June 2010 - No more snacking after dinner

Julem22

Hello to the new ladies!! We are all in the same boat. RIGHT NOW is the time I want to eat. I just drank some tea and I am going to brush my teeth. Today is the 4th day I have stuck to NO eating over my calorie goal. It is very hard but if I can do 4 days I can do 4 more right! Happy Friday.

rosemary10

Nikkie - I LOVED the snack in the trash story. You are getting stronger! :flowerforyou:

Juledes -Way to go 4 in a row :flowerforyou:

Elizholmes - Welcome, you will love it here. The accountability really works on you more than you might think. :flowerforyou:

Thanks Dew! :flowerforyou:

Me 4 vs Bad Snacks OOOO

lulabellewoowoo

Well, last night, due to scheduling, I wasn't even able to eat until 9 p.m., but I am going to consider it a success because even though it was "date night", I did not have any wine and no dessert and kept my dinner very simple with salad and shrimp and was done by 9:30. So to snacks

3 me/snacks 1

I'm going to try for 9 again tonight.

dewdrop

You rock, Lorna! :flowerforyou: - very appropriate smiley :laugh:.

I had to eat (dinner) late, but it was really late. Just felt like I had no choice, somehow - plus, I did not go over my calories too much. So I'll admit defeat, but still don't fell down :
Dew: 3 - Late snacks: 1.

I intend to read the other posts later. Glad we have a growing team :flowerforyou:.

nikkieliivey

Thanks for your support! I like the scoring you guys are doing...so I think I will start today!
Nikki:1 Snacks:0

I dont know if this would help anyone out there, but I found that if I eat my "dessert" (60 callorie sugar free jello) in my bedroom or not in the kitchen, I am lest tempted to go for more. I just just log onto to MFP and look at our group while I finish and then I am good to go! I remember why I want to stop snacking! I remember that it makes you feel good for a grand total of about ten seconds and then bad for goness knows how long!

You all are amazing!

IsMollyReallyHungry

Well, last night, due to scheduling, I wasn't even able to eat until 9 p.m., but I am going to consider it a success because even though it was "date night", I did not have any wine and no dessert and kept my dinner very simple with salad and shrimp and was done by 9:30. So to snacks

3 me/snacks 1

I'm going to try for 9 again tonight.

Thanks for telling me about this group. I am going to give it a try. I knew I was not alone but wow!!! Like now I am not hungry because I was snacking last night. Keep up the good work !

IsMollyReallyHungry

I am not sure how well this would work for me since most nights I do not get in until 8 to 9 pm. I will think about it over the weekend. But I can make a eddict that I do not eat anything else after I eat my dinner. Thanks again and have a great weekend!

rosemary10

I am not sure how well this would work for me since most nights I do not get in until 8 to 9 pm. I will think about it over the weekend. But I can make a eddict that I do not eat anything else after I eat my dinner. Thanks again and have a great weekend!

Hi Mollie - I have to fit the "rules" around my lifestyle, since I work nightshift (all night) 3-4 nights during the week. I usually never have a cut off time by the clock since I don't go to bed. At work my cut off time is 4:00 am since I want to go to bed at 8-9:00 am when I get home. I try to stop eating 2 hrs before I go to sleep - no matter if the sleep is daytime or nighttime. Then my rule of "Not eating other food until my good food is gone" saves me from Snack Attacks at work.

And the weight loss thing you have accomplished is TRULY amazing. :flowerforyou:

dewdrop

WOW, some AWESOME posts :flowerforyou:.

nikkieliivey, don't know if it occurred to you how motivating YOU are actually to the rest of us . I also think your food in the garbage story is HUGE. It's the attitude - right now, this moment is what I have. Maybe tomorrow I'll be at a party, maybe I'll crave sweets because of that time of the month, but at least I ate 300 calories less today. That sure means something! So keep up this spirit - after losing those 50 lbs you are already a winner. And you can get much further, like you say :flowerforyou:.

