TIPS on resisting the "late night munchies"???

[brittalious]

For some reason I tend to get really strong cravings for food after 9 pm.... bad time to be snacking i know!! anyone have any good tips for resisting them or at least making my stomach less grumbly b4 bed??

Thanks!!

[kimmit326]

I used to have that problem and when the cravings would hit i would brush my teeth then floss and then rinse with mouthwash, then I wouldn't want to eat because my teeth were clean and i don't like eating after brushing my teeth because of the taste. But even if i don't do that now its not too much of a problem, if i get the munchies i just go find my son and play legos or do a puzzle with him and just do what ever it is he is doing to keep my mind off it because normally the munchies hit me when i'm bored.

[EllieDH]

if I have late night munchies I have a 1/2 cup of frozen berries w/ 2 tablespoons of fat free whipped topping=it keeps me out if the kitchen the rest of the night, since I am a night owl up til' midnight or 1 am. Good luck !

[brittalious]

-Breaking the habit of watching tv when i eat will probably help alot... but it will be hard to break lol

-Idk if drinking water will help much. i already drink a TON of water through out the day because of a kidney defect. But i dont drink ice water... so maybe that will help? ill give it a try :)

thanks guys!

[brice1967]

I've got a couple of suggestions for you.  Throughout the evening, drink an increased amount of ice water.  The theory is that the ice water will be cold, hence shrinking your stomach, hence making you less hungry.  Secondly, if drinking an increased amount of water will increase urination and that may make you be up a couple of times a night, try drinking a cold glass of milk at or near bed time.

Something else to consider is, is this a habit?  If it is a habit, this is a behavior issue and not related to diet at all.  We can condition ourselves to think we are hungry even when we are not by repetitively eating around bed time.  If that is the case, either the water of the cold milk should replace the eating issue itself.  If you have continued problems, I'd strongly suggest speaking to your primary care physician, and perhaps he/she can suggest something different or put you in touch with a professional who deals with behavior issues.

All in all, this probably isn't a horrible.  It is considered a bit unhealthy, but if you are not experiencing weight gain or heart burn, it just may take a bit of tweaking as the water/milk thing or your docs suggestion.

[shermay]

Never eat your main meal watching the TV.

Eat at the table without any back round noise at all, unless it's with your family of course.

Make your own food, and you will appreciate it more - believe me.  

When TV ad's come on - with reference to food, get up and walk out of the room.  The best time to eat IMO is around 7pm

When I was young and stayed overnight at my Grandmothers, we used to have supper at approx 9pm too, and she used to give be cereals.

Hope this helps?