I've been doing good this week, so this has nothing to do with my progress! I just thought I'd share this with everyone: during the day, I do really good and eat extremely healthy, but then come 6:00 PM as it heads into the evening, the WORST feeling comes over me. Like, "crap it's night time i'm gonna blow it! how am i supposed to go til 11 PM without binging or getting drive thru?!" Well I am happy to say that today I survived , I just really wish I could get that helpless feeling out of my system that I get every evening, when I think that my appetite might overpower me around 9 PM! Gah!

Haha just thought I'd rant. Hope you ladies are doing well too!

neveragainbabe, every time you resist the urge to "blow it" you are getting stronger. I promise--you will not die if you do not eat from 6:00 until the next day. There is another meal coming the next day and being hungry is not an emgency. That being said, why not set aside a healthy snack to have a little later in the evening (like 7:30 or 8:00) so your hunger doesn't get the best of you?

J

I agree ... nothing wrong with having a planned for snack in the evening.
I don't know what type of diet you are following but for me (a calorie counter)
I like to have a non-trigger snack to look forward to. Since it has been so hot, lately I have been having popsicles or fruitsicles as an after dinner treat (under 70 calories). I think a diet has to be something you can live with, not just endure. Good luck and keep posting and reading on 3FC.

I identify with you neveragainbabe, nights are the hardest for me. i have wonderful herb teas, and I also save an on program snack of some kind for the evening. It gets easier, just stick with it.

as the days keep going by and you keep your word and don't eat anything from 6-11, it will get easier...I promise!

~BreathingSpace~

When I quit smoking, I had those times too. I remember nights were particularly hard. I had the house to myself, it was quiet and cool, I could relax and unwind. Quitting smoking was a great idea and I am glad I did it, but the craving for a smoke during that time didn't diminish by itself. I found I needed activities to do during that time--and not eating activities--so I found a hobby, read a book, took a bath, whatever. As long as it wasn't TV (I don't like TV), I was okay. Give filling your mind with other events a try. You'll be surprised at how fast the time flies when you aren't white-knuckling it like it sounds like you are. Call someone on the phone if you need to. Soon, your body and mind will no longer react to that binge hour, and you'll be just fine.

Before I began nighttime was MY time. After everyone went to bed I would go to the kitchen and pile my plate high and get on the computer. I was probably consuming between 1000-1500 calories any given evening in addition to my regular daily intake. No wonder I was gaining so quickly!

I changed everything once I started my new life. One of the things that helped/helps me is to go to bed earlier. I find daytime much easier than late nights when I am alone. Any chance you could change your own routine and go to bed earlier?

I also agree there is nothing wrong with a late night planned snack. Heck, I will even allow a binge given it's the right food. Just yesterday I ate two heads of cauliflower!

Hey--another thought too--coffee really helps--even decaf...I find it fills me up when I am already at my max for daily calories...if you are looking for a low-cal creamer, you could always go with almond milk...a full 8 ounces is just 40 calories so it wouldn't take much.

I like to save a few calories for the evening. A 70 calorie bag of popcorn, some diet jello, some cucumber salad. And then the last thing that goes in my mouth is a 20 calorie hot chocolate. That's my signal that the food is done for the day. There is no more till tomorrow.

It becomes automatic, rote, second nature. This is the way it is. You'll get there. As you do this more and more you will be confident that you ARE capable of doing it and your nerves will ease. Don't forget to add in some night time activities as well. A little exercise, reading, journaling, computer, needlepoint, straightening up your home, preparing for the next day, whatever.

Keep up the great work. No stopping. Forging ahead. Get to that sweet spot. Get these good habits ingrained in you.

You made it through and that is what is good, each time you do that you get stronger and stonger..post here for support if you need to. I am on the computer all the time as I run two websites so if you need a support buddy to get you through the night just reach out, I am out here

Good for you! Nighttime is hard for me too. I used to eat while watching tv, now I plan for ONE snack while I watch tv and if I want more I force myself to bed or I go read to get my mind off food.

You are doing it girl!!

Evenings are my biggest challange, too. Planning a specific snack to have in the evening at a specific time helps me. A cup of hot tea is great too... it is comforting and satisfying - when it isn't 100 degrees outside. (not sure where you are located)

Yes I always have some sort of planned snack to look forward to in the evening. I usually save around 200 calories, so I can have a cup of cereal with 1/2 a cup of milk, that is an old favourite for me (although of course in the past I would have had two heaping bowls). If for some reason I don't have any calories left I drink tea and go to bed early!!

I second the idea of going to bed earlier. Getting more sleep is highly beneficial for hunger control, stress relief, and weight loss. And, it will stop the nighttime eating. Personally, getting enough quantity and quality of sleep is a complete fundamental of my health/fitness/weight-loss plan. I would have gotten nowhere without focusing on getting enough.

I have a REALLY hard time with evening snacking. If I save calories for eating in the PM, I usually end up grazing all evening.

What works for me is I JUST DON'T for one whole week. That makes all the difference in the world.

Also, do different things. Is the TV sparking the graze button? Go outside and garden...go sit in the tub with an awesome book. Do you have kids? Go chill with them and color or read stories or even play video games.

And my last tool is my toothbrush. Every evening about 7pm I do a FULL flossing, brush with my electric brush(the Vitality by Oral B is only 20 bucks and comes HIGHLY recommended by my dentist!) and then do my cheeks, gums and tongue with my regular brush... followed by a nice mouth rinse.


And we all know nothing tastes right after brushing anyways... so it helps me say NO to after dinner grazing!