Hey all! I know there's a lot of talk on here about not snacking at night, but here's my question: is this mainly to prevent going over your calorie budget for the day or is it just generally a bad idea to have snacks at night? I'm a perpetual after-dinner snacker so I always leave a few hundred calories for the end of the day, but should I just try to eat more during to day to get in my 1400 calories and try not to eat after dinner? I appreciate your advice! Thanks!
This is simply my opinion and I have absolutely no scientific grounds for saying this but I don't see anything at all wrong with saving a few calories to snack at night. I try to save a LOT of calories for my evening meal/snack because I am a night eater. I try to make my calories healthy ones which means I don't generally do things like the 100 calorie snack packs, but I have been known to pop a 100-calorie bag of popcorn or eat a Skinny Cow ice cream treat in the evening. So I say that it's fine!
I think it is OK to have "a" planned snack in the evening. One snack, with calories figured out in advance.
I, too, have problems with stopping in the evening, so I really need to get rigorous with it. I'll have a serving of popcorn, or some blueberries and yogurt (blueberries are in season here), or a counted-out portion of almonds and chocolate chips--things like that. Sometimes I have to stay completely away from nuts and chocolate, though, because I lose control.
I try to keep the snack under 200 calories. I don't want to be too full when I go to bed.
I track my calories during the day, I don't plan them out in advance. Meaning, I'll eat breakfast, and then go calculate up the calories, eat a snack, then add those calories on. If I arrive at the end of the day and have some calories left, I'm more than happy to have a snack.
Last night I got home from shopping at 10:00pm and had a nice dish of fresh blackberries with cool whip on top, accompanied by one homemade ginger cookie. Yum! Total of 131 calories, bringing my count for the day to 1499, just where I want to be.
I've always had a snack in the evening. I'd be miserable if I didn't! I keep it to under 100 cals (or 200 if I have the room for it) and eat whatever it is with a cup of tea. Helps me eat slower and the tea fills me up a bit .
I like Popcorn, Apples, Yogurt, Veggies with Hummus, a lowcal wrap spread with laughing cow cheese, etc.
Not eating in the evening is not something I'd be able to maintain long term. I'd go crazy watching my hubby snack in front of the television!
I think the biggest risk of evening snacking is the full back of chips in front of the tv. I mean a lot of the articles I've read about not eating in the evening specifically talk about that. To me I haven't noticed a difference between when I eat at weight loss. The biggest thing to me is only to eat if I'm actually a little hungry and not just because "Oh I have to eat this because it's almost 9pm and I can't eat after that'
I read alot that eating at night causes our bodies to store more fat,or eating right before bed isn't good for weight loss. But the night time is my downfall and when I'm most likely to slip off my diet, so I have a snack under 200 calories after dinner, but make sure I have it a few hours before I go to bed. I also read carbs at night isn't good...so I also try to make my snack higher in protein and it helps keep me full at night... lowfat greek yogurt, lowfat ricotta cheese, wasa cracker with light spread of peanut butter and drizzle of honey, Quaker mini rice cakes, string cheese,.. and of course tea.
Last edited by ringmaster; 05-13-2009 at 02:15 PM.
Thank you all for the great responses! I'm pretty good about staying within my calorie budget for the day when I snack at night, but I think I need to switch from my 100 calorie pack cheetos to something a little more nutritious. But ya, giving up evening snacks would be way too hard to maintain so that's probably not the best option!
I'm a night snacker. I usually have apple slices with a bit of peanut butter. Or any type of fruit with a few tablespoons of low cal cool whip..mm. I eat a few hours before bed though. And if I'm still feeling hungry before bed, I drink a bottle of water. It usually ends the hunger feeling.
I read alot that eating at night causes our bodies to store more fat,or eating right before bed isn't good for weight loss. But the night time is my downfall and when I'm most likely to slip off my diet, so I have a snack under 200 calories after dinner, but make sure I have it a few hours before I go to bed.
Yes, this is my belief as well. I believe some people will say that eating before bed makes you more likely to store those calories as fat, but I also think that if anything, that's negligible.
I think it's similar to the people who want to quibble about the best time to exercise. Sure, it may be true that you have a metabolic boost from exercising in the morning compared to the evening (or whatever) but if you can't get up and exercise right away, does that mean you shouldn't do it at all? No, of course not! You exercise when you can!
After dinner snacks ok?
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