Any tips to put down those late night food cravings???

[RiverStone]

Confessions of a late night snacker -

HELP!

It's quiet in the house and late...maybe I'm reading a great book, browsing DU, or watching a little David Letterman...I start to nibble, then the very act of nibbling inspires more nibbling. Before I know it I have basically eaten a full meal at midnight. Examples include: Peanut butter toast x 2, or a bowl of cereal (maybe just a little more), or a bite of left over Chinese food - no two bites - ah heck, I ate the whole thing.

I'm a mid 40's wanna-be-still-an-athlete guy who despite my girlfriend's repeated assurance that my small gut is "cute" - is carrying around 15 to 20 pounds extra! And no, it's not a beer gut - don't drink. I do a good job of food monitoring during the day, even jog/workout regularly - but then I get these HUGE cravings at night. I lose 10 pounds then gain 6 back, lose 13 then gain 10 back. Damn, now I've gained it ALL back! The beat goes on....and it's not getting easier.

:donut: :9 :donut: :donut: :9 :donut:

Do I need to duct tape my mouth shut after dinner? Don't want to pop any anti-hunger pills...


QUESTION: How did you beat the late night craving fix? :shrug:



Thanks in advance for your wonderful advice! :)

[Kali]

1. substitute dry popped popcorn or fresh veggies?

or go to bed earlier :rofl:

My problem is more during the day - haven't (knock on wood) had to deal with too much of a late night craving problem.

[stuntcat]

34. Right On, popcorn

is what I was gonna say :popcorn: It works for me, I munch and munch and I still haven't eaten much.
And sometimes when you think you're hungry drinking a lot of water will take care of it.
I lost a lot of weight once, it is not easy.

[Left Is Write]

2. I can't help you. I have a bowl of cereal almost every night before bed.

[RiverStone]

5. raisin bran here...

and you?

[Left Is Write]

6. Shredded wheat or Cheerios or oatmeal. Usually shredded wheat.

Tonight I went wild and mixed some Cheerios with shredded wheat. :D

[LiberalHeart]

11. I mix those regularly. Love 'em. Cheerios is my favorite.

And, yeah, I eat it at night.

[u4ic]

3. Is boredom

the reason you eat?

[RiverStone]

4. Not boredom...

More likely distraction. That little insulin pop which my nerve centers have I'D as a fun distraction.

I think I simply don't want to think about anything (because I'm thinking about too much) - mindless chewing maybe?

Maybe trying to meditate :think: may work??? If I'm not chewing at the same time :)

[u4ic]

9. I'm one of those

'oral' people. I chew gum a lot if I don't have anyone to talk to, or bite pens, etc. I'd probably be a smoker if I wasn't allergic to it.

Meditation is always helpful - I don't know if it would cure it, but it does so many wonderful things for your body. :)

[bigwillq]

7. I always have a late night snack

before bed. I don't know. Maybe it's mental but it usually helps me go to sleep.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

:)

[SPKrazy]

8. A Big Sammich!

or not

lots of water, eating a good dinner

avoiding diet drinks

avoiding beer or wine as they tend to stimulate your appetite

veggies, celery since it is catabolic

lots of water oh, I said that already

[Shine]

10. My husband has the same issue. Here's what he has done:

He's made a rule that he absolutely CANNOT eat past 8:30pm.

And if he does, then he has to fast for the ENTIRE next day.

He's actually kept to it for months now and yes, he's had to fast a few times, but it's been a good way, overall, to help break the habit of late-night feeding sessions.

Have you ever heard that it takes 21 days for a behaviour to become a habit?? Think about it.

Good luck. :hi:

[RiverStone]

18. Drumroll.....

Good tip Shine, thank you :)

Did your husband lose weight (or simply not gain any lbs) ?

[Shine]

25. Yes, he's lost weight. A lot of it.

He's in the best shape of his life right now....and he's 51.

Another commitment he's made, food-wise, is to not have ANY desserts. He commits for a certain period of time, usually a few months, with a deadline to look forward to. Then he pigs out on whatever he wants on that particular day. For example, he commited last year for the last few months of the year with the deadline being New Year's eve. Now his new commitment is MY birthday, on March 25. :D

I totally admire his dedication and resolve, but I don't think I'm quite willing to cut out ALL sweets.

