Late night eating has felt like it is controlling me lately. It might not be late night technically since I am talking about eating up until 9PM but seeing I go to bed around 9:30PM, it’s pretty late for me. I eat really well all day long and go home from work with a good amount of calories left for the day but after I eat dinner I just go on a food craze! I am not hungry after I eat dinner but I have this constant urge to eat one thing after another no matter how big or small. It doesn’t even matter if I am full I just want to put something in my face, and the band didn’t fix my head just the size of my stomach. Fixing my head is up to me I am truly starting to realize.
The whole time I have been banded I have let the band do the work. I have made sure that I am nice and tight so that I cannot eat things I shouldn’t or eat the amounts I want and I have not made any other significant changes. I do work out but nothing hardcore, really I do the bare minimum. I am especially worried now that I am not in the Green Zone that I will either not loose weight or gain if I continue this way. I feel like it is time to start using my head more like 60% of the time and my band 40% instead of it being the other way around. Actually right now I am probably using my band around 70% of the time and head 30% of the time.
I have a few ideas as to how to start this change and the first is to tackle the late night eating. Starting today my goal is to eat dinner at 6:30 and finish by 7:00 and have one snack after that but by 8:00 at the latest. I am just going to go to bed if I cannot control myself because I have no other choice I have to nip this bad habit. I am also focusing on my nutrition more, making sure I get more protein. Today is my second day without a Starbucks drink and man so I want one, but I keep telling myself I will be okay! I have to eliminate these very high calorie drinks because they are killing me.
If anyone has any pointers for how to control Head Hunger, please send them my way as I could use all the help I can get! =)
8 comments:
Just battle it day by day is the only thing I can recommend, I too battle it constantly. What I did tell myself recently is that when I do want to eat something after dinner, I have to wait 20 minutes, during those 20 minutes I drink water, if after 20 minutes I still want it I have to ask myself do I have enough calories left over to have this? If I do have enough calories left over then I can have it, if I don't have enough calories left over then I can't have it. I even reached out to my husband and told him if I come to him in a panic that I want to eat and can't cuz of calories to not freak out but help me work through it. So far this method has been working for me and its been almost a week and a half and I haven't went over on calories & haven't went snacky crazy.
Head hunger sucks, its something I wish I could get rid of for good!
I think we all have this issue at times. I know it helps for me to have things on hand that I can eat when I am feeling munchy. Lite popcorn is one of my favorites. In the summer it was Popsicles. I avoid sweets during the week, but usually have dessert on the weekends.
Try pushing the snack time off a bit. When you think you want something, make yourself wait a bit. Sometimes you'll end up never having it all. When you do have something, chose an approved snack item.
someone just mentioned this to me...when you get hungry go get a glass of water and if you are still hungry 20 minutes after drinking the water then have a snack!
I have night time hunger too. Especially since I stay up late. I find drinking plenty of water keeps me out of the pantry. Some days it works. Some days not so much. You will beat this little habit.
Hot tea is a really good trick I use a lot, especially mid day or late night (and I'm in bed by 9:30 most nights to, if not sooner). I drink all kinds of different hot teas, and some really feel like a treat. You get the mental satisfaction of putting something in you mouth, and it is not nearly as bad for you. I don't add anything to mine, sweetners or cream or milk. Another thing, if your really craving something you shouldn't have, make yourself drink a glass of water first. If you still really want it after you've done that, then have it, but usually the craving goes away with the time it takes to get the glass of water in.
I log everything that I eat. I know how many calories that I have left by dinner time. I try to eat the bulk of my calories before dinner. I only usually allow about 400 calories for this meal which I think is a ton.
I used to also eat and eat and eat after pushing away from the dinner table. Bottom line it is the real reason I gained back most of my weight. I have broke this horrific habit by working out after dinner.
If I were to sit down and watch TV I would want to eat so I go to the gym. It is working wonders for me.
I hope you find something that works for you!
Same story for me- drink water and if all else fails, go to bed early.
I say in the beginning do what you have to do.
What has worked for me to get back on track is....
I upped my protein, definitley decreased the carbs and for that gawd awful sweet tooth I have, I started eating an apple with almond butter.(I can eat almond butter but not peanut butter. PB sets off cravings)
And like what others have said and what I hate to hear....WATER. It really has made a difference.
Best wishes.
Post a Comment