Super hard time in the evenings

Sinnie · Post by **Sinnie** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:33 pm

Okay, I need help.

I literally need to re-start No S as though I've never done it before. I've altered the rules so much I'm having a hard time doing it right. There is so much information out there, with this habitcal and gold stars and stuff. Can you give some advice as to your No S best practices? It would be so very much appreciated.

I have a huge tendency to binge. I usually tell myself that I will start over the next day. It never happens. I'm afraid of putting on a lot of weight, as I've already started to. It really depresses me.

I find my weakness, like many people, is at night. After dinner I'm usually pretty bored and I hate to end dinner. So I'll go for a piece of bread with peanut butter after my plate of food. And I keep going. When I stop I tell myself no more for the evening, but that doesn't work. What do you guys do in the evenings to stop yourselves from eating?

Thanks so much for your input.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:25 pm

That was a very hard place for me too... I used to literally eat all evening! And when I lapse, that's still a point to watch.

Strategies that worked for me:
1) I have a "special drink" to signal the end of the meal. Hot tea, or a glass of wine. After that, dinner is OVER.
2) Addressing "root cause." I realized that part of why I was eating was because I was tired and trying to avoid the next set of tasks (cleaning kitchen, making lunches for the next day... the whole evening routine). I developed several strategies for that - asking for help from my husband (which he was happy to give), listening to something fun while I cleaned, etc.
3) I used the "found time" from eating to do something fun for me - reading or knitting. I was surprised by how much there was!

Good luck on finding a solution for you!

ou812 · Post by **ou812** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:59 pm

For me there are two triggers after dinner

1. TV - I am conditioned like a lab rat to want snacks when I am watching the tube

2. Being tired- the more tired that I am the less I care about the "rules"

I found that doing things other than TV curbed my appetite (reading, other leisure activities)
also, I just turn off the tv and go to bed when I am tired
It has helped me a lot..
I don't know if these help, but it was my $.02

Sinnie · Post by **Sinnie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:06 pm

Those are some great ideas. What you both mentioned are bang on, exactly my problem times. Funny how we all pretty much deal with the same stuff, so that leaves no excuse for me not to be able to do it. Despite having the hardest time I am really proud of myself for trying to figure it out regardless of the millions of failures I've had, rather than resort to something even less sustainable.

Thank you so much for the advice and thoughts.

maslowjenkins · Post by **maslowjenkins** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:16 pm

sinnie,

two of the best tricks for me to avoid evening snacking are these:

brush your teeth right after dinner. It leaves a sweet taste in my mouth and it keeps me from "ruining" my clean mouth with food.

chew gum. satisfies every thing I am looking for in an evening snack, without 300 extra calories.

good luck!

Sinnie · Post by **Sinnie** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:08 pm

KCCC, I used your strategy of a special drink tonight and it worked! I made a pot of coffee and had a cup with a little half and half, diluted with milk and a spoon of sugar (I normally don't put sugar but this late black coffee makes my stomach hurt). Finally a successful evening! Thank you!

Dawn · Post by **Dawn** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:27 am

I have lost count of how many diets I have been on that died a nasty death at 9PM at night. Do great all day and then in one fell swoop I can undo 23 1/2 hours of greatness. I have only been doing this since 2-8-08, but I have been having a sugar free (25 cal) hot cocoa at 8pm every night and although some call it an S, I figure it's a million times better than what I used to consume between 7pm and 9pm. In time I will do my very best to eliminate that, but for now it helps tremendously. I think the important thing is to identify your weaknesses and work around them, and it might take baby steps at first, but if we keep working at it, I think it won't be such work any more, but more like second nature - or at least that's what I am hoping for!!!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:18 am

Congrats on your success!

Anything that disrupts old habits is a good strategy.

Spook · Post by **Spook** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:16 pm

The cocoa thing is my solution to this problem too at the moment (although I can't stand the sugar free stuff so I have the real thing, although I do make it fairly weak and use skimmed milk).

When I started I was having a cocoa every evening, now I sometimes don't feel the need so I think it's helped the transition. At some point I may make it an S, when I feel able to.

Too solid flesh · Post by **Too solid flesh** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:51 pm

Evenings can be a difficult time. I find that having a big cup of weak tea and a piece of fruit can help me.

Good luck. You will find what works for you.

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:54 pm

I literally get up from the table, go in the bathroom - brush, floss, pick and gargle - then I go clean up. I don't want to have to do that routine again so I have nothing but water until bedtime. It works every night.

FarmerHal · Post by **FarmerHal** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:21 pm

Nighttimes have gotten a lot easier for me lately (now I wish I could say the same about afternoons!).

Brush and floss after dinner. Trident has several really yummy flavors of gum that gives me both the 1. sweet I crave and 2. chewing action that is weirdly soothing!

I also have herb teas which are soothing to the tummy (quiety the stomach monkey!!).

Good luck! I've been NoSing since Dec 16, 2006 and take it 1 day at a time. Most of the time I screw up every single N day, but in a small way, like the afternoon snack bit.

Every newly formed habit helps though, gum has been great for me!