My Progress!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Cheating in the Evening


If only that were the kind of cheating I was doing...*wistful sigh* But NO, of course it isn't. Last night I cheated with another woman, a little woman although I doubt she's really all that little considering all the crap she bakes is full of calories and fat! Who and what am I talking about folks? Little Debbie of course. Read on for the rest of the story...

Ok, I've been aware of this for about a week or two, but I'm not entirely sure what to do about it at this point, so any input from you guys would be GREATLY appreciated. I seem to be losing it in the evening. I'm not exactly going berzonkers...believe me, I can do WAY more damage than I've been doing, but I'm losing control in little ways most times (too much spaghetti at one sitting even if I manage to stay within my plan for the day) or in big ways like last night. I'm noticing that if I'm going to cheat or give in, it is in the evening. Take a look at my food log from yesterday and you will see what I mean. I did just fine until that last meal and then the whole thing went to hell in a hand basket pretty fast. FOUR little debbie brownies? They weren't even all that good guys, seriously...I could have made brownies that tasted better, but I ate FOUR of them. By the way, who would have thunk those little things would pack such a fat-filled punch? Not me said the flea.

I think that it may have something to do with it just being more difficult to hold on at the end of the day when I'm tired and just want to relax. Lately I get off at 3pm, have an hour to myself before the Tanman gets home, then its dinner time and around 7pm I have a few hours of work to do. I've noticed that when I have work in the evening I'm more likely to go off program. I think its because I'm stressed about having to work two more hours when I just want to be able to veg a bit before bedtime :( Lately, logging in for this other job hasn't even really been worth it. I had talked to a friend of mine about cutting back my work schedule so that I could focus more on my health and saving my energy for the gym, but then I worry about how I'm going to pay the rent next month lol. I probably could make ends meet with just my one job, but I don't want to lose this other one just in case.

So, any way to battle temptation when you are at your weakest? I'm all eyes.

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14 Comments:

Dr Wednesday said...

I am terrible during/after dinner- just like you. I can manage all day, then when I start eating supper I don't want to stop.

I've had some success with a couple tricks. (1) I have been eating more throughout the day (where at first I just skimped so I could stay on plan in the evening with by mini-binges). (2) I have a file on my desktop called FS for favorite snacks. Its a list of the snacks I like that are a large quantity for a small cost. So when I know the munchies are coming, but I don't want to pay for it too much, I have a list. Kettle popcorn and soups are a couple of my most filling, least filling favs. When I need something more I cook 1.5 cups white steamed rice with a Starkist package of teriyaki salmon. The carbs feel so indulgent, but the fat is super low, and the carbs and protien are high- so it REALLY does satisfy (~350 cal total). (3) I'm lucky enough to crave different foods than the non-dieters in my house. I really avoid buying foods I can't pass up. We can't have nutter butters, cheetos, or regular oreos in the house. Hmm...

Tony said...

You aren't eating enough. I know that when I get really hungry, it's much easier for me to overeat, so I think you should focus on upping your calories in order to stay full.

I don't know how you have calculated your calorie allowance, but a helpful resource is www.caloriesperhour.com. That's where I calculated my RMR/BMR values.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but eating enough will help you lose weight.

Unknown said...

Where are your vegetables and fruit? From the looks of your food log you are not eating any. I know that helps me. When I have breakfast I add a fruit, any lunch, I always add a veggie to it. Same with dinner.

I also find it helpful to put a time limit on when I stop eating. Nothing past 9pm for me.

I bet if you just added more fruits and veggies you would see a difference. Oh and Ive also learned that I can not keep those snacks (like lil debbie) in the house and expect myself to behave. lol

:) tj

A Daunting Tale of Scale Warfare said...

Have you checked to see if youre really consuming enough calories throughout the day? I know that it seems a bit counterintuitive, but losing weight is such a fine balance. If you dont get enough calories in, youre going to 1-Still be hungry and 2-Youre going to start stalling in your weight loss.

I agree with the above commenters, fruits and veggies are a key.

Another thing for me atleast, is that I have to find things to do to keep my hands busy and my mind off of food. I have had to find activities to keep me busy during my peak snacking times (right before dinner for me) where I eat a small high fiber snack and then find SOMETHING to do besides visit the kitchen.

