How do I stop eating so much at night? Please help!

Hi All,

I have a horrible problem! I want to lose my final 10 lbs and have been doing really well. I eat very healthy during the day at work, exercise and play tennis regularly, but when I get home after the gym (9pm or so), I have a nice dinner but then I start eating uncontrollably even though I'm not even hungry! Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I've tried buying ice-pops and eating like 15 of them instead of pretzels or ice-cream but I always end up going to the bad foods.. How can I stop this, convince myself that one ice-cream cone is enough when i know i have 6 in the freezer? Or if I can't stop-how can I switch to some better alrernatives? Does anyone have any ides?

Thank you!!!

Thu. Jul 28, 7:28am

A good alternative, for me, is sugar-free meringue cookies (I buy them at Walgreens!). 14 of them is 40 calories! There are about 5 servings in the whole container. Also, they get kind of stuck in your teeth, so after a bunch, it's hard to eat anymore. And, they come in chocolate, so that's the best! If I ate an entire package, it'd only be 200 calories, and that'd take me at least an entire night to do!

Alternatively, find something to do with your hands - that's probably why you eat. Take up knitting, or dig out the old Nintendo, or give yourself a manicure - don't want to eat if it'll mess up your nails! Spend time doing things like lotioning your whole body - since it's smaller now, you want it all to be soft too! Take a long shower after the gym, or even a bath with some candles, music, and a good book. Write your checks and go through the mail. Anything to keep your hands busy.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:11 AM

Hi,

I will just say that I share your problem, and I will be most interested to see the ideas that come forward from people who are successful. One thing that I am trying is the "21 day habit" approach. Psychological studies have shown that it takes 21 days to break a habit. And that goes much easier if you repace the "bad" behavior with "good" behavior that you can maintain. I am having a little bit of success by trying to work on one or two habits every 21 days, and charting them out on a piece of paper. So try substituting your favorite "bad" snack with another for 21 days until you don't crave it anymore, then go on to the next one. It will take a very long time, but for me, it may be the only thing that will ever work, as I am a long-time emotional eater.

citywoman05@aol.com

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:17 AM

I have the same problem

I have the very exact same problem. I'll do excellent throughout the day but when bedtime comes, i just MUST put stuff in my mouth to feel at ease :o(

I will try picking up those sugar free meringue cookies and hopefully that will help, its so pitiful to waste a perfect day of good eating at night, its the worst feeling.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:26 AM

Perhaps you could not buy the treats. I have the same problem, but now I don't have anything left to snack on:-). I bought pretzels in the lunch pack so its just one serving. If it is not around, you can't eat it! Also, brush your teeth after you eat!

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:41 AM

i'm struggling with the same thing. i keep busy, exercise, eat healthfully through the whole day... and then right at bedtime i start to eat again, doesn't matter what. i think i'm feeling anxious, not hungry. it's so frustrating!. i'd rather kick the habit of night eating rather than simply switching to sugar-free snacks, so maybe i'll try to add in another bedtime routine, like working on my sewing etc.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:43 AM

Don't eat after a certain time

My wife and I have tried to set a rule that we don't eat past 7pm. We have not always adhered to this, but mostly we have. The result is that we eat much smaller dinners (because eating earlier in evening -- not so hungry), and that we don't snack... most snacking takes place at night.

By the way, I am big midnight-snack eat (up in the middle of the night), and I stopped doing that.

The first couple of days were a little hard -- not so easy to go to sleep feeling slightly hungry, but after that, it hasn't been bad. An interesting thing is that you are less likely to wake up feeling hungry if you DON'T eat late at night.

Try it for a week and see what you think...

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 8:56 AM

Pavlov's Dog & Classical Conditioning

Where do you sit when you eat dinner/meals? For instance, if you sit in front of the tv when you eat dinner than you are conditioning yourself to eat when you watch tv. Then, if it's late and you're watching tv it makes sense that you'll be hungry even if you're not. It's a Pavlov's dog thing (behavioral psychology). I don't know what your personal habits are, but if you can try to make the place you eat specially for eating only, than you'll be less likely to eat.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 11:24 AM

Brush your teeth after you eat dinner. That will help because then you'd have to brush them again if you eat more.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 11:24 AM

Snacks at home

Hi! Someone already suggested this, but I just want to reiterate: force yourself to not have these snacks laying around the house. If pretzels and delicious ice cream are in your kitchen they will be very tempting. Over the last several years I have trained myself to completely skip the cookie, chip, soda and ice cream aisles in the grocery store. Sometimes at night when I'm craving a snack, it's a big let down to have to choose between apples and almonds, but it's also a relief because I know that if I had yummy things around I would eat them up regardless of hunger level.

Thursday, July 28, 2005, 1:56 PM

In one of our groups, our weigh-in day is Friday, so on Thursdays, she says "nothing after dinner but water." (Ideally, we would have this attitude EVERY day, but...) Anyway, last night, I was still feeling "munchy" after dinner. I was going to make a bag of popcorn, but I didn't want to eat the whole thing myself, so I asked my husband if he wanted some. He said no. So I didn't make the popcorn, and did end up sticking to "just water." A few minutes later, I was sitting down and realized, "Oh my gosh! I'm full!" If I had just given myself a chance to listen to my body, I would have realized this. Sometimes, we feel that we are entitled to dessert so we'll seek out something to fulfull that craving whether we're hungry or not.
Can we all just remind ourselves: IT'S JUST FOOD!!!
Have you ever woken up in the morning and thought, "Oh, I wish I had eaten more last night." No? Me neither! But I have thought, many times, "WHY did I eat so much last night??"
Things that have worked for me:
- brushing teeth right after a meal
- DON'T buy stuff you shouldn't be eating. (I do not have the willpower to eat only a small portion of something. If I have it, I'll eat it - all of it. So I don't even buy the "no pudge" ice cream sandwiches. I'd eat the whole package in one sitting.)

Friday, July 29, 2005, 6:49 AM

First Successful Night

Well I kept myself busy last night as to avoid the nighttime munchies and it worked, well sorta. It was sooo terribly difficult though, hard to fall asleep. But one day at a time I hope to get rid of this terrible habit of mine.

Friday, July 29, 2005, 7:57 AM

I agree!

That's exactly how I am-i find myself buying the low-cal snacks but then I'll eat the whole package. If I'm doing that, I'd rather eat the full fat snacks but less of them!

Friday, July 29, 2005, 9:03 AM

I have 2 tricks that I've tried -
1) drink waterwhen you are hungry - it give your mouth something to do and, at least for a while, you might be satisfied and hopefully by the time you aren't satisfied anymore it's time for bed
2) since I've joined PeerTrainer I've tried to start moving my big meal earlier in the day. Now I eat a bigger breakfast than I did before (which was nothing...so that wasn't too hard), I eat a big lunch, and by the time dinner rolls around I'm usually not that hungry. I'm not sure how I did it, but kind of trained my body to be not as hungry at night. I am also doing no carbs for 2 weeks so the food I am able to snack on is not very appealing to me so that helps too.

Tuesday, August 2, 2005, 8:32 AM

meant to comment here...

This is great, esp. the Don't by stuff you shouldn't be eating. Late night is really scary for me, I'm alone often and I really "talk" to food then, so if I have ice cream, I find myself downing a full carton and not even looking up until I'm done. And my groups have been great to so thanks to you all. Oh, sorry, and thanks peertrainer!

Thursday, August 4, 2005, 5:05 PM

If I'm really feeling munchie, I'll pop a whole bag of light popcorn. If I eat the entire thing, it's only like 200 calories. And it'll take awhile to eat it all, and when it's gone, I'm pretty full, so I'll tend not to eat more after that. I'll pair it with water, or diet soda if I really need something sweet. For a treat, you can sprinkle a little parmesan cheese (the stuff from the green can) on top, and then it's like cheese popcorn, w/o adding too many extra calories. (This usually makes me eat it faster though, so, it may not be good!) Even if popcorn is not what I'm craving, I tell myself it's all I'm allowed to have, and it gives my mouth something to do. Sometimes it's so unappealing that I just don't snack.

