[TraceyElaine]

For the past couple of weeks I have been exercising pretty hardcore and loving it. I am quickly increasing my strength to where it was this past summer when I was working out alot. I am eating healthy 3 smaller meals and 2 healthy snacks. By day all is going according to plan and it feels amazing... but.

At night when the sun goes down and the kids are in bed it's like my brain turns off and my tummy takes over. I have been snacking (though it feels more like binging) on crap. Chips, dip, chocolate. EEERRRGGG! Then after it's like "what have you done". I can keep this flippin beast contained for a few days at a time but I realy need to get this under control. Why am I doing it? Just when I think I have it all figured out I don't.

I've done this before. It feels like I can't remember the trick. The key to stopping this late night binging. What was I doing differently? Why can't I get it this time? I feel ashamed and kind of dumb. Like I should know better so i should be doing better. But I'm not. I want it just as much as before...at least I feel like I do. I work so hard all day at this and then come night time it's like I throw it all away.

Sorr guys. Just letting off some steem. Not realy anyone I can talk to about this. My hubby just doesn't get it. Le sigh. Off to start another great day. Wish me luck in the moonlight.

[marigrace]

Tracey, I have had this issue also. It helped me a great deal to make breakfast carb free, and the rest of the day lower glycemic.When I started doing this, I found that I could have a snack, even a carby one at night without going into a feeding frenzie.

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by TraceyElaine

At night when the sun goes down and the kids are in bed it's like my brain turns off and my tummy takes over. I have been snacking (though it feels more like binging) on crap. Chips, dip, chocolate. EEERRRGGG! Then after it's like "what have you done". I can keep this flippin beast contained for a few days at a time but I realy need to get this under control. Why am I doing it? Just when I think I have it all figured out I don't.

I've done this before. It feels like I can't remember the trick. The key to stopping this late night binging. What was I doing differently? Why can't I get it this time? I feel ashamed and kind of dumb. Like I should know better so i should be doing better. But I'm not. I want it just as much as before...at least I feel like I do. I work so hard all day at this and then come night time it's like I throw it all away.

Ummm, why in the world is that "crap" as you called it in your home????? Why? You can't eat it if it's not there, right? So get it the heck out. It's benefiting NO ONE. Because there are no benefits to it. Because like you said it's CRAP. Helloooo it's called that for a reason.

Set yourself up for success! Get rid of the stuff. If that's impossible, and I don't know why it would be - put it under lock and key - it's not yours. It's not intended for you - it's not earmarked for you. You have a condition and you wouldn't dream of eating it. To do so would be ludicrous. Tell yourself this over and over and over again even if you don't believe it - eventually you'll KNOW it.

Save some calories, some healthy calories that is for the evening. Plan, plan and than plan some more. A veggie platter with salsa or a thinly sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon, a FF/SF yogurt partially frozen with 1/4 cup fiber one mixed in. A small bag of popcorn. A 25 calorie hot chocolate (swiss miss brand). A hot cup of tea. THEN DECLARE THE KITCHEN CLOSED at a certain time. MAKE IT OFF LIMITS. HAve your planned snack, plan in some activities to keep you occupied - read, write, journal, computer, TV, knit, sew, needlepoint, hot bath, manicure, straighten the house, clean the toilets, run in circles - something, anything to get you through. Go to sleep early. Make a vow, a pledge, a commitment, a something and stick to that sucker like glue. LIKE GLUE. Get past it just ONE time. Just one. You can do that. Than build on it. And before you know it, the night time munchies will be banished.

Push yourself. Work past the "discomfort". Elevate yourself. Reach. Stretch. Grow. AMAZE yourself. You have the ability to do this. Now get out there and do it.

[time2lose]

Tracy,
I have struggled with the same thing so I understand what you are going though. You can work your way through this! I agree with Robin, get the crap out of your house, if possible, and plan a healthy snack. There have been nights that I looked in the frig and the cabinets when the cravings hit and was saved because there was nothing available. Usually that craving would pass after a little while when I did not feed it.

