Night time eating and new Habitcal rule

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:28 pm

Hi everyone

I just felt like writing in the general board not on my own check in because this feels really big for me.
Last week was the first time that I can remember in possibly years, that I went a whole N week without eating at night.
Having five green boxes in a row was incredibly rewarding to see and to report.
Having said that, once the weekend hit, I loosened up on my strictness, and ended up eating both Sat and Sun evenings after bedtime.
My weight was about two pounds down on Friday, from the previous weeks weigh in, and then this morning it's back up those two pounds.
I was not excessive with S's during the days on Sat and Sunday, and I *know* for certain, the gain is due to the fact that I had food in my stomach so late at night.
So,,,,,, I will be focusing on not eating at night for 7 nights a week. If I do eat on Sat or Sunday after bedtime it will go down as a red, not a yellow box.
I don't wanna see any more reds for that one habit. It's killing my weight loss..
Meanwhile I am sooooooooo thrilled about the five days prior to the weekend where I succeeded in beating that habit.
That might have been the first week like that in my whole adult life to tell the truth, so we talking big stuff!

I feel very encouraged and hopeful!

Thanks for letting me share

Have a great week friends!

Debs

Too solid flesh · Post by **Too solid flesh** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:39 pm

Congratulations on those green squares, Deb! That is a really big shift.

blueskighs · Post by **blueskighs** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:13 pm

Debs,

that is FANTASTIC!

(are you sure you want to mark reds on S days?

)

Blueskighs

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:43 pm

Of course you realize that you could not have put on two real pounds; that would mean you ate an excess of 7,000 calories beyond what you needed. It probably has more to do with the way your body retained water in response to S day eating.

I'm a newbie; how can you have N days on which you eat at night?

However, I marvel at five straight days of not eating at night. I can't believe how many times in my life I've sworn to that, and then chomped away later, even though I'm not one bit hungry after dinner! Twenty nights of not eating after dinner might make more of a difference than you know. Maybe you could give yourself that time to try it out, and then make the new rule? We're talking about a lifetime plan here, right? Not just what we do until we lose "the weight." Maybe it will just happen on its own...

Then again, as an old friend used to say (when I insisted I needed to go get ice cream "You know what you have to do!"

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:44 am

nighttime snacking was always a big one for me too. Congratulations on your successes this week!!

Merry

Betty · Post by **Betty** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:02 am

Hi Deb,

Five green days in a row is fantastic!! I totally understand your impulse to move the habit on to S days too.

I hope I can make one tiny comment without putting a damper on your enthusiasm or taking away from a serious victory, but maybe you should rack up a few more green weeks before committing to never eating after bedtime again?

The reason I say this is because I have a personal tendency to go crazy in the face of success, and sometimes I end up fencing myself in too far and then feeling guilty when I can't sustain the habit I just proclaimed. No S has really taught me the value of being more moderate.

Just my 2 cents. Of course, stopping the night time eating altogether would be so good for you, so...

Betty

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:03 pm

Deb, that's great!!!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:08 pm

Deb, congrats!

However, I'll join the chorus of "don't be TOO strict." I am consciously setting all my health goals at "5 days out of 7" or something similar, because I've learned that striving for perfection often undermines improvement. So be careful with that, okay? Worry about the N's, not the S's.

I hope to see you reporting a STRING of green days! That's a HUGE habit to lick!

marygrace · Post by **marygrace** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:28 pm

Nighttime eating was always a problem for me too, and when I do it on S days it tends to go overboard pretty quickly, resulting in a bloated stomach for a couple days. Honestly, there is nothing I hate more than my stomach feeling puffy and bloated, it makes me feel gross and puts me in a bad mood.

So every week I would end up having this cycle where I'd end up overeating at night on one of my S days and spend the whole beginning of the following week feeling crappy and waiting for the bloat to go down. By the end of the week it would be back to normal and I'd mess things up all over again by overeating at night. It was ridiculous!

I thought about imposing a limit upon myself but decided against it. Instead, I just started thinking about this little cycle, and how its not worth it to me to keep mindlessly shoveling food in my mouth just because I can. I like to think of it more as an act of self-love than an act of self-limiting, because I will definitely thank myself come Monday morning.

And this Monday morning, I woke up without any bloat =D

Post by **reinhard** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:38 pm

Congratulations, Deb!

I know how long and hard you've been struggling with this issue, and I'm thrilled the habitcal is helping.

Wishing you many more green nights,

Reinhard

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:12 pm

Thank you so much everyone for your concern and care!
To all who mentioned a worry about being too strict by imposing this rule..
Let me really clarify the rule and you will understand better.

