Confessions of a Late Night Snacker

I have always struggled with snacking in the evenings. I can do great all day with confidence and no temptation and then blow it after dinner. I had been doing better for a while but lately the old habits are creeping back in. I am hoping that by talking about it and sharing what I am going through, it will be easier to stop the behavior.

Logically I know that eating doesn’t fix anything but obviously old habits die hard. I’m not really sure why the past couple weeks have been so hard, but I am sure that I don’t need to be eating after dinner like I have been. I have 3-4 hours after dinner before bedtime. There is no reason I need to eat. Just about the time I might start getting hungry, it should be time for bed. I don’t need energy from food to go to sleep!

Snack Attack 30 Day Challenge

I am starting a 30 day challenge for myself TODAY!  And as soon as I decided to do this, the sabotaging thoughts started.

Should I wait until Monday?
Should I wait until tomorrow when my new week with Weight Watchers starts?
Should I wait until after the holiday?

NO! I shouldn’t wait for ANY reason. If I waited, it would be giving myself permission to keep overeating. It would be like saying I need to live it up before I start restricting myself. The reality is that this isn’t about restriction. This is about getting back to a normal routine. Snacking at night should be the exception, not the rule!

Challenge Details:

• Only one PLANNED snack after dinner
• No eating in front of the TV
• Journal daily (privately or in FaceBook group) about feelings related to snacking

I will post a weekly recap of my daily thoughts from my journal. I hope that by opening myself up, you will also be inspired to work on something that is a real struggle for you. It is scary and somewhat embarrassing for me to admit and share my feelings but it’s the only way to face it and be accountable to work through it! At the end of 30 days, the behavior should become a habit!

Day Zero

In my mind, day zero was the day I reached my breaking point. This is the night before I decided to start my Snack Attack 30 Day Challenge. I ate well all day. I had a sensible dinner, and I had a small dessert planned for the evening. I was satisfied and did not need to eat.

In the span of about 45 minutes, I probably ate 15 to 20 points while watching TV. This has always been the hardest area for me. If I am not careful, things can go downhill very quickly! I was reminded of that last night. You would think that once the show was over, I would have stopped snacking. Nope. I stood in the kitchen and ate another snack AND took a snack up to bed with me. I have never eaten in my bedroom until the past few months. I don’t know why that started but it is ending today.

The issue last night was stress and tiredness I’m sure. I was feeling stressed about getting something finished for my self-imposed deadline. I was tired from not getting enough sleep the night before, and I didn’t run after work like planned because I was so tired. I wasn’t consciously thinking about it, but I am sure I was feeling down on myself for not sticking to my running plan.

I truly just ate out of impulse and didn’t allow myself to think about it because I knew if I thought about it I would recognize that I shouldn’t be doing it. I guess I was using food as a comfort but it doesn’t work. I didn’t feel any better after I blew all those points on snacking.

It would have been better if I had curled up and cuddled with my husband, wrote in a journal, flipped through a magazine, or ANYTHING other than eating mindlessly! It’s like the eating takes my mind off whatever I’m worried about, but once I’m done eating the issue is still there and then I feel awful that I overate on top of everything else. It’s a vicious cycle.

My day one starts tonight!

Who’s with me? Do you struggle with late night snacking too? Join the challenge with me!! I am starting a private Facebook Group for us to share privately with each other during the challenge!