Now about that "if possible".... My husband and grown sons were not willing to completely do without the crap even though they don't need it either. We worked together to get a solution. First, we established just a couple of items that I felt I could not deal with at all, Cheetos and Hersey's chocolate. If they have brought into the house, I don't know it as they could not eat them in front of me. For their other junk, I got each of them a small Rubbermaid container that you can not see though and labeled them with their names. They can buy whatever they want for these bins but they make the effort to refill them when I am not around. At first I was tempted to peak in their bins to see what they had but it would feel like getting into their stuff. Now, I have put those bins out of my mind and really don't even see them any more.

[Thighs Be Gone]

Good for you to be pinpointing your weakest link. It sounds to me like you know what to do. RR is so right in saying to get the crap out. I have even resorted to locking things up and having someone hide the key until I need the item -- like when making school lunches and need dried fruits or cereal for their snacks.

As far as the late night eating. I went cold turkey on it because I had to. It was my worst time of day. I would wait to put the kids and hubby to bed and then pile my plate high. Now I usually go to sleep with them--that way I am not up being tempted as I watch TV and surf. By getting more sleep I am reaping even more benefits. My immune system is stronger, I have more energy during the day and I feel like rolling out to get some exercise.

Glad you are here and glad you are figuring out how to improve your strategies. You can so whip this thing.

[kaplods]

I'm seriously considering the locked box idea. Hubby chooses to eat some foods that I can not. A few of them he shouldn't be eating either, but he's an adult and he gets to decide. Some of the items are healthy carbs that even though they're healthy, I can't eat in moderation. I have "just-one-more-itis."

Sometimes it's harder for me to control the "healthy" carbs, because I find myself justifying the snack "it's healthy - it's better than that small package of m&m's sitting over there."

Maybe a locked box in the pantry would be a solution.

I know just a little inconvenience can keep me from binging. I have no problem with portion control for ice cream in half gallon or more containers (I'm too likely to consider a pint a "serving size"), but individual frozen treats like ice cream bars are riskier - too easy to just grab another bar.

I know white knuckled willpower is sometimes necessary, but if you can find ways to make good choices easier, and unwise choices harder - it frees up a lot of energy for other things.

[Michelle98272]

Great tips! I'd like to add another, brush and floss your teeth when you decide it is time to signal your brain to STOP EATING! I find that really yucky tasting Listerine really helps this. It makes my mouth taste like medicine which I seem to correlate with clean which correlates with "don't get your teeth dirty again tonight." Plus, I'm lazy, I don't want to brush my teeth twice so it really helps. So does cleaning the kitchen and turning off the lights signaling that the "kitchen is closed".

Drinking hot chamomile tea at bedtime is my new "snack". It's hot and sweet (Splenda) and fills my tummy plus it makes me sleepy cause I use two tea bags to help with my insomnia.

I hope some of these posts help. I hate the out of control "what the **** am I thinking?" feeling that feels conquered most times. It's scary to feel out of control, it leads me to worry that I'm might slip completely and chuck it all.

You won't slip and chuck it all. Make a commitment like Robin said, to just get through tonight. You can do it!!

[ladyrider72472]

I agree with Robin and the others. Make it a rule... "I don't eat X". If you cannot keep that item under control. I have to do that with my trigger foods (mostly unhealthy carbs). Unfortunately, if I cannot control them.... they are out of there (my life).....

I also drink apple cinnamon tea at night like Michelle suggested.... just to calm down the sweet craving.

Tammy

[TraceyElaine]

My hubby is a recovering alcaholic and, though he also is trying to eat better and works out everyday, at night he craves snacks and that's something that just is for now. As for me i have no excuses. You are all right I just need to tough out the discomfort. It will pass. And I think the healthy but satisfying snack followed by teeth cleaning might help. I think I used to have yogert and strawberries at night and the brush right after. Funny how I only now recal that. It was less than a year ago.

Anyway it's just after supper and I am 1500 cal spot on. No junk in the house at all. And Fat free 60 cal frozen yogert treats in the freezer if need be. I plan to head to bed early as I have been staying up late and that is likely not helping. And teeth cleaning after my treat. Oh and if I have not had my treat by 9pm then too bad so sad it's too late & too close to bed time.

I think I'll go for a little strole once I digest my supper to. Make me extra tired. Burn off a few extra cals.

I can do this. And I can do it long term. I just have to keep on my toes and set myself up to succeed. It's a plan. Night all.