I don't mean that I won't eat at night on S days, I mean I don't want to eat *after bedtime*... We are talking, those moments like last night, at 3 am when I wake up to use the bathroom, or have had a bit of a tough time sleeping, or for whatever reason I am awake, and then mindlessly, like a programmed zombie, go down and raid the refrigerator.. I want to get back in bed and not eat.

Don't get me wrong please.. If I am up till 2 am watching tv (rarely happens) or if I decide to go out to a party or some social thing, I will not be restricting myself on S days.. *ONLY* after I have officially gone to bed.
This is a separate tag/habit I am tracking..
I am still giving myself yellow boxes for my general NoS habitcal, on S days.

But I want to nip this one habit in the bud and track it accurately.

There is no pleasure involved in these night time mini binges, and no need for that behaviour.
Also, whether it is water weight, fat weight or whatever.. I don't want to keep gaining my hard earned pounds lost, back because of a bowl of cereal at 3 am.. S days are treat days, and believe me people, this kind of eating is simply self abuse and not in any way shape or form a treat.

Thanks Reinhard for your thumbs up.. You understand how much this has been a problem for me.

ps.. I wrestled with myself last night, after some bad dreams and being up at 3 am, and I *didn't* go downstairs to eat, even though the old habit telling me to do so was trying very hard to get me to go!
One more green for me!

pps.. Last week I had a few incidents which qualify me for rejoining the "My pants are falling down" club!

Have a good week all and thanks again!
Love

Debs

blueskighs · Post by **blueskighs** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:25 pm

This is a separate tag/habit I am tracking..
I am still giving myself yellow boxes for my general NoS habitcal, on S days.

Debs,

your clarification makes sense, habits are hard to break but I have the UTMOST confidence YOU WILL "reengineer" this one!

I had a crummy S day on Sunday, its seems like it has been a really long time since I have felt bad because I ate too much, but I did on Sunday. I understand the choices I made that led up to it, and I suspect it is much less likely I will do it again, but I suspect that I will do it again. Part of what I love about NO S is that it almost forces us to be "forgiving" with ourselves while we work all of this stuff out.

Blueskighs

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:34 pm

Hi Blue

Thanks a lot girl

Sorry about Sunday, but yes definitely forgive and keep on doing it. Those days when we slip back into overeating are now *unpleasant* and that in itself is very cool because before you changed your way of eating, I bet most of those events were just kinda nebulously unpleasant... now you know better and your perspective is changing~
If I even tried to go back to the way I ate the year before I found NoS, my absolute most gluttonous time ever.. we are talking, a typical night might include appetizer, soup, seconds, thirds, leftovers on my Son's plate, and two desserts, I would probably be so sick I'd feel I was gonna explode!

Again, at least you registered it as an unpleasant experience and you will learn from it and hopefully not have too many days like that through the year.

Have a great week!

Debs

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:58 pm

Deb, your clarification makes a lot of sense. Hang in there!

Blue... I love what you said - that should be a sticky:

Part of what I love about NO S is that it almost forces us to be "forgiving" with ourselves while we work all of this stuff out.

So true!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:13 pm

Thanks KCCC! I feel very excited and really motivated to keep it up!
Have a great week all~

Debs

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:28 am

Wow Deb! That's awesome. Those habits when our regular defenses are down (hungry, angry, lonely tired, etc) are the hardest to reprogram. What you did was HUGE!

Wishing you many more happy weeks of continued No (Post Bedtime) S Success!!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:21 pm

Thank you Blithe Morning

I messed up last night, but will keep trying..
Had some very tempting leftovers from a dinner out and caved in around 12:30.. I feel a bit embarrassed but I still had six out of 8 good nights since I started this resolution, so still feeling very positive~
Was gross waking up still feeling there was food in my stomach...

LOL

Take care all and thanks very much for the wonderful support!
Have a good day!

Debs

Savita · Post by **Savita** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:01 pm

"... more as an act of self-love than an act of self-limiting, because I will definitely thank myself come Monday morning."

That's an added perspective to not over-eat on S-Days. It's one that works for me. An act of self-love, indeed.

No more feeling deprived and sorry for myself on S Days though my clothes are telling me it's doing me a world of good. Why does it take so long to learn???

Thanks for that insight, marygrace.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:19 pm

gratefuldeb67 wrote:I *know* for certain, the gain is due to the fact that I had food in my stomach so late at night.

That's one of those myths. Who knows where it got started, but there's no scientific basis to it at all.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:28 pm

Hi Wosnes, I don't feel it's a myth at all in my case. This is a pattern I see in myself when this happens.
Thanks anyway.

Debs

clicklbd · Post by **clicklbd** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:25 pm

gratefuldeb67 wrote:Hi Wosnes, I don't feel it's a myth at all in my case. This is a pattern I see in myself when this happens.

