Diet mantra for late at night??

I get home from work at 11pm and usually hit the sack about 30-45 minutes later. However, during those 45 minutes I destroy all the good work I've done all day by eating far too much for that time of night, and also eat bad things that I KNOW I shouldn't eat. Cookies, chips, etc. What can I do to re-programme myself? What should I be thinking to myself as I climb the stairs to my apartment? How can I stop this??

I know that only I can stop this with will-power and that there are no magic remedies, but I would appreciate any advice. How does everyone else stop themselves from eating late at night?

Tue. May 16, 8:52am

Firstly, listen to your body. Are you actually hungry? Have you eaten enough during the day? Are you just stressed out? If you're hungry at night, you're hungry at night. But, to keep yourself from bingeing:

- Try having a light snack, a cup of soup or an apple with peanut butter, before you leave work. Brush your teeth before you leave work.
- Prepare healthy snacks to grab right when you get home if you know you want to eat. Maybe it's a baggie of pretzels, apple slices or carrot sticks with hummus. If you are really hungry, those things will sound good.
- Change your routine. Make yourself a cup of tea and read or watch TV for 30 minutes to unwind before bed.
- If it is stress, take a 10 minute walk around the block before going inside and think about whether you really need to eat or you just need to unwind.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 9:00 AM

don't buy it

if you don't buy the junk, you can't eat it. also, try changing your evening routine. one other idea is to go to bed the moment you feel you want to eat something. I do this, and sometimes go to be at 8:30. The up side is that I get that extra rest and not the extra calories.
mhg

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 9:00 AM

I would try:
-not having anything around to snack on
-don't watch TV, it's a stimulant
-meditate, read, realx

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 9:01 AM

I keep asking myself if I have drank enough water. I make myself drink more water before eating anything before bed. I have to get up alot at night but its worth it to me.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 12:10 PM

a cup of a rich tea like Chai works for me-add a drop of soy milk and a bit of honey or splenda and you have something that tastes bad for you but itsn't.

of course, nothing is going to work for you every night. the trick is not to beat yourself up for a snack once in a while at night. sometimes you are just hungry!!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 1:47 PM

easiest way is to simply not buy it that way there is no temptation. Stock up on healthy snacks so if you're tempted to snack at night you wont feel too guilty. Also try not to eat as much carbs at night

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 1:54 PM

Substitute---it sounds like you just might be emotional eating, maybe stressed out from just getting off work, bored, etc. in that case I would recommend substitute some unhealthy snacks for healthy ones. Buy single serving bags of pretzels and only eat one bag, one 100 cal granola bar, carrots, 100 cal bag of popcorn, apple, etc. For me, I didn’t want to give up my snack time, so I didn’t; I just changed the snacks to be healthier and limited the amount of snacks I ate. If I feel deprived then I'm not going to stick with my plan for any length of time, so if I still allow myself to snack, but snack lighter instead, than I don't feel deprived, and stick with my plan.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 1:57 PM

I have the same problem. I try to tell myself " It will be there in the morning". If you want it still in the morning than you can eat it...but usually you wake up and you actually dont want it anymore. Go to bed and remind yourself that the food isnt going anywhere....get in bed and think about your day, about the next day, about anything you think as you fall asleep... if you are truly hungry then your stomach will growl and you wont be able to think about the normal stuff....then you know its really true hunger and you can always get up and make a snack. Thats what I try...and alot of the time it works.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 2:18 PM

i agree with the previous poster. instead of something fatty or sweet i make myself snack on something heallthy like baby carrots or snow peas. if i'm hungry i can eat veggies and if i'm not hungry enough to eat that, then i should just not eat.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 2:21 PM

I make hot chocolate in the evening using Droste cocao powder, splenda and skim milk. It's just over 100 calories and I put in an insulated cup and sip it for 1/2 hour or so while I read or chat with my husband (but I never drink it in front of the tv or it woudn't be a 'treat' anymore). It's dark, rich, chocolately and I can say 'no' to just about anything else as long as I know I have that waiting for me.

Find something you really enjoy that's not too terrible and then make a little calming ritual out of eating it. Alternately the "it'll still be there in the morning." sounds like a great thing to try if moderation is simply not gonna happen.

Good luck and let us know how things go!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 2:56 PM

I use to go to bed as soon as I got home from work that way I won't stop by the kitchen or watch tv and grab something to snack on. Now I don't work in the evening but I eat supper then I drink a large cup of something and stay busy until I go to bed. I think the biggest key is to stay busy, that way you will burn calories and you won't be thinking about food.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 4:33 PM

Maybe you're hungry, really hungry! Have you eaten enough food? I hope you're not working from 8am to 11 pm. Is this your normal shift? When I worked late, I had to eat when I came home, same with my husband, even when his evening shift kept him there until 3 am, he had to eat when he came home. Maybe save some of your calories or portions from your day and purposely eat something healthy and filling so you won't reach for the junk.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006, 5:02 AM

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