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 didn't eat anything after dinner,but I missed my target time of 7.30 for the kichen closing by nearly an hour. (Teen drama, 'nuff said.)

Weighed this morning, gain was as bad as I had expected - seven pounds in three or four weeks. But I already feel better for stopping late evening grazing, so thst's good.

Lost 3Ibs now and even had an off day on Sunday when I accidentally ate 5 biscuits with my evening cuppa. Ah well. I'm heading in the right direction!

@summerisacoming I think it might be 2 weeks? I've lost track but it's not on my mind like a diet would be, with a diet I'd be obsessing. This is easy....I hope I'm not getting carried away with myself 😬

A pp mentioned Dr Chatterjee, I would also recommend reading his books/listening to his podcasts. Someone has asked for exercise routines and he does some quick kitchen ones, honestly anyone can do those whilst waiting for a kettle to boil and boy you will feel it the day after (but in a good way!)

Day 14 (for yesterday)

Hooray! Two weeks!
@Badatmostthings It is indeed! Well done 👏

I also feel like this is pretty painless. I'm definitely in this for the long haul, and even if I occasionally slip up and have a dessert or something, I really hope I never go back to my evening binging. I'm sure there must be something about the evening which massively impairs my judgement.

The reason I'm finding it quite easy, is because if it's the evening and there's a cake in the fridge that I want, I just have to think, "well, I just have to wait until tomorrow, then I can have the whole thing." But, in the morning I never want sweet things, so there's only a narrow window in which to have it: between lunch and dinner. Well, not that narrow that window😁

I have never snacked at all and I am still a large beast! Trying to cut out breakfast now to see if that helps.

This is my third day of closing the kitchen after my tea. Later than I hoped for, still much better than grazing till bedtime.

Day 15

@GallstoneGertie Same - I had a 9pm dinner, so I'm really pushing the boundaries of this 😁 Anyway, I didn't snack, so still technically counts.

Right, let's go for week 3!

Well, guess what I've gone and done?? Only had an impression done for a teeth whitening tray....will be ready in 2/3 weeks and I plan to wear it from 6pm til 10pm for about 4 weeks. Do you think I'm over confident with my progress 😁

I'm hanging on in too. Getting into the pattern now of nothing after dinner. Good thing is can feel clothes looser. Weight in is Friday this week, fingers crossed for minus 2!!.

Day 16

@Badatmostthings That is a great plan! I think it could really work (it's kind of similar to me brushing my teeth, in that we are putting our mouths out of action for the evening 😁)

@Beaverbridge I can also feel clothes being a bit looser. Very motivating.

Lovely hearing really positive stories already. It's only day 3 for me but I already feel so much less sluggish in the mornings and waking up with more energy and not feeling so tired.

Well done everyone, this is great. Hanging in there tonight, had a crappy dinner of random bits and bobs on the hoof after coming in with kids and quickly getting ready for clubs. Grazed a bit after ‘dinner’ on leftover junky food as well and then felt totally scunnered by bedtime tonight which is my peak snacking trigger. Basically I’m too tired and grumpy to find something to eat and now going to go to bed. Totally would have if something easy came to mind, definitely benefit of not having crisps in the house. It’s salt I crave if feeling annoyed, for some reason.

But anyway, I stopped at 7.30 so I’m taking this as a win even though not best eating day. My tummy feeling a bit flatter after a couple of weeks and I think a couple
of lbs off but I haven’t weighed consistently.

Day four - Finished my dinner by 7.30, and only had a cup of tea after that. I feel my jeans a little looser, and sleep better.

Day five yesterday - a stressy day, and tea was a rather drawn-out affair, with pudding being a share of end-of-term sweets. Kitchen closed straight after, but I found it was hard work later on to stop thinking of relaxing with something to eat. I was in the right mood for a binge.

How's everyone else getting on?

I’m not doing well! Having disturbed sleep due to dc and then craving snacks/treats in the evening to reward myself for getting through the day! And it’s definitely linked to having even one drink of alcohol for me, makes me want to snack more. Starting again today, I much prefer how I feel in the morning when I haven’t eaten crap the night before so that is going to be my reward/incentive. Well done OP for keeping this going so long!

Weekly update, minus 1. Was really hoping for 2, but hey ho, at least it wasn't on!.

Really struggling this evening. Its been a long day with my little ones and bedtime took forever. Feel like i need a snack to relax but then I can't sleep as I get a sugar hit and feel awful the next morning. Trying to take my mind off it.

Day 17 (yesterday)

I broke! I know, awful. I had to work really late (~2am) and after putting the kids to bed I was shattered. So I bribed myself with treats: half a pack of chocolate biscuits and two cookies. 😫 And then I had to get up at 7am this morning (I slept awfully). But, it doesn't happen often that we have that much pressure at work (couple of times a year), so I'm just going to see it as a needs must-type situation.

But I'm back on it today!

Day 18

Funny how just one night off, and I almost completely forgot about this whole thing. I almost habitually just went straight to the cupboards to start grazing once the kids were in bed. But caught myself.

So glad many of you are still here too. @Beginningless and @GallstoneGertie Well done for sticking at it! And great that you're getting results already.

@Lemoncurdslice and @abbs1 We're here for support - stick at it. We can do this!

Back from holiday and committing to this - so it's day 1 here. Very inspired by everyone's efforts. I stopped eating at 6.30pm tonight after dinner and only had a peppermint tea while watching Gogglebox - tbh, seeing all the bowls of snacks was a struggle and I'm heading to bed now because I'm feeling hungry and don't want to cave in! Hoping the baby doesn't want too many night feeds tonight because I'll struggle not to raid the cupboards for a midnight snack! Knowing others are doing this too is spurring me on.

Day 12 for me and haven't posted for over a week but have been reading about how well other posters are doing. I've stuck pretty well to not snacking in evening and in fact I haven't done so during the day either. Only exception is a mini (very mini) choc ice as dessert a few evenings. I've really only list about 2.5 lbs but I do feel a lot better and I think my waistbands are looser. Pleased with myself overall!

Oops! Didn't mean to do those italics at end of my post .....

Oh I’ve had a fail tonight too, went to a surprise party after eating my tea at 5.30, a couple of glasses of wine and a buffet came out at 9 so had to be done. Probably I’ll crave more tomorrow like you @summerisacoming. But sounded like you had to do that - working that late you’d need something to keep you going that long. And I’d have been rude to snub the buffet, ha. The truck is learning moderation isn’t it, sometimes abstinence is easier. Well done to everyone, folk are doing great.

Day six yesterday - another successful day. Horrible stress-laden evening, but I actually forgot to eat. Previously I would likely have dived into the food when things were calmer.

Day 19

Done: teeth brushed and in bed.

Really busy day today - really fun, but, wow, I am shattered. Does anyone else find the weekends far more exhausting than weekdays?

@inomniaparatis Well done! How has Day 2 gone?

@maimeo That's brilliant, glad you're really going for this.

@Beginningless Exactly, no mere mortal can resist a buffet. You did what you had to do 😅

@GallstoneGertie I also have stressful, busy days where I forget to eat. But then annoyingly compensate by properly binging on crap. I still sometimes do that, but at least not in the evenings anymore. Well done for resisting!

Thanks 😀 @summerisacoming That's me in bed after another successful day, Day seven, so a full week now. I must be careful and not get cocky!