I need to thank Amy for this Question of the Week. I asked if anyone had any ideas and she totally stepped up. And what a AWESOME idea! I’m totally looking forward to your tips and advice on night time snacking as it is definitely my down fall.
When I was in "losing mode" I accounted for night time snacking by saving points through out the day. If I didn’t do that, I don’t think I would have been successful. I guess you can say I embraced my late night snacking by not avoiding it.
So I’m REALLY curious of your answers. Especially considering right now I’m about ready to hit the pantry!
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Grape juice! Or something with grape skin extract in it. I’ve found that a small glass of grape juice (about a half a cup for me) keeps the snackishness away.
mine is to go to sleep early. even if i don’t exactly sleep, just heading to bed early. having the mindset of “oh i have an hour before i should sleep!” even cutting out the possibility of a few hours of potential munching time helps a lot, especially with the temptation! its almost like the feeling of cutting carbs. when i cut carbs, my cravings for sugar go way down. similar with heading to bed early, the temptation for night time snacking just shoots way down. of course, there also has to be an urgency or something to make me get up early. if i don’t have any obligation early the next day, i have no intention of sleeping early, leaving the night way open for nighttime snacking.
Check out madisons last blog post..spontaneous wings
When I was pregnant I got into the nasty habit of everytime I woke up to pee I would eat. Well, after having the baby I still did it! coughcoughfor2moreyearscoughcough I just told myself that it is off limits and I can’t do it! I will even say to myself, just keep walking to bed. Keep going. I’m a dork.
As far as evening snacking I bought a hot air popcorn popper. I will pop up a HUGE batch of popcorn, spray a little ICBINB on it and I am good!
Check out Jennifers last blog post..Last bunch…
I do the same as you. I calculate into my day extra calories to allow for night time snacking. This is especially important because in the evening (around 8-9pm) my dad gets home from work, and me and my mom have to wait for him before we can watch our soapie. (yes, dad is addicted too! LOL) And that is snack-fest time. hehe Usually I’ll have dinner earlier and save this time for my dessert.
I’ve never heard this about grape skin extract. I will have to check it out. For me there is no avoiding late night snacking. It is currently my biggest hurdle. I can eat a core breakfast, lunch and dinner but just about bedtime I crave carbs. I want a chocolate bar, pastry or chips and salsa. To curb the calorie damage I’ve been choosing: sugar free hot cider mix, no sugar added hot cocoa, core cereal, sf/ff pudding or a 1 point bagel. Once I have finished my snack I must go to bed. I am looking forward to further tips or answers. It’s just frustrating watching my DH watch tv snackless when I’d like to unload the pantry.
I get up from the dinner table and I brush my teeth. I floss and use mouthwash. That’s my signal that I am DONE eating for the night. The only thing I may have is a cup of herbal tea later. I do have a few things I can have IF I am really hungry… 6 almonds, or a string cheese, or a few ounces of turkey. Protein.
It’s pretty much a matter of habit, I think, for me, since I do well when I am in the habit of brushing right after dinner.
Check out Lyns last blog post..Habit-A-Week Challenge, Week 2: MOVE!
I work a later shift so we eat so late that there isn’t much room left in the day for night snacking. My husband started a routine a few months ago to eat Oreos after dinner every night. I ate one. Then two. Then we were eating a whole pack in 2 days and I decided we can’t have Oreos in the house anymore!
I keep busy and then I sleep :-)
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I find that if I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store in a few weeks, and have absolutely nothing but raw veggies and expired milk in my fridge, not snacking comes pretty easily. :o)
In reality, though, I don’t buy many prepackaged foods. About the only “snack” I have in my house is popcorn and instant oatmeal, and I’m not a *huge* fan of either. That way, if I’m actually hungry, and not just snacking to busy my hands or mind, I’ll eat the popcorn I don’t like as much. If I’m not actually hungry, I won’t. If my pantry/fridge is full (or not, in my case) of food I have to cook to eat, I’m much less likely to try to eat it. Ever eaten a raw zucchini? It’s not that great.
I usually have popcorn during our evening hour or two of TV after dinner. Popcorn tends to hold me over. IF I wake up in the middle of the night and want a snack I make sure to drink a glass of water first. Then I ask myself if I am really hungry…most of the time I am not hungry…so I just go back to bed.
I agree with Ashley above. I do not have too many prepackaged items that I can snack on. On occasion we will have a WW’s snack cake or something but I normally do not crave sweets in the middle of the night. I always want cheese or some protein.
