Late Evening Snacker

Oh, so you sound like ME!! I am a late night nibbler too. I had gained a good deal of weight from menopause and I knew I needed to get it off. Here is what I did. I made a huge green salad with all kinds of crunchy veggies; celery, carrots, red cabbage, raw English peas, fennel, tomato, etc. I topped it with a tbsp on olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Then I snaked on salad! Between using portion control at my meals, exercise and replacing my empty evening snack with something low calorie and healthy - I lost 27 pounds over a period of a year. Good Luck to you!

I agree with many of the responses... I also will eat sugar free popsicles - they taste good and they take time to eat and they are like 15 calories each so even if you end up eating a few you wont feel too bad.

I've found that flavored yogurts help me (esp. when I'm craving sweets). Pickles if I"m craving something salty. And, raw veggies with a light dip if I just want some crunch. I also like cucumbers in vinegar with a little salt. All of those things seem to satify a craving. And, I love plain hot water (sometimes with a little lemon). When I work on upping my water intake, this always works. Best wishes!

What about a plateful of raw veggies w/ a vinegarette dip?---Hardly any calories. I did this last night-a few olives, celery, red peppers and broccoli.
Most of the cereals today are made w/ corn syrup (which is processed and genetically modified) and the corn syrup has us all craving more sugar.

I can't have liquids before bed, I would be in the bathroom several times during the night.

I wish I had some advice, but I do the same thing!

I wrote a big sign and stuck it on the fridge with magnates.

"If you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple, you aren't really hungry."

And I always keep apples stocked in the fridge. After eating an apple, any desire to keep munching is usually gone. If I pick the apple up and just sigh, like it would be a burden to eat it, I put it back and leave the kitchen and find something to do that keeps my hands busy. Like cross stitching or something.

Try fat free yogurt. It has some sugar for your sweet tooth and the protein will keep you satisfied. Or eat an a piece of fruit... an apple, bannana or pear will fill you up. Make sure you drink lots of water during the day and try to eat salad with dinner to keep to full and satisfied. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Try keeping a stack of microwave popcorn handy .... the type with no butter or anything else added. It's virtually calorie free and a small amount goes a long way! It was the only snack I was allowed when I had to follow a very strict "detox" diet. Don't feel bad ... you're not alone! :)Good Luck!

Try keeping some Life Savers around! I like the fruity ones. They last for several minutes, keep the sugar taste in your mouth the whole time, and they are only 15 calories each. I am sure that the sugar free ones are even less calories, maybe even zero!
Usually works for me. I know how hard it is! Good luck :)

Hello, I have the same problem. What has helped me the most was also drinking lots of fluids, not just at niight but throughout the day also. Another thing that helped was making sure within the first hour of waking that I put something in my system, even if it was just one of those instant breakfasts you add to milk, a slimfast shake, or a protein shake. This starts your metabolism for the day, and also snacking healthy between meals helped alot also. Some things I munch on are celery or carrot sticks, yogurt with plain oatmeal added for the fiber to help keep me full, or a piece of fruit with either a little peanut butter or a couple small slices of cheese to give you the fiber to keep you fuller and more regular and the protein also helps keep your bloodsugar regulated. I also increased the amounts of fluids I drink throughout the day, which also helps you feel fuller longer. I drink at least a gallon of water a day. If you're not a water fan, add crystal light or another non-sugar adder to the water so that you're drinking more. If I still feel i'm truly hungry, the first thing I do is drink a large glass of water or other fluid (except juice or milk, which has alot of sugar for that late in the evening). Then I wait 30 minutes. If I was really still hungry, then I will eat a small bowel of high fiber cereal or a small portion of yogurt with the raw oatmeal in it, or a couple pieces of sliced veggies, but with no cheese or peanut butter that late. Since I began doing this 2 months ago, I have already lost almost 20 lbs. and have more energy and feel way more satisfied at the end of the day. I'm an RN, and have learned the importance of keeping your blood sugar at a regular rate, versus lots of ups and downs. Thats when you tend to eat more in the evening, especially if you're skipping meals or snacks throughout the day. Its way better to eat 3-5 small meals a day, with a couple low calorie snacks then to only eat 3 large meals and no snacks. And if you're skippimg breakfast in an attempt to lose weight, this totally backfires on you. By not putting anything into your system first thing in the AM, your body goes into starvation mode and keeps and stores all other calories you put into your body throughout the rest of the day, which actually either keeps you at the same weight or makes you add pounds. Anyways, hope this info helps you. Like I said, its worked wonders for me and I'm still losing, without even trying. Best of luck!!!

