Stopping the Late-night Snacking

I have found that my downfall is the late-night snacking. I do really good during the day, but then when I sit down after the house is picked up and kid is in bed...I just get these CRAVING to eat. I usually pick pretty healthy choices, but eat too much of them - for example, last night I went for one of my favorites - low-fat cheese and cashews, which is fine within reason, but I went through half a thing of cashews and that is A LOT of calories.

Anybody have any little tricks to help with the late-night munchies?

 

Thanks!

 

Well for what it's worth, it doesn't matter when you eat, so long as you maintain a deficit. Anyway, try brusing your teeth or garglying septic mouthwash, or drinking tons and tons of water.

For me...a COLLLLD can of diet pop..or a hot cup of tea! 

I have posted this before....I am/was a HUGE night snacker (peanut butter!). I have learned a couple of things that have worked for me. Eating a lot of protein throughout the day and eliminating "fake sugar" works well with the cravings. I also started eating dinner a little later. If that's not an option (you eat with the family at a certain time). Make your dinner a little smaller so you have allowance for later. Another good one- like mortalmonkey said- brushing your teeth or garling really gets rid of that desire to eat. Hope that helps. I know what an awful thing that can be!

When I get that late-night craving - and it makes sense because it comes about 4 hours after my supper, no wonder I'm hungry again - I find that milk is the most satisfying thing.  I usually have a bowl of cereal with milk.  I read somewhere that milk helps you to sleep, and I find that it's true, for me anyways.  If cashews and cheese is your thing, don't sit there with the container and munch.  Put a reasonable serving on a plate and put the container away.  If you still feel hungry when you have finished what you had decided to eat, just tell yourself that you are not really hungry, and do something interesting to take your mind off your stomach.  Like sex.  Or whatever.

this is gonna sound silly but i have the same problem sometimes and what works for me is brushing my teeth immediately when i get the cravings. i get lazy brushing my teeth a second time, so i don't have the urge to eat anymore. and if u still have the urge to eat, try the finger tapping method. look it up on youtube or sth if u don't know what im talking about. it's supposed to make ur cravings go away. when u stop feeding ur cravings long enough, they eventually go away completely:)

I agree with nancyawalker, sort of, it really works for me to schedule stuff to do until I have nothing to do but sleep. It takes your mind off eating, it is easy for me because i have homework though...Try logging what you will eat ahead of time and plan for it by setting it out so that you don't roam into the kitchen and find whatever. I am all about planning snacks and making room for them just in case. try to find something you really like that is low in calories for you daily allowance. I tend to have italian ice, it is only 80 calories and just sugar and water, not the best for you but it is better than grabbing a bag of chips or heating something in the microwave.

I have the same problem- probably because I don't usually eat my first meal of the day until about noon. Anyhow, what I've found helps is to cut down the portion size of my dinner initially, and then set aside low calorie/high fiber foods for myself to munch on at night. Apples, bananas and celery usually do the trick for me. 

I had the same crazy night-bingeing thing going on too. I finally licked the problem by taking up knitting and crocheting.  It kept my hands busy, and my mind busy.  And I didn't want to get grease or food on the yarn, so that also discouraged me from eating.  I've made scarfs for everyone in my family, and now I'm working on hats. At least I'm not eating, and everyone is a bit warmer, too!  You can find great 'how to knit / how to crochet' video's on YouTube.

When my boyfriend was losing weight (he succesfully lost 60 pounds and has kept it off for over a year now), he would eat supper around 6PM, and if he found that he got "the munchies" he would just go to bed.  Maybe not the most productive usage of an evening but it seemed to work for him since he normally got the munchies sometime around 9-10PM.

I got the late night cravings last night and I had no more calories to eat, so I had a can of Zazz, green tea, water, and then 8 oz crystal light (I snuck in those 5 extra calories).  I had to pee a lot, but at least I didn't eat! haha

I'll agree with the above postings and add one of my little tricks:  I save about 200 calories for late snacking.  If I'm hungry, then I'll have a whole can of tuna packed in water and satisfy the hunger with all that protein.  If it's the munchies bothering me, then I'll have a snack like mini bag of microwave popcorn (90-100 cals) plus half a grapefruit (37 cals) plus a tootsie roll pop.  This will also add up to approx. 200 cals. but will occupy me for awhile eating slowly!

Hot tea or a cup of sugar free hot cocoa. Sip it very slowly. Sometimes I 'll eat  an orange with it.

christi~

I looked on utube; all i see is guitar finger tapping...is this the same thing?

if i'm hungry late at night, i have a glass of skim milk.  it's not zero calories (~120 for a 12oz glass), but i always feel good about it.

I Often am most hungry in the evening.  I often make a mini-bag of Orville's Smart Pop popcorn, and when i get out a snack (like cashews)  I count them out ahead of time instead of having the bag nearby.  I also often h ave a cup of light hot cocoa or tea in the eveing and drink lots of water, and if I am really hungry and still have some calories to use I make myself a bowl of all-bran cereal with skim milk (It's superfilling).

i have a sweet tooth after dinner, so i will have an apple and then chew a piece of gum to prevent myself from raiding my pantry!

I second the popcorn snack in the evening.  I do mine on the stovetop & spray with no-cal butter & salt.  If it's a sweet attack, I might have a bowl of oatmeal or a low-cal fudgesickle.  I also try to save 100-200 calories for PM snacking.

Exercise is a natural appetite suppressant so you could take your little one out an hour before bed for a walk; jog in a stroller; bike ride - anything that gets you moving outside should help.

Some really great ideas everyone - thanks!!

I had/have a TERRIBLE habit of late night snacking.  It's really amazing.  I would often double the amount of calories I had eated all day at night and I found that none of the usual tricks worked (i.e. brushing teeth, taking a bath, moving away from the television, etc.) Then I discovered that the problem is actually not that I snack at night always, but that once I start eating at night (i.e. - dinner) I have trouble stopping.  So I starting chewing really strong sugar free cinamon gum after every meal, but especially dinner, late at night and on my way home from work (my most vulnerable times). my favorite is the new Wrigley's Flair).  It's soo strong and beats just about every possible craving.  I go through a pack every three days but its totally worth it.