I can't stop eating rubbish all evening!!

[notsurewhyohwhy]

Every night I eat junk mostly chocolate or cakes!! It's been going on for ages and now I am a stone Orr weight!

I have just joined ww and I can't even stick to it. I have also got the Paul McKenna book and cd and I have been listening to it.

I just don't feel able to stop eating rubbish! I think I need something in the evening to keep me busy so I won't eat rubbish!

I have loads of house work etc to do, so it's not that I'm not busy, I think I am more bored and fed up and eat until I feel stuffed!

Any ideas what I can use to distract myself? I used to smoke but stopped 2 years ago and wonder if it's a mixture of me replacing smoking with junk food and me feeling stressed and just eying non stop!

Don't buy it.
Simple.

Are you eating enough in the day and for dinner?

Assuming you are, brush your teeth (things taste much less appealing when freshly brushed) stop buying and kick the habit!

I eat breakfast and lunch, so It should be enough. Also the toothpaste thing won't work as I can eat chocolate straight after brushing my teeth

Why don't you eat tea? It stands to reason if you're not having a proper meal of an evening, you're going to be hungry and start picking.

I have a terrible sweet tooth and will happily pick on cakes, biscuits and chocolate of an evening. My trick which works great for me is I have a low cal hot chocolate drink. Roughly 40 calories per cup and it lasts longer than a cake or chocolate bar. Good luck.

I second the hot choc idea.

Also, tonight I had the munchies...thought I was genuinely hungry, not just in a munchie mood. Told myself I'd just do a few jobs around the house first. An hour later I'd done a bit of housework and the munchy feeling had gone.

In the Paul McKenna book he describes an experiment where people are instructed to respond to hunger pangs by going out and doing something. I think I'm going to try that this week as it really worked for me tonight. Also, the evenings I go to the gym in the are the ones when I never get in a munchy mood. So it must be psychological.

Are you saying you don't eat dinner? Well, there's your answer, then....eat dammit!

I do have dinner as well, I just meant during the day I have breakfast and lunch! I eat enough food, I'm just greedy in the evenings I think...

I think a lot of people have this evening munch-fest thing. That adds weight to my having nothing to do with yourself hypothesis....during the day you're so busy you don't have time to think about food.

Well done for keeping up smoking.

You have my sympathy - I have the same problem! Trying to cut down but I'm not very content with my life atm for various reasons too long and boring to discuss here and snacking represents a bit of light relief in the day.

• I would advise definitely eating a proper dinner. That would set you up for success. (In fact most doctors, when recommending a weight loss regime, suggest eating 5 times a day; 3 wholesome meals + 2 healthy snacks (one of nuts and seeds and one of fruit ie an apple or pear)

• Good tip from Notsurewhyohwhy about teeth brushing.

• Another tip is to ONLY eat at the dining table using proper plate etc and NEVER snack on sofa in front of telly.

• I am trying sewing atm (can't sew and eat at the same time) - perhaps something similar could work for you if your snacking is related to giving up smoking. Something to occupy your hands.

• Alternatively, are you able to get out in the evenigns at all? Maybe go for a walk or go and do an evening class. Even one or two evening per week doing something different might help.

-Finally, how about rewarding yourself at end of every seven day period when you have managed to abstain from snacking in the evenings with a small (non-food) treat?

Now I just have to follow my own advice

Good luck!

ooops - sorry about howler - meant well done for GIVING UP smoking - obviously

I have just started ww (again) and know that this is my weakness. I work hard all day, for various genuine reasons don't have time to enjoy my food properly in the day and then think that the evening is my time to treat myself. When I mentioned this to the leader we worked out that I was actually tired (! how obvious!) and that it was much more successful to go to bed, lol. 9/10 I actually fell asleep straight away (I may need to do this now). Alternative is to find a snack that you love that is zero points / very low. I love big juicy oranges, grapes, pink lady apples, 0% Greek yoghurt, diet cherry coke or one of the ww frozen deserts. Or you could save 3 points for the end of the day for a treat like a chocolate curly wurly or similar that you wait for to savour at the end of the day?

Agree, if you've not bought it, you can't eat it. Buy 2 chocolate bars, one for Friday night, one for Saturday night, no other chocolate in the house, no biscuits, no crisps.

Buy 'good' snacks instead - have lots of fruit, things like strawberries, melon, grapes, 'picky' food that at least isn't crap. Nuts are also good.

sanguine and the howler crediting the OP for advice another poster gave her!

oops sorry ... again.... Apologies OP!!!!!

I'll take more water with it next time promise to read the entire thread properly in future

Pssst - come join us here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/1402956-Paul-McKennas-No-Pain-No-Pain-Non-Diet-for-those-who-really-want-to-lose-weight-No-calories-no-syns-no-humiliation-just-shedding-stones-amongst-friends-Thread-8

Are you drinking enough?

Fizzy water and no sugar squash in a pint glass always fills me up, or with a lemon/lime/orange slice if you are not keen on sweeteners.

Also recommend "My Fitness Pal" website, if I can see the calories in what you are snacking on it makes me think twice!

Low carb eati ng has reaslly helped to control my cravings.

You can stop the evening munching but it will be really hard for the first couple of weeks. This is how I did it last Easter
Ate more in the day
Either had my dinner later than normal or had half at normal time and half later
Went to bed earlier
Had a bath or painted my nails so I couldn't eat
Cried coz I missed chocolate so much!
I went completely cold turkey with the snacking rather than swap the chocolate for healthy snacks as needed to get away from the whole watching T.v scoffing thing.
I said to myself it is my hand that is putting the crap in my mouth and only I can stop myself.
It's worked though as stopping began the proceed of losing over 4 and a half stone.
Good luck you can do it.

Wow fluffy well done at cried because you missed chocolate so much, I can imagine me doing that.

This was a bad habit I had last year, but from Jan I have lost just over 1st, and chew chewing gum in the evenings rather than eating food. I never skip meals so I make sure I'm eating plenty through the day when I need the calories.

If I've had enough of chewing chewing gum then I have another cup of tea.

What time do you eat your evening meal? We usually eat between 6.30 and 7pm and therefore don't fancy eating anything else after that. I second the advice about not buying chocolate and junk. If it isn't there you can't eat it.

Believe me that going cold turkey really does work. I give up all sweet things for Lent every year and after the first week I never fancy anything sweet.

Try freezing some grapes and snacking on them. They are delicious and take ages to eat.

Dont buy it if you know its going to be an issue - if you want a sweet hit in the evening, then you'll have to have some fruit. Try to do something to keep you busy in the evenings - take up sewing, knitting, book club, painting - whatever takes your fancy. And if all else fails, paint your nails when a chocolate chomping urge hits - you cant do anything for ages after that!