Friday, August 5, 2005, 8:39 AM

This may sound crazy but put a picture up of a body that you want whether is a celebrity or just some model from a fitness magazie in your cabinet and on your fridge it will help you fight the urge to pig out.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 2:07 PM

nite eating

the PT community has well established the fact that not everyone is an emotional eater... however, learning that I am an emotional eater was what stopped the nite eating for me. one evening, after eating something sweet, then salty, then looking for another sweet i realized: in the back of my mind i was repeating over& over a conversation i had with a co-worker that upset me. from there on in, if i felt the nite munchies, i stop myself and look to see if there's a little scene going on in the back of my head that i want to stuff way down with food. that usually takes the craving away.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 3:40 PM

i agree with all of the above!
1. don't buy junk food!
2. Brush your teeth after dinner
3. Chew gum!

Thursday, April 13, 2006, 5:56 PM

I use to be a evening muncher but not anymore. I find sugar free life savors help me alot. I think we just need something in our mouth even though we don't need it. Also I go outside if it's nice at night, the craving only last about 10 minutes (doctor told me this) so I just walk down the driveway and back then by the time I get back I forgot all about food. I find if I have ice cream in the freezer it calls my name so now I don't even buy it anymore.

Thursday, April 13, 2006, 10:24 PM

replacement activity

What about treating yourself to a fun novel -- the kind you can't put down (even if it's kindof dumb). Get in a cozy chair with a cup of herbal tea and read. The rule is: you're not allowed to eat with the book. If it's a good enough book, you will rather read. Ritualize it as much as possible -- put on a cozy robe, play some soothing music, etc.
Alternatively, I'm enoying doing free weights at night right before bed. Tires me out so I sleep great, and it feels good to get all my muscles going -- and shut off my brain!

Thursday, April 13, 2006, 10:45 PM

something that hubby and I do-- exercise while watching TV. That really keeps you busy, so that you're not eating! ;-)

Friday, April 14, 2006, 10:51 AM

To the OP.
Have you tried eating BEFORE going to the gym? Perhaps it's because you are eating at 9 p.m.?
Once you're home from the gym, you need to have a little something, but not a whole meal... eating that late at night may be the reason why the scale isn't budging! ;-)

Friday, April 14, 2006, 11:05 AM

Try exercising earlier in the day and having a decent meal afterward, then at 9 you wont feel like you need to replenish calories you burned working out.

Friday, April 14, 2006, 3:06 PM

I, like most people have this problem as well. Something that I have begun doing is not eating dinner so early that I feel as though I need to eat again before going to bed. I eat between 7 and 8pm. ( I am trying to eat several small meals thorughout the day, so I might have something at around 4pm prior to this meal)

Friday, April 14, 2006, 11:00 PM

I agree with the above poster. I also eat later in the evening around 7-8 p.m. I find this really helps me cause I'm not hungry. I also am a night hawk so my bedtimes is never before 1 a.m. Guess that comes with being retired lol.

Sunday, April 16, 2006, 11:59 AM

I know this is noted over and over again, but the easiest way to not eat multiple ice cream cones, etc., at night is to just not keep them in the house at all. After you break the habit of eating at night, and the habit of eating junk when you're not hungry, you can re-incorporate those foods into your house, but not until those habits are broken for real, and you have to watch yourself - if you un-break the habit, you need to remove the stimuli (the junk) again until you re-learn the good eating.

Monday, April 17, 2006, 10:36 AM

Eatting at night.

I can relate to most of what is said here. I would eat perfectly healthy through out the day, then at night... There have been somedays when I nonstop ate right after dinner until 30 min b4 bedtime. I bet I ate between 750 & 1500 calories alone just after dinner! I would have such a stomach ache, then I couldn't sleep.

I decided to break the cycle & it is really working well at least so far I only started this 5 days ago on Thurs. but I have honestly lost 5 /12 lbs in 5 days. (This also tells me how bad I have been eatting at night) I started planning what I could eat I would give my self a few choices so not to lock me into one thing like fruit juice bar, fat free choc.pudding or fat free popcorn(protein bars are good, they fill you up & are chewy. I would drink a large glass of water after dinner that would really make me full. Then I hold out as long as I can before having the snack, (usually around 7:30/8PM) I eat one of the snacks I have pre chosen. I also use the time after dinner to post to Peer Trainer & look around the site or play w/my kids, read, clean, anything but sit on the couch & watch TV & be bored & eat like I always do. This does take a little bit of planning & determination but I make it a game to see how long I can hold out before eatting the snack. Maybe eventually I won't even need a snack at night!!!???? Hope this helps and good luck.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 10:15 PM

I had the same problem and did two simple things - I stopped working out late, it always led to overeating later - and I got a DVR so I don't need to stay up to watch TV - I go to bed early!

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 10:21 PM

3 steps

I could have been reading my story exactly! A few things have helped: Sheer willpower; visualizing backing away from the kitchen and sitting back down. Going to bed earlier with a book to read. Allowing myself one "100 cal snack pack of kettle corn" VERY satisfying, crunchy, salty, sweet, pretty filling. This has been my best week so far! Good luck.

Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 2:03 PM

Ok, here's something no one's suggested yet. Stop eating "WHITE" foods!! I am not kidding, it really works! No white flour, sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. during the day. Switch to whole grain EVERYTHING, and limit it. You can still have bread, just make sure the first ingredient is whole grain. Cereal, at LEAST 6% whole grain. Stop eating potatoes. NO SUGAR, or very very little. You will be amazed at how you can stop those cravings and you'll feel less hungry all day. And bump up those veggies.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006, 11:10 AM

great thread.

Monday, September 4, 2006, 3:00 PM

agree with the previous poster- cut out the foods that spike the glycemic index and beef up the veggies. Eat at night if you want, and if you eat good food you'll feel great the next day.

Saturday, February 10, 2007, 8:57 PM

This follows some of the previous posters' threads..I am trying to follow a "before you..." approach. As in "before you get in your car and drive to the place that has the really good cheesecake, have a mug of tea." This eats up a good 20 minutes (making it, waiting for it to cool, drinking it) and by the time I'm done with the tea, the worst of the craving is over. The sweet flavored herbal ones (orange, mint, lemon) seem to work the best.

I also try to remind myself that if I want it tomorrow, the food will still be there. It's not going to go away. So if I want to enjoy it later, I could do that. I've lived in places where this actually is _not_ the case, where you don't know whether or not you're going to have food the next day, so it's taken me a while to get my head around this.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007, 5:47 PM

Shut the tv off

Chances are you are watching tv and not even realizing how much all those food commercials are influencing your desire to snack at night. I watch a dvd or movie on demand, and stay clear of all those commercials. It seems to be helping.

Thursday, February 22, 2007, 3:49 AM

Distraction ...

I actually discussed this uncontrollable need to eat, particularly at night, with my therapist. Her advice ... distraction! The average "craving" lasts anywhere from 3-8 minutes and the key is not succumbing to that overwhelming urge to stuff your face (or smoke a cigarette, or place a bet, or do your drug of choice, etc) during that window. If you can distract yourself long enough to let the craving run it's course and pass you are that much closer to kicking the "habit", in this case the late night snacking. I have taken her advice to heart and I have been successful when I actually apply what's she's told me to my life ... like anything else you have to be committed to making this work in order to get positive results. Best of luck to you!!

Thursday, February 22, 2007, 8:58 AM

Eating at night

The problem as I see it is this. Eating at night for me is 99% emotional. And it seems that many, in not all of the people here are with the same problem. So, if that's the truth, I would think trying to find out what the "emotional problem" is and try to eliminate it. This seems an impossible task for me.
Everyone here seems to be trying external remedies.
Now maybe I'm missing the point....I'm not sure.
I'm having sure a hard time with this issue. I keep thinking, I can't imagine not eating at night and I know this is negetive thinking. I personally keep fighting myself. I feel I don't want to restrict myself, although there have been times at night when I haven't thought about food...very few times I might add.
I'm not so concerned about physical appearance, just more concerned about my health.
Maybe my approach should be on trying these external things, I donlt know.
Your comments would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007, 10:18 PM

been there. I have to fight the urge to sneak down for a snack almost everynight. one thing I have found that helps is having a cup of tea before bed- and if I need something to munch on I have 5 cups of air popped popcorn with paprika to give it some flavor. best of luck

Thursday, March 8, 2007, 12:06 AM

Don't HAVE those foods at home until you break free of the habit

Just tell yourself that just once you will STOP eating after you brush your teeth. Just for one night and then journal how that victory makes you feel.

