4:30 p.m. -- The most difficult time is NOW!!

[Doran]

On an average day, I don't have much difficulty forestalling breakfast for several hours after I get up. I may have several cups of tea, then eat at about 9:00. Lunch at around 1:00 seems to work, too, with no real desire to eat in between. But, resisting the urge to snack in the long stretch between lunch and dinner is very challenging for me. Add in the burden of being the one who prepares the dinners, and it becomes almost a Herculean effort.

I'm brewing some tea as I type. What else do you do to carry you through the toughest parts of your day(s)?

Maybe I need to keep a pack of gum handy...

[leafy_greens]

I agree, 4:30 is the hardest. All I can do is chew gum and suffer through it

[idontknow]

Strong coffee and some activity to take my mind off the hunger (watch tv with kids, housework, gym etc). It is very difficult though when you are making dinner and packed lunches - it's made me realise how much I eat just by picking at bits and pieces (usually cheese!). At the moment the desire to record a green day and get to the 21 day club is keeping me going. I'm hoping that will work for long enough to instill habits. Not easy though!

[Doran]

At the moment the desire to record a green day and get to the 21 day club is keeping me going.

21-Day Club?

[Urban Ranger]

Dinner prep is hard for me, too.

It really does help me if I have plenty of variety and protein at lunch for a more satisfying, longer lasting fullness. After that, it's tea, maybe milk, and sometimes I brush my teeth (b/c then it doesnt' tast as well).

[paulawylma]

The hardest time for me is at night except last night I didn't get enough sleep and so I had trouble staying alert. What I do is use non-sweet beverages to get me through. This afternoon I had an orange juice (100%) which gave me a little glycemic pickup as well as additional calories. Remember milk as well as 100% juice are not considered as food or as sweets.

[paprad]

I went pretty crazy last week exactly at that time. For the last so many years, I have had a "healthy" snack with my coffee - maybe nuts, or a fruit. I think it's mostly psychological, but the yawning gap between lunch and dinner started obsessing me. Last eve I had a glass of milk - and that helped hugely. I suspect I am not drinking enough water. I remember reading that thirst is often confused by the body as hunger - so maybe I should tank up on water more often? Any of you have that experience?

[leafy_greens]

Yeah, I'm constantly drinking water to get the food taste out of my mouth. Even brushing and mouthwash don't help. The past week I've been waking up at 3:30 am to pee, even though I pee before bed anyway. It's ridiculous. Maybe the food taste will die down and I won't need as much water? Who knows. I'm only on week 2 though.

[idontknow]

At the moment the desire to record a green day and get to the 21 day club is keeping me going.

21-Day Club?

The 21 day club is a sticky on the daily check in page. When you have successfully completed 21 consecutive days on no S you can post in this thread. Things like this really motivate me...

[Doran]

Well, dang. Today, I blew it. I left an open container of celery sticks on my counter for my kids to munch on, and before I knew it, I'd hoovered several.

On the other hand, celery has fewer calories than the whole milk I keep in my fridge. It has a satisfying crunch which I honestly hope my milk never has. Maybe I should always keep a container of cut up celery on my counter at this hour.

[oolala53]

Try to skip the celery. The purpose of beverages is to keep you from chewing. Chewing leads to chewing. Today, it's celery; tomorrow, it's potato chips.

I make a lot of soup stock just to have it, or I buy it in quart box containers at the discount market. I'll have a cup or two of that while I cook, if I need to.

I sometimes also stop and do some interval training, like jumping jacks or something. It often makes the hunger pangs go away. My theory is that my body pulls the stored glycogen out of the liver for a second wind. When that burns off, the hunger comes back. Often it's time to eat then anyway.

I used to call the late afternoon hours "the witching hour." It was when the daily binge would start. Now I just keep checking in on how satisfied I am and on something nice I look forward to at dinner. But, I also rarely go more than 6 hours until dinner, and more often 5. Do you have a longer gap than that? Not sure how i would handle that on a consistent basis.

[Doran]

Try to skip the celery. The purpose of beverages is to keep you from chewing. Chewing leads to chewing. Today, it's celery; tomorrow, it's potato chips.

Ah. See, I haven't read the book (sorry Reinhard). I didn't really understand this particular point, but I suppose it makes sense. Makes me grumpy, but it makes sense.

No, I don't usually go more than 6 hours between lunch and dinner. That's about my average gap, I guess. And she's a looong one! The psychological hunger that kicks in during late afternoon is powerful. Thanks for the tips.

[oolala53]

I found that if I added as little as two teaspoons of fat to my midday meal, I could go longer without getting too hungry. I also have a piece of fruit. Actually, I have protein, grain (1 cup or less or the equivalent), veggies and fruit, plus 1-2 thumbs' volume of fat. I find if I miss any component, I get hungry earlier, unless I just have something really fatty like a plate-sized piece of pizza (S day), after which I've gone 8-9 hours without being hungry.

I'm sure everyone has his/her own ratio of needs. Worth experimenting.