I have the same problem, but for me it starts around 3 pm!

Lately I have been eating pre-prepared salads from Trader Joe's with some form of protein in them, such as chicken, as a large snack. They are so easy, low calorie, and fill me up enough that I can't kid myself that I need more food. Sometimes I use my own lower calorie dressing in place of the one provided with the salad. I have to eat less at my other meals overall, but so far this seems to help me curb my urge to stuff any junk I can find into my mouth from 3 pm - bedtime. One tootsie pop at 60 calories satisfies a sweet tooth, mineral water with an entire lemon or lime squeezed into it is my new "soda". So far, I am not loosing weight but I have stopped gaining, which is a good start, and I think I am forming some better habits slowly. A stint on Weight Watchers after my second pregnancy really opened my eyes to the amount of food I was eating (way too much!) and inspired me to work harder at cultivating better habits.

If you know you're not hungry, try doing something else that feels good, like taking a walk or a bath, listening to music, calling a friend, whatever! I feel your pain - really!

Try brushing your teeth when you put the kids down. I've found having a fresh mouth diminishes the craving of eating something. Or, chew on a piece of gum. Hopefully having to take the gum out of your mouth to eat something will be a reminder to not eat it.

Right now it's just a habit and the only way to break it is to create a new one. So perhaps gum can be your new habit.

good luck,
S.

This is what I do. When I'm feeling munchy I think about something, I don't particularly care for but will eat if I'm really hungry. If it's not appealing to me that means I'm not that hungry, and it's just a craving. I also know that if I stay up too late I'll be rummaging around in the kitchen because I'm pretty much bored even though I might be watching TV or something.

For me it's a habit, and I am very aware of it. Now you're aware of it, so that's a start. I use my fitness pal to track my calories and if I'm almost at the end for the day it's a little easier to stay away from the snacks. It helps me see exactly what I'm eating.

Track your calories and it will help tons.

bowl of cerial. Specia K with the chocolate pieces, Frosted Flakes even sometimes. It fills you up and satisfies yoru suger craze. But not as damaging as cookies and snacks. Also only get the variety packs they are small sized so you wont eat to much of it

I'm the worst with this...I found that I truly had a problem when I went on a very strict diet and was totally fine until 8 at night!! My only fail safe seems to be lent. I gave up sweets for lent. When I did that ALL cravings left. It has something to do with not eating sweets for me and that translates better into the evening because my late night snacks were not even sweet! I used to snack on crackers, cheese, chips...more salty and savory than anything. Maybe try giving up sweets for a month or so and see if your natural reaction is the same as mine. :)

I tend to not want to eat after I brush my teeth. When you get the urg to much grab something reasonable: carrots, apples, etc. have some water and brush your teeth. hopefully you will be satisfied and then not want to ruin your fresh clean mouth. good luck

Snack on those healthy snacks, drink ice water and do about 10-15 minutes of cardio. Also, chewing sugar free gum can help too.

I love a little spoon of nuttela on strawberries! and bananas!

You don't need to deny yourself that snack time, just change your snacks:

A bowl of baby carrots and cucumbers
Celery and salt or a bit of peanut butter
An apple cut up into small chunks sprinkled with cinnamon
Air popped popcorn
A bowl of Puffin cereal for the crunch and the fiber
One low cal biscotti with a big cup of Tea
A set amount of sunflower seeds (keeps my fingers and mouth moving and it a lot of work for a small reward)

Sit on a big rubber exercise ball in front of the TV and bounce - it is fun and it keeps you moving a bit and it is hard to get your hand to your mouth if you are in motion.

Good luck!

You have some really good responses here and I just want to add that the other big part of it is just making that decision to change your habit. I have gained a considerable amount of weight over the last few years and I just decided that this is enough! Because of my schedule, I was not eating well during the day (if even at all, some days) and then I would eat bowl full of chips or snack crackers while fixing dinner. Also, every time I left the house for errands, I would stop and buy a large soda. Now, I have made a commitment to my health. I prep all my daytime meals and snacks on the weekend so they are always ready during my busy week. I choose NOT to get out the box of crackers while I am cooking and I am determined to just drive past the lovely little place that has my large soda just waiting for me...hahaha! Just changing these habits & reminding myself that I am committed to my health has made a wonderful difference! Best wishes to you! B.