No snacking after dinner! Who's in??

[summerisacoming]

I'm not very good with diets and I really don't want to try one then have it fail. So this is my plan:

As soon I have finished dinner, I'm going to brush my teeth and make sure I don't eat anything else that evening. Simple.

Ok, it's not the most imaginative of plans, but here's why I think it will make a huge difference:

1. My worst snacking is in the evening
2. Eating chocolate in the evening makes me stay up late (caffeine) so I'm tired for work the next morning
3. Am I right in thinking that eating right before bed makes you store more fat?

I am 5'8'' and since having kids I now weigh around 12 stone (size 12/14). I want to be a size 10 again!

I'm going to start small and do this for 1 week, starting today. If all goes well, then I'll aim for a month, then two months (should be a well-formed habit by then), then drop sugar.

If you're in, let's report back every evening right before we go to bed to confirm that we didn't eat anything after dinner.

So who's with me?? Come on!😁

I an back after a week to report in. I decided that I would allow myself something sweet straight after my dinner and count it as part of my meal, but then that was that. Usually I am back and forth to the kitchen snacking for the rest of the evening.

The good news is I managed it 😀. The bad news is I seem to weigh more this morning, although I know that my weight fluctuates by several pounds over the course of the day normally so I am going to not worry too much and treat this as stage one of bad habit breaking. I am lucky that I am not overweight, this is preventative (my weight has been creeping up) and about reducing the junk in my diet.

It’s been surprisingly easy, I choose my sweet treat after dinner and tell myself to choose wisely as this is the last thing I am eating for the rest of the day. What I think has helped is that I have hardly watched any TV this week as I have had a really good book on the go. I think the accountability of the thread helps, so thanks all!

Ha! Sounds delicious though

Update, 1 pound off. Was hoping for more but heading the right way I suppose!.

Hi, I was terrible for snacking in the evening then started the fasting 12.8 a couple of weeks ago so no snacking! I already feel better and 2 pounds down!

Day 10

I am so tired and hungry. Hoping I just pass out now, but worried I'll wake up really hungry in the middle of the night (that's happened before). I definitely need to start eating more protein, not just potatoes or pasta every night!

Well done everyone! Hope you're feeling better than me tonight.

Day 11

I can't believe it's been 11 days! I didn't get a chance to snack today, so it's been a very healthy day. Craving sugar now though. How long do they say it takes to form a habit? 😬

How's everyone else getting on?

Wow @summerisacoming 11 days is absolutely amazing, well done! I was out with friends for pizza last night so although not exactly’snacking’ it doesn’t count as not snacking either! Being realistic I’m aiming for 5/6 nights a week as there will always be at least one wine/snacky evening at the weekend. But I don’t want that to creep into Fri/Sat/sun!!

Hi, can I join in, I have been no snacking after dinner and trying to fast for 16 hours for a couple of weeks now, am a few pounds down and feeling more in control, DH has now joined in which is brilliant news for me as he would be the one popping the sweet treats and crisps into the shopping basket every week, so no longer buying these. Weekends are so much harder though so to have support would be great.

Liking this thread..
for years I used to look forward to a bar of chocolate at night (it would sometimes be a few chunks from a huge Toblerone!) but I made a decision five weeks ago to stop. Can’t believe I’ve succeeded!

if I genuinely feel hungry I have a small bowl of muesli

but I know once I go back to chocolate it might be a slippery slope down …

Great inspiration on this thread. I need to join you. Got into a bad habit of snacking after the baby is in bed - last night in our holiday cottage this wasn't until 10pm 😵 (car danger nap to blame I think!) Cue chocolate at 10.30pm then still awake at 1am... Given the baby wakes at least twice a night, I need to knock this habit on the head and get my rest! Even though I'm on holiday this week, I'm feeling motivated to join. Will aim to have wine/chocolate with/straight after dinner and then nothing but herbal tea once the baby is asleep!

If anyone likes podcasts I can recommend this one which talks about the benefits for your body of eating during a specific time window each day. I found it really interesting and so motivating, I think because I see this as a way of caring for my body not denying myself something if that makes sense.

https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-sleep-better-boost-gut-health-and-get-more-energy-with-professor-satchin-panda/

Just hopping on to say I stopped snacking after dinner and it massively changed my eating habits.

I eat dinner fairly early and then (after a bit) brush my teeth. That is my routine and it signals "kitchen closed".

I don't feel tempted to snack or make a drink (apart from water). Previously I would buy crisps and chocolate to binge on. That's just not something I feel a craving to do anymore.

Make sure you eat enough at your last meal of the day although a bit of hunger in the evening is normal.

