Late night eating... SUCKS!

I have found that I do the majority of my eating later in the evening from 8:00 PM and beyond up until I go to sleep. I know that a lot of people suffer from this crappy habit, and many have nixxed it, so what have the successful ones done to keep themselves from eating late at night? Suggestions please!

Do you eat enough during the day? If you try to diet too aggressively then the hunger will catch up with you sooner or later. Eat enough and often. Don't deprive yourself at mealtimes because you will make up for it later with unhealthy snacking, no question about it.

Do you eat dinner too early? I eat dinner around 8pm. If I were to eat dinner at 5, I'm sure I'd be hungry enough for a 2nd dinner at 9pm.

Do you snack during the day? Consider switching up your meal schedule so you won't feel hungry at odd times. Eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3 big meals that are far apart. Making snacking a part of your daily plan will help reduce snacking at odd unplanned times like nighttime.

Are you going to bed at an appropriate time? It's hard to regulate your appetite and be healthy if you don't sleep well. If it's past midnight, go to bed!

Do you keep a lot of snackable food on hand for times like these? If so, throw out the snacks and stock your fridge with healthy food that isn't conducive to night eating.

Do you work out or have another productive way to keep yourself busy at night? I work out every night around 9:30pm. If you're not up to working out, you can just go for a nighttime walk with a family member. Make evening exercise a habit and you'll decrease your desire to graze at night.

I have the same problem. To remedy I have stocked and fridge with low cal munchies. Air pop popcorn or low cal microwave. Carrots celery sticks.  This way if I snack its not going to do me in.  I also try to drink lots of water. 8 glasses a day. Keeps my stumach full. But the point is to stay at my calorie goal.  If I haven't had all my calories for the day. And its 9 pm. I'll have a cookie as long as I stay at my goal. It all about calories in vs. calories out on this system.

I agree with swna1001 that you should try planning your day so that you eat more before 8pm.  Breakfast, especially.  People who eat a good-size breakfast, for example, often find that this means they are less likely to binge late on.

Light meals and snacks spread evenly throughout the day and then a light, healthy snack in the evening will probably help you.  Good luck.

I am soooo bad at night...during the day..fine...

So I did as others suggested...made sure I had things to eat...Like a Wasa cracker with a wedge of Laughing cow cheese light or a bag of popcorn...an orange or apple...or I saved my favorite for last PB on one slice of bread with a drizzle of honey...PB keeps the hunger away...I use this kind that I found at Walmart that is calle Naturally More...

good luck and quash those late night munchies  : )

Hi! You know I have heard in repeated occasions that one should avoid exercising at night...Close to bed time. However I suffer a bit too from your "after-8:00pm cravings" and so one time I tried exercising at 7:00pm instead of thinking what I would be eating later on that night!

Got home like at 7:45 or so, and being more tired than hungry, after a quick shower I went to bed and fell asleep just as usual, and really, it worked just fine!I do not think I could do that every night though, but I can say that exercising is an okay alternative to eating at night and no, it will not disrupt your sleeping.

 

I usually have a small, light snack before I go to bed.  My favorites are graham crackers or a granola bar.  This way I still get a snack but it won't kill.  If you get the original Keebler Grahams, they're only 130 calories for two whole crackers (8 sections), and most granola bars are anywhere from 120 to 140 calories a piece. 

I agree with all suggestions above in terms of ways to keep yourself busy at night, and in terms of eating properly (and enough!) during the day so that the urge to eat at night isn't so strong.

From a psychological standpoint, there are also a few things that I tell myself that, in conjuction with the suggestions above, really have helped me out. 

First, I tell myself every night around 8-9 when I feel like grazing in my cabinets/fridge that it is OK to go to bed a little bit hungry.  You shouldn't be STARVING when you go to bed, but it's OK to not be full, and to be even a little tiny bit hungry.   The majority of the time you'll wake up in the morning with the same hunger level as usual, and not be STARVING because you went to bed a tiny bit hungry.  For me, I truly hate the sensation of hunger, it is such an uncomfortable feeling to me.  Over time I've really tried to condition myself to understand that it is ok to go to bed without being full.

Second, I try to remind myself how good it feels the next morning to know that I didnt binge the night before or even eat useless calories that I didn't need.  I'm the kinda girl that has a hard time stopping eating once I get started down the late-night eating road, so I constantly remind myself how great I'll feel the next morning.  Sometimes I even feel thinner just thinking about it! (I know, I know its all in my head, but it makes me feel good!).

Hope that helps a little!