Sabotaging Your Diet Late at Night
I don’t know if it’s out of boredom or out of habit, but why is it that overeating late at night occurs one too many times in our diets?
It’s tough work going through the day, rejecting the cookies a co-worker brought in, denying the cake at the birthday party, opting out of the french fries at dinner, but some how we do it. For some reason staying on track with food can be right on. . . until about 9 or 10pm rolls around and then it’s just all down hill from there.
By no means am I talking about an apple or scoop of ice cream… I am talking about a full blown meal. For the amount of calories consumed that evening, you might as well have had the cookies, cake and fries!
So how do you prevent your self from sabotaging your diet from late night binge eating?
The answer is simple, stop eating! Ha… If only it were that easy, right? Because this task can be so hard to do for many of us, here are some tips to break the old habit and toss it out the window!
* Distract yourself. Go for a walk with your dog. Find a great book to read. Do some of your blogging during this time.
* Instead of brush your teeth right before bed, do it right after dinner. Brushing your teeth has been proven to decrease one’s appetite.
* Have a high fiber dinner, which will keep you full longer
* Keep that cup full and glued to your side, keeping your hands and mouth busy!
* Make a list of healthy low calorie snacks that you can eat at night and nothing else. I always know around 9pm that I will eat a sugar-free pudding cup. I know that if I can just hold out a few hours that I will get to enjoy this and then it’s back to the water!
* Go somewhere in the house where you can’t see the kitchen. For some reason when I see the kitchen, I gravitate towards it… weird, I know!
* Suck on a hard candy. This keeps your mouth busy and will last longer than chowing down on several bowls of cereal.
* Work on your food journal during the evening
* Ask your roommate or spouse to hold you accountable to only a small snack and nothing more at night
* Make sure you are getting enough calories in during the day, so you aren’t starving late at night.
QUESTION: What is your favorite night-time dessert or snack?
Mine is chocolate pudding with cool whip or a bowl of cereal.
Tags: binge, control eating, Diet, Late night eating, prevent late night eating, sabotage, snacking, Sparkpeople, Weight Watchers
August 17th, 2009 at 3:08 am
so boring but so true
)
for me whatever it is it needs to be balance.
M&Ms? I need to toss in some good fats and protein somewhere before or after (string cheese? nuts? nothing fancy
for me it lessens the chance Ill over eat if it isnt the simple SUGARS which I naturally lean toward…the protein and fat slow the rate of entry of it all into my bloodstream.
(see? I said it was boring
)
August 17th, 2009 at 3:15 am
Oh my goodness, that pic is hilarious! LOL.
So you were stalking me in the kitchen last night and watching my every move, huh? Well that iced pound cake at 11pm was totally accidental, so I’ll forgive you.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:39 am
I use to have issue with late night eating – but I eventually figured out it was because I wasn’t eating enough during the day. I would be “good” all day and then end up blowing it at night. Eating more during the day fixed this and now after dinner that’s it!
I use to LOVE a big bowl of cereal at night (my clue that I wasn’t getting enough carbs throughout the day!)
August 17th, 2009 at 4:49 am
My favorite nighttime snack is cereal–most likely Peanut Butter Puffins or some sort of granola/raisin bran cereal. Both of those fill me up. Also, frozen grapes are good too–for when I am “bored” and just want to munch on something.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:59 am
cantaloupe, watermelon, winter time= apples. I slice them up real small (so I feel like I’m eating more) and have them with a big ole glass of water. Filling, healthy, delicious! Hope you had a good weekend. Thank you for the kind words on my blog
August 17th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Great post. I am definitely guilty of this.
I generally reach for the chips, or soy ice cream with fresh fruit.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:55 am
I eat popcorn (popped in my saucepan) everynight! I ust sprinkle a bit of salt and garlic powder on top, and chow down. I also have a small piece of chocolate
I don’t go overboard, usually, but I have before. Those are some good tips!
August 17th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Great list. My favorite late night snack varies on my mood. Lately it’s an italian ice cup but sometimes it’s a fudgesicle but also a pudding cup sounds good too =)
August 17th, 2009 at 6:21 am
ohhh such a good topic – honestly, i find if i eat a filling, satisfying dinner (instead of something i “should” have), i am way less likely to eat later on. also, i hate waking up after eating late because my belly does NOT like that.
fave late night snack however…hmmm prob ice cream
August 17th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Brushing your teeth really works! I do it all the time!!
August 17th, 2009 at 7:00 am
I like crunchy so I have 2..
1 is a bowl of air popped popcorn that I drizzle some olive oil and sea salt over
2 is homemade chips from a high fiber pita dipped in salsa.
August 17th, 2009 at 7:00 am
I love a mini bag of kettle korn and a little cup of ice cream–perfect sweet and savory combo that holds me over till morning!
