I keep derailing around 4:00-7:00pm every day! Help!

It sounds like you already know the problem is two-fold: your body is craving food and at that time of day your blood sugar is way out of whack and you strongly craving those treats. Secondly, you're obviously a smart person and your brain supplies compelling excuses to justify having the cravings: we...will...probably...die...if...we...don't...eat...RIGHT...NOW! I think we've all felt that!

Try to conquer it a two-fold approach: first, don't let your body get to that point where it's too late to stop the behavior. Think about ways to stop or at least reduce that feeling before it builds up. The best way might be to reduce sugars at lunch and go with food that's higher in protein. Then, about 30 min - 1 hr. before you think you might indulge, have another high protein snack. But skip thinks like protein bars or other high protein treats that are also high in sugar (and most are), in which case you''ll probably still pig out and you will have added a power bar's worth of calories to the mess! Go with something like a low glycemic value that's filling! And drink LOTS of water during this period!

On the mental side, the good news is that it doesn't take a long time to learn a new habit! That can work against us (like when we learn to pig out every afternoon). But, it can really work *for* you as well. It will only seem tough to fight the cravings for a few days, and after that it will start seeming normal! One great way to be mentally strong is to commit to recording in MFP every single thing that you eat during the day. I looked through your log and there's no evidence that you have any eating issues at all, so guessing you don't record those excesses! Commit to record everything you eat and when you feel like you are craving food, say to yourself "I track everything. I do not want to track this bad eating. I am strong and I can see that I have enough calories to live and will not just die. This is a craving and it will go away and I am stronger than it."

Remember to be gentle on yourself if you can't change this overnight. Celebrate little successes -- "Yay! I went until 5:00 PM before I snacked but got through the first hour OK," "Yah! I stopped after eating some of the kid's goldfish but didn't pig out on their chips even though I wanted to." If it was super easy, everyone would be thin!

Finally, it's cheesy but I think it's true: Jillian Michaels in her Ripped in 30 DVD says, "Transformation is not a future event. It is a present activity. That's why you must bring everything you have to give in every moment. It doesn't have to be perfect. It's about effort. That's where transformation happens. That's how change occurs." So, be strong during those first few days, and the transformation *will* happen!