Late night snacking

zekenmax
zekenmax Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
I think the worst time of day for me is the evening....does anyone have suggestions on how to handle the cravings during the evening?
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Replies

  • JC4d
    JC4d Posts: 2
    I have found that chewing sugar free gum helps cut down on my food cravings.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    Plan to eat at night. There is nothing inherantly wrong with eating late at night, as long as it doesn't result in you going over your calorie limit. Keep 300cals up your sleeve and just eat.
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
    Brush your teeth after supper, and go to bed early.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    I don't eat dinner until around 8:30 every night after the gym and it hasn't effected me as long as I am under my calorie limit
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I like evening snacks do usually 300-400 cals is reserved for that :) healthy things usually but always yummy!'
  • abdallah1226
    abdallah1226 Posts: 4
    popcorn works for me
  • TiredandReadyForLoss
    TiredandReadyForLoss Posts: 41 Member
    Apple crisp:
    apple
    oatmeal
    splenda
    cinnamon
    1 T butter

    bake for approx 15 minutes.

    Or apple
    Or jello & redi whip
    Or turkey hot dog *L* I know it's weird......
  • snowbab
    snowbab Posts: 192 Member
    I'm terrible about worrying about going over calories in the day and so ALWAYS end up eating most of my calories late at night, in bed while reading or studying haha. I still lose eating about 500 at 11 or later at night! If the calories are the same there's no harm in eating later, it's a silly rumour.
  • Venturin
    Venturin Posts: 244 Member
    I try to eat dinner later, around 7PM. I always went overboard on cereal before bed, bad habit. Now if I must have it, I try to limit to one bowl of the low calorie Kashi and just enough milk. I also have been cutting down on the fruits at night I think that's helping
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Define evening. If I stay up late, then I start to get kind of peckish. The best course of action when that happens is to just go to bed already.

    If you're talking about, say, 9 PM, just leave aside some calories so you can have a bedtime snack. I personally like a glass of low-fat milk before bedtime. Either that, or a glass of hot verbena tea.
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    Plan to eat at night. There is nothing inherantly wrong with eating late at night, as long as it doesn't result in you going over your calorie limit. Keep 300cals up your sleeve and just eat.

    True makes sense
  • ebiggz
    ebiggz Posts: 11
    Cottage cheese works good. Good long lasting (Casein) protein that keeps you full longer. A good bed time snack. I take cottage cheese, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, ice, a little bit of sugar/fat free jello pudding powder to add a little flavor and sometimes some peanut butter. Makes an amazing shake and not at all bad. A good night time snack.
  • samf36
    samf36 Posts: 369 Member
    I still haven't eaten dinner and it is 8:15. It has not made any difference in my weight loss.
  • kadins_momma07
    kadins_momma07 Posts: 328 Member
    I actually like to have an evening snack...I kind of plan it that way. I do a workout DVD then have breakfast (most of the time), lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, workout on the elliptical, then an evening/night snack. I love having banana chips and peanut butter for my night snack after I do the elliptial, it's filling and taste so good!
  • neaneawy
    neaneawy Posts: 146 Member
    I really struggled with this for the first couple months. I love sweets at night. I would plan to have icecream, popcorn, or cookies, whatever I was craving. I tried to make it better options, like portion controlled ice cream treats instead of a big container of ice cream and natural cookies with whole wheat flour. If I didn't have many cals I would eat kettlecorn and Celestial Seasonings spiced apple tea with splenda. The last couple months though I've noticed that I'm not having those cravings for nighttime sweets anymore. I'm not sure how it changed, but maybe by allowing the snack, but limiting it I was able to slowly ween myself out of that habit. Now I try to drink a ton of water while I relax before bed. I think this is also filling me up. Sometimes I'll add propel or a lipton tea and honey packet to my water for extra sweet. I'm not good about getting my water all day. I'm SAHM with 3 little ones who steal my water bottle all the time. There's never any left when I go to take a drink.
  • marshamccorkle
    marshamccorkle Posts: 14
    I eat free foods: cucumbers in vinegar is my favorite (out in the garden so I have to pick them to eat) and if I happen to eat something I shouldn't I walk around the house for 30 mins.
  • kadins_momma07
    kadins_momma07 Posts: 328 Member
    I try to eat dinner later, around 7PM. I always went overboard on cereal before bed, bad habit. Now if I must have it, I try to limit to one bowl of the low calorie Kashi and just enough milk. I also have been cutting down on the fruits at night I think that's helping

    I used to have cereal at night too....I'd get a bowl, fill it with cereal (a really sugary kind usually) and fill the bowl with milk, sit down and watch tv with my husband. Thank goodness I don't do that anymore!
  • marshamccorkle
    marshamccorkle Posts: 14
    I try to keep me some to spare too.
  • cbjpl31
    cbjpl31 Posts: 5
    Years ago when I dieted I would go to bed hungry almost every single night. No wonder I failed!!!