I’m finding that a herbal tea or having a glass of water to hand can help me a lot. For me I think it’s partly about keeping my hands busy when sitting watching tv. If I’ve got things to be doing around the house that will distract me from wanting food too. I have found some wholegrain granola bars that are similar in texture to biscuits so they work well for a night time snack…. crunchy and filling but not too sweet to make me crave more.
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I took up needlepointing and knitting and decided to needlepoint stockings for all of my cousins and recreate this Christmas countdown calendar that my grandma had needlepointed many years ago for my brothers and I. When my hands are busy and I have a purpose for the craft I am doing, I can’t use my hands to eat. And drinking a lot of water!
P.S. Roni, this is my first time commenting but I love your story and your blog. You truly have a gift for words and inspiring others. Thank you!
I love fruit, so they make a great nighttime snack for me. I make sure I always have a variety of fruit I like – apples, kiwis, bananas in my fridge for the times when I need a snack. For some reason, sitting in front of an open fridge for fifteen minutes and deciding what I will snack on is half of the pleasure for me.
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I’m more of a mid-afternoon snacker, and have never been an evening snacker so much. I’m in bed by 9:30 or 10:00pm, so there’s no late-night snacking around here. We usually have dinner by 6:30 and maybe a dessert item or popcorn by 7:30. After that, there’s no eating in the house. It’s not a rule, but just something that we’ve grown accustomed to doing.
For an afternoon snack, I’ll eat a 100-calorie pack (homemade or pre-packaged). If I want something after that, I either make a crystal light-type beverage to fill me up or have a tootsie pop.
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I agree with Katy! Keeping my mind busy while watching TV is a great way to keep my mind off that snack waiting for me in the KITCHEN!
Easy answer: GO TO BED!
Real life answer: I struggle everyday with this. I can’t go to bed early everyday. I usually reach for carrots and peanut butter. Just a dab of PB helps me through the night.
Check out TB–Milwaukees last blog post..Apple Picking Time
I’m still in losing mode (almost at goal though) and I save points for my nighttime snacking. I always have popcorn after dinner and some kind of sweet treat. I’ve done this from the beginning and I’ve done OK with it. But I worry a bit about maintenance and how nighttime snacking is not a good habit that I have acquired. Anyway…I’m constantly aware of it, and thinking about it.
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I am struggling with this also. I am usually leaning toward popcorn, tortillas, or cereal. I try to make ice cream and dips off limits. But, it is oh so hard!
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I don’t. (Blush) That’s why I need to read all these comments:)
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if i have the urge to have something, i’ll either make some diet swiss miss hot chocolate or pour myself a diet coke. the little bit of sweetness takes the “edge” off.
i eat pickles and drink lots of sweet tea with splenda or flavored waters… but I’m pregnant now so the pickles make sense!! :)
I love all of the tips!!! I appreciate you (Roni) posting my question because I swear it’s becoming a problem! I thought what Ashley said was clever- avoid buying the pre-packaged items for snacking and just keeping plainer snack options around- that way there isn’t much to be tempted by and you’ll only snack when you are genuinely hungry. It’s funny because the last trip I made to the grocery store, I came home with more pre-packaged items than usual: quaker oatmeal/choc. chip breakfast cookies (to die for!), mint icecream sandwiches, 3 point southbeach bars…etc. I think one of the issues has been identified!!!
Also, I need to be better about setting aside points/calories intensionally for evening snacks.
All the advice is awesome!!! Yall are the best!!!
:)
This time of year hot chocolate with some FF Rediwip on top seems to work for me :)
I eat air popped popcorn with PAM butter flavored spray and Kernel Seasons sprinkled on top. I like White Cheddar, some times I add Louisiana Hot Sauce too. THis is pretty low in points so I usually have room for it. Right now we have Brach’s cinnamon hard candies in the house and three of them are one point. One or two of them is usually enough for me at night. We of course have not tried the most intelligent option which is to get on our tredmill in the living room that sits right in front of the stinking TV.
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Well, this sounds silly but it works for mindless-not-even-really-hungry snacking…I do crunches until my tummy hurts! It’s hard to eat when your stomach muscles are screaming LOL!
I’m the same as you Roni…I KNOW I will snack, so I save my points for it. If I’ve run out of points though, I either brush my teeth to “end the day” so I can’t eat anything or just go to bed.
