4:00 slump! - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

sag123 · 01-18-2006, 08:50 AM

I have the worst time not eating around 4:00. THis is when I get home from teaching and have to take care of my 2 children (ages 3 and 1). I eat super well during the day and as soon as I get home I want to eat. I know part of it is out of habit, and part of it is some hunger. Yesterday I crushed a bunch of food (chocolate chips, cheese, coffee, snacked on what I was cooking for dinner). Well, after this happens I am fed up and since I have ruined my good efforts I eat bad for the rest of the day. How do I stop this insanity? I know I should find something else to do, but the fact of the matter is I have to cook dinner and my 1 year old is always hanging off my leg while I cook. Maybe it is stress or maybe I am destined to be fat.
What are you guys doing to help yourself be more sucessful during that time of day?
Thanks
Sonya

Ruthxxx · 01-18-2006, 08:59 AM

Can you have a pre-planned snack ready for the danger time? Veggies and dip? SF Jello? A glass of milk? That might help.

English_teacha · 01-18-2006, 12:12 PM

I have a similar problem-I get home from teaching and want to eat. Luckily, my husband is OK with having an early dinner most days. We often are eating supper around 4:30 or 5, unless I've had a late day at school. It could be that you're not actually hungry, but are tired at that time of day. Maybe you could take a quick walk or play outside with your kids for 15-30 minutes and see if that takes the edge off. If you're a teacher, you probably eat lunch early, and quickly, so maybe you truly are hungry. If that's the case, have something healthy-a piece of fruit or some veggies. I really like some low fat, all natural choc. chip granola bars I found at walmart. They're 100 calories, but I often eat only 1/2 of one to quell my need for munchies. Hope this helps! I can totally relate!

srmb60 · 01-18-2006, 01:27 PM

I've found that drinking a bottle of water in the car on the way home from work helps. Or maybe even a protein rich snack might help, or sugar-less gum?

Depalma · 01-18-2006, 10:20 PM

I have the worst time not eating around 4:00. THis is when I get home from teaching and have to take care of my 2 children (ages 3 and 1). I eat super well during the day and as soon as I get home I want to eat.

Hi Sonya. Can you tell us what you mean by "super well" ? What many dieters consider eating super well means eating very few calories. It may be possible that you are eating too little during the day and it is catching up to you here.

I know part of it is out of habit, and part of it is some hunger. Yesterday I crushed a bunch of food (chocolate chips, cheese, coffee, snacked on what I was cooking for dinner). Well, after this happens I am fed up and since I have ruined my good efforts I eat bad for the rest of the day.

If you have a momentary lapse in your food control, don't beat yourself up over it and let it lead to believing that since you "ruined your good efforts" you might as well throw away the rest of the day and start again tommorrow. Learn what you can from your momentary lapse and start again now.

This is a rough period of day for a lot of dieters. In fact much of what you wrote is very common. Dr Gullo writes about these very topics in "The Thin Commandments." I would recommend it highly. Also, as he writes in the book, often it is not you, it is the food to blame for these lapses.

I would combat these troubles by having a good breakfast and lunch and two healthy snacks by this time of day. In fact, 4PM is one of my preplanned snacks. Dr Gullo recommends a snack high in protein about 3PM.

MrsJim · 01-19-2006, 02:15 PM

Just summarizing what has been written previously.

I'm reading the same theme - which is what I would recommend - PLANNING AHEAD. You know the old saying "Failing to plan is planning to fail"?

You know what your problem is, you are aware of the situation - that you're starving hungry by 4 pm and gorge on whatever as a result, yes? Why not have a healthy PLANNED SNACK around that time - something that you can slip into your purse or have at the ready as soon as you get home that you can nosh on (along with a calorie-free beverage of your choice of course).

Also, having a crudite plate (cut up raw veggies I mean

) handy in the fridge to take out when preparing dinner - then when you feel the need to 'sample the cookery' you can just grab a carrot stick or something.

(Personally, I'd not keep the chocolate chips and things around the house, but I'm a DINK, and as my sister would say - "it's different when you have KIDS in the house!"

)

mauvaisroux · 01-20-2006, 04:23 PM

I had the same problem! By the time (5:30) I got home I was ravenous and snacking while cooking.

To try to combat this I have started drinking a v-8 or having a snack at work about 1/2 an hour before I leave. If I am hungry when I get home I have a 1 oz slice of cheese or some celery and that usually does the trick.

Dsquared · 03-26-2006, 08:36 PM

I too have that problem. I just finished off a bag of Beef jerky and a box of Junior Carmels and now I feel awful. I don't know what drives me to eat so much. I am doing so good on my diet that I have lost 15 pounds. but all of a sudden I feel like eating and then bam I have polished off every thing in the house. I need some serious help or I will begin putting more weight on than I am losing.

BeautifulIrony · 04-01-2006, 02:19 PM

Here at college our Caf opens at 4:30 so I eat dinner *really* early..and then I get hungry again at 8 or 9, so I know what you mean.

But for me I would drink a low cal smoothie (I just bought dannon light n fit and for only 70 calories each they are wonderful), or I would eat a banana.