    My schedule dictates that I don't eat dinner until 8 or 9pm most every night. As long as I am within my daily calorie goal, I eat whenever I feel like it, even right before going to sleep and I'm still losing! I don't believe it matters if you eat right before bed. So, just reserve some calories and EAT! :)
  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
    bump
  • JackRyan53
    JackRyan53 Posts: 1
    I think it's an individual thing!! When I was in the Navy at sea, I had no access to the refrigerator at night. I ate like a pig all day including sweets etc. Last meal would be at 5P then workout then Rack!! I stayed at my lightest weight of my adult life. I was in my mid-30's at the time!!

    Used to go to bed hungry a lot but I looked forward to a huge breakfast when I got up!!

    Trying to not eat after 7. 3 squares and no snacking throughout the day.

    Chew gum and do veggies when I am out of control at 11P LOL
  • kadins_momma07
    kadins_momma07 Posts: 328 Member
    Years ago when I dieted I would go to bed hungry almost every single night. No wonder I failed!!!

    My schedule dictates that I don't eat dinner until 8 or 9pm most every night. As long as I am within my daily calorie goal, I eat whenever I feel like it, even right before going to sleep and I'm still losing! I don't believe it matters if you eat right before bed. So, just reserve some calories and EAT! :)

    I used to go to bed hungry and wake up starving too! That is definitely the reason I put myself on a schedule and got used to eating through out the day.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
    I think the worst time of day for me is the evening....does anyone have suggestions on how to handle the cravings during the evening?
    Eat enough through out the day, balanced meals and you won't be hungry. Don't buy junk foods, that's the simplest way to avoid it. It veggies if you need to eat anything.
  • tsaarloos
    tsaarloos Posts: 58 Member
    I, too, am a late night snacker... I purposely reserve enough calories to snack at night... My biggest challenge after my 1st week on MFP was I was finding myself alone and renting a movie- the old me would have had "movie snacks" chocolate icecream, or candy and a soda... So I went to Walgreens and for about an hour I read nutrition facts on what seemed like hundreds of candies, chocolates, ice cream...what I knew I was looking for was the most bang for my buck! I went home with Act II light popcorn - only 15 cal. per (popped) cup and a bag of pretzel M & M's 150 per serving which is about 17 pieces... I made myself divide the m & m bag into serving sizes stuck them in the freezer, leaving one out for my movie....made iced tea sweetened w/Splenda and ate 5 cups of popcorn and intermittently popping an m & m....I wasn't left feeling cheated at all. My "splurge" was 225 calories... this is surely not a healthy way to go, but a HUGE step from where I had been. So I guess my advice would be to plan your snacks, read the calories, have what you want but be mindful of what you are eating. Good luck!
  • Mary831331
    Mary831331 Posts: 53 Member
    I try to keep busy at night if I'm thinking about food (doing laundry, playing games online, running up and down the stairs). Or go for a walk (even around the house).
  • CapsFan17
    CapsFan17 Posts: 198
    I just finished my work out and am getting ready to make a smoothie.... if you're hungry eat! Nothing worse then waking up and starting your day hungry IMO. :wink:
  • Shawn8216
    Shawn8216 Posts: 63 Member
    I'm terrible about worrying about going over calories in the day and so ALWAYS end up eating most of my calories late at night, in bed while reading or studying haha. I still lose eating about 500 at 11 or later at night! If the calories are the same there's no harm in eating later, it's a silly rumour.

    THAT IS EXACTLY my problem. I'm so scared I'll overeat in the day that I wont eat and end up starving at night. Meaning, I'll just eat something and keep going and just doesnt end well for me. I'm learning to control that. I chew a lot of gum, ALOT.
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    Plan to eat at night. There is nothing inherantly wrong with eating late at night, as long as it doesn't result in you going over your calorie limit. Keep 300cals up your sleeve and just eat.

    This. I plan this way for the weekends as I usually stay up a bit later and thus get hungrier. I also eat later on nights I go to the gym (8-830) and I haven't had a problem.
  • onyxaj
    onyxaj Posts: 17
    I find that if I'm hungry at night, and I have a few calories left, I'll do Ants on a Log. Stick of celery, some peanut butter, and sprinkled with raisins (I don't even like raisins, but they complete it). Its a light snack and competely satifies any sweet cravings I have.
  • Anola13
    Anola13 Posts: 36 Member
    I have found that if I don't eat a good, filling breakfast and lunch I am much hungruer at night. Try beefing up those two meals and see if that helps.

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