Mollie, definitely make your own rules. As Zaza once said (hope she rejoins our group), for this to work you have to be reasonable. As lulabelle, feel free to adjust the cut-off for special occasions. Like Rosemary, feel free to make your own rules about what and when you eat. I am like Lulabelle: all or nothing, because even if I start healthy (an apple) I end up snacking on too much of whatever (usually carbs) - and too much of ANYTHING cannot be good for you. Although, since I am old at this challenge, I must say that I have not binged at night in a long long time. So maybe I did learn something from it . These days, even when I give the point to snacks it's usually because I know I can do better or I have to be honest about my cut-off and not because I have doubled my in-calories for the day in a few hours at night.

Good luck everyone and stay strong! It's great to be in such a motivational team. We can do this, I know we can! :glasses: :flowerforyou:

rosemary10

Nikkie - interesting thought; the idea that the indulgence makes you feel good for 10 seconds but bad for a long time. Hadn't thought of it like that. :glasses: :flowerforyou:

Lulabell - Love the smiley - you tell 'em :flowerforyou:

Dew - I don't think you should give the point to the snacks. It was dinner, a necessary part of your day. (words spoken by the Unscheduled Woman) - I'll give you a flower! :flowerforyou:

Today was crazy food wise. Was desperate hungry when I got off work. Got some cheesy potatoes from the cafeteria before leaving work (an old fav), went grocery shopping on the way home and had chicken at home. Went over my cal for the day but I am good tonight against the Snacks. I was under my cal for a couple of days. Did that make me so hungry today? Anybody know?

Me 5 vs Snacks 0

dewdrop

Dew - I don't think you should give the point to the snacks. It was dinner, a necessary part of your day. (words spoken by the Unscheduled Woman) - I'll give you a flower! :flowerforyou:

You are a sweetheart What would I do without you and Lorna?
I will give myself the point for last night . hope that's good . We ate out but finished by 7:30 and then came back home a bit past 8 and I had some strawberries (no desert at dinner). So all or nothing as I am, I think the strawberries were a very good decision , so:
Dew: 4 - Late snacks 1

Rosemary, being under calories for a while might have triggered the hunger, or it might just be that not all days are the same. Don't feel bad at all about going over - I like the theory according to which sometimes our body needs to be fooled into thinking "ah, the hard times are over, we'll indulge now again". Which you're not going to let happen, right? .

Have a wonderful Sunday, team! Lorna, will you start another thread tomorrow? If so, please remember to post here the link to it.

agraciana

I have a tendency NOT to snack after dinner, but every now and then, I slip and have some popcorn or an ice cream while watching a movie with my SO... It's a downfall. He's a snacker, I'm not for the most part.

My SO just got a job where he works until 10:30 every night, and I go to bed soon after that, so, it's been giving me time to do my exercise and NOT snack.

So, I will join this challenge and take it!

So, since June started,

Me: 5
Snacks: 0

nikkieliivey

Thanks dewdrop & rosemary10 your support means so much!

I hope everyone is doing well! There have been a lot of challenges that have come up in the past couple days (graduation parties, going out to eat, bbqs, etc) but I was able to conquer them all...largely due to you alls support! Once I stopped snacking, and allowed myself my South Beach diet dessert I just kind of of realized, nothing tastes as good as being thin ( & healthy and fit for that matter) feels. I really had to think about it. Why was I eating this food? It wasn't making me feel good. It wasn't helping my goals. It wasn't serving any purpose for my future aspirations. I can usually stop snacking for about a week, but then I break, so I reaching that point where I usually break down. But after thinking about it, I came up with some really revealing and honest conclusions. I will post them all, b/c if they save anyone else from the cycle that snacking has caused for me than it is totally worth it. I think I wil post two at time, b/c writing about it helps me address the issue.

1. Just like everyone else, I eat when I am stressed. I had to do an emotional evaluation when I was about to start snacking. I couldn't find my keys, I was late for class, I had a gazillion things that needed to get done in the nest hour, and the dog still needed to be taken out...and there I was opening the fridge searching for something to make all of this go away. But I realized food can;t alleviate lifes problems. After doing some reading, I found that carbs release seretonin which helps you relieve stress, so it is natural to crave them in stressful/painful situations, but ultimately if you don't take control it will just make all the problems worse.

