eating too much in the evening

Options
bsuter62
bsuter62 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I know it's a matter of will power... but in the couple of months I seem to be eating more at dinner, then snacking some after... but mainly it's too large of portions at dinner. I do eat breakfast and usually a reasonably good lunch, but in the evening I'm struggling. I just seem so hungry at the end of the work day. I'm open to suggestions??!?!

Replies

  • mjsunshine16
    mjsunshine16 Posts: 251 Member
    Options
    Eating breakfast (even having a shake of some sort even) Can help with this - it sounds like you are starving by dinner . Also I would suggest you drink water before you eat dinner and after. A lot of this you eat when you are actually thirsty. Good Luck!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Options
    Okay, so I know it's a matter of will power... but in the couple of months I seem to be eating more at dinner, then snacking some after... but mainly it's too large of portions at dinner. I do eat breakfast and usually a reasonably good lunch, but in the evening I'm struggling. I just seem so hungry at the end of the work day. I'm open to suggestions??!?!

    First of all, before suggesting anything:

    Is your evening snacking/evening eating habit putting you OVER your daily calorie goal?

    In other words, are you overeating when you total your food intake for the day?
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    Options
    I do my best eating after supper and right before bed. It's not going to hinder your weight loss if you keep it within your calorie limits.
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    Do you have a snack between lunch and dinner- doesnt have to be much but somthing to help in between. I also find that eating somthing crunchy in the evening if I feel hungry works such as carrot sticks, cucumbers, pretzals etc. I work 12hr shifts so I have found if I go from lunch to dinner without a snack in between I am starved by dinner time - lunch is usually around noon and dinner after I get off at 7:30p usually not home till 9p.
  • yaddayaddayadda
    yaddayaddayadda Posts: 430 Member
    Options
    Thanks for posting this...
    I struggle with the same problem. I even try to eat less during the day to prepare for it, but that doesn't always help.

    Lately, I have been exercising at about 7:00 PM. This cuts into my free time in the evenings. Although I eat later, I eat less, and things have been a little better.

    Looking forward to reading other ideas:-)
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
    Options
    Okay, so I know it's a matter of will power... but in the couple of months I seem to be eating more at dinner, then snacking some after... but mainly it's too large of portions at dinner. I do eat breakfast and usually a reasonably good lunch, but in the evening I'm struggling. I just seem so hungry at the end of the work day. I'm open to suggestions??!?!

    I eat a lot at dinner.....I don't eat breakfast. If you can't give up something else it might really just be a matter of willpower. Losing weight isn't always going to be easy...You might be hungry sometimes.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Options
    Try shifting all your meals back a bit - maybe eat your breakfast after you get to work, lunch at 1pm, dinner at 8pm. On days like this I eat a lot less and don't have time to snack.
  • cvance3
    cvance3 Posts: 64
    Options
    I fall victim to over-eating (and thus going over my "allowance) in the evenings. I cleaned out my kitchen (Freecycle helped take the good, in date, still edible foods off my hand, so I didn't have to waste it - the rest I gave to friends/coworkers!). I go to the grocery store (not on an empty stomach!) and get ONLY what I have planned for meals and nothing more. I've taken up some hobbies/activities so that when I get home, I can get my mind engaged in something else (from gaming to working out to cleaning the house). The more I'm engaged in something else, and the less I have available to binge on, the more success I have.

    Good luck & here's to hoping that we'll one day have the self-control & willpower not to have an empty pantry!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Options
    Eat filling whole natural foods (i.e. decent serves of protein) and the late night snacking urge will go.

    Eat like a king early in the day, have a decent lunch and a light dinner ... sorted.

    Are you really hungry or just compelled to eat? Learn to recognise the difference ...

    Did I mention generally limiting carbs? No? Well that would be a first then :)
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter how much you eat at any meal, just as long as you are hitting your macros and not going over your TDEE calorie goal at the end of the day. I workout at 7pm and leave room for about 400-500 calories to serve as a post-workout meal. Then I have a 120 calorie protein shake right before bedtime.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    Okay, so I know it's a matter of will power...

    Yep, and if there is one sure way to fail in your diet, it's relying on will power. Will power usually can't consistently beat out millions of years of evolutionary instinct over the long run. Eventually you'll give in.

    What foods are you snacking on at night? The snacks that used to kill me at night were the processed carbs like chips, bread, etc. Don't keep them around in your house! If you get hungry at night, have something filling, like a piece of cheese and/or a slice of turkey. Then wait 15 minutes and you'll feel full. Fruit is also a great snack. It's high carb but has tons of fiber, is associated with longer life, and, is generally filling as long as you don't abuse bananas.

    IMHO you'll do much better in the long run by making wise snack choices at night rather than trying to control yourself with "will power" while eating nutritionally void refined carb garbage.

    EDIT: oh yeah, do you watch much TV at night? Remember that every other commercial is telling your brain to eat. Fast forwarding with your DVR will probably just turn the images from the commercials into subliminal messages.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    Options
    I do my best eating after supper and right before bed. It's not going to hinder your weight loss if you keep it within your calorie limits.

    :laugh: I do some of my best eating then too ..... it's like the "eating Olympics" at my house LOL

    But usually I've just come home from the gym ...... I try to snack on "good" foods & it's been working ......

    Best of luck to you !
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    The more protein you eat, the less hungry you'll feel. So, I try to load up on protein, and eat very little starchy foods. The protein rich foods really fill you up and last.
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
    Options
    Are you staying up too late? People who are tired eat more.
  • bsuter62
    bsuter62 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I don't think I'm staying up too late. I'm up at 4am for my work out, to work at 6:30, home from work at 6:30, heading to bed at 10:30. I think it's that I'm getting way to hungry in the afternoon. I probably need to snack mid-afternoon.
  • bsuter62
    bsuter62 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    For breakfast I usually have greek yogurt plus a banana or a protein shake.

Categories