Staying motivated through the evening

I have the hardest time sticking to my diet and counting calories during the evening time. In the morning and afternoon I have no problem at all. However, once it gets into the evening and I know I've got about 500-700 calories left I just keep eating until I reach my max even if I'm not really hungry. Any advice or tips on how not to do this? Just mentally telling myself not to doesn't seem to work.

I have the same problem! I feel so bad about myself afterwards because I had done so well in the daytime.  I know that if I start an activity around 4:45 (about an hour before dinner) that keeps my mind somewhat busy, I eat a better dinner.  Getting stuff done also makes me feel more accomplished so I dont have to fill that void with food.  If all else fails try a late midday trip to the gym just to raise your heartbeat.

Original Post by kagra2118:

 Getting stuff done also makes me feel more accomplished so I dont have to fill that void with food.  If all else fails try a late midday trip to the gym just to raise your heartbeat.

I agree whole heartedly.
Also, make sure you're getting enough of the right kinds of nutrients. This could be your body signaling to eat more because it's not getting enough of something.
OH.

And, make sure to just keep busy. Don't let yourself have that time to eat that food. Go for a walk, talk to friends or family, play a board game, watch a movie, go out dancing, do SOMETHING that will keep your mind and food grabbing hands busy.

Works for me :)

i attended a metabolism seminar a few weeks ago and the speaker said that if you have weird cravings and what not during the evening - that probably means you didn't eat right during the day.  I think it takes a few weeks for those cravings to stop even if you are eating right during the day.

You could plan in advanced with a Lean cuisine and dessert.    Just an idea for a busy-body. 

 If you get hungry later in the evening, usually decaf green tea or white tea helps with a warm full feeling...that and I keep my idle hands busy to stay away from my mouth.

 Luckily on Tuesday night's I've been watching the Biggest Loser and it helps me stay motivated for a few days or so.

**side note - a light salad with some fresh lemon juice and mint/parsely could help as well**   

 

Don't let yourself have any calories left over. Log desserts and night time snacks in the morning, plan for it, so when the evening comes you know what you're going to eat and you don't have anything left to "go crazy" with.

While I agree with all the posts so far I also know that signals of thirst are often confused or interpretted as hunger. Since a lot of what we eat has high water content or is typically "washed down" with a liquid, this behavior is reinforced. I would recommend having some water next time you're feeling hungry.

Another important thingt to keep in mind is that our brains are hardwired for the paleolithic era. What that means is that when our energy levels decline (like in the evening hours) our brain singals us to eat something. The same is true for overeating, our brain doesn't know that we'll eat more food later or that food is in abundent supply. Thisisthe reason why we "find room" for dessert after a hugh meal.

My suggestion, and one I should listen to myself, is to read the signals as (a) I'm probably thirsty and not really hungry or (b) maybe this is my brain saying I'm tired and it's time for bed. Good luck!

Don't go home.  Take up a hobby and do it straight after work.  A few years back I lost 30 pounds because my GFs friends were at our place day and night for a few months working on a project.  Because I dislike her friends, I ran a lot that summer. 

 

Idle time is TEH DEBIL for losing weight.

 

Original Post by tlhess:

i attended a metabolism seminar a few weeks ago and the speaker said that if you have weird cravings and what not during the evening - that probably means you didn't eat right during the day.  I think it takes a few weeks for those cravings to stop even if you are eating right during the day.

That is such an interesting thought. When I wasn't on CC I could eat the sofa and the carpet if I wanted to because I was so "hungry" in the evening. Now that I take notice of what I eat during the day my late night cravings have gone. Hmmm makes ya wonder...

i am awful on sundays. I am going to have to stop having the traditional roast lunch on sundays and start an activity that takes all day. Once ive been bad on a sunday, it kind of stretches to monday and even tuesday!

These are ALL great suggestions-I jumped into this post because I have the same issue-it was great to read everyone's thoughts-I also would like to eat the carpet at times! Especially now with it getting colder, my body wants to stock up to keep warm and hibernate...I'll fight it every step of the way :-)

I have the same problem, only my hunger spikes are at 11:00 and then around 16:00. The 16:00 spike is really strong, and it continues even after dinner, I am still thinking about food. Someone told me if I drank Kefir regularly first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, it will regulate cravings. I am going to try it for 2 weeks, and I'll report back!