[Shakespeare]

12. Walnuts contain a chemical that tells your body it's full...

an amino acid, I think....somethin' like that. Anyway, eat 6-7 walnuts, and that should take the edge off (plus, they're really good for you).

[RiverStone]

19. OK, I'll try that - tomorrow. Thank You!

I just don't have any walnuts about....:)

[LiberalHeart]

13. Have a meal. Really.

In the past 6 weeks I've gotten hooked on Weight Watchers Smart Ones meals. Some are under 200 calories, others about 300. Many have high protein. Many have generous (for frozen foods) veggie servings. I tried them years ago and thought they tasted fairly nasty, but these days they're tasty. I eat them in place of junk food and snacks.

[Wapsie B]

14. I'm the same way.

That's when the cravings hit. I put on more weight than I want to admit to with late-night eating. I'm still struggling with that. Fortunately I do like fruits and veggies, and apples seem to help with the cravings somewhat. It's just that I've gotta break the habit of finding sweets to eat first. But the needing to lose a fair amount of weight is my motivation to get past it. I'm just tired of the looks and being overlooked and discounted because of being heavy.

[RiverStone]

20. Its not easy...and

You deserve to be recognized as the wonderful person you are! :)

Best wishes bushwentawol!

Thanks for sharing...guess there are lots of us late night feeders out there.

[struggle4progress]

15. I always have some left-over stir-fried vegetables around:

You can load up on em. And maybe a glass of milk

[Nicole]

16. Smoking

:hide:


No really I just drink a lot of water or decaf tea at night. If I think I have to chew on something, I chew sugarless gum.

[texanwitch]

17. I had to stop and get 4 tacos from Jack in the Box.

Sometimes you have to just give in.

[RiverStone]

21. Ummmmmmmm!

:)

Good thing I live in rural Washington. The nearest JITB is 1.5 hours from here....

Hope they were good!

Tomorrow night, maybe you will just get 3 :)



peace~

[texanwitch]

23. The tacos are kind of nasty, but damn they are good.

The were fresh, just out of the fryer.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. Drinking a large glass of water, then brushing my teeth helps me...

The water helps me feel full. And chocolate cookies just don't taste the same after brushing with Listerine...

[RiverStone]

24. I'll just keep swishing with mouthwash!

LOL!

I may be hungry, but I'll have the best smelling breath this side of the Mississippi (or I'll fry out my taste buds)!

Thanks GoddessOfGuinness :)


Cheers~

[Sanity Claws]

26. If it's really late, just go to bed

I'm serious. I'm now in middle-age and put on weight easily. I find going to bed and sleeping is a way to avoid the need to snack.

[I Have A Dream]

27. That was what I was going to recommend also, isos. n/t

[Sanity Claws]

29. Great minds....

[youthere]

28. A couple of things:

1. Increase your protein intake at suppertime and decrease your carbohydrate servings. Any carbohydrates should be in whole grain form if possible. The proteins and whole grains take longer to digest so you stay full longer. The whole grains will also help to stabilize your blood sugar longer than refined grains (white bread. A lot of times an unstable blood sugar level will drive us to snack. If your snacking is a result of ACTUAL hunger then this might help.

2. Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. NO SODA! Water and herbal teas are a good choice. A lot of times we misread our body's "thirst" signals as hunger.

3. Do something that occupies your mind and your hands. Play cards, build a model, start painting or messing with modeling clay. Its too easy to snack while watching TV or even while on the computer. A lot of snacking is done out of boredom. If this is the case then just taking steps to get "out of the rut" should help you reduce your snacking.

4. If all else fails, make sure what you are snacking on is healthy. Keep plenty of cut up veggies, baked, whole grain crackers, or low fat pudding available. It might help to actually PLAN an evening snack into your eating plan, and cut the calories elsewhere. You may not be inclined to go overboard if you know you are "allowed" to have it.

Good Luck!

[Strawman]

30. Water, walnuts, cinnamon strips

Like those breath strip thingys. Cinnamon is good for hunger cravings.

[bleedingheart]

31. I started embroidering again to stop snacking

[NoPowerTowers]

32. Just don't do anything else while eating

If you're hungry, eat something but don't do anything else while you eat. Sit down at the kitchen table and you'll likely eat less than if your attention were focused on the TV, web, etc.

[MissMillie]

33. Go to bed

:shrug:

[Theres-a]

35. Get up earlier in the morning

I swear it helps me.I fall asleep before I get the idea to go make a sammich or some cereal.