2. I self sabotage. Just when I am about to make major progress, I start snacking. As much as I want to lose weight, and as much as I have tried, I think deep down in my subconscious I am afraid to change and afriad to fail. If I just go back to usual, no harm done. No failure. It is easier to stop trying than to keep going, and make it through. I had to realize that it is okay for me to be thin. I always thought it was a badge of honor reserved for some other group of people, but maybe never for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my curves, and will always be curvy b/c it is just how I am built, but you know, I deserve to be thin too. I deserve to feel good about myself. I am extremely confident person now, but I can't even imagine who I would be if I didn't have that voice in my head reminding me I was bigger than everybody else. I find myself thinking, "oh I can't try that, that is only for thin people, "when I am thinner, I am going to try that", "gosh, i wonder if they think i am too fat to do this". I deserve, just as much as everyone on this site deserves, to be thin. I'm not going to cheat myslef out of what I owe to myslef, I have worked to hard for too long to give up! I CAN DO THIS! I am ready to live life with no regrets, no " i wish I could have done that"...I am ready to live life to the fullest...and it is silly and just down right pathetic that snacking is keeping from getting there...so from now on, it won't.


Here's to another successful week for all of us!

Nikki:3/ Snacks:0

lulabellewoowoo

4 me/2 snacks

Tonight, 7:30. Need to focus.

nikkieliivey

Nikki:4 Snacks:0

The next week and half is where I usually fall off the bandwagon, but I am not going to let that happen this time! I am ready for a permanent change! I deserve it! I owe it to myself to be the best that I can be!

Hope everyone is doing well!

dewdrop

Last night was my "if I get home after cut-off, I'll still have dinner". Which was the case, but I was good (seems like modesty isn't my thing ), so: Dew: 5 vs Late snacks: 1

rosemary10

Me 6 vs The Snacks 0 (Too busy to snack at work)

Nikkie Love your posts -they are thought provoking. 1) I also stress/comfort eat. Usually at work since it's a high stress environment. and 2) It seems like the talk we entertain in our minds really does influence us. As you were describing your fat girl/thin girl thoughts I could see myself in other ways there to. Interesting! :flowerforyou:


Agraciana - Welcome - you're off to a good start !

Lulabelle - Hope the kids are all better Here's a flower for your babies :flowerforyou:

Dew - you are a power house of encouragement to everybody. We are blest to have you :flowerforyou:

cesse47

Just joined this site a couple of days ago but have been eating healthy since the first of the year. Snacking has been my favorite method of self sabatoge for many, many years. This year I gutted my kitchen cupboards and refrigerator of everything that was not healthy food. I remember crying when I dumped my chocolate stash in the garbage and poured ketchup all over it. :sad: But if anything snackable is in the house, I eat it. So far, it's been manageable. I do get cravings for chocolate and coke. So, I walk to the gas station and get one square of Giradelli chocolate and force myself to walk home before I eat it. Then eat it in 4 small bites holding it in my mouth a bit ... guess it tricks my brain into thinking it's had lots more chocolate than that one little square. And when I absolutely have to have a coke, I stop at McDonalds and treat myself to one small Coke. At night when I get cravings, I go get a drink of water and that usually helps ... if not, sometimes I get another drink then go walk around my house a few times ... anything to turn my mind away from the craving.

I'm also trying to add physical activity into my daily life. I do walk every day but at a moderate pace. I'm hoping that when that late night craving hits, a 10 minute segment of weights or steps will change my mind.

I've also used my scale as a motivator to ignore the craving. For example, I get a craving for something sweet and go stand on the scale and look at the number ... tell myself it's not worth it and have a glass of water with a bit of lemon.

