that ... out of control evening eating...

[Guest guest]

Sorry I haven't followed all of this but wanted to add my 2 cents about the

evening / night time / food thing and weight gain or not loosing enough....

>>>However, I find that I'm bingeing around 7-9. On the weekends, I go to

bed a bit later and find myself bingeing until I go to bed.<<<

This was a serious issue for me in my weight gain / get it back off /

phases -- I had a craving / habit / developed and eating pattern that put me

eating right before going to bed... the house was quiet, I could finally

just " settle down " and " eat " with the minimum amount of stress BUT -- it was

always right before sleeping (NOT good!!!)

I've lost the 16 lbs gain (yes, we long termers can loose it again) and

then some but I had to do something about that night feeding and after a

week of being a war with the whole thing I stopped fighting it and just

changed it.

I am still eating at the night feeding time but I've totally just changed

what I eat to a non-harmful choice in terms of my health and my weight.

The first thing I do is drink a protein shake, that fills me up a bit and

totally cuts my " taste " for something sweet so I can move on to a " food "

item. I decided on bulk protein food so I get skinned chicken breasts and/or

good beef cuts and cook them on the week-end in a non-fat type of way... I

slice them into strips (like you'd get on top of a salad) and then store

them in 4 oz containers in my fridge and freezer for the week. I fill the

container to about 2.5 / 3 oz of the meat and that IS my night feeding now.

I plan on it, prepare for it and just know I can't win that war right now so

I'm doing it best I know how.

Once cooked and stored the strips can be eaten as is, nuked in the

microwave, there are many sugar free, carb free type dips you can dip it in

for different flavors -- get creative... grilled chicken in mustard isn't

bad at all if you add some spices to it.

Because the " late night " food is bulky it stays in my pouch until I fall

asleep keeping me " full feeling " and since I know I'm fixing to fall asleep

anyway I do it after I've done my water for the day so I don't wash it

through.

That is the major change I made when I had this weight gain and it is the

major change I made to get it back off (finally!!!) It is MUCH harder and

slower to take that weight back off at this point but it is SO worth it... I

can finally zip all my jeans and fit back into my cloths.

Notice I'm not offering up any numbers here because as explained

to me and it is SO true for me... my size isn't on a label of clothing it is

in how I feel and I feel good at this size -- I did NOT feel good with the

extra weight I had gained... our size is a feeling, not a number.

Hope this helps someone -- I'm still doing the night feedings and I'm not

sure why (I didn't do them for over 2 years and then it started) but I'm

working on learning why the craving is so strong at that time of night --

until I learn though and understand the " why " I just decided to be healthy

about it, not do the battle nightly and go with it in a non-hurtful way.

hugz,

~denise

[Guest guest]

>>> **** this is amazing that you could lose so much and it seems like in a

short amt. of time<<

WOW... feels like FOREVER to me! Just like the first time that " this won't

work for me " mentality was a battle but it does still work if I work it...

finding a plan that I could really, reasonably and in reality stick to for

life (again) was the hardest part.

>>>> *** why is this? that's my eating time too! I can go all day on protein

drinks, water, something

real light for lunch and then after dinner - boom!<<<<

Yeah, I'm a right before 'sleep' and got tired of going to sleep (or trying

to) with my tummy just feeling really hungry (not just head hunger.)

I don't know the " why " it is but it is the topic / priority / main

discussion I plan to begin with my Therapist as soon as the holiday is

over... we'll dig deep until we find out what's up with that.

I do think a lot of it for me is just really simple... my de-stress, take

off the hats, the baby's asleep, everyone is tended to and I don't have to

" do " anything else so I can actually " rest " and then I feel the HUNGER... I

want to " feed " -- who knows, maybe that really is all their is to it *shrug*

I don't know but I do plan on finding out -- until then I'll just eat my

bulk meats and sleep on a full tummy.

Of course, if I learn anything psychic behind the whole night feeding

frenzy I will share it with everyone the minute anything comes to light.

Brightest Blessings to all,

~denise

[Guest guest]

I had to do something about that night feeding and after a

> week of being a war with the whole thing I stopped fighting it and

just

> changed it.

> I am still eating at the night feeding time but I've totally

just changed

> what I eat to a non-harmful choice in terms of my health and my

weight.

!!!

I hope everyone takes time to REALLY understand what you are saying.

This is the key to the entire struggle for me.

I HAVE to stop thinking in a linear manner and open my mind up

laterally.

I don't fight the eating at 11 p.m. at night. I tried everything and

I always lost. Well, who says I have to not eat at 11pm? Why can't I

just go to bed and not even face the struggle in the first place?

Now I can't very well sleep all day so there are going to be time

like that 7-9 at night where I still want to eat. But like you say,

why torture myself? If I try my best, make a real effort, and still

do not succeed in eliminating the habit, then, as you say, take the

power out of it by eating healthy foods.

Maybe the " perfect " solution is not to eat. But it is unreasonable

for me to expect myself to be perfect. That leads to failure and

demoralization. And popcorn and Doritos and candy.

You remember the other day I posted that I had a compulsion to eat

when I found out my grandmother was on her last legs. I tried for

hours to fight it and finally the stress of fighting it was just too

overwhelming. So I cooked a head of cauliflower and munched florets

until I was too full. Yes, I binged. But it did not adversly affect

my health and I achieved my goal.

Thanks for the food for thought. hee hee..get it? FOOD for thought.

Oh man, I crack myself up. Ok, ok, it wasn't THAT funny, but laughter

leads to better health, so they say, and I'm game.

Smiles,

Vicki A.