the evening are the worst for me. And I dont wanna starve myself till dinner cause I'll just make bad choices anyway.. Anybody got anything tips???

    I am the exact same, and I still struggle with it to this day. Sometimes drinking a lot of water helps; sometimes chewing a piece of gum helps; but if that fails, sometimes you've gotta eat. See if you can reserve 100-200 calories for the end of the day and have a small snack in the evening, like some light butter popcorn for salt cravings (had that last night and it totally did the trick--plus I was so thirsty after all the salt that the water I drank filled me up), or separate some desserts (like brownies/cookies) into small portions that are 100-200 calories each, and have just one. It's a matter of breaking the habit and creating a good one, and trust me, it can take a long time (and it's so easy to backslide), but you can do it!
  • CatieBuck
    CatieBuck Posts: 7
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    Thank you everyone for all the tips and support!! I'm def going to give it a try!:flowerforyou:
  • katejkelley
    katejkelley Posts: 841 Member
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    I've made myself a rule: no food after dinner. I can drink water, tea, diet soda - but NO food. Once you get in the habit, you quit having so many cravings. Part of what helps me stick to it is knowing I will step on that scale first thing in the morning. Keep your eyes on the prize! A craving will pass if you keep yourself busy and don't give in. If you don't have a hobby or something to keep your hands busy, do something like drop and do 10 pushups when you have a craving. It's good exercise, it'll remind you why you shouldn't give in, and it'll tone your arms while you're at it!

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