This is me to a tee. Not that I have a solution, but I've noticed it's hormonal. After my cycle plus two weeks, I am pretty resistant to cravings. Two weeks leading up to it, it's impossible to resist. The best thing for me during this time is to keep the tempting stuff out of the house.

Also helpful is to try 5HTP (regulates serotonin levels) and L-glutamine (helps with sugar cravings).

I am by no means an expert on this topic. Lord knows I've struggled to lose weight after counting all calories eaten or drank throughout the weeks/months.
but it wasn't until I started experimenting with my diet and found that if I eat more protein-rich foods and little to no carbohydrates, I drop a considerable amount of weight (3-4 lbs a week). Sometimes it's the food you are eating and not just the calories. I also drink about 80-100 ounces of water each day and exercise 5x a week.

I keep vegetables cooked and snack on them. And, every couple months I have a reset detox week. One of the things that I do during that week is, as soon as the kid is down, take a very hot bath with lavender oil, wrap myself in towels and go to bed immediately. Every night for a week. MIT is awesome.

Anonymous wrote:You eat healthy food but that is a large amount of calories even without the late night snacks.

Disagree with this, and agree with others. The amount and calories that PP is eating sounds normal, and on the healthy side.

The key thing here is sleep. Think about our ancestors. Not only were they more active during the day and didn't have so much crap available to eat, without electricity they went to bed when it got dark out. More sleep = less available time to eat and also more rested so you don't need as much food to keep you going. Eat dinner late in the evening and then go to sleep. Think about the Europeans. Have dinner way late, eat slowly, yet are rail thin.

I stopped the nighttime snacking after I started using a Jawbone Up. I enter every bite I eat into the app. Holding myself accountable for those calories has done me a world of good. There are lots of calorie-tracking apps out there you could look into. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:Just be careful of overhydrating. You can create a life threatening situation if you drink too much water. A friend of mine almost died this way.

You'd really have to drink at least two gallons of water for this to be possible.

Overhydration happens, but it is rare outside of extreme exercise.

I love my nighttime snacks so when I needed to loose weight I opted to cut out breakfast instead of nighttime snacking. Worked for me!

http://jillfit.com/2011/04/26/10-nighttime-eating/

http://jillfit.com/2013/05/29/things-to-do-instead-of-drinking-wine/

Skip all the crackers type of snacks and add in more protein and healthy fats.

I also think you are in the habit of snacking at night and maybe doing it as a reward. Being a parent is hard and I know that for me, once the kids are in bed I let out a huge sigh of relief and feel the need to reward myself. Find something else to occupy your time and reward yourself.

I second the herbal tea idea. Try peppermint. I read that peppermint helps suppress the appetite.

I also agree with the person that says you are eating out of boredom and habit. Break the habit. Try flossing in addition to brushing & mouthwash.

sometimes i do better when i don't fight my cravings. if you want to snack, snack but just make better choices. popcorn or raw veggies would be good options instead of the chips and cookies.

OP, I have a few thoughts.

The first is that it sounds like you are eating because you are BORED, which is never a good idea.

The second pertains to your diet. When did you start eating only 1500 calories per day? How many calories were you eating before? Radical dietary changes take time to get used to, whether that be eating less to lose weight or eating more due to pregnancy. Your stomach becomes accustomed to a certain amount of food coming in at a certain frequency, and it takes a while to adjust to a different amount or frequency.

How to break the cycle of bored snacking and your body craving more food than you want to give it? A couple days of tough love. I personally have always been a big fan of the drink more water approach. I stopped snacking at work by increasing my water intake drastically. If I felt like snacking, I got a glass of water instead. You can institute a tea routine like some of the posters mentioned, but honestly, tough love. The way you end the cycle is to STOP EATING AFTER DINNER. Period.

Anonymous wrote:NP here - I am also a nighttime snacker. DH is always more than happy to join me in a bowl of ice cream... but it needs to be severely limited.

I find that a bowl of frozen grapes is just as satisfying - since they are frozen I physically can't eat them TOO fast - and by the time they are done I am full.

Also tea - herbal tea gives me something to do with my hands/mouth and doesn't go very well with chocolate

Yes! I have a nightly herbal tea habit. It's such a relaxing ritusl and it keeps me from drinking wine. And if I decide I really am hungry or need to snack on something, frozen grapes or berries are my go-tos. Good luck, OP!

NP here - I am also a nighttime snacker. DH is always more than happy to join me in a bowl of ice cream... but it needs to be severely limited.

I find that a bowl of frozen grapes is just as satisfying - since they are frozen I physically can't eat them TOO fast - and by the time they are done I am full.

Also tea - herbal tea gives me something to do with my hands/mouth and doesn't go very well with chocolate