I know different meal plans/diet work different for different individuals and not trying to hawk any particular plan.... but here's what worked and continues to work for me....and I'm still below goal weight at 128 lbs. and maintaining. Oh...and quit smoking 2 months ago.
I used to get the worst compulsions for something sweet in the evening..and I could NOT fall asleep until I gave into it. And not only gave into it but gorged on lots more than one serving....just shoveled in half of a package of cookies, etc. The craving just screamed louder and louder in my head...and could not fight it.
The 2 things that helped immensely were:
1. A very low-carb diet. And
2. Never stuffed myself with really large portions (even of allowed foods).
And I swear, I had
no cravings. In fact, I never cheated. And I learned many really great info during that time...that I continue to use, especially the info from the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.
And I know that all of us think..."if we could just lose the weight, we know we could keep it off" but believe me, maintaining is no walk in the park, either.
This is why I decided that this time, it was going to be a permanent way-of-eating....and I truly learned the logic of it...and why I had to maintain a version of it even after I lost the weight.
deena