Monday, 24 August 2009

  • Tips to Avoid (Over)Eating?

    I have never been anything but chubby my entire life. After not really caring about it for several years of my adolescence, I decided this year that enough was enough, and recently worked my tail off to lose 40 pounds.



    Great, right?

    Sure. The only problem is that now, with 40 pounds down and 25 left to go, it seems that I have hit a snag in my routine. The summer seems to have caused a huge roadblock in my road of process, and I'm having difficulty getting over the bump. I have tried cutting back on food, and exercising daily, only to absentmindedly grab for a snack late at night, holding me back from the weight gain I would like to see within the last five months of the year.

    Now, my goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of December. This will put me in a healthy range for my height and bone structure, and make me as healthy as ever. But I seem to have lost the drive that I had when I started. And it's not that I don't know if I can do this, because, obviously, I've lost more than 25 pounds before. I know that I can lose the weight, it's just the matter of getting myself back into gear so I can do so.

    So, my question is, does anyone have any tips on how I can stop snacking late at night, and get myself back into the routine that helped me to lose as much weight as I have?

Comments (42)

  • xsteph_ox@xanga

    I don't know, what when you find out, tell me!

  • eomona@xanga

    Have somebody hide the snacks for you and whenever you feel a craving, brush your teeth and drink a huge glass of ice water. It kills the cravings right away, for me at least.

  • TheWittyFool@xanga

    When I feel hungry or think I need something at night, I get myself a cup of tea. I add a little bit of milk for more substance.

    If you google tips to avoid overeating, there are website sites with lists of things to keep in mind. I found this particular website was the most informative for me:   http://www.ehow.com/how_2263121_avoid-overeating-gaining-weight.html   . There's so much out there. I hope you find something that works for you.

  • SoHoian_NightOwl@xanga

    drink water to satisfy your cravings. 

  • sweetsweetsugarjunkie@xanga

    I brush my teeth early. I HATE brushing my teeth (but I do! I'm not icky like that) so that helps keep me from sneaking ANY food because I don't want to have to go brush my teeth again.

  • papersmile@xanga

    Brush your teeth right after dinner; this will help resist your temptation for a late night snack because you'll be too lazy to re-brush. 

  • imyourstargirl@xanga

    Sit down and eat proper meals, and take a big sip of water between each bite. It'll fill you up faster. If you snack late at night, change what snacks you eat. And someone mentioned this in a previous comment but brushing your teeth helps - not only cos it ensures that you won't eat anything but it makes everything taste pretty icky. It's even a trick Carmen Electra uses!

  • arenfro@xanga

    Try to regulate your schedule--set mealtimes at the same time, have a designated bedtime, brush your teeth, and then go to bed.  The later you stay up, the more tempted you'll be (speaking from personal experience this summer).  I've also been told to chew a 0 calorie gum, which really does seem to work as well.

  • galadrielspitcher@xanga

    i'm having the same problem with night time eating! but when i wasn't eating at night the thing that really helped was drinking water, and lots of it! drinking water at night will keep you busy such that you feel like you're eating even though you're not. and you'll feel a little fuller too.

  • tastytimmm@xanga

    Eat slower. Smaller, but more frequent meals (every 2-3 hours). Walk more places instead of driving. Or bike! I love biking lol Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator... Fiber is filling. I think studies have shown that higher fiber diets induce fat loss and lower cholesterol too :) that's all i got for now.

  • arcinnn@xanga

    i was having the problem with late night snack as well, my way to deal with it is make myself busy at night and go to bed early. going to bed is good for your health anyways and to keep myself busy i read or chat with friends on the phone. :D

  • gracefulmelody@xanga

    Eat a lollipop. It keeps you occupied when you are doing something so you don't go grap something from the cupboard to eat.

  • datchgym@xanga

    baby, im having the same problems as you have right now, in fact, i was just going to email a friend about it when i read this. but i know how to tackle the night-eating: every time you feel like grabbing for a snack, ask yourself why you want it- are you hungry? if you're hungry, drink water. then ask yourself again if you're hungry. if you say yes a second time, eat a fruit. eat nothing but fruit at night, in fact, it's the safest thing to have. if you cant be bothered with that, just go to sleep. when you wake up, you'll be fine.

  • WaterfallPhilosophies@xanga
  • n_breezy@xanga

    it took me quite a while to get into the habit of eating before 7pm, and nowadays i sometimes find myself eating before 5 or 6. you just have to slowly get into it. for example, if you don't want to eat late at night then make sure you have a glass of milk to fill you up so you don't snack. 

  • whyareyouweighting

    You identify as a "chubby" person, meaning your programming (aka conditioning) is one of a chubby person. In order to get and keep the weight off you must change your programming, and see yourself as slim long before the scales show you as slim. The brain directs everything we do, including our weight. Read a great book called "Why Are You Weighting? It's Not The Food That's Making You Fat!" which you can get at WhyAreYouWeighting.com  It helped me not only lose the weight, but keep it off permanently....who wants to have to keep re-losing the same pounds?


    You can do this, and it will be easy once you change your programming.


  • LadyofIlluminati@xanga

    I try not to eat past 7. So to avoid late night (730ish to bedtime at 10) snacking I drink water and brush and floss. I wear braces so flossing is a pain in a half.

    Trying on clothes and seeing the "new lower sizes" I can fit in a sense PROVES it to myself. I "guilt trip" myself from not eating late.

