Breaking the cycle....

i relate to this based on my own life and habits, and i will say this is a big challenge! you can change though, and your self awareness about the problem is the first step.

the following have helped me in the past:

1. eat a snack before getting home so you are not ravenous, or plan out a healthy snack for when you get home. it has helped me to make this snack ahead of time and put it in a ziploc baggie or tupperware so i'm not tempted to eat a bunch of junk.

2. change your routine. for example, when you get home, have a healthy snack and then do something like go to the gym, read a book, call a friend, or some other non-food activity that would help you relax.

3. remind yourself that this habit is something you have been doing for a long, long time, so be kind to yourself. remind yourself that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, and maybe think about keeping track of your progress toward changing this particular habit.

i hope some of that is a bit helpful! i'm always here for support if you need to talk

First off don't have those sugary or salty treats in the house if they are such a temptation. If you must have them for others how about sticking them in the freezer so that they aren't ready to eat right away giving you the time to talk yourself out of eating them. Secondly have a few healthy snack choices on hand. If you like veggies and dip make up some mock sour cream and onion but use plain Greek yogurt and dried onions, they'll plump up in the yogurt, or use salsa.

I make my meals on Sunday so that there is no thought when I get home. This week it is a salad with the works. I use arugala simply because it doesn't disintegrate and go bad quickly, I think it's a drier sort of lettuce. I measure it in my big salad bowl, put a half of a piece of paper towel in the baggie so that it sops up any moisture and then put in my salad with the red onion, brocoli, grape tomatos (uncut), and any other veggies or toppies. Then when I'm ready to eat I just pour it into the bowl, add the dressing and there's no waiting. In the winter it's more like soups, casseroles, etc., again all divided into containers so that I know how much is a portion.

This works for me. I like the other ideas here like breaking out of that routine and taking a walk or such. Also, my nutritionist (when I saw one) told me to try and cut out any sweeteners lik those Mio squirts for my drinks or those Crystal Light powders. If you keep drinking those types of drinks you will keep craving sugar. Try to swap in fruit (I know, easier said than done), dried plums/pruins can be yummy and sweet, drink your water and float some fruit or a slice of cucumber, maybe a piece of fresh peppermint leaf.

Good luck, keep trying, we're all in the same boat.

Take a healthy snack with you to work so you can eat it on the way home. When you get home grab the kids and take them for a walk, to play in the park, to ride bikes, to play catch in the front yard, something. It's great bonding time and starts training your kids not to binge in the afternoon too.
My kids are older so they are at work, a friends, dance or soccer when I get home so I walk the dog or mow the lawn or something like that. Even a half hour of light activity kills my need to binge.
Oh yea, get the sugary snacks out of the house if at all possible - i realize that is easier said than done with kids around.

I've had similar habits (especially at that time of day) and for me the biggest thing that helped me to break the binging cycle was / is to never let myself get hungry. I learned to eat frequently throughout the day, pre-log my food each day so I can keep track of how much I have left to work with (you can always change it; it's not written in stone) and most importantly I set my calorie allowance as high as I can while still eating at a deficit. I've unfortunately had to learn from failed experience after failed experience that as a binge eater, the worst thing I can do is let myself get hungry.