Any other tips very welcome!! Wishing a successful day (or night) free from snacking for all!!

dewdrop

cesse47, awesome post! Really really good! :flowerforyou:
Rosemary, you make me blush. I learned from the best, though , you and Lorna. :flowerforyou:. You've been there for me when I needed it and almost abandoned this. So... thanks!

dewdrop

I haven't eaten past 7! Yeah! :happy: - Dew: 6 vs Late snacks: 1

Still confused about the weekly vs. monthly threads . If Lorna it too busy maybe we can continue this one and Rosemary (or whoever volunteers) could start a parallel thread each week and post the links here - what do you think?

lulabellewoowoo

5 me/2 snacks

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Dew- I'm sorry I did get so busy. I'm liking the monthly thread as it is easy for me to find. Should we post a weekly thread just telling people where to look for us? What do you think Rosemary?

Great job everyone. Very impressive and inspiring. Keep it going!

agraciana

One good way NOT to snack is to get sick, and fall asleep at 8:30 every night!

I don't snack in my sleep, so, I've been doing well!

Congrats everyone on doing so great! Keep up the work!

Those that have fallen off the wagon, keep trying! You can do it!

rosemary10

The monthly is ok with me; I can find it alright. The only reason I was in favor of the weekly was because I thought more people joined in, even if it was only for a short time. On the other hand it is more time consuming for the leader/poster to manage. I basically only keep track, on a daily basis, one thread. Multiple threads would be too time consuming for me. So your asking to post a weekly thread that has a link back to the monthly?? :ohwell: I'd have to see it and work with it a bit to have an opinion. Whatever you guys want to do is fine with me. I'll find you no matter what :happy: .

Me 7 vs The Snacks 0

Cesse47 Wow great ideas! Thanks for sharing. Also knitting in front of the TV helps me. It keeps my hands busy and I also don't want to get the yarn dirty from snacks. And nice work with the weight loss. It's inspiring :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

rosemary10

Sorry about you getting sick Agraciana :flowerforyou: Hope all is better now.

elizholmes

This is tough!

I feel like a drug addict trying to kick the habit, but food is my drug of choice.

lulabellewoowoo

Success 6 me/ snacks 2

Even with hubby getting an ice cream on our walk. Didn't even take a lick. Yeah me.

dewdrop

Lorna, you are awesome! Thumb up and :flowerforyou: for you!
elizholmes, it does feel like it, doesn't it? But unlike drugs, you can't really go cold turkey on food. What we can try going cold turkey on, though, are sweets, unhealthy food or late night snacks.

I'm kinda puzzled about who gets the point for last night :ohwell: : came home later than my cut-off, so dinner was pretty much a must Except it was not 100% healthy :blushing: . Funny, just right after I signed in for the eating clean challenge :embarassed: ... Anyhow, I was still decent and had no more food after dinner for more than 2 hrs before going to bed, so... I'll count it: Dew: 7 - Late snacks 1

rosemary10

Me 8 / Snacks 0

Been busy as my new upgrade from last week uninsured phone got lost/stolen. Then my operating system on my computer got corrupted. (Yes, I'm at the library) The recovery disk worked to get it back but I lost some pictures. The pics are on the memory chip I took out of the old phone but can't really spend more on a new phone since the AC on my car is getting fixed at the dealer"s. The week before last it was the waterheater and other plumbing issues. Taking my grandson on a vacation next month to our Church's yearly family conference. It'll be great fun, but it's looking like I need to do a fair amount of overtime to catch up. :ohwell:

Hope all is well with you all.
Good story lulabelle (Lorna) :flowerforyou:
Dew I agree, the snacks never got the point. :drinker:
Elizholmes - you are so right. Keep at it with this site, with the food diary, exercise and logging in with us and you will start to see it turn around. You can do it!!! :flowerforyou:

Julem22

Hi everyone, I hope everyone is well this Wednesday! I have been very good not eating after dinner but boy is it hard it is almost like a little devil is talking to me telling me to eat and I have to make it stop!!! LOL anyway if I can take care of this problem and I believe I can my next step is tackling some weekend weaknesses I have. If I can get those two things under control....I can reach my goals and I am on may way to one of them!!

Good luck to you all!!!!:happy:

Julem22

Just read everyone's post- elizholmes I totally agree it is very much like that!!! Last night I really felt like an alcoholic but with food and I kept thinking "One minute at a time!!!"