over the last year i had lost 2 stone but gradually put nearly a stone back on.The problem is that all i think about is food,what is my next meal etc,but my main problem is night time eating.
I am in a fairly basic routine at work I have set breaks and do eat healthily through that.I have something like all bran and sultanas for breakfast,wholemeal sandwich(sarnie english word for it) and low fat crisps for lunch,and a healthy tea,but then the food demons take over at night and even less than an hour after tea i can start eating as much as possible.
I know while i am eating it that it is wrong but cannot seem to stop myself.Then of course i go to bed feeling so guilty,get up the next morning with good intention but then we go in full circle all over again.
I really do not want to put any more back on again,and need some sensible advice as to how to break this vicious circle i seemed to have entered,but really do not know where to start.
All i can think about is people saying "told you you wouldn't do it!!!" and you would think that would be incentive enough but it seems not.
Help me please,anyone who is/has been in this situation i would be willing to do anything to get out and start losing weight again.
Thank you in advance
Catherine

Hey! It sounds like you're not getting enough nutrition to me. Where's the protein? Are you vegetarian?

It could be that you're not eating enough during the day, so naturally you get hungrier as the day goes on. Try having more for breakfast and lunch, and plan what you'll have for supper on the basis of that. Be sure that you have some protein for each meal and snack/tea.

Just some thoughts!

Jay

In addition to what Jay said, know that you can lose weight and eat evening snacks, but it helps to plan in healthy snacks in advance!

I often like something sweet in the evening, like frozen grapes, or yogurt with frozen blueberries and a little granola sprinkled on top....

oh i do have protein.I have a healthy breakfast with 1 piece fruit a meat sarnie for lunch with at least 2 pieces of fruit and always have protein for tea,usually chicken or turkey,but bulk up on veggies rather than the carbs.I drink loads of water always have a pint pot beside me at all time and I am in a routine at work where my breaks are set,but my probs seem to be after i have eaten tea.I find that i am not hungry but just eat cos it is there,not sure how to break the cycle.I do try and keep myself busy at night but find something just triggers in my head and i get possessed with eating even though i am not even hungry.
Catherine

I am a major over eater in the evening as well. Most of my friends and family do not understand why I am so overweight because I'm something of a health nut and only eat healty foods. But I know why I'm obese it is because I could and have eatten everything in my fridge in one night. So how I lost my first 12 pounds was by loading the bottem drawer in my fridge with extra healthy good snacks like Heather suggested. Then I tell myself in the evenings I can eat everything in that drawer and most of the time I do. However every week I put less and less in there. Also I found if the food I put in there takes time to prepare I end up eating less just due to the time it takes to make it.

I don't know if this will be helpful for you, but maybe....

I had gotten into a routine to binge each week. There was a day each week that I justified binging on huge enormous quantities of food. I justified it because I was tired, stressed, hungry, etc. I knew it wasn't healthy and I kept "trying" to stop. Each week as I would drive to get my binge food of choice, I would argue with myself about it. But I always felt like the part of me that did not want to binge was not strong enough to fight the part of me that did.

The truth is that I really still did want that food and I allowed myself to make the decision to get the food and to binge on it. And then I would feel terrible and hate myself for being weak.

One day I challenged myself. I decided I would NOT participate in that behavior. I "found" myself driving to go get the food. Was I possessed? NO! I still wanted it and I was trying to justify it to myself. "Look, I'm going there anyway. It is automatic. I can't help it."

And that thought struck me as so ridiculous, I pulled over and parked and just sat for a few minutes.

I am a grown woman for crying out loud. My foot is on the gas pedal and I am steering the car. What the heck did I mean "I can't help it." Who is in charge here?

So I drove home. It was really hard. But it wasn't impossible. And after I took control that first time, it was easier the second time, and the third, and as with all things, the more I practiced, the easier it was.

You really are the one in charge. I know that some people have mental health issues that make stopping binging very difficult. If that is the case for you, I would advise professional counseling. But if you are not in that category, my suggestion would be to fight like heck to control it. Cause when you can do it once, you can do it again. And it is very liberating.

For me, it is about planning, and sticking to the plan. If I don't plan, then everything in the kitchen starts calling my name. Balance the protein throughout the day, and - since you know that you have trouble with nighttime snacking - plan snacks that take time to eat. Things that you can eat slowly, or have lots of pieces to them, and lots of volume - but few calories. Have those snacks readily available, so that you can grab them instead of something else.

Hold yourself accountable by using a food diary. And - remember - it is a process. Just because you eat one food off plan, it isn't an excuse to continue. Get right back at it - immediately.

You CAN do this!

I would say that I agree with Midwife's suggestion and that in order to be successful at that, try to focus your energy on something else. Go for a walk, do some other sort of exercise, read a book, do some crafts (this one is good if it can keep your hands too busy to eat)...anything other than what you're currently doing that allows you to focus on food. If you're like me, the more you think about it, the harder it is going to be to do, so try to think about something else.

I also have a magnet on my refrigerator that says "It's not in here" - it's a good reminder to me that if I'm about to eat for emotional reasons that there are more constructive ways to deal with whatever emotion I'm feeling at that moment.

Good luck getting past this - you can do it!

Are you making tea your last major meal of your day? Maybe you would be happier if you had a light, small snack/meal at tea, then a real dinner/supper including a good serving of protein a couple of hours later. This is easy enough to do and stay within your calorie limits for the day. And maybe it will help you to feel more satisfied and full, so you don't feel such an urge to snack at night. I often have a snack around 4:00, I call it my "crash snack". That is when my blood sugar seems to plummet and I am in the worst danger of going crazy and eating the house down. Then I am happy until I have dinner around six or so.

I agree with other posters who have suggested that you keep healthy, lo cal snacks prepared and ready for when you do get peckish. Crunching on celery or carrot sticks satisfies the urge to munch and practically burns as many calories as you are taking in. A bowl of popcorn is great for when you are watching TV or reading a book. If you want something sweet, a sugar free ice pop or fudge pop is yummy and at just 25 to 40 calories, won't wreck your day. Or your teeth. Cantaloupe is sweet, filling and at just 45 calories for 1/4 a melon, a very satisfying nosh, indeed.

i finish work at 3pm and i must admit i do have tea probably far too early.
I am going to try and say have crispbreads and low fat spreading cheese when i get in and have my tea around 5.30-6.00pm and then plan for a lo-fat snack around 8.00-8.30pm.
I am going to try that from tonight,OH not in yet and am going to wait till after 6pm for tea and see how it goes.I will let you know.
Thanks for all your comments
Catherine

I think you already got a plenty of good suggestions so I will limit my comments to what popped in my head when I read your toast:

- I have no idea what a sarnie is? (sorry for my ignorance)

- I know there is a difference between raisins and sultanas and I don't know if one is better than the other; but I recently read (in a fitness magazine) a recommendation to eat raisins as a snack or to add them to one's cereal; and then this morning I was flipping through an issue of Oxygen that declared raisins as low density food which does not do us any good. Go figure.

(sorry that I am no help at all)

Excellent post.