Everyday Systems

I'd do one of two things: fix and eat dinner at a consistent time yourself and warm up the meal for him and sit with him while he eats OR have some kind of snack on the evenings he's late. Most here would suggest a glass of milk, but that's something I'd never do (can't stand milk and don't believe in drinking your calories). I'd suggest a salad -- vegetable or fruit.

I don't know, I'd just go with 2 smaller dinners so you don't have to be hungry. Maybe some whole grain bread and cheese at your normal eat time, just enough to tide you over until the last possible time he could come home.

Though truth be told, in my family I'm the one who comes home late and I dont expect my family to wait until 8pm to eat.

Any way to push back lunch so that there are fewer hours until dinner? Also, I told myself that if I had to go more than 6 hours without a meal, that I could have something like a piece of fruit to chomp on or pureed vegetables in soup broth. I want the mini/4th "meal" to be light so that it will get processed quickly and I will feel hungry for a real meal. I don't want to use this default much because i know that any time I increase the number of eating occasions, I increase the likelihood to eat more often on other days, and even overeat. But some days have funny schedules. Some days I am up at 4 a.m. and won't have time to have lunch until noon-thirty. However, coffee with milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a dusting of stevia can be wonderful, too.

I drink juice. Sometimes a cup of decaf coffee with cream helps, too. You could have a glass of milk.

Also, make sure you are eating a stick-to-your-ribs lunch. If it's too light, you won't make it until dinner.

If you know in advance (by lunch time) that he'll be late, a late lunch can help. I'm "fortunate" in this regard in that my kids will not tolerate deviations of more than half an hour from established mealtimes

Reinhard

As a teacher, lunch is set for me at 11:15 a.m. My husband, a teacher and coach, is at school late every day, so dinner isn't usually until 7:45 p.m. Not only could I not be successful at a diet that forced me to go 8 waking hours without eating, it's just not healthy. So I plan a forth mini-meal of fruit and yogurt or a protein smoothie for the afternoon. It's much more manageable.

I've had occasions where lunch is noon and dinner is 10 hours later. In the early stages of NoS, I couldn't have done it, but now I'm okay with whatever happens. If I started to feel ill, I'd eat something, but I have not had to. usually a cup of tea works - but I don't mind being hungry anymore, either.

Remember that you can leave a blank spot on your plate to indicate the snack that was needed to get you to dinner.

Personally I would try to get by on liquids (juice, milk, water), but it is really up to the individual. What gets one person by is intolerable to another.

My husband is also late sometimes... but we have a child, who needs to eat and get to bed.

So, we eat whether he's there or not, at our normal dinner time. If he's not home, I set a plate for him in case he arrives in time to join us. If he doesn't, I save him food and busy myself in the kitchen while he eats so we can have some companionable time.

Waiting for him (or not) is a choice. And there are multiple ways to address it - you've gotten good ideas on this thread.