Carlos said...

nights are the worst for me too. rather go to bed early than to become a snackie joe!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Hey there, I took a look at your food log and my comments will echo the others. You're definitely not eating enough, and absolutely are not eating enough vegetables. Try to have some at every single meal. They are a good bang for your caloric buck and the fiber will keep you full. I know its difficult to want veggies at breakfast - a good solution for that is a small can of low-sodium V8 or tomato juice. Then have a huge salad with whatever your eating for lunch and at least 2 different veggies at dinner.

Also, it seems to me that many of the calories you're eating are rather empty ... the hot dog bun, the sweetened cereal, etc. Consuming a lot of sugar increases hunger. If you adjust your diet to include a greater amount of lean protein and more vegetables, trust me, you'll be full. Shift your thinking from reduced fat/calories to reducing the sugar. Carbs are OK, but make them good carbs - like whole grains, say real oatmeal instead of sugary cereal, or brown rice with your beef instead of a hamburger bun ... which is incredibly high in sugar.

That's just my 2 cents, but eating like this has worked for me and I know it can work for you too. :)

Anonymous said...

I'll add to the echo chamber around here and say that eating more, especially for breakfast, can make a huge difference in curbing nighttime overeating.

Protein is going to be the best in terms of blunting hunger. Try adding a few eggs to breakfast or snack on some whole wheat toast and low-sugar peanut butter in the afternoons and it'll help.

Unknown said...

Hiya,
Those sausages I used are the chicken italian sausage from Trader Joe's They come raw in the fridge section by the other meat. They are really good. :)

eat your fruits and veggies! lol

:)tj

shortmama said...

Stopping in from SITS. My weakest moment seems to be around 3pm. I struggle every day at this time. This is when I crave sweets the most, but really any food would do. I wish I had advice on how to get past it but I too struggle with much the same problem.

Laurie (TheSafestScents.com) said...

Yep, I echo the rest.. You're not eating enough.. So, your body realizes that in the evening, and that's when your body tries to get it's calorie deficit, unfortunately in brownies! We've ALL been there and done that..
I munch on jerky in the evenings now.. yeah, it has a lot of salt, but it's low fat and high protein.. and the satisfaction of all that chewing!!
Hope this helps! I LOVE your blog, by the way! :)
Have a lovely weekend!

Beth @ Kitchen Minions said...

* guiltily wipes Cheetos crumbs from my shirt * This week has been terrible for me too. Instead of getting all of my protein in, I'm eating crap. Techniques...go to bed early, drink TONS of water so I'm uncomfortably full, take a bath, go for a walk, do some strength exercises, eat grapes (all the water really fills you up), airpopped popcorn. Now if only I would follow my own advice!

wildfluffysheep said...

This the first time in a long time that snacking at night has got to me :( for me it was having dinner to early. Ended up having three kit kats. Bah. Your posts are always scarily relevant to me.

Ria said...

I'll add my voice to the others - eating more calories probably would make it easier to stick with your program and be better for your metabolism in the long-run.

I also have the late-night munchies. Here's what has worked for me . . .

-- Avoid refined carbs and highly processed foods, to minimize blood sugar spikes/crashes and cravings

-- Aim for a relatively modest calorie deficit (-1,000 per day for an expected weight loss of 2 lbs per week)

-- Refuse to do any unplanned snacking while doing anything else. If I want a snack that isn't specifically in my plan for the day, I will only eat it while sitting at the dining room table - having turned off the computer or TV, or put down my book or magazine. I usually don't actually quit whatever I was doing in order to have the snack unless I'm really hungry.

-- Fit healthier versions of favorite foods into my plan. For example, I also really like brownies. I've been working on a lighter/healthier recipe - I'm still tweaking it, but the current version is pretty good (fruit puree instead of most of the fat, whole-wheat flour, agave nectar instead of sugar). Each 2" x 2" brownie has only 75 calories, so it's not hard to fit a couple into my plan.

Good luck this week!

that TOPS lady said...

Like you, Little Debbie is my best friend and my worst enemy all at the same time. :( I think I am going to have to stop letting her into my house altogether.

http://www.thatTOPSlady.blogspot.com