Hi, everyone!! I've found so much support in such a short time!! It's great to share what I am going through and learn that others are going through the same thing. It gives me "newinspiration" to work a little harder.

Anyone out there with a tendency to overeat when tired? I think it's my main eating trigger. I have a very go-go-go life--married, working mom of two girls (12 and 8--lots of talking going on there--if any of you are mothers of girls), going through perimenopause (I'm 47). I walk in the morning. I love my job, but it's a very active one--mentally and physically (I work in a teacher/parent school supply store), and sometimes I am just so tired at night!! If I am particularly achy or fatigued, I tend toward the crunchy stuff--crackers, salty or the animal type--right before bed. I know I crave the carbs and crunch as relaxers, but I'd really like to change that. I'm not into a nighttime bath, which lots of people find helpful in relaxing. I have at times turned to reading in bed, but it's not a consistent thing, and sometimes I eat the crackers while reading--not good. Anyone else who has dealt with that problem, and has any suggestions for me?

I too am rather busy, so I think I can relate. I work full time, have two kids (11 and 14 who are homeschooled), have two dogs, 7 snakes, 4 lizards, and a hedgehog! I'm 42, and following BFL which means working out 6 days a week, plus I'm trying to squeeze in pilates 3 times a week, too. Ah, and then there's the boyfriend. I also find that being overtired contributes to poor food choices. Mostly because when I'm that tired, I just don't have the energy to care about what's going in my mouth, I just want to eat and forget about it. What I've done is incorporate a few ideas from gals on this site, and use common sense. The first thing I did was get rid of all the illegal foods in the house. At first it was hard on the kids, but they have adapted beautifully, and are eating much healthier because of this decision. I then stocked the fridge with things I COULD snack on without a great deal of harm to my plan. I cut up broccoli, cauliflower, got baby carrots, and some fat free veggie dip. I also planned. Planned my meals, planned my workouts, planned everything. There are some yoga workouts that are specifically designed to relax rather than invigorate, you might want to try those out. http://www.collagevideo.com/ has a great selection, plus they add reviews and ratings to give you a good idea of what you're actually getting. If you don't want to pay their full price, you can read what they have to say then pop over to ebay or half.com and see if you can get it cheaper.

I also play really soothing nature music while I'm getting ready for bed, and use the time as I'm laying there listening but not asleep yet to do dan jon breathing or a little meditation. If all else fails, I read or go watch TV with a bowl of broccoli. (Shades of Miss Chris.) Another snack I use once in a great while if I'm truly desperate is the orville redenbacher's super light popcorn, what is it called... pop free? I can't remember. Anyway, they sell them in the single serving bags, even. Very low on calories. I pay the price in water retention for a few days because of the sodium, but sometimes it's just worth it.

I hope you find something that works for you!!

Hey There!

I am right there with you on the eating late at night... it is a very hard challenge for me. I can be so good during the day and them just blow it at night.

One Trick that I read about on binging at night is because we are so tired that we are trying to get energy out of our food. This article suggested laying down when you get home from work for just 20 minutes. It helps to calm the mind and get you to relax. At first it was really hard for me to do ( I have 2 teenagers 15 & 17 that are both very active and very mommy oriented.) I told them that this was time just for me and that I had to take it. It actually has helped alot. I set a timer turn on some soft music, do some deep breathing exercises and zone out for a little bit. It gives me the energy that I need for the rest of the day.

Also make sure that you drink your water for the day....

Thanks, RavenToy and Angel26519, for responding to my post. What you said caused me to start thinking about why I am doing what I do. I think to some degree I am looking for my energy from food. I think I also use food as a means of relaxing and destressing. I think for my whole life, food has had an emotionally comforting quality to it for me. I think I need to address this and seriously find other comforting habits and means of destressing after a long, hard day.

What you said, RavenToy, about getting rid of problem foods is something I would love to do, and what I did do when I was single; however, my husband likes his sweets, and I think he is too old to change. I have made several strides, however. My interest in sweet things has decreased over the years, so lots of times I don't even want what is there. I've also learned that a balanced diet makes me feel better, and junk makes me feel yukky. I hate feeling yukky, so I don't go for the junk so much. The one thing I did ban in our house, with some success, was potato chips in bags other than individual servings. If there is a bag open, I'll have some, but I won't open a single serve bag. Figure that one out, but it works for me. I also try not to keep ice cream in the house. I just can't handle it.

