[Beverlyjoy]

For months now I've planned my food and mostly stayed with my plan. I am very grateful for my weightloss. But, at the end of the day - when it's time to stop eating, I get a little bit sad. A friend mentioned this is the same for her too. Do you ever feel that way? Will that ever go away? I really have a hard time being "done for the day" with food. What about you? How goes it for you when you know it's time to stop eating for the day?

[FakeFrowns]

I always have a nice warm drink after i stop eating for the day, it's just sort of come part of my routine, not only does it signal its time to forget about eating but it makes me sleepy in the evenings so i tend to go to bed earlier than i used to so i get my 8 hours ! Its nice to have a nice hot cup of green tea (strange i get sleepy as it is packed with caffine!) or options hot chocolate at the end of a hard days calorie counting! I do also get a little sad but i know theres always tomorow for eating!
Bye

[shrinkinglizzy]

i'm with deathcab -- tea at the end of the day is a great way to shut down. I'm a big fan of Trader Joes Bedtime Tea -- puts me OUT!!

[Lovely]

Beverly - Thank goodness for 3FC. I swear you posting this was wonderful timing. This isn't about the end of the day, but about the end of certain ways for me. I was just thinking about how a long time ago my girlfriends & I would get a bunch of junk foods and snacks together for a Friday or Saturday night and just pig out and watch TV & movies. I got sad now thinking about it. Not only sad for all the calories I wasted away... but sad for how I know I can never do that again. A sort of mourning for food.

There are days when I'm done eating dinner at 7 or 8 o'clock and my points are nicely gone for the day... and I have a brief moment of panic as if "Oh gosh... what if I get really hungry?" And then I feel silly, because I know that I'm not going to be starving when I'm going to bed in two to three hours. But there's still that panic/sadness some nights, definitely.

[jordan]

Could you possibly plan to have something later at night or right before bed? How about scheduling a few almonds for 30 minutes before bed? That way you won't ever have to feel like you are cutting yourself off from food for the day. It would be a shame to feel sad everynight forever.

[fiberlover]

There are those times I really miss the late night food runs DH and I used to have. Going out to Denny's or Perkins for appetizers or pie at midnight. Or hitting IHOP just because we wanted to go out, not even because we were hungry (not that that stopped me from eating!).

I love my new body more than I love doing those things, so the trade off is good, but I do get a bit nostalgic about it.

I do have an evening snack though. About 2.5 hours after dinner, I have a 100-150 calorie snack. That is when I am done eating for the day. I couldn't stop at dinner, as we eat around 5:30 and I would never make it until the next morning!

[JayEll]

I think feeling sad like that is a sign that food has taken on way too much importance in one's life. Maybe as eating normalizes, that feeling will go away.

Imagine that you're someone who brushes their teeth after every meal, and the last time you brush them for the day you feel sad because you won't get to brush them again... that might seems just a little strange?

So it's just an indicator of what food means... I've experienced it, too... because for me, munching in the evening has gone along with relaxing, enjoying, feeling better. I still plan a snack for the evening for this reason, but now it's a snack that fits with my daily calories.

Jay

[Beverlyjoy]

Thank you all for your thoughts, good wishes and comments. They have been very helpful. I always have healthy cereal, fruit and milk around 8pm. Perhaps, some lovely tea too, before bed will help with my feelings. Thanks, again friends.

[Circebee]

Beverlyjoy,
I'm another one who loves tea before bedtime- and I make it a super treat! I brew Starbucks Wild Sweet Orange tea with a splash of Vanilla Splenda Syrup! It's like drinking a creamcicle, but less sweet. It serves as a calorie-free way to always "still have something" left for the end of the night. This technique has helped with my own feelings of "Aw, that's the end?" that you are describing. Good luck, and know that the great feelings that come with feeling healthy are worth that little mourning at the end of the day- and it gets less intense as time goes on (for me, anyway)!