Is your last meal filling enough? More fiber perhaps?

Thursday, March 8, 2007, 5:49 AM

The eating at night thing...

Wow, I thought I was the only one with this problem. Apparently not. I teach for a living, and at night I grade papers. While I grade, I eat. I have tried not keeping "those foods" in my house--but if I don't have the foods I want, I make/bake/cook them. I often don't even realize that I'm even doing it. I have tried moving places--but that has not helped me. I have read many of the suggestions here, and I am going to keep working at this problem. I will often have an equivalant of 3 meals in an evening before I go to bed. I will make myself chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and all kinds of other things. I don't think it's a craving so mucy as a habit, I guess. I am great all day. I have started trying to use Orville Redenbacker's 94% Fat Free Kettle Korn. It's delicious, and on Weight Watchers it's only 1 point for the entire bag. That seems to help somewhat. But I'd just like to stop snacking all together at night. That would be so much easier, and nicer.

Thanks to everyone who has provided helpful suggestions. I believe at one time this was an emotional thing, but now it's just a habit I am so used to, I am having trouble breaking it. I just didn't know there were so many others out there beside me who were experiencing this.

Eating in NE.

Saturday, April 7, 2007, 4:26 PM

I just scanned across this thread for the first time. I do not see any suggestions about water. Someone told me once, that our brains do not differentiate between hunger and thirst. So, often when we think we are hungry, we are really just thirsty. I find that keeping a glass of water in hand and sipping on it instead of going for the snacks, helps me a lot.

In addition, one of the things I learned as a young parent --- When my babies would wake up at night and I'd feed them, or when they were older and I'd get them a drink of milk in the middle of the night, I was actually conditioning them to wake up, because they felt like they needed nourishment. It was habit to them. Then, someone suggested that I give them water instead, since it didn't get their metabolic juices going. It only took a couple of nights before they were sleeping all the way through the night, because they no longer expected to receive nourishment.

I think that same thing happens to us. We get in the habit of receiving nourishment or calories, and we think we need it. Switching to water will break that habit, and soon, you may not care about either.

Sunday, April 8, 2007, 8:16 AM

Oh my goodness, eating every meal in front of the TV... someone listed it above referencing the Pavlov's dog effect and they are spot on. Since moving to a new place 3 years ago it's all I do. Now I even snack (ew, I'm ashamed) in bed when the TV is on.

New stop snacking method: retrain my body to only eat at the table.

Thanks!

Sunday, April 8, 2007, 11:28 PM

How do I stop eating so much at night? Please help!

this is totally, totally, totally me.
i love eating healthy and am really interested in nutrition, and plan my meals carefully during the day to get enough nutrients in healthy doses (i'm a varsity athlete so it's importnat to me). but i guess i've totally gotten into the habit of eating at night and sometimes i can't stop.
tonight i just ate a whole box of kashi crackers.
i can't deal with having food aroun dme.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 2:08 AM

There is a way

I’ve read all of these postings and I know exactly how each of you feel. It’s so disheartening to spend all but the last couple of hours of each day exercising and eating perfectly only to give in to those late-evening cravings that seem to have nothing to do with physical hunger. I’ve struggled with this for the past several years. However, about a year ago I found the solution that worked for me. It wasn’t easy. In fact it was extremely difficult. First, a little history: I’m a 36 year old man. I’ve been a fitness enthusiast all of my adult life. In my late 20’s I found it difficult to maintain the body fat levels that I enjoyed in my younger years. One year ago, after taking about a 3 month break from doing anything healthy, I decided to train for my first marathon. It was a way to get back on the fitness track. I allowed myself 6 months to prepare. I wanted to be 30 lbs lighter at the starting line. I knew exactly how to eat so I planned my meals - seven small meals every day. During the first month I found that there was one bad habit that I could not break. I would be physically satisfied every evening but for some bizarre reason I could not prevent myself from eating junk just before bedtime - and a lot of it. It was so very discouraging. I tried everything from planning my late night snacks with healthy, low calorie foods to eating my last full healthy meal of the day just before bed, to drinking half a gallon of water, to changing my activities in the evening, not watching TV but reading a book before bed, etc…nothing worked. Each failed attempt just destroyed my confidence. I knew the effects of consuming a lot of calories late in the day – no chance of burning body fat during sleep. At one point I finally recognized that it was a psychological barrier and that nothing that I did physically was going to stop it. I had to make a choice. I could recall what it felt like to be fit and lean from my earlier years. I also knew how good it felt to satisfy those late night cravings with all of the wonderfully unhealthy foods that are available. But at the end of the day, there was no food that tasted as good as being lean and healthy felt. At that point something just clicked. I made the decision to stop eating anything after 6 pm. Nothing other than water and multivitamins. That’s it. I just decided to stop. It wasn’t a half-hearted decision either. I knew exactly where I wanted to be and I knew exactly how to get there. I finally just told myself that I was going to do it. Regardless of how unpleasant the withdrawal, it was to become part of my life and nothing was going to stop me. I knew it would be painful at first and I accepted that. I realized that what I eat and when is one of the very few things in my life that I had absolute control over. Success in all other areas of my life was influenced by others, regardless of my own effort. But this one thing I could control. If I could be nothing else, I could be fit and I could be lean. I began weighing myself every morning at the same time - as soon as I got out of bed (with an empty bladder) on a digital scale accurate to 0.2 lbs. Other than water retention following those days that I had a bit more sodium, I lost weight every day. Really, everyday for 6 months. I charted my progress and felt so motivated every morning when I saw the consistent results that it actually became much easier to avoid the snacks that evening knowing that if I didn't I'd be depriving myself the pleasure of seeing the scale reflect my progress the following morning. I knew that avoiding those late evening snacks would allow my body to burn fat through the night. I began at 198 lbs and had a marathon goal weight of 168 lbs. I ended up at 162 lbs at marathon time. The key for me was to focus on that one thing that was holding me back. That one action that was preventing me from reaching my goal. Painful as it was, I would not allow myself to eat after 6 pm. I did this consistently for 6 months. After the first week it got pretty easy. Sometimes the cravings were there, but when they came I just imagined myself as I wanted to be and the power of that vision was enough. After a couple weeks I was on autopilot. Not eating after 6pm had become my new habit. When I look back on it I realize that despite everything I tried, there was only one thing that worked. I made the decision to change that one habit as if my life depended on it.

Thursday, May 24, 2007, 2:46 PM

a new one!!

I myself have a problem with not eating enough during the day and then by bed time its like all I hear is my stomach screaming eat!! then the next day instead of eating when I get hungry I punish myself for what I did the nite befor and hardly eat a thing. I know this is bad however I am really battling with this. I know how to eat right it just scares me to eat after a night binge..does anyone else go through this?? please help

Saturday, June 23, 2007, 6:01 PM

Drink lots of water after dinner, or like the above comments, eat something light, like fat-free ice cream or popcorn, or just FIND something to do. I eat half of the Blue Bunny "Personals" if im in the mood for something sweet. They're small containers of yummy ice cream, and come in all different flavors. They're great, and wont give you that horrible feeling when look down and find you've just downed a whole carton of calories and fat :P

Sunday, June 24, 2007, 7:39 PM

Tips to ELIMINATING LATE NIGHT EATING for whoever might be interested!

I did 21 days of observing my pattern of late-night eating and came up with these thoughts/plans. I borrowed some from folks who've given me support on this. I'm posting as a means of sharing. I wish I'd seen this thread when I was first dealing with this problem.

Get support. Talk about it with others on PeerTrainer, etc.

Journal your thoughts and feelings.