[Michelle98272]

Originally Posted by TraceyElaine

My hubby is a recovering alcaholic and, though he also is trying to eat better and works out everyday, at night he craves snacks and that's something that just is for now.

I just had a thought, if your husband is a recovering alcoholic, did you keep alcohol in the house or drink in front of him when he first trying to make changes? I think for me the over eating could be equated to being an alcoholic or a drug addict. I know we can't expect others to change just because we are trying to get healthy but it sure would be super wonderful if your husband didn't need to have crap in the house while you are trying to make changes. Just a thought.

We keep crap in our house because dbf isn't on a diet. He likes chips, cookies, chocolate. I'm pretty good about just ignoring it. If it became an issue for me and I couldn't keep it in the house, I'd hope he'd be supportive enough to not eat it in front of me.

[TraceyElaine]

So hubby is onboard. No junk in the house, no "i want something. get me some smarties and chips please". We are both going to try to cut out the crap! Last night I ate my meals. I had a 60cal FF treat at about 7:30 and that was it. Mind you I was uber cranky and didn't get to bed by 10pm like I planned. But no one died and the irritability will pass. I think hubby doing this with me is going to make a big difference for me.

At one point I thought I wasn't goin to make it. I thought I would slip and run to the store. But I didn't. So yay for 1 day totaly on plan!

[BeachBreeze2010]

Robin, your pep talks are so amazing and usually bring a tear to my eye! Thank you!

Tracey, your story reminded me of the infamous Chili-Cheese Fritos. I hate them. I think they stink and they don't taste good. DH loves them. They make his breath smelly and drive me nuts, but when he wants junk I let him buy all he wants. I have no temptation whatsoever for them. YUK!

Surely there are some snack foods like that for you and DH. Also, I have found that simply thinking about foods in different ways changes my perceptions of them. Yuk, I don't want those chips - they are so greasy and will make my stomach feel heavy. Eww, I don't want those cookies because the sugar will wear off and leave me feeling mopey. That pizza looks like a stomach-ache on a plate - all the grease and heaviness. I truly believe it's all mental. Catch yourself during the "me-wanties" and re-frame your perceptions. I definitely agree with the others - even if you have to have the junk in the house that belongs to others, make it hard to reach and get to and always, always have healthy snacks available for you that are very easy to get to.

[saef]

Another thing to look at: How do you spend your evenings?

I find it easier to eat if I'm watching TV. It's far less easy for me to eat if I'm going for a walk, taking a bath, visiting this Web site, cleaning up, or off in a room distant from the kitchen, reading. I know this sounds radical, but cutting down on my TV time always, always helps me control my appetite.

I know that decompression time is my most dangerous time for overeating, because I get into the mentality of deservedness. I'm tired, I deserve to chill out, and therefore, I deserve to eat ______.

Thing is, do I really? Do I really **deserve** this kind of food?

No, I deserve to decompess with a cup of hot tea & some other way of being nice to myself other than putting things in my mouth. And yeah, a decent bed-time is also something that too many people deprive themselves of. Even more often than they deprive themselves of decent, healthy food. Getting enough sleep is also part of treating your body well.

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by saef

Another thing to look at: How do you spend your evenings?

I find it easier to eat if I'm watching TV. It's far less easy for me to eat if I'm going for a walk, taking a bath, visiting this Web site, cleaning up, or off in a room distant from the kitchen, reading. I know this sounds radical, but cutting down on my TV time always, always helps me control my appetite.

I know that decompression time is my most dangerous time for overeating, because I get into the mentality of deservedness. I'm tired, I deserve to chill out, and therefore, I deserve to eat ______.

Thing is, do I really? Do I really **deserve** this kind of food?

No, I deserve to decompess with a cup of hot tea & some other way of being nice to myself other than putting things in my mouth. And yeah, a decent bed-time is also something that too many people deprive themselves of. Even more often than they deprive themselves of decent, healthy food. Getting enough sleep is also part of treating your body well.

Super. Duper. Spot. On. (as always saef)

Robin, your pep talks are so amazing and usually bring a tear to my eye! Thank you!

BeachBreeze that is so kind of you to say. Thank YOU times a million.