help to stop over eating

hi i am happy with almost every part of my life, i have two great boys( 4 and 14 months) nice friends, a husband etc... but the number on the scale frustrates me even though i know i am doing this to myself! i am not eating enough through out the day and than after the kids are in bed i start snacking. i usually eat brocolli and dip but it is too late at night. 9-10pm

when i look in the mirror all i see is a giant belly, i am 5,3 and 140 buit i usually fluctuate b/w 135-140. i exercise everyday for an hour and sometimes if i go to the GYM i do weights too. i am 33 years old. i try not to let the number on the scale rule my life but i need to control my night time eating.

How do you stop and what do you eat for 1200-1500 cal a day?

thanks:)

One thing that helps me to eat on a relatively regular schedule is to make large dishes that I refrigerate and reheat for meals throughout the week. One of my faves is a crustless quiche with broccoli and spinach -- I make a big cake-sized pan and eat it for breakfast with a piece of toast all week. It's low-cal, filling, fast, and easy, so I can always make time for a healthy meal. I usually do the same with various recipes for dinner, along with a salad. I usually throw a salad together in a container to take for lunch, too. For snacks I go with FF popcorn, almonds, fruit, etc. In my case, whether or not I eat (and what I choose to eat) usually depends on how fast and easy it is, so planning ahead makes a huge difference in my diet. I'm sure if you ate more throughout the day, you'd have a much easier time making good choices at night.

When you eat foods high in protein, fiber, and some healthy fat (avocado, nuts, olive oil, flax seed kind of fats), the food will digest more slowly and keep your blood sugar more stable throughout the day, which will help you not want to snack so much at night. 

What helps me not snack at night is saving a few calories in my budget for something -- like 1 ounce of dark chocolate -- that will make me feel like I've had dessert.  It's just in my head, but dessert makes me feel like it's time to stop eating. 

yeah, i'm a big nite eater too. i just schedule in a calorie defecit at breakfast and lunch and go with it. as long as you don't go over your calorie target for the day and are snacking healthy you are not doing yourself any harm. not every one has to follow the exact same eating schedule. i eat at least half of my calories after work and am still losing. good luck.