Try, try, try to log all the "sneaky" food... it is a challenge - cuz you sometimes eat it LATE LATE LATE night... when no one is online and our logs are BLANK!!! been there, done that!

Become observant of what the craving is really, really trying to tell you!
Become more and more aware of the habit. Become a detective of your own inner workings - Ask yourself the questions... Example: "Why do I really want to stuff my mouth full of that ____ (food item) and/or eat an entire bag of popcorn, pnut butter cups, etc. ... very late at night?" Is it really because I'm bored, lonely, angry, frustrated... about what and why!? What else can I do to address those feelings!?

By stopping the pattern of "late night eating" I'm starting a new pathway in my brain. This takes lots of mental preparation, self-awareness and PRACTICE to create a new pathway to the new behavior - six to nine months say some brain scientists.

Slip ups are gonna happen - so pick myself up and try, try again. Don't give up. Don't accept failure.

Eat my last meal later... drink tea when craving hits! Ginger tea is good, as is green chai w/ a splash of vanilla soy milk...

Go for a walk with the dog. Drink water.
GO TO BED earlier!
Call a friend!
Take a hot, aromatherapy bath and soothe the savage beast that is lurking inside of me!
Visualize: A sign that reads: Kitchen Closed at 8 pm!!!
Crime scene tape around the refrigerator or cabinet...
Imagine a Lock and Key to the fridge/cabinet/kitchen door
Fat cells doing work-outs and getting into shape!
Continue to see myself as the shapely, gorgeous, muscular, healthy, fit, strong, amazing athlete/dancer/healthy human that I always dreamed of.... and now it is becoming reality!

Keep up the good work. Make this become an old habit so you can join the Ex-Late Night Eaters Club! Yes, a few of us decided that we deserved to start our own club: Membership in this elite club entitles you to (1) Membership Card/Badge and (2) A silver chain with "clock" pendant hanging from it which displays "Kitchen Closed" in a lovely retro-style logo!

Thursday, June 28, 2007, 7:08 PM

Feel Hungry?

I'm sure this has been said before, but stopping and thinking about whether you are eating out of habit or out of hunger is a huge help. I've realized that it's usually out of habit (home from work, walk to cupboard, pull out cookies, sit on couch and eat.) Now, as i'm walking toward the cupboard, i tell myself to stop and think about whether or not i'm truly hungry. (Hint: do this by thinking, "am i hungry enough that a yogurt sounds good" NOT "am i hungry enough that a cookie sounds good"- cookies are SO much more tempting than a yogurt.) If i'm not hungry enough for the yogurt, i usually realize that i'm actually not all that hungry at all, and i find something else to do to take my mind off the cookie.

Thursday, July 12, 2007, 11:01 PM

me too

I'm an athletic build, too. I eat healthily during the day, with lots of almonds, fiber, meat, whole grains. Then at night I go nuts. In the middle of the night I'll get PB crackers and cookies and a whole bunch of stuff. Then I wake up in the morning with heartburn and my favorite meal of the day... a big breakfast... is spoiled. It's awful, and when I tell people, they laugh and say "well it doesn't really affect you" (because I'm relatively slender). I came on this site looking for suggestions!

Sunday, September 23, 2007, 7:27 PM

Put teeth whitening strips on and then brush your teeth!

Monday, September 24, 2007, 5:25 AM

great idea but HOW???!!

I really want to stope ating at night too - as in I even get up at night when i wake to eat, its become a problem only in last 2 months when my life got stessful due to life changing commitments - iv gained weight (8 lbs) already..i have to stop, please help. I read the comment on not eating past 7, great but how do u do it??!! thanks in advance

Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 2:38 PM

there is a way commenter

Hi, I just want to ask that man who posted 'there is a way' did it take you long to break the awful habit or did you think after 1 or 2 weeks you had it mostly conquered? thanks

Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 2:46 PM

Sleepless in Seattle

Not reallly from Seattle, but you get the gist!
Keep up the good work, everyone -- I am on a similar journey.
Over 60, overweight in the mid section and blood counts up.
Trying to avoid going on meds. Late night eating has been a
bad habit over the last few years and a complete mystery, as
many of you are saying. During the day, I eat healthily -- really
no problem at all. At night -- another story!
Interesting about the visuals mentioned -- tonight I proped my
Bible against a basket at the entrance to the kitchen. I am going
to try many of your creative ideas. I know one of my problems
is going to bed too late. Seems to be several, similar patterns.

Monday, October 22, 2007, 12:07 AM

Feel full

I found that drinking something tasty or filling helps -although it is still calories (leser of the evils), i.e. chocolate milk, a steamer (milk with comfort flavor like cinnamon or hazelnut), strongly flavored herbal tea. I liked the other advice too:
brush your teeth
keep your hands busy
chew gum
drink water first
call someone and say good night (3-7 min conversation)
THANKS FOR ASKING. I NEEDED THE REMINDER.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 12:31 AM

some more ideas

1) find something to do with your hands if you're anxious-
if you watch TV, do arm weights with dumbbells while you watch
fold clothes
paint your nails
2) if it's late, late, right before bed -
try meditating for 10-15 minutes before bed (I know that sounds new-agey, but it does help clear the mind and replace negative thoughts)
3) replace - get a bunch of different herbal teas and try a different one each night. Also, Viactiv or other chocolate calcium supplements helped with the chocolate cravings - just one or two satisfied that urge and I can't imagine eating an entire box of Viactiv.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 5:34 PM

dont listen to those chips and bar only this many calories

well you must fight the temption of fatty foods , like chips bars and junk like that. your better off eating say a bowl of grapes instead of chips dont bother with that bullshit about cooks or junk and they only got this many calories and this much fat. your body needs fat and sugars and calories and if you under eat during the day you well want junk at the night so i suggest eating grapes apples not so much bannas because they are worse than say a apple. so this is coming from someone who lost 60 pound in 3 months heathy. keep up the heathy eating in the day and and before u go to bed have say a apple and a water and if u got a crystal light pack throw that in its good for you.and the apple burns fats basicly so thats what i suggest your friend/hockey player/weight lifter

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 10:33 PM

huh?

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 11:20 PM

evening eating

I have to say "there is a way" is the best explanation, still don't know if I can do it or not will have to TRY!

Thursday, November 15, 2007, 12:37 AM

Drink a protein shake or something after your workout (eat something with a little fat, carbs and a little more protein)

Go for something low cal.

Thursday, November 15, 2007, 7:02 AM

same here - i do this too and ...

i do this too its insanely annoying b/c i work so hard running and eating properly and then screw it up at night ... in the morning i feel so angry at myself and have this feeling of added fat all around my body ... it makes me rly rly mad .... b/c ill have about 3 or 4 days without the night eating but and feel rly good with my eating habits and excerising and then ill screw it up one night ... i tare myself down mentally so bad b/c i do this at night !!! its horrible.

latley though i feel that if im hungrey ill go downstairs to my family room beside the kitchen and watch tv ... for the first while i would have a small snack b/c i couldnt resist .... and feel fuller i think its the thought of being near the tv or the kitchen that fills me up not the food ... maybe watching tv or reading will help you out!

Saturday, January 5, 2008, 10:06 PM

Great thread! Thanks for all the posts!

Monday, January 7, 2008, 1:17 AM

fresh fruit

I agree with all of the above tips and appreciate this thread as this is my bad time. I've been trying to plan snacks ahead of time and make it a positive that I get to eat more fresh fruit so that it's not taking something away. When I open the fridge the fruit looks at me and when I'm done that I'll by more.
Tea helps me too. and gum.

Monday, January 7, 2008, 12:34 PM

I have made my little treat of all nat yogurt mixed w/ splenda, a tsp of vanilla, flax seed and .25 cup of oatmeal- maybe some fresh fruit. It totally fills me up but is good for you!