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I know that if I cut out evening snacking, I will not be able to keep WW’s up. So, I always plan on an evening snack, except for the night before WI. Those nights, I usually don’t because I weigh first thing in the morning. And that’s just a game I play with myself.
And for me…who loves her non-water drinks…diet cola and tea helps too.
I don’t avoid late night snacking. The way I look at it is, I am going to be eating like this for the rest of my life and I am not going to deprive myself. I lost over 60 pounds on WW by eating snacks every night. I am now on maintenance and still save points for my snacks every night. I eat one piece of fruit, some popcorn and something sweet every night. I really *need* to munch at night while I am watching TV or on the computer. I won’t be happy if I don’t have my snacks!
Great question! I have struggled a lot with this. I hate to admit it to myself, but what has worked best for me is to completely avoid it altogether. No snacking whatsoever. Snacking is my particular weakness and what got me here in the first place, so I find that I can’t do it in moderation (although I think that is ideal.) And when I do want to snack at night, it’s usually not something healthy that I want. One thing that helps me with this is to eat a later dinner. That way I’m not hungry after dinner and don’t have the urge to snack as much.
Check out Janes last blog post..BBQ Sauce Disaster!
I agree this is my downfall also. I work 3-11 and midnights so when I come home from 3-11 I want something to eat. I try to do what you do and budget for my points, but when I run out and try to go to bed it is like this little devil sits on my soulder and says..your hungry….you want….you need….It is almost like I have to convenince myself otherwise. Glad to know I am not the only one.
I try to have a routine, that really helps me – I eat about 8 then get all the things I need to do done and then by the time I sit down I am not bothered because it is nearly time to sleep, I like the idea of counting my snacks throughout the day because I think that would help me lose weight too.
I take an early meal in the evening, around 7:30 PM, so late night snacking becomes inevitable for me if I am up after 10. In that case I try to stick to some cereal or fruit or a glass of skimmed milk or a cup of green tea. Most of the time it is a small apple or some carrot sticks for me. I try to keep varying my snack so that I don’t get bored of it. Late night snacking is not necessarily harmful once you know exactly what to eat.
Brushing teeth is a good one. I also have the special K protein water around and if I know that I really shouldn’t have anything else but I want something sweet, I take a pack of that about a 1/2 cup of water and a lot of ice. I have one of those magic bullet blenders, but a regular blender will work just fine, it comes out with the consistency of a italian ice. Just the thing to keep the snackies away! :)
Oh, something else that works as a great snack, protein powder, choc or vanilla mixed with 1/2 to 1 C of yogurt add in 1 C of frozen cherries. YUM. Very low point and if your on core I think it’s all core! :)
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Hey Roni, this is my first time commenting on your blog- what a great topic! You are such an inspiration. Anyway, I really struggle with this, and almost all of my binges are at night too. Lately when I get the urge to snack at night I tell myself that if I 1.) brush my teeth 2.) drink a full cup of ice cold water and 3.) wait 30 minutes and I STILL want something to eat, I’ll reevaluate the situation then. Usually I realize I wasn’t truly hungry, and by giving myself time to think about it I realize I’d rather see a lower number on the scale than have a few more pieces of chocolate!
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I have quite a few things I do to curb the night time snacking.
First, I “close” the kitchen. Dishes are done, counters wiped off, lights are turned off–kitchen is CLOSED! For the night! :)
#2–walk away from the kitchen. I get out of that area of my house. I don’t watch a lot of evening TV but when I do I steer clear of that area. I go to the basement and get on the elliptical or I go upstairs and do laundry or whatever or I get on the computer (I don’t have to snack when I’m on the computer).
#3–chew gum. It’s hard to much when you have gum in your mouth!
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Great question! Avoiding late night snacking is easier, I have found, if healthy eating habits were in place from the beginning of the day. Eating smaller well proportioned meals not only increases metabolism and energy, but also keeps the cravings to snack late at bay. I have tried many things to lose weight in the past and I found the following weight loss guide the most beneficial. It really spells out what to do, and gets results! http://www.weightlossguide.com
Night time snacking is a curse! If you don’t have to deal with the pantry calling your name God bless! One of my clients will do 10 push ups on the floor everytime she walks in the kitchen after 7pm to grab a snack. I know it sounds funny but she has great arms!
i keep celery in the fridge ready to go and put a little salsa on it! Although I love the ‘crunches’ idea and I will try that too! Being in the weight loss industry myself, I think my clients expect me to not have the struggles they have but I am human too and these tips really help! Thanx