Latenight cheating.. help!
 

I have a weakness of sitting there around 10 or 11pm sometimes even 11 or 12 at night. I would do good all day.. Then I just get the sudden urge to gorge on anything!!:yikes: Yep i'll want to go on a bingey spree! Last night I wanted to so badd.. Iwould think of so many excuses to think it would be ok, like: i start back up tomorrow strong, or i'll just exersize more tomorrow to work it off, but i know i would do either because of the guilt i would feel in the morning if i did! I bet i would have ate about 1000 caleries in one sitting at that late in the day!! I did good though. :woohoo:I ate great all day.. and when that pang hit.. I just sat there, thought to myself, why, would i feel better after? No i would'nt, probably worse. And yesterday, i read something on this site that helped me through it a little! Someone said:

"being heavy is hard, losing weight is hard, maintaining is hard. Pick your hard"
I pick loseing weight! I got through it yesterday! Does any one every feel like this or do i just have a big mental problem!! :bubbles: :crazy: All inspiration and wisdom is welcome!!! And good luck to all!!:goodluck:

Good for you!! :congrat:
I know that feeling very well. I used to be a late-night snacker, and I thought I'd NEVER get out of the habit! I tried almost everything, but my favourite thing to do was to lie in bed around 9pm with a book and a big bag of Doritos. :rolleyes: As you said, easy to eat 1000+ calories in one sitting!
I don't know how I overcame the urge to late-night snack, but it's gone. About once every two weeks I feel that "urge", and like you did, I lie there and think, "if I eat now, I'm going to regret it in the morning".
Persevere... you can do anything you set your mind to! :hug:

ps Oh, I just thought of something. :lol: I did start eating more protein mid-afternoon. I think that helps with the fatigue I often feel around that time of day, and perhaps it helps to get me through the evening, too. :)

Awesome job -- the first few times are the hardest to get through and then I hear ;) it gets easier (I'm not quite there yet :dizzy:). Late nights are the worst for me -- I work from home after everyone goes to bed and it's like my "license to binge" -- but I hate eating in one sitting the amount of calories it took me a whole day to consume!! Also, I can't stand the idea of another "I'll start tomorrow" day -- they stink. You wake up from the binge feeling gross, stuffed, mentally wiped out -- I'd rather wake up each morning actually hungry, feeling well and up to another great day!!

I'm not able to avoid late-night eating so I schedule it in. I know everything I read tells me not to eat later in the evening, but there's really no point in pretending I'm not going to do it. About 11pm I take a protein shake (90 cals) and whatever fruit I have handy (80-125 cals). This actually keeps me from looking for other stuff, so it's a good thing.

My other bad time of day is late afternoon. The only way I've avoided this is to hit the treadmill. ;-)

First, look at what you're eating during the day. I get particularly munchy at night if I don't eat enough throughout my day. I also get munchy if I haven't had enough fiber and protein. Some minor tweaks to your eating during the day might help you resist the nighttime snackies.

Otherwise, you just have to DECIDE. Declare the kitchen OFF LIMITS and don't break that declaration. In a week or so, it'll be much easier to do, so you just have to stick with it.

Good for you! Another former late evening/night snacker here. I live alone, so I was able to cope with it by not bringing it into the house to begin with (not an option for everyone, I realize). Certain foods I'm just going to inhale. Chips/nachos and anything chocolate. And ice cream. If I want any of those foods, I can have them, but I have to make a special trip to get them. 9 out of 10 times, that will stop me right there. Way to make my sloth work for me! :) And if it doesn't stop there, I buy a smaller serving size vs. the family size bags, etc. I used to buy.

At work, I'm very tempted by cookies and other baked goods. On my monitor, I've taped a picture of the cookie monster saying "Remember cookies are a sometimes food". And a picture of a pair of running shoes I want to buy when I get to my next goal with "Better than cookies!" written on it.