Monday, January 7, 2008, 12:50 PM

may 24 Congrats to you a job well done ...You have inspired me, I know I can not do 6pm but I will try an 8pm cut off starting tomorrow, b/c I too have a marathon on the schedule and need to drop 23lbs in 6 months

Monday, January 7, 2008, 10:17 PM

I wish I had an answer for that that is what i am battling over, my daughter suggests that when i feel l this way to go to bed, but it keeps haunting me until i get back up and get it, so what i have started doing when i start with the munchies i'll fix me a large tall glass of ice water and i drink it real slow and visualize in my mind that it is the most intoxifying and satisfying treat that i have given myself all day and i tell myself this, because i truly feel that our mind is so strong and set in its ways that if we can train it to go into the other direction with yes mind over matter that soon we will have a craving and automatically go for that tall quenching mind boggling satisfying glass of ice water

Monday, January 7, 2008, 11:27 PM

bump

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 12:03 PM

To: Feel Hungry 11:01

Thank you so much for this post. It is very confusing when you are in the middle of craving, triggers and/or hunger to sort out which is which. This was a great suggestion that I will use.

Real hunger satisfied by healthy food choices makes your body feel good when you eat. Cravings and triggers are more psychological and then there are inevitable psychological regret, self judgments and sense of failure.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 12:19 PM

Mandajo

The one thing that is currently helping me is pictures. I used to be a healthy weight and now I'm severly obese. So, my trick is that I took a bunch of the "old me" pictures and placed them everywhere I keep food. I also put some up in the bathroom so as to give myself a pep talk when looking in the mirror.
One big thing I find myself saying is that "I can't let the old me down again" This seems to help me avoid the stuff I crave or to convince myself that only a little is what i need and not the whole entire package. And I'm staring right at myself when I do this, so that I can face my biggest challenge, which is myself.

Keep up the good work. You can do this!!!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 1:29 PM

what a rocking post:) i struggled with this all throughout high school (it didn't matter then as i never gained weight at all) and now well - now i'm not that bad because i'm sleeping a little earlier, but i'm still finding it hard to cut snacking off after dinner. and the flab is getting harder to get rid of!
i'm going to try everything suggested here, glad to know i'm not alone.
good luck!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 4:15 PM

This may be in another reply already - but I don't feel like reading them all.

I am/was a MAJOR night snacker. When I start gettin that urge to snack, I grab a glass of water or tea, and log onto peertrainer and plan my meals for the next day....I then check out the progress I've made and that usually makes the craving go away.....if it doesn't surf the internet for health related articles....just anything really to keep your mind busy doing other things.

That's what I do and it seems to work well.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 4:58 PM

night eating

Mine is getting worse. I know leptin is a hormone, and the closer to midnight, the worse it gets,,read CONTROLLING LEPTIN, its almost that I have to go to bed at 10 PM or it becomes uncontrollable at times. It also says try and break the habit, then easier, popcorn,,but I don;t know if a lot of popcorn is good,,even though only salt. The eve is when one could lose the weight, but that is also my worst time. Only going to bed earlier seems to help me.

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 12:16 AM

nightg eating

Sometimes I just cant seem to help it,, I guess lite things, like weight watchers treats are good. Going to bed earlier is the best for me. It does seem when I am upset about something, food is the comforter...maybe reading something interesting would help, then going to bed right away after....

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 12:31 AM

night eating

Yep, big problem for me. Several weeks ago I ate three tubes of Fig Newtons (over a weeks period) all at bedtime. So came up with a few rules for myself - 1) try not to buy them 2) if I am going to have some cookies, I will limit it to one serving AND have an apple/pear or orange with them. This second one worked for a few nights and I threw in a special beverage (a gourmet hot chocolate). Now, I just want the hot chocolate which helps me fall asleep, so I'm not sitting around wanting the cookies.

Bellagio sipping chocolate - 90 cal, 1 fat grm, 6 grm fiber - 1 WW point w/skim milk from the core list

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 4:32 PM

Sugar free popcicles are a guilt free treat

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 6:24 PM

Prevent the cravings in the first place

I struggled with eating in the evenings for 30 years, often grazing between dinner and bed and still not feeling satisfied. Now that I am eating for nutrition most of the evening cravings have gone, and if I get them a piece of fruit and a couple of nuts does the trick. When you say you are eating healthy during the day, are you sure it's healthy? Or are you counting calories. Eliminating processed foods from my daily eating, and paying attention to getting lots of nutritious foods into my day has made a huge difference, and I am finally no longer a slave to roaming the kitchen at night for...something! Also, I am finally losing weight. I think it's because I am no longer starving myself of essential nutrition by filling up with empty calories. I believe that the macro nutrients will take care of themselves (calories) if we pay attention to the micro nutrients and make sure we are consuming a decent fuel.

Link

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 8:03 PM

i would like to add on to the man who posted 'there is a way'. completely agree with his comments. there's just this 'trigger'. i guess you'll have to really WANT to reach your goal to get to that trigger point that he mentioned.
for me, there was this point in time a few months ago when i was basically fed up with myself and my eating habits and told myself that i was the ONLY impediment to my excess weight. i also weighed myself every morning.

something that went hand in hand with my weight loss goal was the goal of making full use of my time. basically i came up with this list of things i would love to do, and kept adding on to it each time i thought of something. these would include stuff like read a certain book, weed the garden, play the guitar, sell my clothes online and so on, - things i've always wanted to do but never really found time to. so when i felt like eating i'll look at the list and pick something to do.
i'll feel so great after that because not only have i accomplished something, i've also distracted myself from eating - and realised i wasn't hungry after all.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 10:54 AM

Making a list of things you want to do...

10:54 - LOVE that idea!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 11:25 AM

I knit. Keeps my hands busy, and then I don't mindlessly eat. Also, I love that I'm making something, and I love watching it take form!

BTW, I'm 26, fashionable, live in a big city, etc. Knitting isn't just for grandmas anymore; there are some really cool things you can knit! And lots of websites that will teach you how to do the basics and that provide free patterns of all levels.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 4:42 PM

you may be deficient in melatonin if you crave eating at night. Try some sublinqual melatonin and see if this helps. i have stopped eating after dinner and it gets easier because it isn't about hunger at all. If you're getting enough protein and good fat in your diet and not eating sugar and highly refined carbs, the cravings really should disappear. Learn to distinguish between mouth hunger and body hunger.Distract yourself and/or sooth yourself if it's mouth hunger.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 5:11 PM

For many eating at night is more an issue of emotional eating (eating out of boredom, anxiety, or some other uncomfortable emotion) or simply a bad habit and less about nutrients, being hungry, or dealing with cravings or deprivation.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 6:51 PM

Surgar Free is only made for diabetics!

OKAY! Lets learn something. When you eat artificial sweeteners they still trigger your body to create insolin. That insolin stores fat. So no matter how "Surgar Free" that cookie or drink is it will not fool your body into thinking its not surgar. Your mouth is telling your brain you are receiving surgar and so your body gets ready for it by shooting out insolin into your blood. In the long run you will have a harder time loosing weight. So stick to the healthy surgars in fruits.

Sunday, February 22, 2009, 11:00 PM

my soultion to night eating.. come to PT and LOG LOG LOG, make comments. ask for elp- Im working on the asking for help bit.

1. make a list of your goals..- when you want to binge, emotional, or night eat.. read them and make a concious choice between yoru goal and the choice to eat that ice cream or to disappear into a bag of chips. ask yourself.. how will I feel? do I really want to do this? at least yoru stopping and thinking before taking action.

2. the beck diet solution- helps with our thinking of food and how we approach it. mindful eating, sitting down at the table, the oh well theory, do it anyway, the food will be there later.. its a great book

3.set a cut off time and after that time only allow water with ice- the ice gives you the crunch that sometimes your after

4. in becks book there is a day you chose a diet coach.. I call Him my health coach.. I email Him my log every day and we discuss it.

5. PT can be that coach.. ask a person to be a log partner- extra accountability, but you have to be responsible for yoru own actions

6. keep your hands busy- distractions, read, take a candlelight bath, relax- stress causes eating

7. keep fruits and veggies cuts .- fll up on nutrient dense foods .it will keep you fuller longer

8 eat something before going to teh gym.. give ita half hour than go work it off and have a light snack after witha huge glass of water.

