Everyday Systems

I find I can manage this no S Diet pretty well during the day. I do my breakfast of cereal and banana, then lunch of usually peanut butter sandwich with 1% milk. To keep from snacking during the day I drink water with Crystal Light in it which works great. At night I have my evening meal (last night chicken and dumplings and I didn't even eat it all). I am fine all the way up to the time I go get ready for bed. I have ALWAYS had a light snack at that time and it almost always consisted of something sweet - several cookies, a piece of chocolate, a piece of cake, etc. As soon as I head upstairs to get ready for bed the craving for something sweet begins! The Crystal Light doesn't work at that point either. Las night I gave in and had a spoonful of peanut butter! I figured that was better than cookies. HELP! What can I do here??

Thanks
Jazzys Mom

If those meals are representative of what you usually eat, I think you probably need to eat more! I don't have a huge appetite anymore, but your meals wouldn't get me through the day -- or night!

Yeah, I agree.

I lose weight eating more like this:

Breakfast: Optimized oatmeal.
Lunch: Hearty soup and sandwich, or salad with a fair-sized portion of meat and some fruit.
Dinner: Varies, but often chicken, some sort of steamed veggies and a large sweet potato.

You need WAY more protein in your day Jazzy's mom! You are not getting near enough, no wonder your body is crying out for food at night.

Yes, a little (tini tiny little) bit of it might have to do with the 'habit' of eating something sweet before you go to bed. But I'd be willing to bet if you eat a bit more at each meal and make sure you have a good source of protein at EVERY meal, you will find this 'habit' will just disappear.

Just my humble opinion.

I don't think the Crystal Light is helping either. Try water with lemon or lime if you don't like it plain.

Wow! Thanks you guys! I always thought I was eating too much! Guess I was wrong! For instance, this morning we went out to breakfast and I had 2 eggs, 1 1/2 sausage links 1 piece of toast with butter and a little jam and a lg. T. of fried pot with onions. That was at 10 am and its now 2pm and I haven't eaten anything else as yet. Still not hungry. We are going to an anniversary party this evening where dinner will be served.

So, is I eat more at breakfast - maybe a piece of toast with the cereal and banana and add some soup for lunch, or maybe some cottage cheese you think I'll do better with the night cravings?

Jazzys Mom

I agree about eliminating the Crystal Light.

While I do vary from the meal pattern listed below, this is the norm:

Breakfast: Oatmeal and/or toast, fruit or fruit smoothie
Lunch: Some combination of soup, salad, sandwich and fruit.
Dinner: Salad, small serving of chicken or fish (sometimes red meat), vegetables and/or potato or bread.

I guess I never thought about the Crystal Light feeding the cravings as it is sugar free. From now on I'll just do water with lemon which I like just as well anyway. I just had a bowl of cottage cheese with cut up strawberries and feel satisfied! Yeaaaaa!

Jazzys Mom

There's something about the sweet taste of the sugar substitutes triggering a desire for sweets and the substitutes don't satisfy that desire.

So if I am going to have anything with sugar it should be real sugar? I have to have a cup of coffee in the morning and put i sweetener packet in it and a T or so of flavored creamer. Do you think thats ok or should I put in real sugar?

Jazzys Mom

It's "No Sweets" not "No Sugar".

Officially you can certainly use a spoonful of sugar in your coffee or in your oatmeal.

I personally use Splenda. I may change that in the future, as I know artificial sweetners aren't ideal and are probably bad for habit training.

Maybe I'll start using real sugar in my coffee then. My friend and my hubby have been trying to get me off of Sweet & Low for years anyway!

Jazzys Mom

I've never used artificial sweeteners. I can't stand the taste of them. Sugar only has 16 calories per teaspoon. If you're using enough of it to be concerned, cut back rather than go to artificial sweeteners.

My two cents worth.

Hi, jazzys mom -- For years I binged at night, even sometimes sneaking down to the kitchen at midnight to eat some more. Trying to stop only led me to eat more. Two things really helped me rein in this disgusting habit. I stopped buying the foods that triggered evening binges and brushed my teeth right after dinner. I mean right after dinner, as in keeping my toothbrush in the kitchen! Knowing that I would have to brush and floss again seemed to really work for me. Good luck with banishing the after-dinner cravings --

HELP! What can I do here??

jazzysmom,

you have gotten some great suggestions. If these don't help... figure out something nurturing loving you can do for yourself be for you put yourself to bed each night. Sounds like before NOS your evening treat was kind of a way to say SWEET DREAMS ... you may need to just come up with a different ritual to fill that void...
a hot bath, simple stretching, meditation, a few minutes with a good book .. you know ...
something soothing,

Blueskighs

Thank you all for all the great suggestions! I think I have figured out, at least to SOME extent why the nighttime cravings are such just before bedtime.
I have this beautiful 10 yr old Golden Retriever that used to just jump on the bed at night. Now, she is kinda arthritic so I boost her up. Its always been out night ritual to get in bed, turn on the tv (thank God for a great hubby) and share a cookie, piece of candy, some chips, etc. I think the vravings are saying "its time to bond with Sunny now." Now that I realize that maybe I won't have the cravings and will learn that she and I don't have to share food to share a hug!

Jazzys Mom

jazzysmom,

that is really beautiful. Sounds like Sunny is a great and loving friend. I bet she will LOVE your pure and unadulterated attention before lights out.

I have a little kitty that is about 12. She LOVES it when she can crawl on my lap and I am doing nothing else but petting her! She has taught me a lot about being present and the soothing power of touch and nonverbal moments,

Blueskighs

Yes, my Sunny is a very loving animal as your kitty sounds too. Sunny is a bit overweight herself so she will benefit as much as I will from just cuddling!

Jazzys Mom

Hello jazzysmom, I am just wondering how it is going with your night eating? The reason I ask is that I am brand new here and this is my problem too. Whenever I try to stop it I either can't get to sleep or have nightmares. So the fear factor as well as the bad habit factor is mixed up in this. I don't actually have anything sweet anymore - usually a couple of multigrain crackers and lowfat cheese. It used to be a dish of muesli and vanille yogurt or milk and choc chip cookies so I made some progress, but I sincerely want to do the nosdiet right because it sounds like the most sensible one I've ever come across.

Hi there Shirls

After the first 2 nights it got much easier. I think it really is a mindset. The first night or 2 I REALLY craved something and it was usually sweets that I had at bedtime. I got through those nights and learned on this forum that a menthol cough drop cuts sweet cravings. I tried it and it really works! Reinhard had said on one of his posts that if you get hungry drink a glass of milk. I really wanted something last night before bed so had a small glass of milk and it worked like a charm!

Good Luck
Jazzys Mom

Oh good, thanks Jazzys Mom. I have some lozenges - I never thought of those. I'm going to give it a go tonight, especially as I feel so full from dinner I can't imagine wanting any more food. Plus I'm going to form a habit of getting to bed by ten instead of midnight. Could be going to bed so late brings on the munchies

jazzys mom,

that is so great to here the success you have had with your night cravings!

Blueskighs

You know Shirls, I really believe its a mindset. I can be full up to my neck and a certain time hits, usually around the time I am used to having a sweet snack, and no matter how full I am I crave something sweet. Thats when I pop a menthol drop or have a small glass of milk, tell myself its in my head not in my stomach and go to bed! It works, really!

Jazzys MOm

Hurray! I did it last night. I put the menthol lozenges on my night table just in case, but I didn't need them. Now if I just do this for 21 days I'll have gotten rid of the habit. You're right Jazzys Mom - it's in the mind.

Yea! Good for you, Shirls! You'll do it, just keep the thought that it is not in the tummy!