I do really well until nightfall and then struggle

[Yahoo 53]

Any tips?

[summerseeker 2,274]

I don't know how far along you are. If you are really finding it hard to be without food in the evening then find things that fit your calorie limit.

I always have a snack in the early evening. I am helped by having GERD because I can not eat for 2 hours before bed. It depends on my calorie intake for the day - as to what I eat.

Sometimes its the remnants of my last meal that I could not manage earlier. If I am low on calories, I will have some blue cheese and fruit. If I am low on Protein, then its a protein yogurt or pudding.

There are always sugar free ice lollies in the freezer and small single serve packets of popcorn in the cupboard and melon in my fridge.

[Yahoo 53]

Thank you - for this and all of your responses on this forum - I have learned so much from you. It will be much easier to mitigate my cravings than to surpress them and then burst

[Arabesque 7,470]

Night time cravings are a challenge for many so you’re not alone in this. I can be pretty determined (pig headed some might say) so I manage my cravings differently. I don’t let them rule me. I use logic to manage them & have some habits I follow. I don’t eat after 8pm. I have my evening meal & then a Protein Bar about an hour later to boost my daily Protein intake. If I feel hungry after that I know it’s not real hunger because I’ve eaten recently & have eaten well all day. I remind myself, I don’t need to eat or need those extra calories & it’s not real hunger. That’s just what I do.

Of course we all weaken at times for many reasons. If I weaken I’ll have a little fruit or a few nuts. The important point @summerseeker raised was about not exceeding your daily calories if you do snack. I’m almost 4 years out & I do snack like the protein bar. They’re scheduled, add to my needed daily calories, protein, etc. intake but if I’m not hungry I won’t have them.

It isn’t easy to do all this in the beginning when you’re still learning about so many things & still working out what works for you like how you’re going to mange your food choices, eating habits, etc. now & in the future. Try some distraction techniques & drinking (like a warm drink) in the meantime. They can be helpful when head hunger hits. If you are allowed a snack during the day, maybe save it to have at night. Good luck however you chose to manage those night time cravings.

[pintsizedmallrat 473]

Budget for it. If you know you're likely to have a couple Snacks after dinner, make room for it earlier in the day with your calories/protein. Learn what your behaviors are and try to "outsmart" yourself.

Another thing that has helped me tremendously is to make my healthy snacks more convenient for myself than the unhealthy ones. These suggestions are obviously with the caveat that I don't know what stage of eating you're in, but this has worked for me. Cut up some veggies, make yourself some "snack boxes" for in the evening that are grab-and-go (maybe a Babybel Lite cheese and a handful of berries? Fresh mozzarella and Tomato skewers? olives and some sliced ham or turkey?).

If you like sweet stuff, I make "yogurt sundaes" sometimes which is basically what it sounds like: greek yogurt (I like Dannon Light and Fit), with a handful of berries and a small amount of sugar-free chocolate chips or cocoa nibs, maybe some nuts? (Whatever fits with your diet that you like). It makes it feel more fun to call it a sundae.