Thanks, ladies, for your input, suggestions, and support. I'll keep working with this one.

Just a quickie to put in my $0.02 -- the one behavioral thing that I've found more effective than anything else to try to stop eating for reasons other than hunger (and isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place?) is to put a ban on eating anywhere other than at the table when I'm alone, no reading, watching TV, listening to the radio, etc. So, that way, I don't use food as entertainment, and eating is removed from the "reflexive behavior" area. I have to think about what I'm doing because I don't just grab whatever whenever, but consciously sit down at the table to eat.

As several people have said, "OF COURSE it works! But who could do it?" Well, it is hard, but I really believe that if we can train ourselves to eat only to satisfy hunger, and to satisfy our other needs appropriately, we'll have this thing beat.

In the past, I've done a lot of eating to try to get my body into a moving gear. I've finally realized it's only a temporary fix. And try to do some deep breathing, drink some water or otherwise distract myself. I have learned to ignore lots of things that are in the house - candy, cake, cookies, chips. Dh has a need for many calories right now. The one thing I have left on my available plate is that I can have a half cup of a low fat ice cream each day if I want it. I'd probably be a bit thinner now without it but it gives me calcium, protein and a big treat. When I need to crunch, mostly I have salt free pretzels or occasionally some Kashi cereal. Or fruit or veggies. But sometimes it seems to need to be a carbo crunch and then it's the pretzels or Kashi.

Also do deepbreathing and meditation for relaxation. Helps but I usually end up taking a quickie nap so don't know if it's the sleep that's really helping.

I've really been dragging today and have been fighting an urge to pig out on something like chocolate which I'm not even that fond of. So that's a clue it's not a "hunger" that's for sure. Think I'll go find a book and tune out the world.

Thanks, Arabella and anagram, for your suggestions about what to do about overeating when tired. They really help me to look at myself. I am taking in the many suggestions I have received from different people. At this point, I am trying to be very conscious of my choices when I am tired, and I am trying to make better ones. I am still searching for a personal answer that is the right one for me to apply to this situation. I do feel that I am on the right track in facing the problem, and it means a lot to me that people are sharing their experiences with me.

newinspiration:try making healthy meals ahead and freezing them. get rid most of the danger foods. try cutting veggies and put them small portions for snacking later.

glen

The one thing I've found out lately from doing BFL is that by eating the six meals with balanced healthy carbs and protein is that I DON'T have fatigue binges at the end of the day. I make sure on most days to space the meals approximately three hours apart (usually 6 a.m., 9 a.m, noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m.). It is like a miracle to me that the binges caused by fatigue have by and large disappeared with this eating style. I TRY to stick with mostly good carbs and good quality protein and add vege (which I hate) and some oil. I'm a new woman most of the time because of this way of eating, which seems to keep my metabolism humming and my energy level and mood stable. (Although I do seem to be quite cranky today). But when I tried to have "free" days as specified in the program, I end up bingeing on candy and other evil stuff all day and at night even though the "free" day is Sunday and I've vowed not to work on Sunday anymore and am not tired.

I agree, Amarantha, that eating small meals frequently helps fight fatigue. What you said also made me think of something I do that may be causing me trouble. I start out my day eating a breakfast with both protein and carbohydrate for long-lasting energy. I usually have a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread. Then beginning at mid-morning at work, I eat small amounts periodically--planned things--till about 1 p.m. But then I eat NOTHING till about 5:30 p.m.!! I can't tell you how exhausted and starved I am when I get home from work. That is the time when the problems of eating while I am tired start. I wonder if the lack of food in the afternoon is contributing to my sense of fatigue. I do work hard, but would eating differently help me feel better and then not do damage in the evening?? You can bet that I am going to take something healthy to eat mid-afternoon when I go to work tomorrow. I wonder if it will make a difference? Thanks for your input.