Hi, I am Anna and I am looking for some help with accountability.
I do well with getting exercise. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week or walk for an hour. I have started trying to run, but I am not committed to it. My family and I eat incredibly healthy foods. My problem is portion control and late night snacking. I already have lost the majority of my weight, but I am having trouble in the evenings.
I start thinking about what I can eat IN PEACE once my kids are in bed. Despite best efforts, a lot of my meals are wolfed down. I try to slow down, but someone always needs something, or the baby is trying to climb onthe table or something. I end up eating way too quickly.
In the evenings, I like to have something that I can eat slowly and happily. This is in direct contradiction to the fact that I can lose weight fairly easily when I stop eating after 7.
My other issue is portion control. I cook our healthy foods with lots of flavor and lots or care. As a result, it is darn good stuff!! I start out with perfect portions, then I tend to go back for 'just a bite more' or two or three.
Other than that, I am a WAHM who writes for a living. Anyone who battles these issues or is willing to threaten me , I would love your input.
I have the same problem with late night snacking. It is just impossible for me to not eat after even 9.00 pm! I have read so many fitness magazines and books that I know it isn't when you eat it is HOW MUCH you eat. It's whether you go over your daily caloric needs in order to lose weight. What I try to do is eat less during the day ( I know it's hard when you cook a nice meal not to pig out on it) then you won't go over your caloric needs. Most diets suggest not going under 1200 and not going over 1500 calories a day to lose weight. You may want to eat a small portion at dinner time then go back and eat some left overs after the kids are in bed. I also find that using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate helps with my portion control. Also if you eat 5-6 small meals a day it will speed up your metabolism so you may not feel as hunger. Let me know if any of this helps.
Hello Anna (and Audrey); Portion control and late night snacking are also a problem for me. But, I am starting to get it under control. I have been a lifetime member of WW for over 15 years. I am back at it again due to the fact that each time I reach my goal, I tell myself that I will weigh in each month, but I don't. Then 2 lbs becomes 3, and 5 lbs becomes 15, and then I repeat the cycle. NOT ANYMORE!! I am committed this time, I have even expressed an interest in becoming a leader at WW.
What helped me this time, is that I read "Why French women don't get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. She talks about savoring every bite, taking your time(we all need to learn this), and admitting to yourself that if you keep eating, the second or third helping will not taste any better than those first few bites. They are the best of the meal. We all try to cook good, flavorful meals, but take time to take a deep breath, focus on the food and its delisious flavor. It is a hard thing to learn, but consider reading the book. It really helped me and I am 5 lbs away from my goal. This is not, for me, a diet. I have had to admit that it is a lifestyle change for me and I cannot continue this cycle any more.
Hope this helped a bit. It really is a simple thing, but we all get caught up in the rat race and everything seems so rushed, including meals. Take care and I hope to hear from you in future forums. Sylvia from NS
I have the same problem with late night snacking. It is just impossible for me to not eat after even 9.00 pm! I have read so many fitness magazines and books that I know it isn't when you eat it is HOW MUCH you eat. It's whether you go over your daily caloric needs in order to lose weight. What I try to do is eat less during the day ( I know it's hard when you cook a nice meal not to pig out on it) then you won't go over your caloric needs. Most diets suggest not going under 1200 and not going over 1500 calories a day to lose weight. You may want to eat a small portion at dinner time then go back and eat some left overs after the kids are in bed. I also find that using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate helps with my portion control. Also if you eat 5-6 small meals a day it will speed up your metabolism so you may not feel as hunger. Let me know if any of this helps.
Have you read You:On A Diet? They talk specifically about late night snacking because it interferes with your fat-burning that happens at night. You have to burn your glycogen stores before you burn fat, and that takes a long time. In addition, unlike food earlier in the day, it does not get burned off as quickly. I know that I have my greatest success when I don't eat after 7, so I am really committed to making that work.
I always use a salad plate, but that does not stop me from going back for more. I think I need a routie change where I just put the plate in the dishwasher when I get up. The kids and I all eat the smaller, more frequent meals. Lots of whole foods and we get at least 5 a day in produce.
Hello Anna (and Audrey); Portion control and late night snacking are also a problem for me. But, I am starting to get it under control. I have been a lifetime member of WW for over 15 years. I am back at it again due to the fact that each time I reach my goal, I tell myself that I will weigh in each month, but I don't. Then 2 lbs becomes 3, and 5 lbs becomes 15, and then I repeat the cycle. NOT ANYMORE!! I am committed this time, I have even expressed an interest in becoming a leader at WW.
What helped me this time, is that I read "Why French women don't get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. She talks about savoring every bite, taking your time(we all need to learn this), and admitting to yourself that if you keep eating, the second or third helping will not taste any better than those first few bites. They are the best of the meal.
I have done the same thing with WW. I actually hit my goal weight after my first child, but it was TWO MONTHS of not staying within two pounds. I yo-yo'ed around 140 for 8 weeks and gave up. Also, my wonderful, favorite leader left at that time, and I didn't feel like I got the support I needed. Gained 10, had another baby. Gained a ton while nursing due to a serious almond addiction . Now I am back on track, but I am not ready to pay for WW yet.
I will check out the book. I am such a reader, and I cannot believe I have not grabbed that one yet.
Maybe make your "after the kids are in bed nosh" something very low in calories? How about sugar free jello layered with strawberries and light whipped cream? Or fat free chocolate pudding? Or light hot chocolate? Something that feels decadent in the evening so that you do have the time to enjoy it but is over all very low in calories? Chai tea with skim milk?
