Just can't stop eating in the evening!

I also self talk. I love motivational quotes which I Usually pick one and use it as a daily mantra. (I am a bit of a geek about this- I print out a bunch of them and keep them in my car. I switch them out on to my visor and I can grab them and bring them in the house to put on the fridge if I need) I also follow a 15 minute rule- I tell myself any craving can be outwaited 15 minutes and if need be I tell myself that again after the first 15 minutes is over. These two strategies do not work 100% of the time but I keep trying!

Good luck!!

I do self-talk. I tell myself how proud I will be of me in the morning if I don't indulge the night before. And it's true. You will be VERY proud of yourself. The other thing I tell myself is that I will simply feel better waking up in the morning not having eaten the night before. And that's true, too. You will actually feel better. Try it. Talk to yourself.

I'm not 100% successful all the time, but it does work on a consistent basis.

Spark On!

This is my main problem-- I have reduced my calories during the day but am not losing weight. It can only be because of evening snacking. That is the only time I am around a lot of food and not really paying attention to what I'm eating. Totally driving me nuts!

Is there any overwhelming reason to not eat in the evening? Does it cause you to have trouble sleeping, or increase acid reflux? Or is the problem more *what* you're eating, than the eating itself?

I always snack my way through the evening, with planned snacks that I enjoy and that add to my nutrition for the day. There are very few days that I don't have at least popcorn and a hot cocoa (made with skim milk and dutch-processed cocoa powder), and quite often I'll have either a frozen greek yogurt bar or a dish of yogurt with berries or almonds. My body requires the fibre hit from the popcorn, and I sleep much better when I have the protein from the milk in the cocoa and the yogurt.

Instead of driving yourself nuts trying to not eat, maybe try planning in some snacks for yourself that add to both your nutrition and your enjoyment. Check through your tracker records and see if there is a pattern to being somewhat low on one nutrient or another, and add in snacks that will bring those up.

Plan in 100g of carrots to nibble on while you're packing the kids' lunches, or some popcorn to crunch on while you're watching tv together. Create a relaxing evening ritual for yourself that includes a cup of herbal tea and some yogurt with berries - something that you have after the kids are in bed and you are sending a signal to your body that the day is done and it's time to sleep.

If you plan something that you really enjoy and look forward to, then it makes it much easier to resist the unplanned things that might wander by and tempt you.

I know this isn't exactly what you were asking, but I hope it gives you some ideas that might work for you!

EEJAYBEE,

You don't have your food diary posted, so we don't know what you're eating during the day.

The reason you may still be feeling hungry after dinner is because you didn't eat enough during the day. What did you eat for dinner ? Was it nourishing ? Did it have lots of fiber ? Fiber is sating and helps keep us full for longer. So, if you find yourself hungry after eating, maybe it's because you're not getting enough fiber.

These are just guesses, because I have no idea what you've been eating during the day, how many calories you eat on average or anything else. Perhaps you're under stress. Stress can cause a person to be hungry when they've already eaten.

Are you drinking enough water ? Some times hunger isn't really hunger, but thirst. The next time you feel hungry, try drinking a couple of big glasses of water. I've found this to be true. When I get hungry, I ask myself when is the last time I had a drink.

You really do have to give us some more to work on. Too many things we just don't know.

I have tried to stop eating in the evening after my evening meal- I have stopped preparing the kids' packed lunches then (so I'm not tempted to eat bits of it), I've tried chewing gum, I've tried brushing my teeth. I've had this habit for years- I guess I just like food- I did manage to stop initally when I was on sparkpeople but the willpower wore off. I still haven't reached my goal weight but I just don't seem to be able to kick the habit! I have a husband and kids, so banning easy-to-eat food from the house doesn't work either. Any tips?