It’s been over 2 years since I first discovered IF. I’ve been a huge fan ever since and even lost 10kg with 18:6 (last meal at 6pm) and a bit of OMAD too. I went from 97kg to 87kg in less than 6 months. I never had a problem with cheating or eating outside my window ever.
Fast forward to mid 2021, I started gaining the weight back :( I started sneaking into my kitchen at around 11pm- to get a “snack”. Mostly toasted bread, bagels, hot chocolate, peanut butter or even a whole sandwich etc. It became a bad habit I could no longer control. And ever since, I have failed to fight the cravings that usually hit me like a truck and spike around the same exact time everyday.
I really need to get back to losing weight with IF. I gained way too much weight now I’m having troubles. help :(
Why not shift your eating window and plan a meal later in the day?
This is what I had to do to eliminate the late night snacking. I just factored a small meal late at night into my calorie count. This way it didn’t get out of control but was deliberate instead.
I picked up keto last week and sometimes I wake up ravenous or it hits me when I go to sleep. It suuucks but you can not go into the kitchen nmw. Be firm. Go to bed a bit earlier bc then you’ll be in bed when the hunger hits, and only undisciplined doofuses get out of bed to eat and you’re not an undisciplined doofus, now are you?**
** some people need to really yell at themselves to get things done. It’s ok to tell yourself ‘well, tough luck. Kitchen is tomorrow get used to it’ if it works. Ymmv. Hang in there!
This was me, as soon as the craving hit I’d be lying in bed thinking about what snacks were in the cupboards. It didn’t matter that I ate that day or if dinner was later, I’d want to snack.
What helped me was a fasting app.I know it sounds strange but for me, once I’ve made that choice not to eat and I’ve started that timer for 16 or 18 hrs I do not restart or stop.
The earlier I stop eating in the evening, the earlier I’ll be able to eat the next day.
I tell myself.. If you want to eat lunch at a normal time, you need to start the timer now.
This logic works the other way too, if I start the timer straight after dinner at 6.30pm I have the scope to really stretch out my fast to 20+ hrs and I’ll still be able to have ‘lunch’ in the early afternoon.
The evening is where the groundwork for the next day is really laid.
I second a hot cup of tea, and try to go to bed earlier. Or shift your eating window so you end your last meal later. Also make sure you get enough protein and fats in your meal to help combat cravings. It’s a habit right now so it will take willpower to break. If you can shift the habit to “now body I will have a nice cup of tea to relax before bed,” and know that you can eat tomorrow but right now the kitchen is closed. Also brushing my teeth always helps me because I don’t want to have to do that again. Good luck! You can do it! Once you shift the habit you won’t get hungry at that time.
Try eating a little more for dinner. Drink water after dinner to stay full.I do a quart of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar nightly after dinner, which supposedly helps balance blood sugars (which probably also helps reduce cravings).
Take melatonin gummies with your last meal. That way, you can sleep through the night. I practice OMAD. I take melatonin every night, after my meal. I sleep straight through the night and wake up refreshed. I don’t sleep “like a log”. If my daughter is up and moving around, I can hear her. So, I don’t worry about something going wrong and being in too deep of sleep to react. However, if there’s no disturbance, I rest very well. Try it.
This is me, most of the time. What helps me is when I really put attention to how I feel in the mornings.
When I have that 11pm “snack” I’m much hungrier the next morning, and it makes reaching even a reasonable daily fasting goal much more difficult due to increased cravings. I have to keep reminding myself of that when I feel the late night snack urge. It’s not hunger, it’s craving. It’s habitual. If hunger relates at all, it’s my body about to start switching fuel sources and calling out for carbs one last time.
Also going to bed earlier has helped!
I have the same problem tbh. What’s helping me is having a cup of tea or coffee, going to bed earlier. Admittedly yesterday even I still felt hungry bc I hadn’t eaten enough within my intended window, so I decided to eat what I was craving but I made sure to put it in a small bowl, limited my portion, and put away the food before I started eating
My biggest problems were eating by the fridge or the pantry. Making the snack meaningful by sitting down to enjoy it and limiting the portion may cut down on the binging
I’m a night eater and what works for me is shifting my window to end at 8pm. Also i really try to only have 2 big meals. Not wasting calories on snacks. But since I’m splitting my whole daily calories between two meals they’re super big and filling. It’s helped me a lot.
No joke I smoke some weed sometimes. Everyone says it gives you cravings, but I’ve never had them (as long as I don’t like have a bag of chips next to me). It’s a nice little ritual.
I second the idea of tea though, if weed isn’t your thing. You can treat yourself to different types of herbal tea. You definitely could shift your window, but for me (an evening snacker myself), my window of like 11-6ish works well. So it just took a few days of having my body adjust to no evening snacking. You also want to make sure your last meal is filling! Add some protein in there if you don’t already have it.