Everyday Systems

At night after dinner I just want to carry on eating in the most addictive way. Do you have any tips on how to overcome this as I really want to do the no s

Hmmm....this is a tough one for a lot of people. What are you snacking on and firstly is it possible to remove whatever that food is from the house? I had this problem with biscuits and snacking. I wanted to stop having biscuits in the house to avoid snacking but my husband wanted to have some, the only solution we found was to buy ones he liked but I didn't like very much.

Something which really helps me, is to have a drink after the meal as a sort of signal that, that is the end of the meal and the end of eating. I usually have a glass of wine, but I'm sure a coffee or other drink you enjoy would also work too.

Good luck, and stick around, this is a friendly board and I'm sure you'll get lots of support.

I drank decaf/herbal tea a lot at first to just get out of the snacking habit. Now I still might have a cup at night, but no longer have that snacking urge. A lot of it was, I think, just telling myself I'd had 3 great meals, I didn't *need* more food--I was fine and had already had plenty. And then once I saw that I really could make it through the evening without snacking, it made me feel accomplished--I had new-found self-control muscles, and wanted to use them more.

If you have habits that "trigger" snacking for you, consider replacing those triggers or coming up with a new response for them. I found it helped me to pair old triggers with new habits like drinking water or tea instead.

thank you both. That was really good advice xx

Ah Linda, you and me both! No advice I am afraid, just a bit of solidarity because I am in exactly the same place as you, by the sounds of it :-/

Not sure where to go either - the first couple of weeks I did fine, but once I started snacking in the evening, that seems to be it. I read somewhere on here about the 'extinction burst' and that was really helpful (not sure how to link the post)... just need to know how to get through it...

good luck!!

Welcome Linda, After my day yesterday, I probably shouldn't be giving you advice. Try to get satisfying foods in your last meal that include some fats and protein. Not knowing what your dinners consist of, but high carb based meals always leave me feeling hungry an hour later. I ate rather lightly yesterday and then felt hungry in late afternoon and evening. An occasional slip up won't totally derail our progress.

Welcome, Linda!

My advice is a bit "old school," but it works for me. Try brushing and flossing your teeth once you're done with dinner. The clean-mouth feeling may help in dissuading you from snacking, plus there's the added bonus of adding a bit of IF (intermittent fasting) into your NoS practice. Depending on when your dinner is and when you eat breakfast, you could have anywhere from a 12- to 16-hour window of not eating without intentionally trying, which qualifies for some of the IF protocols out there.

Along with LifeIsABlessing's suggestions, consider going to bed earlier. I was sleep deprived most of my adult life, which led to eating after supper (multiple snacks, usually) because I was tired. Now I settle down in bed with my book for an hour and then I am asleep between 9:30 and 10 PM; I've never felt better.

Besides these strategies, remind yourself what benefits you think you want and what you DON"t like about the snacking. I never found I could implement any strategies while I still felt I was entitled to snack. I felt that my desire meant I should be able to and maybe even needed to, and I didn't admit that it also made me feel lousy. When I realized I really didn't need that extra pleasure after dinner and I never felt good later, it made me willing to put up with the discomfort of wanting to eat but not doing it.

Know that after awhile, it will feel natural NOT to snack and you may even have a hard time believing you used to eat so close to bedtime.

Seluxes wrote:Along with LifeIsABlessing's suggestions, consider going to bed earlier. I was sleep deprived most of my adult life, which led to eating after supper (multiple snacks, usually) because I was tired. Now I settle down in bed with my book for an hour and then I am asleep between 9:30 and 10 PM; I've never felt better.

This is SUCH an important observation, and frequently overlooked. When we're tired, we often find ourselves reaching for food to provide a burst of energy, when what our bodies really need is sleep. Conquering poor sleep habits will fix more problems than just about any other single intervention.

Not only that, but it's just fewer hours to be awake with little structure and little chance at either pleasure or productivity. It's a cultural myth that there's a lot we're missing out on most nights.

Over time I've also noticed that when I do tough it out in the evenings, whether from a vague "feel like a little something" snack urge, or actual "I'm hungry" feelings, it makes no difference to how hungry I am the next morning at breakfast. So clearly, I didn't really need that extra energy, if 10 or 12 hours later my hunger level is no different. That is helpful to tell myself in the evenings, when I'm feeling like I "should" be allowed to keep eating.

hot drinks are what help me the most when it comes to snacking. I also make it inconvenient, in that I rarely have easy to snack on foods (chips, packaged cookies, nuts, etc.) in the house, so getting a snack requires effort, usually going to the store, but at the very least, getting a plate down, slicing cheese, toasting bread, etc, as well as clean up afterwards.

as for as breaking the specific. evening habit, maybe try a hobby that doesn't work well with snacking, such as needlework, knitting, crochet, etc. It' s very inconvenient to put my quilting safely away, get up and get a snack, and clean up very thoroughly afterwards to avoid staining the work. usually, when I get the snacking urge at night while I'm sewing and watching t.v., the bother (aside from my desire to not snack) is enough to make me decide it's just not worth it.

How is it going, Linda?