Evening Snacking

[walking101]

Why is it that I can calorie count successfully all day and be really healthy and then at about 8pm I become a snacking monster? I manage to eat the equivalent of my evening meal in an hour. It's so frustrating. My will power just evaporates.
Anyone got any tips please?

Oh I’m the same!

I’ve found intermittent fasting helps A LOT. I don’t eat until midday-ish and then have my 1500 calories between 12-8pm. I’ve found that because I know I can’t eat past 8, otherwise I have to eat later the next day, it really does get my brain into gear.

Also I save enough calories to have a snack after dinner.

My main tip would be just go to bed! It really helps and you feel great in the morning!
But, if that's not an option.. can you eat less during the day so you know you have a bank for the evening?
Make yourself a plate of low calorie snacks that take a while to get through?
Have an options hot chocolate after dinner. They are only 40 calories and quite chocolately so you might not fancy something else after that.
Snack on ice lollys, they take a while to eat and are low calorie.
Brush your teeth early.
Find something to do with your hands.. colouring, knitting, gaming, anything to keep you busy!
Could you be just hungry? Do you need to have a higher calorie evening meal to keep you satieted?

Bath and bed!

I have a big dinner it’s my biggest meal and I either walk or go to bed

I will snack if I am hungry usually a red pepper dipped in lightest phili

Intermittent fasting (10 -6 ), tracking all food consumed on an app so I stick to my calorie allowance (there’s something about the graph saying ‘over!’ that stops me, also over 70g protein eaten in the day,

I don't think it's about willpower. It's about a lot of other things: boredom, habit, appetite, availability, emotion. And more.

Think about why you snack. What is the immediately preceding thought? Do you have strategies? Do you have alternatives? Is crap easily available? Are you actually hungry, eating too early, eating the wrong things later etc?

Im the same OP. I only tend to have 1 meal a day (not healthy I know) but then I do snack in the night, usually a biscuit and a bag of light crisps or ryvita and Philly or a peppe me with Philly, wafer thin ham and chilli.

I could eat 3 meals a day and I’d still want a snack. It’s hard-wired into me and this way I can keep my weight down.

More protein in your evening meal should keep you fuller. Also,. anticipate your snack habits and eat less during the day so you have reserve

That's always been my danger time too. In fact I go to bed around 1am and we eat dinner at 7pm, so could have almost a whole other meal!
Either eat dinner a bit later or vow to munch on things like sugar snap peas or an apple sliced up. That should give you a bit of chew satisfaction. Also do not have your favourite snack foods in the house. And keep a few photos on your phone (either yourself now or at goal weight whichever works) as motivation.

I always thought it had something to do with roughly not eating enough during the day.

Gutted had really lovely dinner yesterday of fish and basic salad (lettuce, grated carrot, cherry tomatoes and cucumber) after an hour of eating I was flushing it away actually deeply depressingly thinking wonder if I’ll be hungry later.

I’ve got to a point I’m not surprised I get the urge to wake up now mid of night to have glass of water and chocolate bar.

Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions. I'm going to try them all one by one and think about @MrsTerryPratchett post re: what is the why.

Eat a bigger dinner or allow some calories for snacks, think controlled snacking. A low calorie hot chocolate and a two finger Kit Kat for example. Or have half your dinner at normal time and half later.

Either have your dinner later at around 8pm so you are too full to snack after.

Or plan and prepare a calorie counted snack for each evening, ready to go when you get the munchies. Eg hummous and veg sticks, dried fruit and nuts.

The advice about thinking why? is really helpful. If you are eating too little in the day - eat more of the good stuff earlier in the day. Are you thirsty? Drink water or a cup of tea first. Are you bored? Do something else.

With me it's definitely habit, I got in the habit of glass of wine and some cheese and biscuits every night.

I've managed to break the habit. Not sure how (and hope it lasts). Generally I'm eating more protein, snacking much less in the day, eating 3 normal meals. So I'm programmed that I'm eating my food at mealtimes.

If I do snack in the day I try and make it a banana or apple.

Sometimes I just do something else, so get my stuff ready for the morning, take the dog for a walk round the block or have a bath depending on time, time of year and inclination.

I'm not hungry, I'm bored or trying to treat myself.