Once you've broken the habit, it just becomes second nature. Good luck everyone.

@summerisacoming Try eating a small bowl of full-fat Greek yoghurt as a light supper – like two level tablespoons' worth, with either a tiny bit of fruit (berries are best) or v. v. sparing drizzle of honey. It really feels you up (lots of French women apparently swear by it as an appetite suppression between meals) and should satisfy any sweet cravings.

FILLS you up, not feels you up! Although that could be fun too. 😂

So I've done all week with no snacks after dinner - just tea and fruit. Seem to have lost a couple of pounds. Determined not to undo it all over the weekend but I'm out for lunch now so watch this space..

Day 1 and already I'm struggling! Perhaps didn't have enough dinner. Harder on holiday - we're self-catering but mainly eating ready meals where generally I cook from scratch at home. Been reading a lot about upf lately and reckon this might be making me hungrier. Going to do my best but probably won't be able to fully commit until we're home on Friday. Just being realistic 🤣

A bit late to party, but I hope you don't mind me joining.
I've got 2 small children 3yrs old and 16 months and my eating habits are awful.
I'm terrible for snacking especially after dinner and can easily eat several hundred calories. 🙈
This evening is my first evening of no snacks in several years. I'm desperate to get back to a size 10-12. Currently a size 14-16.
Any tips on exercise I don't have much time and changing food habits would be much appreciated.

Day 12

I fell asleep at 10pm, so just waking up to write this!

Definitely finding it easier as time goes on. Had a quick read of other posts, and great to hear so many people are having such success with this.
@BookLover7777 Great tip, I'll give that a try at some point.

It’s amazing, @summerisacoming , that you resisted despite being hungry like that, you’re bossing this! I was pleased with myself last night as we were away overnight in a hotel but kept good habits going, had a lovely Thai meal at 5.30 then just a long walk on beach and no snacks. Tonight ate late though after getting back, 8pm, so kind of felt wrong but I knew I’d be too hungry if I didn’t bother.

DH has stopped eating sugar in last few weeks so that really helps me! I’m not going for full ban but delighted with this new clean evening routine and caring for my body like you say @SheSawSeaShore

@summerisacoming this is a great idea for a thread! Hope I'm not too late to join in. Kids up later these days, and grumpy with the humidity, and I've been snacking later and later each evening after they go to bed. More like binges recently, and then sugar hangovers in the morning.

My plan is not to eat after 7.30pm. Have a cup of sugarless black tea, be in bed earlier. This is my first evening of the closed kitchen, and will weigh tomorrow morning.

Another week done! I am feeling pretty good and sleeping better.
I did have a meal out last week, preplanned thing, and we only got our mains at 8pm. As much as I enjoyed the food I felt pretty rubbish afterwards and not as fresh the morning after.
A maintain on the scales and my shorts don't feel any looser this morning but I do feel lighter on the inside 😂

Day 13 (for yesterday)

I also went out for dinner quite late yesterday - I didn't have a dessert though.

Just wondering, do any of you tell your friends/family your doing this? I'm not entirely sure why, but I haven't told anyone including my husband (even though he'd be very supportive). I just feel very determined to do this for myself and I don't really want anyone else's opinions on it. I suppose, also, there might be a lot of, "oh, you don't have to do that, go on, have a dessert"-type comments. It feels much easier to just say, "No thank you, I'm full."

@Beginningless That's great you did it when away, and amazing given you had dinner at 5.30pm - I would be so hungry come 10pm (but it is a good reason to go to bed earlier!). Making myself go to bed earlier was a huge factor in deciding to do this.

@GallstoneGertie Of course, come aboard!

@Badatmostthings Brilliant! 👏 How long is that now in total?

I completely agree about not telling people. I don't tell anyone my food-related plans, beyond no thanks to putting certain items on the shopping list. I learned the hard way that people are relentless with comments and opinions, and that can trigger a binge for me.

At the end of the day, we are doing this for ourselves.

@summerisacoming I completely agree on this too! I get so many comments on it like oh your a mum of two young kids go on treat yourself, you look fine etc.

One thing that annoyed me I'm probably being OTT but I took my 2 kids to a play park the other week with my MIL and my DS 3 asked if she'd like an ice lolly as he was having one. She said no I'm on a diet I need to watch my weight and not eat too much. I wasn't impressed as my DS has eating issues and she's fully aware of it and trying to get my DS to eat anything atm the moment is so hard along with other health issues that hes under different care teams for. I was like she could of just said no thank you sweetheart you enjoy one but to tell him that was totally not necessary.