Hi and good morning!!
This is my very first post. I hope this is the right forum. I have about 11 lbs to lose. I was soooo close to getting there but then summer came along... along with all those little intitlements I thought I had. "I'll eat this because it is a family gathering" "I can have 8 because when will I get to eat roasted marshmellows in the winter?". That kind of thinking gave me 8 new pounds of winter padding. Ugh.

Does anyone else do great all day and then about 7pm want to eat the whole fridge? That's my downfall time. Night falls and so does my willpower.

Nice to be here!
Pia

Welcome Pia!
My worst time of the day is as soon as I get home from work (anywhere between 3 and 6 PM) and dinner time (usually 7 PM). I'm usually bored and will reach for anything I can see. I have to keep chips and crackers out of the pantry because they are too easy to simply grab a handful!
I had an off summer as well--I kind of maintained all summer by gaining and losing the same 2 or 3 pounds all summer. I'm back on track now.
Good luck to you and be sure to check out all the forums--you'll get a lot of useful information!

Oh yes ... I have to carefully plan evening snacks. Low fat cheese and veggies cut into nibble sized pieces work well. I also have a little bowl that holds 1/2 cup of cereal and I can only have one!

First of all, welcome!

You've definitely come to the right place.

I am exactly the same. I tried eating small amounts during the day, but no matter what, I would always cave at nighttime. To compensate, I keep my daytime eating to a minimal level, since I'll eat the same amount at night no matter what. Overall, my calories for the day will be in a reasonable range. Different people have different approaches to this phenomenon, and I'm sure you'll find what works for you.

Hi Pia!

I'm pretty new too. I also suffer from afternoon/after work munchies. Keeping snacks out of the house has helped me with that, but I find that I'm having a really hard time curbing me dessert cravings. Sweets are my weakness and after dinner I feel like I could kill for something sweet. Oh well. I've been good so far so I'm saving myself for a massive dessert pig-out when my boyfriend takes me out for my birthday dinner at the end of next month. Woohoo!

Welcome Pia and glad you're here. I also have to keep my eating low during the day because I can't control very well in the evening. Going to bed earlier helps me, too.

Thanks for the nice welcome! I'd forgotten how to get back here. Now it's all bookmarked.

I think I will try both going to bed earlier and eating most of my calorie intake in the evenings. I seem to do so much better when I move my day by about 2-3 hours and start breakfast at 10am. And I'm def. getting a 1/2 cup bowl! What a good idea.

Thanks for sharing tips!

My after dinner treat: ff sf hot cocoa w/a little extra milk. The sweet, chocolate (tho. a bit chemical) taste hits the spot--I take the mug upstairs and then tell myself there's no way I'll go back down--all the kitchen lights are off, dishwasher is already running and it's cold downstairs.

I just started doing this over the past week--got colder here at night and I needed a good way to transition into the evening.

So far, so good.

Elana I have to ask: what does "ff sf" mean? I don't know my acronyms yet!
I like the idea of having a routine cut off. I may borrow that idea!


Pia

ff= fat-free
sf= sugar free

I just had an awesome dinner--
leftover ww spagheti--I sauteed some minced garlic and pine nuts in olive oil, added 2 sun-dried tomatoes (in small pieces) and topped it with ff feta.

I felt very Mediterranean--almost like being on the coast of Greece (don't I wish). Anyway, it was good and very filling--one serving was fine for dinner and I am done eating for the night.

I used to be the same way, binging on everything sweet in sight after dinner. But now, I've trained myseft to only eat one dessert, and what helps is eating it while I'm still at the dinner table....instead of at another time slot during the night...it gives me less time to become hungry so I will not eat as much. After being in this habbit for about two weeks, I do not crave food as much at night. And I've found that if I do eat junk at night, I feel bloated in the morning.