I can't stop eating at night, help!

[Anonymous]

Ugh! I don't know why but every night after everyone else goes to bed I like to watch TV and snack. I'm not even hungry, just like the activity of eating. I am doing Weight Watchers right now, and actually doing well even with the night time snacking (a lot of it is healthy stuff like fruit, and low point things like popcorn). So I'm not really worried about what I'm eating but when I'm eating it. And it's almost like once I start I can't stop, one snack is never enough. I guess I just need to quit eating this late cold turkey! Any tips?

[Anonymous]

Brush your teeth!

Or, alternatively, drink herbal tea.

I just made a rule for myself that I don't eat at all past 7. When dinner is over, that's it. I don't eat again until the next day.

[Anonymous]

I am the same way. I really want something "right now." I will probably eat celery sticks with salt. They are crunchy and almost no calories. And there's nothing about it, really, that makes you crave more. At least not for me.

But I've also had luck going cold turkey by nursing my Perrier habit. Something about the bubbles and no sweetness/sugar makes me feel fuller and not crave anything else.

[Anonymous]

Just change what you eat. Carrots / celery / cucumbers would be good late night munchies

[Anonymous]

I don't eat after 7pm - especially when I am trying to drop a few pounds. Popcorn is one of those things I could eat and eat forever. If I absolutey had to have something, I'd have raw veggies, hard boiled egg or a small handful of almonds. Herbal tea is a great suggestion. I grow mint and loving having fresh mint tea.

[Anonymous]

I'm the same! I try to eat later in the day so I can have a big dinner and snack at night, bc I love it and love going to bed on a full stomach.


There's no truth to the "stop eating after 7pm" rule bc calories are stored the same no matter what time theyre eaten.

So relax and enjoy your midnight munchies!

[Anonymous]

Make kale chips, snack on seaweed sheets, freeze blueberries/grapes. Count your points and enjoy the snack.

My problem is the 2-4p time period. I'm tired, but if I drink
Caffeine at that time I will be awake all night long, so my body somehow thinks it's okay to snack and snack even when I'm not hungry and I go into a daze. It's annoying and I try to be out of the house around that time (I only work half days) but if I'm home--snack monster. I have to keep only healthy snacks around.

[Anonymous]

Water. Drink a glass of water instead.

[Anonymous]

I have this issue and this has worked for me:

1) Decide on a time after which you will not eat (I'm a 7:30pm person). No cheating. This creates an atmosphere where you stop negotiating with yourself. If it's after 7:30, you just don't eat.

2) as an aside, remember WW has great advice about not having food around, it should be hidden away if it's your problem food.

2.5) another aside--remember in WW you measure. Never eat out of a bag, ever.

3) Along the lines of #1, have a rule where there is NO eating in front of the TV. If you are watching TV, then NO. Stop eating. This has been proven time and time again to be the deadly pairing!

4) As a PP said, wow, the whole brush/floss thing really puts a finality to it. I'm a bit bad about doing this step, but I've never, ever cheated when this step is complete. No matter what the awesome food is my DH puts under my nose!

5) Get some Pelligrino and lemons or limes. You need a substitute while you are watching TV.

6) This is not mandatory because it's a big change but will set you up for success: Stop watching TV at night, just stop. Go to bed with a book (no screens). The screens simulate daylight and send the wrong hormones to the brain for a good night's sleep. We are completely sleep-deprived in America. Watch the NIH and Nat. Geo's "Sleepless in America" on youtube; it will blow you away.

And remember this: You lose weight WHEN YOU ARE ASLEEP.

When people are awake when they should be asleep, they eat. This was a study in the above cite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the same! I try to eat later in the day so I can have a big dinner and snack at night, bc I love it and love going to bed on a full stomach.


There's no truth to the "stop eating after 7pm" rule bc calories are stored the same no matter what time theyre eaten.

So relax and enjoy your midnight munchies!

Yes, but if you are mindlessly eating at night while watching tv and that's a "weak spot" in your day, then stopping eating after a certain point is a good way to break that bad habit.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the problem is that you just need to go to bed. I eat when I am tired. Try sleeping!

[Anonymous]

I have the same problem. In the past, drinking tea in the evening has helped, and doing a short exercise video in the evening also deterred the nighttime eating.

[Anonymous]

You know, I'm going to dissent from popular opinion. I love my nighttime snacking. Yes, I've given it up before and it just makes me sad to go to bed hungry. So, instead I skip breakfast. I have a large healthy lunch, smallish dinner (mostly veggies) and then delicious carb loaded snacks once kids are in bed with an hour or so of TV. I'm at a good weight (pre college weight in fact ) and active with a good energy level so I'm staying with it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the problem is that you just need to go to bed. I eat when I am tired. Try sleeping!

Yes, cut back on screen time. It definitely promotes mindless eating.

I'd consider tea or something like soup. You can't gulp it down and it will last a while.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I've been meaning to get back to this thread. Thank you everyone for all the awesome advice!

I think the best bet for me is to just not eat after a certain time (some of you suggested 7, but I work late so sometimes don't have dinner until after 9!). There's just something about watching TV at night by myself that makes me want to munch! Weight Watchers is definitely helping because at least I limit myself to my daily points or zero point foods, where as in the past I would just go nuts and eat whatever I wanted!