August 17th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I used to have a real problem with late night eating, so I try to stay away from it all together. I drink a cup of herbal tea about an hour after dinner to tell myself that I’m done eating. And it works pretty well most of the time…
August 17th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Love this post! My dad is a big late night snacker but wants to stop… I’ll be sending this along to him. Thanks!
August 17th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Best thing I do when i know that I’m craving something super yummy and not good for me is definitely brush my teeth after dinner!
When I do want a dessert I’ll have a jello, a half of a cookie, something small but satisfying!
August 17th, 2009 at 9:02 am
those are some great tips you listed! cereal is my fave late night snack. baaaad janetha.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I need earplugs to stop hearing the junk calling my name! If I had to narrow it down to my ABSOLUTE fave it would have have to be Peanut M&Ms. Many.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Good tips, I need em! I swear I eat a quarter of my calories at night. My favorite nighttime snacks are cereal, ice cream, or a banana with pb
August 17th, 2009 at 9:38 am
The thing that helps me the most is to have nothing snack worthy around! But still I find myself tempted…
August 17th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Great tips! I definitely boredom eat but I’m getting better! I will use some of these tips!
August 17th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Such great tips! I really like your pudding cup method – a true accomplishment in healthful moderation!
We usually have a little something both healthful and sweet (usually fruit-based) right after dinner, and the sense of having “already had dessert” usually does the trick!
Mmmm, but I do love a bowl of cereal late at night sometimes… 
Most of the time I’m able to resist… 
August 17th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Good tips! My favorite one is the brushing your teeth thing which is a sure-fire way to get me to stop. I don’t often think to do it but if I catch myself creeping into the kitchen for a nibble one too many times, sometimes I’ll send myself to the bathroom to clean my teeth and stop the snacking once and for all!
August 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I also go for the 60 calorie sugar-free Jell-o pudding cups. They’re definitely a good night time treat.
Great tips!
August 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Great tips! Night eating has been such a challenge for me, I will keep these in mind.
August 17th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Great tips!
I always snack at night, but it’s usually just fruit, or some trail mix. I also like a hot tea most nights…
August 17th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
ahaha love the first picture
i always need something sweet to end the night– usually in the form of chocolate– ok ALWAYS in the form of chocolate
i cant remember the last day i went without having dessert
August 17th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
These are some great tips…thanks!
August 17th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Good ideas! There are a couple there that could definitely work for me…
August 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
OMG, I have written about this so much & such a huge issue for many people!!!! I do most of the above.
As for me, I have planned into my daily allotment a nighttime snack. I like a crunch so I go for Costco organic animal cookies. I portion them out, put them on a plate & put the jar away. And like you, I brush my teethe right after & keep my water handy!
August 17th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I feel like this post is talking directly to me; I am constantly sabotaging my healthy living efforts by over-indulging at night. Thank you for the tips – they will definitely come in handy!!!
August 17th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
You pinned me with the late night cereal bowl! I used to have such a problem, adding peanut butter, nuts, yogurt, chocolate, etc. etc. to my cereal bowl and before long it was a 600 calorie meal haha. Great ideas though, I love tapioca pudding cups for an after dinner treat.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Another thing that worked for my on my weight loss journey was to clean the kitchen, and then turn out the light.
Then, if I wandered in there in search of something to eat, the darkness of the kitchen reminded me visually that I was done!
August 17th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I used to crave eating steamed kabocha at night. I’d prepare one bowl and 5 min after I finish it, I’ll prepare another bowl… until I feel really stuffed.
i think it happens when i feel lonely and bored.
August 17th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Wow, you are hitting the nail on the head when it comes to me! I am a late night junkie! I crave anything sweet or salty. Cereal late at night it a common thing with me! I don’t do anything too heavy otherwise I can’t sleep full.
August 17th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I don’t know why this is the case, but it sure is true.
BTW, my favorite night time snack is cereal.
August 17th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I’m here from the HYC! Welcome! I’m new this week too!
I’ll have to fess up to cereal as well. I found it was too much of a trigger food for me though, and I stopped buying it.
Usually I have something small but sweet; a skinny cow or similar, a pudding cup with fresh fruit, that sort of thing.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I love popcorn. Airpopped with just a little bit of melted butter and a sprinkle of salt… problem is that I often wind up making TWO gigantic bowls of it.
Interesting thing, though, is that if I have something SWEET with the popcorn, then I’ll be able to stop at one gigantic bowl (which rounds out to about 300 calories). So I have it with a sherry glass full of red wine or an apple/half a banana dipped in peanut butter. Yeah. It rounds out to being quite a lot for a “snack”. So usually if I want to eat that, then I just won’t have something for dinner. Tehehe.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I am Ruth’s Dad, the one who inspired her with this blog! So, for the next 21 days I am going to be accountable to the She-Fit crowd. So keep me encouraged guys. This is DAY 1! Encourage me with your daily responses.
Oh by the way, while Ruth is visiting here in So Cal, she made the Tortilla Pie. (No meat). This was absolutely amazing! You gotta try it! And this from the Dad who loves meat.