How do I control evening hunger?

I am trying to eat more fiber and do pretty well throughout the day. It's evening that has been my downfall for overeating, especially sugars and bad carbs. It would be great if my appetite just shut down after about  6pm. What's the best approach to feeling full before bed?

If you have to eat .... eat a slice or two of lowfat turkey or chicken ... the protein will be heavier and help the craings. I have the same problem and the only way I can avoid eating like a whole bag of chips...LOL.. is to keep a bottle of water in my hands at all times. It helps me. Good luck !  

Thanks. I do drink water during the night too. It's just the sweet tooth I have a problem with before bed. Part of it is a bad habit I got into working nights. I know that. Just to break it.

Indulge.  Have a small snack.  Sugar-free jello, a sugar-free cookie, a spoonful of ice cream...  Not every night (unless you really want to), but you can re-train your eating habits.  It takes time and persistance.

P.S.  I always have dessert. :D  Whether it's low in calories or I save calories for it, if I want my dessert, I'm havin' it!

Hey, I have the same problem, calories are calories and it doesnt matter when you have them... something that keeps me full and helps me sleep comfortably... is a slice of toasted aunt mills 12 grain bread (110 calories, 6 grams of fiber) and some PB on it.  I just calculate it with my daily calories and still lose a bunch of weight.  Another idea is make some hot chocolate that you can sip on... that does the trick too.  I figured out that if I eat dinner early I get hungry before bed, because I am hungry... I go to sleep LATE... so why not eat???  I just count the calories... don't starve yourself.

 Oh and to figure out if you're really hungry and not thirsty, drink water first and wait 15 minutes.

 Allowing yourseld to eat when you are hungry will help you in the long run, so once you lose the weight, you know what to do when you get hungry late at night... it's not that you're eating... it's what you eat and how much.

I have the same problem.  Advice I received here, which helped me.

1.  Eat dinner later

2.  save some calories for an evening snack.

Other advice was good also.  I have to save 100 calories for something to have around 9 pm.

And, for me, hunger is a good thing.  I just had to learn to live with it, when I've had my quota of healthy calories thru out the day.  It's a sign I'm losing.  But, I can't be starving, or I don't sleep well..........its a fine line.

Eat an apple=100cal,3 oz of baby carrots=80 cals, sugar free jello=10 cals per 1/2 cup and drink water with a lemon slice helps me. I think you need to remember that dieting is not easy!!!!!!!!!!!!I like snacks that make me chew. Keep telling yourself that you no longer eat for pleasure----YOU EAT STRICKLY FOR FUEL.

100 calorie packs!! perfect portions and satisfies that sweet tooth. i reccomend hostess 100 calorie pack cupcakes. they are so cute and delicious!!!

I think most of us have that problem.  What I do is I chew on gum not sweet gum because I end up chewing the whole pack but really minty gum that helps me.

Weight Watchers chocolate snack cakes, I love em. You'll probably say "WTF" the first time you open the package and see how small they are but they hit the spot, save some calories for this and eat it slowly and enjoy every bite and wash it down with some water and you should be good to go. I LOVE these, they hit the spot for my sweet tooth.

My nutritionist suggested getting more calories early in day and eat a lighter dinner.  This way you're not starving in the evening before dinner and go on a binge!

Good Luck!

I find a hot meal satisfies me more than a cold one.  I'll have a bowl of (non-creamy) soup, like tomato or carrot soup, as an evening snack, and that's only a couple of hundred calories.

I've had the same problem in the past.  What I do now is eat about 1/3 of my total calories for the day before 5pm, and then save the last 2/3 for after 5pm, because that's usually when I tend to be the hungriest and/or when I want some sort of sweet or indulgence.  Since I've been doing this I find that I rarely even spend my total allowance or I have to almost make myself eat more so that I use all my calories for the day. 

I know it's said that breakfast should be your biggest meal, and dinner your smallest, but it doesn't work that way for me.  I figure if you're not training for a competition or for sports, it doesn't really matter when you eat your calories.  Ideally you should spread them out throuout the day to help your metabolism, but if you're going to overeat at night and go above your calorie limit, which is the better option - saving more for the night time hunger and not going over your limit, or spreading them out through the day, still splurging at night, and exceeding your limit? 

 Anyway, I hope this helps - it has really helped with me, as I am almost always hungrier at night than during the daytime hours.

Oh, one more thing.  If I am hungry at night and I don't do it the way I suggested in my last reply, I end up loading up on low calorie or low fat foods and still remaining completely unsatisfied, only to overindulge in the end anyway.  If I save up more calories for the night, I can have a little (and sometimes a lot) of what I REALLY want without feeling guilty or going over my limit.

Original Post by bobzzz:

I am trying to eat more fiber and do pretty well throughout the day. It's evening that has been my downfall for overeating, especially sugars and bad carbs. It would be great if my appetite just shut down after about  6pm. What's the best approach to feeling full before bed?

My nutritionist said simplest way to reduce evening cravings is eat more protein at breakfast.  He said eating anything after 7 is not good because the insulin boost before bed time will delay the leptin cycle. 

Drink tea or hot chocolate.  I've found that drinking something warm kills my nighttime hunger.

are you eating enough throughout the day? i've read that breakfast and lunch are supposed to be the biggest meals of your day however i'm struggling with this, as i'm not really hungry until afternoon when i work out... but for me i drink alot of water, and also split my dinner's in half.. i have a small meal around 5 then another around 8... also drinking tea or low cal hot chocolate helps curb my appetite

I have the same problem, and all of these suggestions are great! Since I am an emotional eater, the one thing that is helping me most of all reading all your comments, is the fact that I AM NOT ALONE in this struggle :))

eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day...

avoid high carb dinners (they are digested quicker and leave you feeling hungry sooner) insted fill up on steamed vegetables and lean protein... because protein will keep you satisfied longer

leave some extra calories for after dinner, just incase you need a snack... if so, grab some baby carrots or fruit... drink some water, diet pop, crystal light or chew gum

i find that green tea is amazing before bed... it seems to suppress hunger, and you can snuggle up with it in front of the tv or with a book... this will keep you occupied and your mind off of food...

 

My evening snack is always the same thing: Non-fat vanilla yogurt and berries.  It's sweet and dessert-like, but also doesn't have the kind of carbs that will cause your blood sugar to spike and possibly interfere with sleep.  If I have the munchies realllly badddd I'll have some air-popped popcorn with I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not Butter Spray.

One word... POPCORN!!!

But not the processed kind because that defeats the purpose.  But, the smell, sound, and action of popping corn helps satisfy, as well as the chewing and digesting... burning calories just to process it!  And, 1 cup can have as little as 20 calories!  I've found that since it takes me awhile to prepare and munch on it, I probably burn more calories than I consume, but I'm left feeling satisfied that I got my snack and also I don't feel guilty for ruining my plans!