If you have the stuff in because other people want/like it, maybe do something like that. Get pictures of your reward for your next goal. Put it on the refrigerator & on the relevant pantry doors, etc. I have an old photo of myself when I was thinner on my refrigerator. It reminds me what I want to look like. And I find turning off the kitchen light when I'm done with dinner helps decrease snacking. Sort of an out of sight, out of mind thing. I'd close the door if I had one, but I don't (small apt, with living room right off kitchen).

Thank you for all your support! I know I can do it!! I want it bad enough , im glad others are in the same boat so that we can paddle together!!

RealCdn--- I think it's great that you schedule it in. The only real way to succeed in anything is to be realistic with yourself. If you know that you're a night snacker and there's not much chance you can change that habit, then just embrace it and find a work-around somewhere else. In reality, there's no one way that works for everyone, right? If there were, forums like this would be totally useless, because there'd just be this formula that everyone did when they wanted to lose a few pounds. It's great that you're able to embrace yourself like that!

SkinnyVanilly---I'm with you. I am a TV Snacker (as in, whenever the TV is on, I get the urge to eat something). It's especially tough when I get home at the end of the day, and I flip on the tube and I'm feeling good because I stuck to my plan all day... The most illogical things start creeping into my mind... Things like "oh... that one little piece (or three) of cake won't hurt...." :o But you're strong. You can do it! And even if you don't, it isn't a weakness, you just do a work-around, like RealCdn! Good luck to you!

I agree with almost everything everyone else has said! I am a notorious nighttime eater. I can EASILY eat 1000+ calories at night. The thing is, I am actually physically hungry at 10-11 PM because I usually eat dinner at 6-7 PM. Like RealCdn, I plan my nighttime snack into my menu for the day. A piece of fruit will not satisfy me at night if my stomach is rumbling, but a piece of fruit and a small portion of cottage cheese and a couple of whole-wheat crackers is enough to make me feel full.

One of the changes I made was to eat a later dinner. I used to eat dinner at 5-5:30 PM and by 8 or 9 PM I was starving again! If I eat closer to 7 PM (I usually have to have a snack at 4 PM to hold me over) then it is later when I get hungry, and sometimes I am sleeping before I feel my stomach rumbling.

Another trick I have used is to brush my teeth when I'm done eating for the night... the minty fresh taste keeps me from wanting to eat everything in sight, plus I know I'll have to brush my teeth again if I eat again, and I'm just too damn lazy to do it!

I'm another late night snacker. I deal with it by either having something small and controlled - count out 10 m&m's for example - or knitting, since it's hard to snack and knit at the same time. I like what skinnyvanilly said,

Originally Posted by :
would i feel better after? No i would'nt, probably worse. And yesterday, i read something on this site that helped me through it a little! Someone said:

"being heavy is hard, losing weight is hard, maintaining is hard. Pick your hard"

Next time I'm faced with a craving I'll remember to pick my hard. :D

skinnyvanilly2b, I want it so badly too! :hug: and I believe we can make it :carrot:

Yes, I have gotten those cravings and they are so hard to deal with, and you especially don't want an in-control day to 'go down the tubes' with one swipe :(

Sometimes what works for me is a cup of tea with a small, calorie-controlled treat, something that I've planned for, like a granola bar thingee. For me, the hot drink and something cakey/fruity does the trick.

I have also just made myself go to bed, even if it's like two hours earlier! and I admit I have laid in bed thinking of pot roast and potatoes :devil: but at least I wasnt eating anything for real :D

and coming here to read about other's struggles, and successes, helps me alot.

best wishes!

Originally Posted by skinnyvanilly2b:
"being heavy is hard, losing weight is hard, maintaining is hard. Pick your hard"

That is a great quote!! I need to remember that!

Hi Holly - it's nice meeting a fellow Vermonter.

For me, too, evenings are the worst. I can sit in front of the TV and easily scarf down several thousand calories without even coming up for air. The car is another "trouble spot" for me. Of course, both of these places are a binge triggers for me only if I'm alone...

