Hi there, Colleen!
This became so much of a problem for me that I actually made signs and posted them all over the house which say, "Cheryl! You did GREAT on your diet and exercise today!
DON'T BLOW IT BY EATING STUFF YOU DON'T NEED!"
Also, awhile ago I watched an Oprah show, and she mentioned that she eats NOTHING after 7:30PM- "...not even a grape!" The reason for that is that her trainer, Bob Greene, had told her that the body begins to slow itself down around then. If you eat, the body doesn't use the food...it STORES IT! Yup! STORES it! And we all know WHERE our bodies have STORED much of what we have been eating as we "relax" ourselves with food!!! After hearing that, it made SO MUCH sense to me that I vowed to follow her pattern. I have a cup of tea or as much water as I want, but NO FOOD after 7:30PM!
When I need to relax after a busy day I do whatever I want (read, watch TV, talk on the phone, exercise AS I watch TV, etc.), but I DON'T eat..."not even a grape!"
Believe me, it is MUCH easier because you don't have to CHOOSE what is good to eat and then get sabotaged by all kinds of stuff that just seems to jump in your hand without warning! You just DON'T eat anything.
Bob Greene explained that the grumbling sounds that you will hear during the first few weeks are your body getting used to the new plan AND your body burning fat. I don't really completely understand this process, but I CAN tell you that it definitely is one way to feel better about all the effort that you put in each day! I have kept off the fifty pounds that I have lost, and I know that this one thing has been a big part of me being able to control that.
If the grumblies get bad, just drink more water! You may be up at night more often to pee, but water is good for you, and I figure that getting up at night gives me some extra exercise, right? Also, Brushing your teeth after 7:30PM helps say, "Body! We're done eating! Get over it!"
Good luck! Hope some of this helps!
Cheryl