  • choosingausernameishard@xanga

    i used to be a binge-eater, and my binge-eating took place mostly at night.
    1) do some mental assessment. why exactly are you reaching for a snack late at night? are you hungry? bored? stressed? journaling really helps with weight loss.
    2) KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU EAT. i can't stress this enough. i track my intake on a website called www.sparkpeople.com, and it's AMAZING because it tells me how many cals to eat for weight loss, carbs, protein, fat, sodium, etc., and it calculates what percentage of my cals come from carbs, fat, and protein. it keeps me accountable for eating the right amount of each of those food groups, and for eating the right amount in general.
    3) it's ok to have a late night snack! just save some cals for a light nighttime snack. that's what i do. don't go for ice cream or something...maybe once a week if you have to. idk about you, but for me eating a serving of ice cream is kinda torture cuz i wanna eat the whole carton haha. plus refined sugar makes you crave more refined sugar. for snacks, i go for 100-cal popcorn, crackers with laughing cow cheese, fruit sometimes with whipped cream, etc.
    4) you say you're losing your drive to lose the pounds...you don't just need that drive NOW; you WILL need it after you lose the pounds or you will gain it back. maintenance is no cake walk. so view what you're doing as a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. idk what you're doing to lose the pounds, but make sure you can stick to it! i hope that you've used healthy means.
    5) like others have mentioned drink water when you have a craving.
    6) just go to sleep!
    7) since you've lost your drive, create fitness-related goals! working towards them probably has more weight loss as a side effect. for example, i started a running program, and i feel accomplished EVERY time i finish one of the workouts! weight loss comes as a side effect because running is a very effective workout.

  • kiwi_greenie@xanga

    we often confuse thirst with hunger. instead of a snack ur craving at the moment, get a cup of tea or water....or make urself a smoothie (low fat milk, frozen fruits and low fat yoghurt make the best blend - NO ADDED SUGAR though).
    don't binge, cos even if u purge afterwards, u still retain some of the bad shit u took in.
    eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits, and avoid fried foods for the obvious reasons. protein helps too, cos it helps build muscle mass, and muscle mass helps speed up the metabolic rate resulting in weight loss.
    don't mix protein with carbs: meat with rice or potatoes is a no-no.
    combine cardio with strength workout, but don;t overdo it.
    GOOD LUCK! <3

  • waiszeblogs@xanga

    I have the same problem.  I lost 40lbs and have been plateauing for the last 6 months.  I've been trying to lose my last 10lbs.  It's been difficult but I started weight training and it seems to help a bit.  I also like to eat at night too.  I haven't learned how to avoid eating late at night; but I do try to eat lower calorie snacks; like Skinny Cow ice cream, yogurt, fruit, tea, almond milk, etc.  Good luck!

  • xXCrystal_RaindropsXx@xanga

    I have the same problem. Tell me when you find out!

  • sarahkim88@xanga

    Go vegan! Plus, it was God's original diet
    for man... Whole grains/multigrain everything, veggies, fruits,
    soymilk, nuts, beans, etc. It's healthier for you and you don't build a
    lot of body fat quickly. Seriously...After changing my diet, I noticed
    that my body fat did not build up fat quickly(even if I didn't exercise for a
    week!). But of course, exercise 6 days a week. Your body needs one day
    of
    rest. Meals should be spread out about 5-6 hours apart. No snacking in
    between. I've tried the "eat small portions" every 2-3 hrs...nope,
    doesn't work for me. It is better to not snack on anything except
    water. Do your part on food and exercise and have faith. =]

  • mmmish@xanga

    WHEN I WANT TO EAT OUT OF BOREDOM OR HABIT  I ASK MYSELF IF I WANT CUCUMBERS OR CARROTS?.... AND IF I REJECT THOSE THEN I MUST NOT ACTUALLY BE HUNGRY. IF I ONLY WANT COOKIES, AND I REFUSE CUCUMBERS THEN I TAKE THIS REALITY CHECK CUE AND LEAVE THE KITCHEN AND GO DO SOMETHING ELSE. 

  • goehringalison@xanga

    When you were loosing the pounds, were you going to bed earlier than you are now since it's summertime? I started training for a half marathon and found that if i didn't go to bed before about 10:00pm, i started snacking and i wasn't reaching for the carrots and spinach salads...i was going after the popcorn, chips, and ice cream. So, if you answered yes to this question, this could be some of why you snack late at night and why you aren't loosing weight.  Your metabolism slows down at night b/c it assumes your body should be sleeping and not introducing more food into your body.


    When you wake up in the morning, your body should be hungry. If you are snacking late at night, i gaurantee you won't be very hungry in the morning; which makes you more likely to grab something unhealthy to snack on on your way to class or work. If you start out the day eating junk, you're more likely to feel ok about eating junk through out the day.


    So, not only does going to bed late effect your late night snack cravings, it also effects how you eat the following day. Try it both ways and see if there is any truth in what i have shared...i think you'll see there is :)

  • soniiuh@xanga

    Eat something every 3-4 hours and when you're eating dinner, drink water in between each bite. This will fill you up faster! Also, if you're REALLY craving a midnight snack, instead of junkfood, cut some fruits and eat it! That's what I do whenever I'm craving something sweet at night! 

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  • grindingOFteeth@xanga
    • From: grindingOFteeth@xanga
    • Name: grindingOFteeth
    • About Me: ignorance is bliss no wise woman's failed to mention and surely some koan suggests 'neglect leads to perfection' but the more I turn my face from the crowd the more I feel my backs' increasingly compelled for the sake of escape, to turn a knife on itself, a knife of relief, from all the petty insight and finally I'll sleep, I'll sleep through the night. bored as fuck with this street corner-cover. study of a face in a figure. surveying this language as a game surveilence of this language as the plague. the dimension of persistence condemns. this portrait of karma, crafted in accident text book seduction, minus the text in the language of ghosts and so we ran, like the wolves were biting, the inhibitions of their prey kept them from screaming scratch my back and I will stab you in yours so I chose to live this life alone, without the teeth marks but I predict, I'll have to sink my fangs in someone else's heart to heal my own.
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