[heshleman]

I've been trying REALLY hard to eat sensibly. During the day I will opt for an oatmeal breakfast which holds me over until the middle of the afternoon when I'll grab my organic dried fruit for snacks. Then comes dinner.

Dinner I will usually eat a proper portion (maybe a tiny bit more :P) and in a little bit I'll be hungry again. Instead of going for the good snacks (peaches, pomegranate or oranges in the fridge) I'll grab a second portion of left-overs. A little less than I ate for dinner, but still .. another portion!

I attempted to keep trak of my calories using a handy dandy app on my iphone. Between breakfast and late afternoon snacks I was at about 375. Then dinner rolled around and I ate 1350 calories in goulash! My target calories is around 1250.

Anyone have some snacks that will hold me over longer or even just flat out ideas of how to keep myself from bingeing so strongly? Right now, I'm sitting here feeling so disappointed in myself!

[Eliana]

My bad time is between work and dinner. I haven't found a solution yet!! I still fight it. But I have to power through.

I tried changing the time of dinner to an earlier hour. It doesn't work very well with the family, but if it did, that would work for me. I'd be perfectly find if I just ate dinner at 4:30. Maybe try for a later dinner?

Also, try front loading your calories. You're ravenous having eaten so little through the day. Try eating a bigger breakfast, a bigger lunch and more protein dense snacks, especially before dinner.

[Number8]

eat lunch.
you go from breakfast to supper with a bit of dried fruit.
It's no mystery why your starved at supper time. Even if your not hungry if you eat regularly though out the day you are less likely to be starving later.

[heshleman]

Thank you for the advice ladies!

To be honest, I'm not really hungry until dinner. Breakfast I opt for oatmeal (especially days I go to the gym) because it's small and filling. I've never been a breakfast eater. When I was in high school it was just way too early to eat anything.

I'll definitely try for bigger breakfasts. Any advice on a greater, fast breakfast? And protein filled snack ideas?

[Rana]

I agree that you're not eating enough. I know it seems strange to say to eat something if you're not feeling ravenous, but I think that you're going to the other extreme.

I know that when I have had a small meal or missed a snack, the next time I eat, I'm really hungry and even if I have a "sensible" portion that any other day would keep me full, I want MORE FOOD. It's like my mind/body is thinking that the famine if coming.

The only way that I can handle that is to eat at regular intervals and that stops me from overeating in the next meal.

Good snacks for me include cottage cheese (4% which tastes better), Greek yogurt, apples (and other fruit), nuts, hummus and pita chips, things like that.

Breakfast for me is high fiber, sometimes I'll eat eggs which keep me really full.

[Eliana]

Originally Posted by heshleman

Thank you for the advice ladies!

To be honest, I'm not really hungry until dinner. Breakfast I opt for oatmeal (especially days I go to the gym) because it's small and filling. I've never been a breakfast eater. When I was in high school it was just way too early to eat anything.

I'll definitely try for bigger breakfasts. Any advice on a greater, fast breakfast? And protein filled snack ideas?

I am still not a breakfast person. I'm bad about eating breakfast on the weekends. Today for instance...I skipped it. BUT, I know I should and I know why I should. I know that eating too little during the day makes me white knuckle it in the evenings and I don't like that. You know how they say if you're thirsty it's actually too late, you're already dehydrated. I think it's the same with hunger for some of us. By the time you're hungry, it's too late.

What if someone told you front loading your calories would help you lose weight? What if someone told you that you have a better chance at burning off those calories through the day because you're active? If you get 3/4 of your calories in the evening, all you are doing to burn them off is sit on the couch and then sleep. By getting 3/4 of your calories earlier in the day you are running all over the place being active and burning off those calories.

Just like you add exercise because it's good for you or just like you limit calories to help lose weight, you might want to reconsider when in your day you consume those calories. You can retrain your body to accept calories during the day. You know what's good for your body, so treat it like a child and do what's good for it.

Ideas for breakfast? Gee, I can talk a big talk, but like I said, I am a bit like you. I get by on one egg and a piece of toast or FiberOne with berries or a yogurt with FiberOne. Not big, I know. Perhaps a little heeding of my own advice.

[QuilterInVA]

Eating so little early in the day only leads to night time eating. Spread your calories out and use about half for breakfast and lunch and the remainder for dinner and snacks. Dried fruit will never fill you up or satisfy you for long. Protein the thing that keeps us satisfied the longest.

[Stay Puft]

Add me to the chorus about eating lunch. It really could help. But in the interest of full disclosure I have to add that whether or not I eat well during the day I get ravenous around dinner time and onto the early evening hours. I think for me it must just be mental, like I'm one of Pavlov's dogs.

So one of the first rules I made for myself was "No Seconds." I'd fix my plate, then pack up the rest right away before eating. I often eat the leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day. If I love the food at dinner, I just remind myself that I get to have some more tomorrow. I haven't had a second helping in over 2 years and I used to be the second helping queen.

Another thing you could try is having a bowl of soup before dinner. Studies have shown people eat fewer calories (soup included) if they start their meals with soup.

Don't be disappointed in yourself. We're all just guinea pigs trying to find what works for us. Progress always comes after trying something new after finding something else doesn't work.