Okay ... time to lay it out!

lyngis

I’m hoping to get some advice and support as I ‘restart’ a weight loss journey. A few years ago, I lost over one hundred lbs, however, over time, I have regained 40 of those back. I find I start really well in the morning with a mindful breakfast ... then I usually have a good lunch. However, where I fail, is late afternoon, and in the evening, after dinner. I just can’t seem to get it into my head to continue mindful eating. I start off every day with really good intentions, but somehow, I sabotage myself almost every day. Does anyone have ideas or has gone through similar behaviours? Would love to hear how you got over this!

TavistockToad

when you say 'good lunch' do you mean a lunch that keeps you going till the evening or a low calorie lunch?

jjpptt2

Figure out why you're doing it. Do you lose dedication/interest? Do you forget about your goals? Are you bored? Is it habitual? Is it emotional?

To treat a behavior, we have to have some sense of what's causing it.

quiksylver296

I found that eating breakfast made me hungrier throughout the whole day, and caused some overeating in the evening. I pushed breakfast back as late as possible, and saved calories for the evening, and that works better for me.

Some people are the complete opposite and need a hearty breakfast consisting of protein, fiber and fats or else they end up overeating in the evening.

You have to figure out what works best for you through trial and error. Good luck!

kireler

Oh yeah I've done that tons of times. I go through the "I'm going to eat right!" thinking and then eat a bag of chips at night because "I will just eat better tomorrow" or "I was good all day, I deserve this". Once I got out of that way of thinking my weight went down.

I've had to change my WHOLE eating habits...SLOWLY. First I switched to things that are healthier. Then cut sugar right out. While reducing the portions of what I eat. After a few weeks, I eat about half of what I used too normally. I'm still trying new things to see what meals keep me full and which leave me hungry.

At night what helps me is having healthy (and tasty) snacks around that I can grab if I'm hungry or in the mood for a snack. Sometimes my snack might just be a tasty tea (Pumpkin Spice for example). I also repeat to myself "I don't need it, keep pushing through" (also visualize a goal...for me it's doing more active things with my kids) and try to do something to busy myself. If I'm still hungry after a bit, I'll have a small bowl of cereal, rice cakes, popcorn, or something like that. Probably not the best but it works for me.

I've also noticed that I get hungry in the evening if I don't drink a lot of water during the day (I can drink 3-4 32oz bottles of water pretty easily).

Hope this is a bit helpful and please don't give up!

88olds

Do you count calories? Keep a food diary?

40lbs over a few years? A pound per month. About 100 extra calories per day is all it takes. Mindful eating may not be enough.

If you don’t mind, this is some of my experience maintaining my 100+lb loss for 12+years. I lost the last 40lbs on Weight Watchers. Tracking, meetings, WW message board- Guys On A Diet. I drank the WW KoolAid. After I saw what happened at the meetings, I vowed not to get in the WW revolving door.

I made my goal of 184lbs, Lifetime, and kept tracking. And attended the meetings most weeks. I tracked for 5 more years until a radical overhaul messed up my point counting. So I figured, let’s try it- no tracking. Guess what? Scale started inching up. Tracked-scale went down. Stopped tracking- back up. Started tracking. Back down. Never went over the WW GW+2 lbs.

After 10 years, I retired to Florida. Quit the meetings. About a years ago the scale started inching up, I started tracking on MFP. Calorie counting, supported by tracking works. It has worked every time I’ve tried it.

Maybe my story sounds nutty and obsessive. I don’t care. This last year, year 12, I finally think that unless I lose my mind (possible) I’m not gaining it back. My last WI about 10 days ago, I weighed 170lbs. Down from 285lb. I nearly killed myself just being fat.

My advice- go back to work. You got a red line? Protect it next time.

Jebe75

@quiksylver296 so true! Everyone is different!
BTW I try the same with my breakfast! At least during the week when I am at work!

mulecanter

I'm an evening grazer too. To avoid evening boredom and stress relief (going to that happy place) it might help to change your evening routine. Go to bed early. Get really good books to read in bed (away from kitchen and TV). Eat as late as possible, eating late is ok if your calorie count is on plan. Plan your day's meals early, for some reason it feels like a contract you can't break.

lyngis

Thanks everyone for the comments, advice ... lunch usually ends up being lower calorie ... I know I do have to eat breakfast as I tend to get hungry mid morning if I don’t have a good enough breakfast. I need to try harder, especially in the evenings, and there were some suggestions for that ... thanks ...