How can I break the cycle?

[Yogurtweaver]

I am not a dieter as such, I know when I've been slimmer it's because my lifestyle at the time involved more physical exercise (cycling to work etc.) and but that's not the case at the moment. My problem now is DH goes off to bed early since starting a new job a few months back and I have a couple of hours to myself every night so what have I got into the habit of doing? Yep, eating solo, which is never a good idea. It's so easy just to grab something and nibble away while on the sofa of an evening and I find myself looking forward to it - I'd never do it when he's up later with me, at the weekends for example so I guess it's secret eating. How can I replace this urge? It's my only downtime during the day so I'm not thinking of doing anything physical! I just don't know how to stop it.

What are you nibbling On?

Why not have some healthy things to snack on; eg chop up an apple if you fancy something sweet.

Are you hungry or is it boredom? Distract yourself by painting your nails, plucking your eye brows etc.

A hot choc is a nice treat too.

I'm the same OP. The other day my DP was at work and I was looking after the baby. I fancied some treats so went to the shop and came back with a tube of Pringles, some dip and a big bar of galaxy. I only told him about the Pringles and left him half a tube. The chocolate was all for me

I need to stop viewing food as a treat, I just can't get my head into that way of thinking. Yesterday I think I polished off about 6 chocolate mini rolls! And I put on the half a stone I lost with the help of fellow Mnetters in the weight loss chat feel too embarrassed to go back now!

Sharing your pain, if you find a magic solution please let me know

make sure you are eating plenty during the day, protein and fat at every meal helps people feel full and at night just eat things that are not going to do any harm and might do you some good, I have a 10pm snack every day which is only a couple of hours after supper, any one of the following:

my favourite current thing is to microwave a cored or quartered eating apple for a couple of minutes sprinkled with cinnamon (and stevia but that is probably bad for you) and eat with a little dollop of greek yoghurt, not 'greek style' (you can get 0% fat greek yoghurt which, contrary to popular MN belief, does not have anything horrible in it except skimmed milk and yoghurt cultures) it's one of those convincingly luxurious things that takes ages to eat and is well under 100 cals and is just delicious

fresh blueberries and a whole 170g tub of fage yoghurt (the yoghurt is about 100, the amount of blueberries you can fit in the tub are negligible especially in terms of how amazing they are meant to be) blueberries are great if you like to sit and graze

or more filling, divide 15g of almond butter between 3 rice cakes (am addicted to the kallo buckwheat superseeds ones) for under 200 cals but 6g of protein

there are loads of naturally caffeine free teas that can help you feel full that you could try in the evenings, am addicted to the pukka 3 ginger one at the moment

Don't buy the stuff in the first place! Or if you have DCs that you buy treats for, buy stuff you don't like.

brush your teeth when DH goes to bed : you'll be unable to taste anything for an hour

and then stop buying snack foods

Glad you understand what I mean Justalittle. Trouble is even when I don't have anything in the house, even deliberately, if I get the urge I still hunt for something - it's pathetic and I know it is but it's like something else is taking over. If no treats are available I won't ever go for fruit, I'll go for crackers or something. I used to do the "cracker test", which usually works - I.e. If I think about eating something I ask myself are you hungry enough to eat a dry cracker? And the answer is usually no. Except during the night sometimes when I'm on my own. I just don't get why I do it.
Thank you for the suggestions though. As usual with eating problems it's less to do with rational diet choices and more to do with other problems.

And yes Justalittle, I also do the buy some stuff but slip the choc into my handbag so no one else knows about it. Awful.