9.take it one step, one choice at a time- dont beat yourself up.. if you slip start over

10. work on making one change for 21 days.. an dthan it becomes a habbit

11.stick to yoru plans-like right now I want to eat, but Im drinking my water.. our bodies want water and sometimes we misunderstand that and eat. thinking we ARE hungry.

hope some of this helps

*lynneta*

Monday, February 23, 2009, 2:20 AM

substtitute

If you must eat late..as I do..at least try to substitute with low calorie alternatives:
carrots, celery, soup, salad and other low calorie treats.

Monday, February 23, 2009, 4:35 AM

read blogs on peertrainer

Lately I still eat late..but I eat less, I think.. When I feel like eating, I read people's blogs and profiles on this Peertrainer site. It's a new obsession that I am at least partly substituting for eating.

Monday, February 23, 2009, 4:50 AM

use Peertrainer

Every time I eat late at night I have to return to my computer to log what I just ate.
I don't allow myself to go to bed without logging everything I've eaten. I'm still eating late...but knowing that I have to log what I eat, and will have to return to logging and sit down and turn on my computer and type in more food makes me 1) more aware of what i am eating late. 2)sometimes makes me not want to eat anything else because it means that I have to log in and write in my log another time before I can go to bed.

Monday, February 23, 2009, 7:15 AM

Cold Turkey

I have a problem with eating after dinner from between 7-9 PM. Fortunately, it is good food (oatmeal or popcorn usually). I am trying to reduce my body fat percentage so it is really important for me to stop. The reason I am eating late is totally emotional. I used to have a bring problem with food and my weight (see my profile) so it is important for me to put a stop to this so I can reach my goal of a body fat percentage below 10. I only have one option and I am going to start tomorrow: NO EATING AFTTER 7:00 PM....PERIOD.
-Burt

Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 12:25 AM

First of all, having dinner after you get back from the gym at 9:00 p.m. is much too late to be eating. Don't eat anything after 7:00 p.m.

Breaking habits takes application of will power. There is a little agonizing for food for a couple days but your body will adjust. Get used to it.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 8:12 AM

Shower at night!!!!

I can realate to everything that i have read so far & have tried alot of the "tricks" myself. Something that helps me & also occupies alot is my time is a long shower like a hour or so after i have dinner. It really relaxes me!! And please DO NOT put on old sweat pants & a big t-shirt.. EWWW!! That makes me feel unattractive & hungry!!! So put on something that makes you feel good about yourself (yes to go to sleep) You know you have cute PJ`s, & if you dont i suggest you go out and buy some. It also gives you a head start the next day. Good luck :)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 2:00 PM

What kind of jobs do people have that they can stop eating at 7 p.m.? I don't get home until 7:30 p.m. and dinner isn't usually ready until 8:30 p.m. So should my cutoff be 9 p.m.?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 3:40 PM

3:40 - unless you stay up really, really late, or find yourself continuing to eat after dinner even though you're not hungry...a cut off time for eating probably isn't even necessary for someone like you. Work around your schedule. If you're not eating dinner until 8:30pm there's probably no need to eat after dinner.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 4:03 PM

But I do! Isn't that disgusting! I KEEP EATING until I go to sleep.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 4:32 PM

4:32p - Well, then, yes! Establish a cut off time!! lol. Maybe allow yourself a small treat 30 minutes after dinner and then declare: that's IT. The first few days are the toughest, but once you get into the first few days of breaking that habit, it does get easier.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 6:13 PM

I think the idea of a cut off point is to stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed. This way your immune system can work on fixing you instead of digesting food. It apparently doesn't do both at the same time - so think about how healthy you want to be and what should be happening while you're sleeping when you consider your last meal of the day.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 7:32 PM

How To Stop Emotional Eating, Night Eating and Mindless Snacking

link to new PEERtrainer article:

Link

Friday, June 19, 2009, 12:05 PM

SHEER WILL POWER

I had to giggle on these words.......... years ago I adopted the phrase SHEER WON'T POWER but I had forgotten them till I read them here.

WON'T POWER - Won't ruin my entrie GOOD BEHAVIOR DAY with snacking!

WON'T POWER - WON'T spend my precious time working out to Gobble.

WON'T POWER -WON'T go back to my former size (size 24 ladies) I am a 12 now,

WON'T POWER - WON'T feel guilty for eating poorly.

WON'T POWER- WON'T skip my workouts.

WON'T POWER - WON'T forget my favorite saying...
"A moment on my lips, forever on my hips!"

WON'T POWER- WON'T die like my 45 yr old former husband did of OBESITY. 550 +lb!

Sunday, July 26, 2009, 12:10 PM

Replacing Old Habit With a New One

I'm a recovering alcoholic and enjoyed a bottle of wine every evening after work. Now that I'm dry I've replaced my wine with peanut butter. I eat a half a jar a night. I tell myself no more but that lasts until the next night. I can;t seem to not buy it! It's a vicious cycle I need to break!

Thursday, July 30, 2009, 12:31 AM

I am a recovering alcoholic too. I have been sober for seven years. To me, food is the new addiction. The problem with food is that you do have to eat to be alive and even though I LOVE healthy food, once I start with a bite of something (anything) I can't stop; in the end, even if it is healthy, low fat or low cal, if I eat too much of it, will still add up. I would like to approach my problem in the same way that AA works, however at this moment I do not have a computer at home. Right now I am writing from work!!!!!!
If there were someone willing to exchange phone numbers with me and help me as an sponsor or partner (example: I would make the call before I have that first bite) at least for a while. Log on peertrainer at night sounds good, I just can't do it right now.
Thank you.

Thursday, July 30, 2009, 4:14 PM

night eating and in between eating

how do i stop? I know many people have problems with this, it's like while I am snacking I feel bad and i know that I should not be doing it, but I do. why ?
I hope some has an answer for me.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 1:08 PM

The only thing that EVER works for me...

CHANGE YOUR PJ's!

Try wearing something more fitted at night (i.e. a tank top or a fitted soft shirt).
For some reason it's easier to go pig out when you're wearing oversized clothing! I LOVE sleeping in oversized shirts but every night I wear a little tank top I find that the decision to not go downstairs and eat is a firm "Hell no". There is no question that waking up with a flat tummy (which will be immediately visible in fitted clothing) is worth dealing with the urge to go eat.

Sidenote: I have no idea why but this applies to all scenarios including going out for dinners etc... I find that the more covered I am, the more I eat! Good luck!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 12:26 PM

I may be wrong. But, having done both, tHERE IS A WAY an A NEW ONE both seem to be dealing iwth self-sabotage. Self-loathing and deprivation on some level. I've undereaten and overeaten, much ilike A NEW ONE. It is psychological, not habitual. Work on loving yourself. Stop the punishment. It helped me to work on ADDING something positive to my diet or exercise. For a while, I had a hiatus on subtracting things. The good things will push out the bad, so there are no worries about not getting rid of the bad stuff. If you ADD veggies, or make sure you eat so many veggies, or give your body some air and water every day, or build your heart up; you may have more success than taking away the bad stuff and cutting yourself off at such and such an hour. That has been the truth for me.

Thursday, August 20, 2009, 8:52 PM

I wrote the previous post. I'm still working on testifying, not tellilng. sorry.