Or have a new routine that pampers you? A bubble bath and some scented candles and a romance novel?? Or a murder mystery?
I would suggest planning your evening snack rather than just grabbing whatever you have lying around (or eating leftovers.) I find that planning things out in advance of difficult situations helps me to stay on track. You could make yourself a delicious fruit plate (it's summer, people!) or have some (weighed out) dark chocolate--whatever it is that you like. If you know what you'll be snacking on, you'll be able to look forward to it all evening while you're putting the kids to bed, too, and the anticipation will probably make you feel satisfied after you've eaten whatever you've chosen.
Baffled--I love the idea. I plan everything else. I pre-enter my other entries into calorie-count so that I know what I have 'left-over'. i should plan my snack and have it before 7!
Personally, (and I think we've had this discussion recently), I think that if you really want to munch later in the evening, you should let yourself munch later in the evening--so long as it fits in with your calorie plan. I always have a dessert-snack around 11pm and, so long as I have accounted for the calories, it has never stopped me from losing weight or maintaining it. YMMV, of course.
There is a world of difference between a small planned snack in the evening and "late night eating"
The eating Dr Oz refers to is not usually a small snack.
You have to decide... is it a habit you can change easily? I too love the post kids in bed snack. But now its a pot of tea and maybe a piece of good cheese or a piece of toast with a little (gasp) real butter. It was easier to change WHAT I ate than when.
I was going to create a thread on this same topic, but it looks like someone beat me to it I agree with baffled111, when I make my meal planners, and attach them to the fridge, I can stay within my caloric goals, and not overeat. I have kept a food journal since I started my lifestyle change (I dare not call it diet). Over the past 2 months I got lazy - sure, I wrote everything down, but I just kept on writing, and NOT stopping at 1800 calories. A friend that told me about meal planning said he had the same problems, and all he was doing was "keeping score".
My advise for a successful meal planner? Go by on-hand inventory, and pay close attention to expiration dates. I used to make up a shopping list, based on coupons, or tastes, and just stock the fridge/freezer. I neglected certain foods, such as fresh fruits and veggies, to the point where I had to throw them away. Or I would keep dairy well beyond it's expiration date. Now, I make planners based on what I have on-hand, and if it's necessary to go shopping, just shop for what I absolutely need.
Have you guys seen the Cheerios at the convenience stores? The little cup that holds 1.3oz? Well, I bought one of these one time, and have kept that container, and I re-use it. This way it has my nutritional value printed on, and I just reach for a cup of this Cheerios for a snack. Apples work really great as well (high in fiber)
I love your signature! I honestly thought I was the only one that used the term milestones. I wrote a long blog on MySpace and I went into detail on how I chose this term. This blog took me several hrs to write, and I update it when I get a thought. It is all about my dieting, diabetes, etc.
Now that I am done SPAMming my blog...last year a dietitian asked me what my "goals" were. I told her I dont like that term. A goal is a end-result. I call them milestones. She loved my whole attitude on diabetes and dieting.
I have always said, I was DX'd with Type 2 June 1st, 2006. This was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, as for once I am in control over my body, rather then the other way around.
Oh, back to my SPAM...in my blog, I highly recommended this forum (provided the link to it)
Hi Anna (and all), you say that you want something that you can eat slowly and happily. And it sounds like you really enjoy the ritual of preparing a nice meal. How about when you want that snack, taking the time to slice up some apples and some other fruit? Making a mini fruit salad.
Or if you are a salt-craving person (like me!), you can make something called "mock deep-fried chickpeas": preheat the oven to 450F, take a can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained) and place them on a rimmed cookie sheet, bake shaking every now and then (bake for about 35-40 mins, until they are golden brown and crunchy)...pour into a large bowl and lightly coat with cooking spray or a small amount of butter, add salt if desired and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of oregano and pepper as needed. (These would also be good with cajun seasoning) I find that these satisfy my chip/salt cravings...but I think they are best served warm/hot, if they get cold or you leave them for the next day, they can lose their crunchiness.
I hope that it is okay that I posted this recipe on this thread and I hope it helps you, it sounds like you are doing a fabulous job!
About snacking in the evenings/late nights. I did this all the time when I was losing weight a few years ago and it never set me back. Like everyone else said, count it into your calories. Personally, I'm not on a calorie-counting diet. I can eat as many fruits and veggies as I want...so here are a few of my suggestions and things I love.
100 calorie bag popcorn microwaved potatoe with 0 fat spray butter and fat free sour cream Fat free/surgar free pudding Jello with strawberries and fat free whipped topping Diet shake mix with bananas and strawberries blended (This is nice a refreshing) Blend frozen fruit with a little bit of diet sprite or fresca and it's a great smoothie! steamed veggies (broccoli and cauliflower) Watermelon (very filling and sooo refreshing!) Make homemade sorbet with frozen fruit
Those are just a few! I always eat late at night because then I'm not hungry when I get up to go jogging.
Portion control and late nigh snacking
, I would love your input.
. Now I am back on track, but I am not ready to pay for WW yet. 
I agree with baffled111, when I make my meal planners, and attach them to the fridge, I can stay within my caloric goals, and not overeat. I have kept a food journal since I started my lifestyle change (I dare not call it diet). Over the past 2 months I got lazy - sure, I wrote everything down, but I just kept on writing, and NOT stopping at 1800 calories. A friend that told me about meal planning said he had the same problems, and all he was doing was "keeping score".
