Time between dinner and breakfast is a mess.

This_is_it · Post by **This_is_it** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:20 am

The last few weeks i'm experiencing a lot of difficulties in the evening. I'm snacking and grazing, binging even. I have been thinking really hard what is the cause of this. I know, for me, it is all in my mind; i'm making excuses to eat after dinner. The time between dinner and breakfast is the longest from all the meals and that is where my mind is "playing games". I'm telling myself it is oke to eat after dinner because the next meal is coming after 14 hours and that is waaaay to long. This is a psychological hurdle for me. The "long time" between dinner and breakfast.

I'm making sure that i eat enough during my meals so i should be doing fine but every evening i'm messing up.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:59 am

as you know it is not "too long" it is supposed to be longer than other gaps between meals... anything else is psychological addiction that can be overcome...

what helps me is thinking - im giving my digestive system a well deserved break...
it served me great during the day digesting all those amounts of food... now i respect it and give it a break so that it
-can continue working good,
-give me good and healthy appetite,
-absorb nutrients more efficiently,
-clean itself out more properly

i see it as giving a little extra love and gratitude to my digestive system...
it helps...

litkovski · Post by **litkovski** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 2:53 pm

This_is_it wrote:The last few weeks i'm experiencing a lot of difficulties in the evening. I'm snacking and grazing, binging even. I have been thinking really hard what is the cause of this. I know, for me, it is all in my mind; i'm making excuses to eat after dinner. The time between dinner and breakfast is the longest from all the meals and that is where my mind is "playing games". I'm telling myself it is oke to eat after dinner because the next meal is coming after 14 hours and that is waaaay to long. This is a psychological hurdle for me. The "long time" between dinner and breakfast.

I'm making sure that i eat enough during my meals so i should be doing fine but every evening i'm messing up.

Hey , buddy Your mind is part of You ,just accept this little fact.
but sometimes it needs some love and discipline. You now I am pretty sure that your mind will be very happy feeling fit , healthy and sexy. So your evening routine is like trying to make yourself more happy:) So while You are following your diet plan , just try to engage yourself in something that is interesting for You that creates positive emotion . For everyone it is different I like socializing with people and playing board games. A little bit of warm milk half a glass , might be a good idea.to keep yourself calm. Best wishes To you on your journey!

litkovski · Post by **litkovski** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:01 pm

This_is_it wrote:The last few weeks i'm experiencing a lot of difficulties in the evening. I'm snacking and grazing, binging even. I have been thinking really hard what is the cause of this. I know, for me, it is all in my mind; i'm making excuses to eat after dinner. The time between dinner and breakfast is the longest from all the meals and that is where my mind is "playing games". I'm telling myself it is oke to eat after dinner because the next meal is coming after 14 hours and that is waaaay to long. This is a psychological hurdle for me. The "long time" between dinner and breakfast.

I'm making sure that i eat enough during my meals so i should be doing fine but every evening i'm messing up.

Hey , buddy Your mind is part of You ,just accept this little fact.
but sometimes it needs some love and discipline. You now I am pretty sure that your mind will be very happy feeling fit , healthy and sexy. So your evening routine is like trying to make yourself more happy:) So while You are following your diet plan , just try to engage yourself in something that is interesting for You that creates positive emotion . For everyone it is different I like socializing with people and playing board games. A little bit of warm milk half a glass , might be a good idea.to keep yourself calm. Best wishes To you on your journey!

Bluebell · Post by **Bluebell** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:49 pm

I wonder if it would help to have an 'end' to your eating for the day. A very strong mint, some chewing gum, or a glass of milk. Even brush your teeth. Just something to psychologically mark that it is time to have a break from eating and you will start again in the morning.
Also, I still think about food a lot! and find that planning my breakfast in my mind helps me to look forward to it. I like to think about my bowl of muesli, my wholegrain toast and peanut butter, or whatever else I will be having, and it helps me feel less deprived.
(This is one of the many many things NoS has turned on its head for me, I always thought it was somehow wrong to think about food so much, but now I find it actually helps me!)

CamperRose · Post by **CamperRose** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 4:25 am

Lots of great advice here! I have struggled with this in the past and all of these wonderful suggestions helped me. What also helped me was going to bed at a decent hour. If I am tired I am more likely to eat to get energy to keep going and I am less likely to have the willpower to resist late at night. So for me what helps is just to go to bed.

Best of luck to you - you CAN overcome this!!

This_is_it · Post by **This_is_it** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:19 am

Thank you for all the suggestions and kind words. They are really helpfull.

I have to learn that if i eat 3 good meals my body is doing fine. And that feeling hungry sometimes does not mean i need a snack.

The idea of going to bed in time is also something i will have to look into. Last night i prepared for bed early, which involved brushing my teeth at about 21:30 hour. Before that i did not snack and after that i did not want to snack anymore because that means i had to floss and brush my teeth all over again

. So that worked well

. I went to sleep at 23:00 and felt really proud.

Again; thank you, guys!