Thursday, August 20, 2009, 8:58 PM

We just launched a new free program that goes over a series of tools to help you understand your night eating and gives you practical tools to gain the upper hand. click on the following link to learn more:

-PEERtrainer

Link

Sunday, October 25, 2009, 12:18 PM

I have the same struggles too. This is what I do:

1) Don't keep bad food in the house
2) Walk the dog, work out, talk to a friend, or watch tv to get your mind off of your snacking or cravings
3) Drink a diet soda - I have a Cherry Zero or Diet A&W Rootbeer with gives me sweetness and fills me up
4) Fat Free Reddi Wip or Fat Free Cool Whip - a couple squirts or spoonfuls kills my icecream craving (other ideas www.havecakeeat2.com)

Link

Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 2:24 PM

I do agree with this

I stopped eating 'WHITE' about 3 months ago, and I only use raw or organic sugar very sparingly (maybe a teaspoon on my rice crispy or cornflakes.) I also find myself sipping on Sage tea made with fresh sage, and green tea through out the day and I drink Salud Natural relaxing tea before going to bed. However, I have not realized it until I read this post, but when I look back on when I started to rid myself of unhealthy eating habits, I can honestly say that I have not eaten anything after 8pm (nor do I crave to do so). This is surprising to me because my main goal for starting my regimen was to loose excess water weight (I read on a web sight that sage help rid the body of water weight so I gave it a try); I was not thinking of my late night eating habits. So the most amazing thing about all of this is that I did not give eating after my last meal another thought, because I am not hungry through out the whole night. Nor do I have cravings. This is my daily regimen:

7:00 am :A cup of warm lemon water (one lemon squeezed in an 8 ounce glass of water. This is suppose to help jump start weight lost so I read)
8:00 am : A cup of green tea and a very healthy breakfast (My largest meal of the day)
10:00am an 8 ounce cup of sage tea.
11:00 piece of fruit
1:00 pm: 8 ounce cup of sage tea and a healthy lunch with protein and lots of veggies and carbs (maybe brown rice or wheat pasta).
3:00pm: healthy snack ( I may cheat and eat something not so healthy at this time. I find that satisfying my cravings from time to time (just a little though) helps me maintain my regimen)
6:00 pm- 7:00 8 ounce cup Sage tea, and a small dinner (protein and lots veggis.
8:00 pm. Relaxing tea. I almost always try to stay away from eating chocolate (my favorite) at this time, because it is hard for me to stopping eating it once I began. But if I must have some than I purchase only the kind that says 70% coco. This can be found at whole foods.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 12:25 PM

Hello :D

Try drinking water, it normally fills you up and it's healthy

Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:20 PM

maybe you need to throw out all the bad foods!!!! lol

Thursday, November 5, 2009, 10:36 AM

Snacking in the evening

Just wanted to respond to all those posters who are finding it hard to moderate their eating in the evening. It CAN be done! Trust me, I used to be so carefree when it came to eating, I had no discipline whatsoever. The best thing to do-as cliched and obvious as it sounds-is to eat three nutritious meals throughout the day. I alternate it slightly however-rather than having dinner I'll have a small meal at between 5-6 pm, something like a big bowl of soup with wholemeal bread, or a big bowl of veg followed by a small snack like rice cakes with a little chocolate spread.

It's hard at first, but after a while I found myself getting put off at the thought of snacking in the evening.

Monday, March 8, 2010, 2:45 PM

eating at night

My husband and I were doing this a lot. We would open a bag of chips or a box of cookies and eat mindlessly in front of the tv. Now that we are both trying to eat healthier, we either don't watch tv, or we have hot tea instead of eating while we watch tv.

Another thing that works for me is adding an incompatible behavior; doing something that makes it impossible to eat while I'm doing it. Yoga, short walk, bath or shower. Or I will use my little steamer and give myself a facial, or paint my toenails. If I can't get motivated to do any of those, and I really want something, I have a small cup of hot chocolate and then brush my teeth and get in bed with a good book.

I find that if I don't eat a good sized breakfast with lots of protein, I am more likely to eat after dinner. I aim for 30 grams of lean protein per meal, plus 10 grams protein for a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Drinking lots of water helps too. Or I will have club soda with lime or a slice of orange.

And one more thing that helps-- at least 10 times a day, I breathe in while counting to 6, then breathe out slowly while counting to 4. I keep a note in my car, on my computer, and on my desk phone to help me remember to do it. I personally find it very hard to meditate, but I can do the breathing, and it helps me feel less anxious throughout the day, and then it's easier to wind down at night without turning to food.

I wish you the best of luck, it is hard! I may try some of the other suggestions here, like putting a picture of me overweight on the fridge door. Thanks everyone for your ideas.

Monday, March 8, 2010, 4:46 PM

Have you tried Eat Stop Eat?

Hey

The reason you are eating at night has nothing to do with what you are eating...it is why you are eating.

I used to eat heaps of night aswell until I read and tried Brad Pilon's 'Eat Stop Eat'.

Have you heard of it?

It changed the way I think about food and now I don't even think about eating at night...and if I do I don't feel guilty afterwards and am still losing weight!

Most importantly Brad gets to the heart of why you eat and in your case why you are eating at night.

You can read more about it in the link below if you are interested

Link

Monday, March 8, 2010, 4:48 PM

RE:there is a way

that is so awesome! I was just thinking tonight, trying to remember how I quit smoking, and it was just that I finally told myself, I was going to quit, no matter what, and I just stuck to it. No matter how difficult it seemd, I just did not give in. I thought about myself as an old person, hacking and coughing, unable to breathe, with possibly lung cancer or other related problems, and decided I did not want that. So I think that is what I am going to try for the snacking. Just knowing it will take perseverance, but that I can and will do it!!!

Thursday, May 13, 2010, 5:00 AM

Related PEERtrainer Article:

Can Hypnosis Help You Stop Eating At Night

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 4:16 PM

Related PEERtrainer Article:

How To Change Anything In Your Life

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 4:17 PM

Related PEERtrainer Content:

Explanation Of The Weight Watchers Momentum Program

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 6:04 PM

Related blog post:

http://blog.peertrainer.com/diet/2010/01/what-do-to-when-you-are-having-a-hard-time-not-eating-at-night.html

Thursday, October 14, 2010, 6:21 PM

related PEERtrainer article:

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2010/10/how-to-have-the-willpower-to-stop-eating-after-dinner.html

Thursday, October 21, 2010, 9:52 PM

Eating to unwind?

Sounds like you are eating as a way of relaxing after a long day and then awhile of being hyped-up at the gym.

Look for ways of winding down that don't involve food. Don't bother with alcohol because this is also packed with calories and will cause more problems than it solves.

Monday, November 1, 2010, 9:22 AM

I think it is when you exercise...

I have the SAME problem. For me, I have traced it to two things: first and most powerful is hormonal swings... when I am in the second half of the cycle, I tend to get "hormonal" and I can eat like an animal. It is sick... I mean, I don't keep junk in the house, but when I am possessed to eat at nite, I can get REAL creative! I was offered the Pill, but cannot take it due to migraines. The only thing that helps during that time is going almost NO carb (except green veggies), and supplementing with calcium, magnesium, and sometimes small amount of potassium (be careful with potassium- you should ask dr. before using as you could throw off your electrolytes causing heart problems).
The other thing that I do is exercise after work, without eating anything for hours before. It is termed exercising on a calorie deficit, and can help you to burn more calories. But it can backfire too. After exercising, I also make a nice, healthy dinner. Then about 1.5hrs later (when I would usually get hungry after exercise) I am hungry. I can usually control it with a 100 calorie bag of popcorn, but if hormonal... it is nonstop eating until I fall asleep.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 11:32 PM

Night eating

This is such a crazy problem--it helps to see I'm not alone. I exercise, and am in control of eating during the day, but after dinner is a disaster. Interesting to read the threads and see variations on the same theme. Am going to start by observing just what's really going on with me.

Sunday, January 15, 2012, 7:21 AM

I can eat over 1000 kcals after I put my child to sleep ! I come downstairs, turn on the tv and am back and forth to the kitchen for snacks! For the last three nights I have taken a flask of decaf to bed with the laptop at 8pm and its been a revelation - no hunger pangs whatsoever!!!

I know I shouldn't but I checked the scales this morning an I'm 4lb down already. If going to bed very early is what it takes then night night all :-)

Monday, January 16, 2012, 5:33 PM

nighttime eating cures

I needed a reminder on this too.. what worked for me before(when I lost 50 lbs) if I was hungry I heated up low sodium V8 jusice added a little sugarfree sub to make it taste like tomato soup.. and a couple stalks of celery it comforts and crunches.. very filling..

Friday, March 2, 2012, 9:45 AM

Kissing and Talking

One of the original life coaches here on Peer Trainer (Jackie's original partner), Josh (I think his name was?) once did a really shout out about that. It was about how we really want to be having a conversation or kissing somebody. That is really what our mouths want. But if we are lonely (even within a marriage) we will have that need to communicate fulfilled by eating instead of doing what we really desire. Kissing (and more!) or talking.

