Im 15 months post surgery and lost about 41 lbs....yeah, I'm a slow loser. My question for you all is, how do you stay focused and don't sabotage your eating plan at night? I do well all day long and then 7-8pm hits and i ruin my entire meal plan.

Oh nighttime eating.... My downfall, I've just accepted the fact that I will always battle the nighttime munchies. So I "save" calories for the evening. I try to make smart choices of course meaning that I will have a Greek yogurt, a piece of fruit or worse case scenario a protein cookie.

Decaf coffee kills my appetite at night. Also....simply going to bed early. If I try to stay up late I always end up eating. It's a perfectly natural reaction to reach for food when we're tired.

I have found (and it might be an old (or young) wive's (or husband's) tale) that... where was I?

OH. I have found that if I eat at "x" time today... that for the next 4 days I will want that same food at the same time.

SO... I am pretty strict and fight to avoid setting myself up for the never-ending cravings.

And my dinner is at 6:00PM and I allow no more food or drink after that... ever, and like Butter, if it gets too bad, it's bedtime (that'll teach me)

And my dinner is at 6:00PM and I allow no more food or drink after that... ever, and like Butter, if it gets too bad, it's bedtime (that'll teach me)

I'm the same way, usually after dinner that's IT for the day. But I wasn't ever a big nighttime snacker so it might be easier for me since I wasn't in that habit before. And I'm a morning person so I tend to go to bed fairly early...

Can you try brushing your teeth, chewing on gum or picking up a habit that involves using your hands? Sorry if those seem lame...but you gotta dig deep and try to win this battle! Hang in there and never give up!

I also work in a snack at night. My snack is popcorn...Skinny Pop.

I try to follow the rule of not going into my kitchen after 7:00pm at night....If I do, I'm automatically looking for something to nibble on and if I see something, I will eat it..... I have found myself wanting something to munch on and I have been successful at asking myself "am I really hungry" then answering the question with a no and staying out of the kitchen....It is so hard at times........

I'm not a night eater, but my husband is. I have just realized how his behavior works. I go to bed early; he goes to the fridge when he thinks I'm asleep. Very sneaky, sis.

I agree with the going to bed early thing.

Oh nighttime, the bane of my eating plan. Like Laura, I save calories for evening. And I try to choose heathy, filling Snacks. Also, I have a strict no eating after I fall asleep rule, one of the only hard and fast rules that I I made post op and never break. Pre op, I would often wake and snack one or more times per night.

Early out, I had a Protein drink after dinner. Then I switched to beef Jerky or yogurt. Now, it might be fruit, yogurt, Cereal, or a sweet snack if I am in bounce range.

And I have to eat enough earlier in the day. If I don't, my hungry rages after dinner.

Lynda

I schedule in a nighttime snack. I mean, record it early in the day, account for it and plan it and then I have no issues.

If I feel hungry even after that, well, it's not really hunger. So Water, or tea or a Protein shake if I have room and can use the protein. If I'm hormonal and it's just uncontrollable, something crunchy like a stalk of celery or a carrot. I bust out a book, post here or play a video game or even go to bed early if I can't stop thinking about food.

Getting into nighttime eating off the books is a problem. Planning my meals and Snacks for the entire day lets me feel like I'm eating all day long, am never hungry and like I'm not deprived. I always know what's next and I stay within my calorie goals for the day.

Most often it's thirst. I still have a problem mistaking thirst for hunger. You have to be in control. For me, planning keeps me in charge.

~Cheri

I'm not a night eater, but my husband is. I have just realized how his behavior works. I go to bed early; he goes to the fridge when he thinks I'm asleep. Very sneaky, sis. I agree with the going to bed early thing.

I was your husband. Best thing you can do is not be his food police. Maybe offer to fix him a snack before you go to bed so he knows he doesn't have to hide, knows you know he snacks and it's ok with you.

If I'm hungry after dinner I'll have some herbal tea or decaf, no food because I know that it will bother my reflux, one or two acid attacks and you know that anything that you could eat just would not be worth it.

At night I drink Protein hot chocolate. 90 calories - 15 grams of protein. The sweetness satisfies and for some reason, the hot drink makes me fuller than a cold drink. Go figure!

At night I drink protein hot chocolate. 90 calories - 15 grams of protein. The sweetness satisfies and for some reason, the hot drink makes me fuller than a cold drink. Go figure!

What kind of protein do you use? I thought protein powder doesn't work well hot.

What kind of protein do you use? I thought protein powder doesn't work well hot.

I'd like to know as well! My attempt at protein hot cocoa have been miserable at best, nasty as heck at worst. And Luke warm doesn't work, I want it at least a little hot!

I was your husband. Best thing you can do is not be his food police. Maybe offer to fix him a snack before you go to bed so he knows he doesn't have to hide, knows you know he Snacks and it's ok with you.

Oh, Misty Misty. We have tried just about everything. This goes back so many years with him. There have been refrigerator locks, food hiding, basically everything you can think of. There is really no secret about it and while in principle I worry about it, I don't condemn it either. It really ticks me off when he eats stuff that I have for the kids' lunches, or finishes off a jar of honey or something.

What worries me most is the level of compulsiveness around it. But, as you say, I can't be his food police. I try not to bring much into the house, but the way he goes through things it is very hard to predict what to buy, etc. I come down in the morning sometimes and a box of Cereal or 5-6 yogurt containers are in the trash.

I will say that the only thing that works in terms of "saving" sweets from a midnight raid is to either put it next to our bed on my side or in my closet. He won't venture there. It kills me that it's so disordered here. I didn't sign on to be an accomplice, but here I am.