I work from home for a company on the West Coast, so I don't start my work day until 12pm, and I often don't go to bed until 3am and wake up around 10am the next morning. If I finish my final meal by 7pm, I'm up for another 8 hours.
Needless to say, the late night cravings really get me. What do you do to avoid cheating or wanting to scarf down a box of pasta?
I don't have your schedule but I can relate to having munchies at night. What has helped me is just to eat light during the day so I'll postpone my breakfast to as late as possible and then have egg whites with a bit of salsa. Then I try to keep it high protein, high fiber for the rest of the day and have the bulk of my calories for dinner and even after dinner. I hope that helps because I really feel for you. You can do it though! Try to have hot tea in between meals and if you know it's not time to eat, perhaps chew gum. Once you're done for the night, try brushing and flossing your teeth.
I have a pretty regular schedule, but evening munchies are my weakness. So I tend to eat less during the day so that I can eat a bit more in the evenings. One food I love that is healthy and often works to fulfil the sweet craving after dinner is semi-frozen grapes. Love them, but I prefer them not quite completely frozen but others swear by completely frozen.
I work swing shift and am a natural night owl, so my schedule is very similar to yours. Coffee/breakfast is around 11 am. Lunch is around 6:30 pm and is my main meal of the day as I can buy it in the cafeteria at work. Luckily they always have some healthy options. Dinner is after work around midnight. I don't sleep well and am usually up until 3-4 am. I also struggle with late night binge eating late at night. Due to my schedule, I can't really eliminate my midnight meal because I'm super hungry after work and can't sleep with a growley stomach.
One thing that has helped me with a little bit of control is to recognize that, within my schedule, this is an acceptable meal time and to treat it as an actual meal - not snack time. That means not sitting on the sofa eating cheetos, but real food. Try to plan ahead of time what food you are going to eat and stick with it. Make it easy by prepping the food ahead of time or choosing quick to prepare items. Sometimes my dinner is a P&B sandwich or a bowl of soup.
Good luck and remember to adapt your meals to YOUR schedule, not the rest of the world's schedule. I don't see a reason to make your cut-off 7pm if that is still part of your working day.
I really like eating at night, so I keep my calories very low during the day so that I can eat a substantial dinner.
I agree with this! Definitely plan a snack so aren't thinking "oh no I can't eat for x number of hours!" Is there a low cal drink you like? Keeping that nearby might help. Someone mentioned flossing/brushing your teeth once you're finished eating for the day....another idea along these lines is using white strips on your teeth! No calories and white teeth! Good luck and keep us posted!
I only eat during a specific windows. So when then Window is closed, the kitchen is closed. Also there is no reason to eat within the world's schedule. I eat dinner for breakfast if I eat breakfast
Planning is key I think because then you are in control. It's the mindless eating that gets out of control. I think of myself standing in front of the fridge with no plan, not even really hungry, just wanting to eat. I think the idea of the kitchen being closed is good too. The main floor is open concept so basically the kitchen, dining room and living room is one big room so I try not to be there at times when I know I am likely to eat mindlessly or I have tasks I try to keep busy with. Lastly I'll try to eat food that is less damaging than others...fruit or lately I've been eating beef jerky which seems more filling.
I have a weird schedule throughout the week myself. I adjust to later rating times and save calories for a snack before bed. I also keep life savers and hard carmel's around. Sometimes a hard candy will be enough. Or like someone said chewing gum.
Late Night Munchies