Maybe when you eat at night you are eating more calories overall?

Here's a study that backs up what Wosnes said:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 080832.htm

Interesting!

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:37 pm

Hi Deb,
The "myths" are interesting...
I was listening to a program on the radio yesterday - an interview with a science writer, Jennifer Ackerman. She's written a book called: "Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream - A Day in the Life of your body" http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/st ... 397690.htm

In the interview, she said two things that really jumped out at me - that there was new research indicating that the time of day that you take medications can dramatically affect their impact, and that this was being taken very seriously by the medical fraternity now in treatment options. As part of that discussion, she said that the time we take antibiotics can affect their impact on our bodies. And that drinking at "cocktail hour" was appropriate as that was the time of day that our bodies can best process alcohol and so it is less intoxicating then - unlike in the morning. Thought that was interesting re your comment about eating late at night. There are diurnal patterns to our metabolic processes...

She also discussed the way two people on the same diet can have dramatically different weights. I am convinced that when I don't get enough sleep and/or I am v stressed, that I don't lose weight and in fact can gain weight, even though I am eating the same way as usual. I know that this is not a popular idea with many - that it gets dismissed as being unscientific and self-serving, ie that I am not recognising that I am actually eating more when I am tired. I am open to that idea, but even accounting for that, I think I gain weight when I'm tired...

Jennifer Ackerman said that lack of sleep can indeed cause weight gain. The reason is that we expend a huge number of calories during the day by fidgeting and walking about, etc. That even when we are just sitting we are actually making tiny movements with our bodies. But when we are very tired, we tend to rest - we tend not to move much in the day. We don't have the energy to fidget or move about. In other words, tired people tend to weigh more than well-rested energetic people because we expend less energy just in our daily movements. So there you go - I haven't been imagining it! That doesn't let me off the hook re getting more sleep and being responsibe for my own health and well-being. But my knowledge of my own metabolic system is sound.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:45 pm

funfuture wrote:I am convinced that when I don't get enough sleep and/or I am v stressed, that I don't lose weight and in fact can gain weight, even though I am eating the same way as usual.

I've never thought about actually gaining, but I have noticed that if I'm not getting enough rest, I don't lose weight. I think the body really needs to recharge to work efficiently. I know I don't move around as much when I'm tired.

Interesting to hear others have this thought!

Merry

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:19 pm

A while back, I heard cortisol was released at higher levels when someone was stressed. Cortisol is implicated in "holding onto" fat. Maybe that thinking has changed?

I know that I eat more when I am very tired looking for that quick energy kick. There may be something chemical going on too.

blueskighs · Post by **blueskighs** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:21 pm

Tiredness, fatigue, not get enough sleep has almost always triggered overeating in me!

The truth is on NO S I really try to get enough sleep and those nights i "just want to eat" i just go to bed and even if I can't sleep i just let myself relax and "calm down" ... sometimes on weekends ... uhhhhhhhhh last weekend comes to my mind

I should have gone to bed MUCH EARLIER saturday night ... i didn't ... i ate ... i regretted it ... oh well ... another learning EXPERIENCE!

Blueskighs

Annapolis Princess · Post by **Annapolis Princess** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:40 pm

Hey do not be too hard on yourself. If you can No S for 5 days give yourself the 2 reward days. I have been no Sing since April and on S days I sometimes "forget" I can have sweets. In fact, on some S days I forced myself to have some. It has become a habit all on its own. So now I am VERY aware of Saturday and Sunday and have what I want when I want it (in moderation of course). I have lost 10 pounds in 6 months - not a whopping amount and I still have 10 more to lose but I am very happy. Keep up the good work.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:53 pm

Thanks Annapolis Princess

No man, people misunderstood what I meant, so again to be clear,,,,
I let myself have *whatever* I want on S days.. But once I hit the hay, I don't want to eat anything past that point.
I don't consider it being hard on myself. This is a life long bad habit that really has nothing to do with NoS.
I just want it out of my life

Nice to meet you and great to hear how well you are doing!
Have a nice weekend!

Debs

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:56 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:A while back, I heard cortisol was released at higher levels when someone was stressed. Cortisol is implicated in "holding onto" fat. Maybe that thinking has changed?

I know that I eat more when I am very tired looking for that quick energy kick. There may be something chemical going on too.

I believe you are right Blithe Morning..
Stress wreaks havoc on our bodies and we do hold onto extra water and fat etc.. The body misinterprets the state we are in with something similar to starvation actually.. so it goes into more of a fight or flight mode and we don't digest well and the metabolism doesn't function optimally.

So,,,,,,get to bed earlier..
And I mean *you* Blue

heheh
Debs x

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