So I've set a commitment for myself: I will not eat anything if I'm driving alone in the car, or if I'm alone at home watching TV. That means that if I want to eat something, I will either turn off the TV or stop the car. Strangely, this seems to work for me. I'm not saying that I can't or won't eat this or that, but making the decision to turn off the TV or stop the car acts as a "stop" to mindless bingeing. I have to balance my wish to eat, with my desire to watch the TV program. For me, this works. At least for now.

Sandypickle, good strategies! :yes:

Jay

Way to go! Keep on fighting those urges.

My hubby is a HUGE snacker but he seems to eat anything and never gain a pound. Anyway, he's always offereing me something I shouldn't have. Naughty. I think he's finally got the point this time though..he doesn't ask very often that's for sure. I wonder if he just wants to see if I'm still strong enough to say no. LOL!

WooHoo!!
 

:cp:I'm so glad you guys are with me!!:grouphug: The past 4 days I've been sticking to my guns :coach:and even doing walk away the pounds :running:( which i absolutly love!! ) I peeked on the scale this morning and i'm down another pound! Thats 4 in 4 days! I know being my first week you lose a litttle more due to water and such. I estatic!! :broc:I will weigh my self again on monday to see where i'm at. Thanks for all your help and support. This really means a lot to me !! :thanks: Oh, and guess what I am also proud of myself for this little thing to you guys, but big to me: I have been drinking like 70 oz of water at least too. I can't stand water, but i'm realizing the benefits.. I feel great!!!:bike:

Originally Posted by skinnyvanilly2b:
I have been drinking like 70 oz of water at least too. I can't stand water, but i'm realizing the benefits.. I feel great!!!:bike:

That's great!! :cp: I remember when I first started actually craving water, thinking, "This is the most bizarre thing!" :lol:

Skinny, that's great - congratulations. I guess I'm lucky cuz I really love water. It's my #1 drink of choice. But still I have a hard time remembering to get enough into me, so good for you! For me, it makes all the difference, especially for my skin. The winters up here in VT can be very dry, so when I don't drink enough, the skin on my fingers cracks and bleeds and hurts - and it just ain't pretty. When I drink enough water, that happens way less. So wouldn't you think that between liking the stuff and having a good incentive to drink it, that it would be easy for me suck up 70ozs or more??? Noooo... I've gotta be self-destructive about this (as well as about food) and do battle with myself about drinking water. Sometimes I doubt my own sanity.

Lynsey, your story about your husband always offering you food made me think of my Mom. She lives 300 miles away, so getting together usually means a weekend "event." And when we're at her house, she shleps out the "goodies," cuz she wants to spoil us. Of course, when there's a bowl of nuts on the table, I feel compelled to eat them till the bowl is empty. Somehow, I feel that it's MY job to make that bowl be empty (could it be that I learned this when I was 3 yrs old and was told that the sun wouldn't shine tomorrow if I didn't clean my plate??). Trouble is, when the bowl gets to be toward bottom, and just when I'm thinking "Oh good, it's nearly empty...," she gets into her "hostess" mode and pops up to refill the darn thing. I'm nearly 53 yrs old, and this little pattern between us has never changed - despite my asking her many, many times not to put the junk food on the table. Her response is "Well, I don't stuff it in your mouth. If you don't want to eat it, don't." She, of course, is thin. She feels that she, too, has a "weight problem" because she has to "work at it" to stay within a 5# weight range. Aaaarrrggghhhh!! I love her dearly, but she is utterly without a clue on the subject of compulsive eating.

Best wishes to all of you for a good day...
Birgit

Sandypickle--next time at your mom's--don't eat the nuts... really! Try it!

Jay

Thanks, Jay - you are right. When I put that first nut in mouth, my ship is sunk. The better strategy is not even to eat the first one. When I'm in a "healthy" frame of mind, that works. Right now, today, that would work. But tomorrow? Who knows...

But luckily I won't be seeing my Mom tomorrow... ;)