Imogen Morley · Post by **Imogen Morley** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:16 am

I found that lots of hot drinks (variety of teas and chai with a splash of milk and some sugar, if necessary) and keeping busy is a very effective remedy for evening snacking. I also have troubles sticking to NoS principles post dinner.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:39 pm

Late to the party, but I find that I'm not willing to implement even the best strategies unless I'm clear that I think there are happy benefits to eating at discrete times. Please remind yourself what you will get from not eating that you can't get from those night snacks.

And let's not forget that you're actually not conscious of not eating for a lot of those hours. If there's any time it should be easier not to eat, it's while you're asleep! Sometimes when I've felt vulnerable, I'll imagine letting myself eat a gargantuan breakfast if I'll just hold out those few hours until bed. I never want all that food when morning rolls around.

Brian Wansink recommends brushing earlier than just before bed, but that can back fire. You can play with that, if you need the leeway.

Chief_Macho · Post by **Chief_Macho** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:41 am

I would suggest upping your fat intake during the day. I love this system but find it works best if you also loosely follow a NO SuGar, No Grains protocol a bit too. Grains will make you hungry.

I also struggle with this issue. The idea of ending on something works for me too. I use a protein powder. Low sugar or none. Low calorie. Water or whole milk. Its not ideal but it def stops hunger. Tea is obviously better. But once I have that protein even though it breaks the rules I know in my head it isn't real hunger. Other than that, if you're gonna binge go no sugar no grain like Vinny tortorich advocates. Eggs. Cheese. Buttered veggies. Salami. Almonds.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:53 am

I eat grains most days and they don't make me hungry.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:23 pm

Yes, I agree - we're all different, and you have to know yourself. I am so fortunate, I have never 'suffered' with evening/night hunger, but I have a friend who does. She has a very healthy diet during the day - good stuff, no junk, plenty of protein etc. I've googled all over the place to try to help her and seems that, as long as you're not under-eating during the day (therefore actually HUNGRY) that all the other eating behaviours are........ behaviours! Changing behaviours can be really hard - chip away at it bit-by-bit. Sounds like you're already doing better by focusing on your bed-time and brushing your teeth etc. Keep going - you'll figure it out! In the meantime, if any of the suggestions people offer you resonate with you, then give them a go - it will give you more information about how you, uniquely, work!

This_is_it · Post by **This_is_it** » Fri Dec 30, 2016 12:26 pm

Things calmed down a bit here. I now allow myself a hot chocolat drink around 8 pm. And that helps a lot.

I'm looking forward to 2017. Making the nos diet a lifestyle.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Dec 30, 2016 9:20 pm

Decaf mocha was a mainstay either in the afternoon or after dinner for me for a few years! I've had it this holiday, too.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:46 am

oolala53 wrote:Decaf mocha was a mainstay either in the afternoon or after dinner for me for a few years! I've had it this holiday, too.

Do you buy a mix? If so, what kind? (The one I used to buy all the time is no longer sold in our town. I can order it online but it costs twice as much! Wondering if there are other brands...)

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:49 am

No, I made my own with decaf, milk, cocoa and stevia. I used to keep the processed stuff at work, but not so much any more.

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:52 pm

I like to read this link sometimes to remind myself that it's a good idea to
have about 12 hours of fasting between dinner and breakfast
(I don't know if the info is entirely accurate but it sounds good and healthy and is motivating to me

)
http://www.wellnessresources.com/weight ... ptin_diet/

This is part of the article that I'm specifically referring to:
"RULE 1: NEVER EAT AFTER DINNER

"Allow 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast. Never go to bed on a full stomach. Finish eating dinner at least three hours before bed.

"One of leptin’s main rhythms follows a 24-hour pattern. Leptin levels are highest in the evening hours. This is because leptin, like the conductor in the orchestra, sets the timing for nighttime repair. It coordinates the timing and release of melatonin, thyroid hormone, growth hormone, sex hormones, and immune system function to carry out rejuvenating sleep. It does this while burning fat at the maximum rate compared to any other time of the day. And it does this only if you will allow it, by not eating after dinner.

"It is pretty obvious when this isn’t working so well. Your extra cravings for food may begin around 4 o’clock in the afternoon and certainly later in the evening. These cravings are powered by a misguided leptin signal to eat, causing strong urges that often overwhelm your will power and self control. If you are in this situation you will find yourself circling the refrigerator and cupboards, like an animal hunting its prey. You will find excuses to obtain food and often will then plop yourself in front of the TV and begin to eat. This is the leptin nightmare, the drive to acquire food even though rationally you know you don’t need it.

"Make every effort to not eat after dinner at night."

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:00 pm

It's funny how the French and Spaniards, who both eat late, don't seem to have a problem with this. But we don't live where the rest of the culture supports moderation, so eat earlier and thrive! I can't believe now how long I can go in the evenings without eating, no matter how late I stay up. And I love the idea of how it produces a nice overnight fast, even if that's not one of No S's concerns.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:06 am

Thanks for sharing that link, Minimizer, interesting how it dovetails with No-S so well. And I didn't know that about the liver supposed to be supplying us with in-between meal snacks, if we give it a chance! Fascinating!

Everyday Systems

Time between dinner and breakfast is a mess.

Time between dinner and breakfast is a mess.

Re: Time between dinner and breakfast is a mess.

Re: Time between dinner and breakfast is a mess.