For me it’s boredom. I have a herbal tea or just sip water.

As others have said intermittent fasting works well as does ensuring that you eat enough protein. I’m currently doing IF along with fast 800 in a bid to reset my brain.

So I've listed all the suggestions for easy reference for me (and maybe anyone else with a similar issue).
Thanks so much guys.

1. Intermittent fasting. Have a strict rule eg can’t eat past 8pm 2. Save enough calories from dinner to have a snack in the evening 3. Go to bed 4. Bath and bed 5. Eat less in the day 6. Make a plate of low calorie snacks that take a while to get through 7. Have a 40 calorie hot chocolate drink 8. Brush your teeth 9. Find something to do with your hands that isn’t snacking 10. Have a higher calorie/higher protein evening meal to keep fuller for longer 11. Track calories on an app so can see when you’ve reached your limit 12. Think about why you snack. What is the immediately preceding thought? Do you have strategies? Do you have alternatives? 13. Only have one meal in the day and then snack 14. Don’t keep favourite snack foods in the house 15. Use a photo on your phone as motivation 16. Have half your dinner at dinner time and the other half at snack time 17. Plan and prepare calorie counted snacks in advance

Thanks for adding them all to one list!

After dinner pour a massive glass of water with loads of ice, so you have to sip it slowly. Or a pint mug of fruit or herb tea without milk. They will keep you busy without calories.

If I’m genuinely hungry in the evening I’ll have a couple of slices of ham or a few olives and either sparkling water or a cup
if tea.

I can eat a day's worth of calories after dinner. I've found creating a treat tray the best way to manage it. If it's not on the tray I can't have it. I also have it straight after dinner so that I don't end up snacking too late. That way I can reduce my dinner portion somewhat and see it as an extended dinner....

Ok. More excellent suggestions so I've updated the list:

1. Intermittent fasting. Have a strict rule eg can’t eat past 8pm 2. Save enough calories from dinner to have a snack in the evening 3. Go to bed 4. Bath and bed 5. Eat less in the day 6. Make a plate of low calorie snacks that take a while to get through 7. Have a 40 calorie hot chocolate drink 8. Brush your teeth 9. Find something to do with your hands that isn’t snacking 10. Have a higher calorie/higher protein evening meal to keep fuller for longer 11. Track calories on an app so can see when you’ve reached your limit 12. Think about why you snack. What is the immediately preceding thought? Do you have strategies? Do you have alternatives? 13. Only have one meal in the day and then snack 14. Don’t keep favourite snack foods in the house 15. Use a photo on your phone as motivation 16. Have half your dinner at dinner time and the other half at snack time 17. Plan and prepare calorie counted snacks in advance
2. Massive glass of water with loads of ice
3. Pint pot of fruit
4. Herbal tea or normal tea
5. Sparkling water
6. Slices of ham or veg equivalent
7. A treat tray! If it’s not on the tray, I can’t have it.

Late-night snacking is when we eat food or drink after dinner or before bedtime. These cravings are difficult to contain and can be caused by a variety of reasons, including hunger, habit, boredom, stress, or simply relaxing before bed.

How to get rid of the habit of snacking at night to maintain healthy weight

1. Consistent Stop snacking for a long time every night is not an easy thing. However, the habit of not snacking at night needs to be done regularly.
2. Change your nighttime routine Changing your nighttime routine can help you eat less at night
3. Brush your teeth after dinner
4. Set the mood for sleep
5. Record food intake

Intermittent fasting was the only thing I've had success with after years of snack binge eating at night.
Rules work for me as like another poster if eat later I have start later the next day

What works for me is:

• no snacks in the house
• intermittent fasting, no food after X hour
• exercising in the evening, I’m busy so I can’t snack
• brushing my teeth after dinner and then only drinking herbal tea, water
• avoiding mindless activities like scrolling cat videos, looking at pictures or watching tv without focusing on the content - doing stuff that engages my brain and hands instead is excellent: knitting, crocheting, reading books, learning new languages, playing guitar, playing video games that require some thinking and dexterity, posting on Mumsnet.
• eating at the table. No chewing in front of screens or in bed. Meal = sitting at the table, putting phone down and focusing on eating.