What are your Post-Dinner Blues coping mechanisms?

I don't feel that way after dinner, but I can relate to the anxiety of thinking I'm not going to have enough calories left in my budget to satisfy me at the end of the day. I have two strategies. One is to plan my meals so that I end up with a lot of calories still left for dinner. Two is to tell myself that if I'm legitimately still hungry, I can consciously choose to go a little over my calories. I think it's great to stick to my goals, but I'm not going to ignore true hunger just because I ran out of calories.

First figure out if your fear is justified. Do you often find yourself hungry with no calories left for the day?

If the answer is no, then you might take a few moments every day to realize that you're doing fine.

If the answer is yes, then there are some things to look at.

• Is your goal to low?
• Are you consuming a lot of empty calories (those that don't give you enough nutrition to justify eating them)?
• Are you sure that dinner is the problem meal? It comes last in the day so it may seem to be the one that puts you over, but it may be the number of calories you're eating earlier in the day that don't leave enough room for a satisfying dinner that are actually the problem.
• Are you exercising? If so, are you allowing yourself to eat back any of your exercise calories?

sarahfeelingood wrote: »

For me, the evening is the most challenging part of the day. This is where I overeat and go beyond my calorie goal. What are some of your evening routines, habits, and coping mechanisms for the dreaded Post-Dinner Blues?

Edit: I don't just mean late night snacking. I mean feeling sad, scared, depressed after having your last meal/snack of the day. Or being fearful going into that last meal because what if you're not satisfied or get hungry and can't have more.

Hope to hear some great ideas!

What if you are? Unless you live in an area or an economic condition where starvation is a very real risk, being hungry won't kill you. It's just another bodily sensation, like being tired or having to use the restroom. What is there to be afraid of?

If you want to know what happens if you're hungry and can't have more food, try it. Turn the question around: what happens if you get hungry and don't stick food in your mouth right then and there, that very second? What if you just let yourself be hungry for a while? It's easy to find out.

You might find out that feeling hungry isn't a big deal after all. That might be good news or bad news, depending on where your brain is at. In the meantime, I second the suggestion above to talk to a doctor who specializes in eating disorders. You talk about this feeling like it was something normal that everyone experiences, but it's not, by a long shot.

I eat my last meal/snack/dessert RIGHT before I go to bed so I dont have to be sad about not having any more calories left for the day lol

I eat basically the same thing each morning...well between two things. I log in my snack for the night and my adult beverage for the night, I plan out my lunch, I plan out my supper. I have had to increase my calories for the holidays so I lose one pound a week instead of 1 1/2 pounds...I was getting anxious and I was wanting to eat snacks. Are you off of sugar? Sugar is addiction, once you have cleared your body of excess sugar, you won't feel that anxious feeling of wanting to eat everything really high calorie in sight (for me anyway). Are you drinking your water each day? Are you eating enough protein and fats each day. Protein and fat will keep you full. When I wake up and I feel like I want to eat something right away, I eat an apple instead of eating something bad. You have to get outside for a short walk each day (I walk my dogs 20 minutes each day), getting outside is good for you, do it. I like my snack each night, so I plan to include it into my calories. You have to do what works for you. You will have your good days and bad days...hopefully you will have more good days than bad days. Come to MFP and read and help others when you are feeling bad. LOG all food! It will make your accountable!

sarahfeelingood wrote: »

Or being fearful going into that last meal because what if you're not satisfied or get hungry and can't have more.

Sort of repeating what some of the others have said ...

If you have eaten a minimum of 1200 calories + half your exercise calories, it is OK to be hungry. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. It might feel a bit uncomfortable for an hour or so, but that's all. Distract yourself by doing something else.

As for determining if it is really hunger or just your mind playing tricks on you ...

First I wait half an hour and get busy doing something else. Sometimes I'm so preoccupied with whatever else it is I'm doing that an hour or more goes by without me realising it.

Second, I ask myself if I am hungry enough to eat an apple. I like apples, but they aren't my favourite fruit and they are rarely something I crave. If I'm not hungry enough to eat an apple, I'm probably not really very hungry.

Third, I ask myself what I'm hungry for. If I am craving something like potato chips, it's probably the salt I'm after, and I might have a pickle. Often that takes care of the hunger.