Monday, March 12, 2012, 3:23 AM

It's great to have found a thread like this! I have the same problem as you all. A couple of years ago I was doing really well, like exercising almost daily, eating around 1500 calories per day. But starting about a year ago, I started to skip dinner completely and just eat snacks instead. Progressively it developed into this habit of just snacking like crazy at night.

I would do really well during the day, decent portion and healthy choices for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Even my dinner is well balanced, but after dinner I could eat 1000 calories worth of snacks (ice cream, CEREAL, chips.. ) and I would alternative between savoury and sweet snacks.. it's weird.

Anyway thanks to this thread, and the horrifying body image that I see in the mirror.. I realize I need to do something about this and tonight, I actually brushed my teeth right after dinner and now I'm chewing gum and I will go to bed early. I'm sure I will sleep well tonight and wake up tomorrow morning quite proud. :) Thanks again.

Sunday, March 18, 2012, 10:25 AM

i should try that!!!

Monday, April 30, 2012, 8:44 AM

Thank you soooo much

Thank you soooo much. This really helped me. I stopped eating in front of the TV and now I no longer crave food when I'm watching TV. Was that easy.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:23 AM

RE: Pavlov's dog conditioning.

Thank you soooo much. This really helped me. I stopped eating in front of the TV and now I no longer crave food when I'm watching TV. Was that easy.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:27 AM

How I stopped

I loved reading all of the stories on this and couldn't believe the similarity between my own experience of eating at night (and during the day I may add). I really find it difficult (in fact impossible) to stop snacking when i am sitting in front of the TV and even when I am out and about. I recently began using a system of diet pills/vitamins by innoveat and they have helped me to a point where I snack very little these days. I don't crave sugar as much since my serotonin levels have been increased and because I feel better I am not snacking which makes me feel better. It is an upward spiral that hopefully will continue. I am gradually shedding weight and fell better day by day. Hope this helps.

Friday, August 10, 2012, 12:12 PM

late night eating.

okay so I"m not alone ..great. I hate starting my day getting up frustrated that I ate late , then I regroup focus on good intentions only to relapse into old behaviours by the evening and this cycle continues over and over again...Its like an addiction that I can't seem to control even though all day I can eat properly......I cant seem to do it myself

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 11:56 AM

this post has so many good suggetions. I think I saw one person mention this - but I want to reiterate.

DO NOT eat processed foods that are "Fat Free", "Sugar Free", etc. It seems counter-intuitive, but these foods actually stimulate your hunger hormones.

Your body or mind is tired because it's late night and your body craves food partly because it wants energy! When you eat a "Sugar Free" cookie your body is NOT getting what it wants and so continues to crave sugar. This is why you devour an entire package of cookies.

Go for natural sugars like fruit. If that really isn't doing the trick - try eating a FULL FAT REAL SUGAR treat. Eat it slowly and allow yourself to enjoy it.

Two things happen -
Physically - your body gets what it wanted
Psychologically - you are less likely to eat more because you know you just ate an indulgent treat.

When you gobble a sugar free cookie, psychologically your brain says, "you can have more, it's SUGAR FREE!"

Whereas a full fat real sugar treat makes you feel satisfied but also aware of what you had. Therefore, even though it was likely more calories, more sugar, etc, you actually CONSUMED LESS cals and sugar because you only had 1 instead of an entire sleeve of cookies.

Friday, October 19, 2012, 10:38 AM

Stop eating

I can make up a million excuses for not dieting! I am tired of Monday diets. I have been on a diet my whole life. What will make me start eating right!! Can't get started. I don't like the way I look and feel. Help.

Monday, October 29, 2012, 9:37 AM

21 days

citywoman05@aol.com thank you so much I never knew that and I am going to try that. I am an emotional eater as well and I have been working so hard so reading your info has really helped me thanks so much

Link

Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 12:57 PM

prophet harry brought my lover back 3 days ago

I was having a boyfriend. We were known for long time only through phone. Suddenly through some event we met together and we promised we will be together for ever. Both of us are married and not satisfied with the present spouse. But because of some misunderstanding I quarelled with him and humilated him infornt of his friends. After that I realized my mistake and apologized with him like anything. He told me he will try to forget everything. After that we met once and he promised me everything happened because of misunderstanding and now we will together for ever.But after that we never met each other. when we plan to meet some hindrence will happen then it will stop. Also no proper communication. But for me he is my everything. He is the only one who gave such a good satisfaction in my life. I wanted him. I wanted him to meet me, to have sex with me, love me everything. He is very good.and l know He was made for me. But some hindrence keep keeping us apart. i tried to get close to him but nothing was working out untill one day i heard about a spell caster called prophetharry@ymail.com, i decide to try his love spell and definately it worked out perfectly for me, it never took time for the spell to start working, after some few days this guy i am loving came to me and wanted us to start dating, we are in love now, our lover is so tight that nothing can brings us apart, this love spell is wonderful
shadonna

Thursday, December 20, 2012, 2:20 AM

I have the same thing. a great day, and at night after 10pm, I start pigging out., and not on salad, but cheese doodles, and whatever looks good, even though I say only this, but I get upset at myself for eating at night, and then I just eat everything that I should not,"to punish myself" I dont know why I do this. I am 58 and have been doing this since I am 13. I know it is bad, not only for weight gain, but acid reflux. help me to stop eating after 8.
I know this is the key to lose weight. but no matter how many times I convince myself that I will eat light at night and after 7 or 8 I will stop. or drink tea, or eat somehting very light, I just forget everything after I start eating and then I just dont care.
help me to stop eating after 7. I want to lose 50lbs for looks and health.
can someone give me ideas how to calm down at night.
I think that is why I eat, so I will get tired. It is like alcohol for an alcoholic, food makes me tired. and puts me to sleep like an alcoholic.
I have told myself millions of times, no eating at night, and I still cannot control myself.
I bless anyone that can help me stop eating at night, and an idea to fall asleep without eating after 7pm
thank you

Thursday, June 13, 2013, 1:14 AM

overeating at night

I feel like when I say all day I will eat in the day and not at night, and then I start eating cheese doodles, and open a can of tuna with bread before I go to sleep, I get so upset that I am not using my control. It seems I have this little voice that says, "yeh, eat food bec you will fall asleep much easier"
why would that voice want to hurt me? I need to have a voice that says, dont eat at night. It is bad for gird and I always feel heavy, my stomach bulges.
This is really pitiful if a 58yr old cant get hold of herself, and till before 7-7;30
thanks for any suggse

Thursday, June 13, 2013, 1:51 AM

I can't seem to stop binging at night. Tonight is the first night I'm going to try and do it.

The only time I can stop binge eating is when I'm spending the night at my boyfriend's. He's insanely hot and ripped and I just feel a little self conscious after gaining this excess 25 pounds.

I could use some tips too.

Monday, June 17, 2013, 12:50 PM

Stop eating at night

Have you tried Prescopodene? I had a similar problem before so losing weight was a tag of war. But Prescopodene helped me address that concern. All my cravings are gone and my appetite greatly decreased.

Saturday, June 22, 2013, 1:24 AM

dr.marnish helped me to bring back my lover

dr.marnish helped me to bring back my lover now i refer many clients to call him +15036626930 him for help , i wish everyone who want his or her lover back to contact dr.marnish@yahoo com

Tuesday, March 4, 2014, 1:43 AM

Missing vitamin L

Hi there I have some advice. First are you at home alone? What are your relationships like,? It could be that this hunger is coming from a missing vitamin called LOVE. When we feel we need to fill our body with food it's really that we are really missing important emotions. Fill your hunger with hugs friemds company.

Link

Monday, April 28, 2014, 2:54 AM

Welcome all! Who can tell me a cure for insomnia and overeating? I have been sleeping badly for a long time and I do not know what to do with it. It's good that my friend suggested to me the site https://blessedcbd.co.uk/ and on it he has been ordering CBD oil by Blessed CBD for several years. He is completely satisfied with everything and for me this is the main thing.

Thursday, August 5, 2021, 5:27 AM

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