I find low-fat hot chocolate is great after dinner. We have something called Options in the UK which is my favourite, it's about 37 calories a cup and it curbs the need for sweets. Skinny Cow makes hot chocolate, and I'm sure there are others too. Tea with a tsp of sugar generally helps as well.
I try to keep some calories after dinner so that I can have a snack if I want it - generally I do want it!
The key may be the word "snack" vs. "snacking." I allow myself a snack--in fact, it is scheduled into my calorie counting.
My snack must be already divided up into single servings --such as a WW brownie, a pudding cup, or a single serving ice cream. The key is that it cannot be anything where I am eating out of a larger container--that would evolve into snacking, which can get out of control.
Clove oil, or chewing on cinnamon tooth picks-- They have tea-tree toothpicks too. Yeah, I know toothpicks are not cool, but it totally takes over your taste-buds and messes up the flavor of anything you eat. When I was a child, we were very poor. I used to chew on (not eat) paper, and also suck on rocks. Sounds stupid but it works. Also, cans of seltzer water instead of soda, even diet soda which you know has bad artificial sugar in it.
I look forward to my evening snack, and in fact, it's almost a second mini dinner. I eat breakfast (7am), lunch (12pm), mid afternoon snack (2:30ish), dinner (5pm), and evening snack (before 7pm). No food goes in my mouth past 7pm, just water or tea.
Naturally, I plan the calories into my day. I have three small meals and two snacks that count as a meal. On a 1200cal day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be 300 cal each and then my two snacks will add up to 300cal.
But if I find myself wanting to munch, past 7pm or after I've eaten all my planned calories, I drink water, go for a walk, distract my brain with a silly online game or something. Eating for me is comforting and relaxing and fun, so when I feel the need to eat when I'm not truly hungry, I look for other things that comfort, relax, and entertain me. Taking a hot bath while reading a magazine, for example.
Wow! Good tips! Thank you so much, although I'm not going to be chewing paper or rocks anytime soon. I used to chew pine needles as a kid. I liked the taste.
Personally, I find any desire to munch after I've met my daily calories to be a sign of needing water. If after having a large glass of water and waiting a bit I still want something then I can have it, but, it has to be healthy
I also allow myself a snack after dinner but if I find that I'm in a snacky kind of mood I grab whatever book I'm reading and take a hot bath. Between being in the bathtub and having my hands occupied on the book it makes snacking really hard!
I have told the grapefruit story several times.(nothing but a grapefruit after dinner COMPLETELY peeled) You can do anything thats within your plan. I just CHOOSE to eat something that is going to take some effort so it takes me longer and it has worked so far. Not ONE bite of anything (cept gf)after dinner for bout four months. Trust me I USED to eat well over 1000 cal. after the kids went to bed EVERY night.
I made a rule for myself, no food after 8pm. Before that I could always find some rationalization as to why I should be allowed something, but now if I were to eat something its black and white, I'm cheating. Its all psychological, but it seems to work for me. Usually when I'm hungry that late its not really hunger, its just cravings, if that makes sense. Other than that, if I'm really tempted I sometimes will paint my nails...its very hard to snack when you're worried about ruining your polish! Plus by the time I'm done the craving has usually passed.
Tricks to avoid snacking after dinner?
