Frustrated!!!

O.k. Its confession time for me, maybe it will help me get back on track. I was at goal but the last few weeks I've put on 5-6 pounds. It is getting close to that TOM, but I find myself slipping back into some old habits. I do absolutley great during the day, this is when I'm at work. I track what I eat and usually by the time I go home I have consumed between 500-600 calories. I get home and usually have a small dinner, still ok. Then I get the kids to bed around 8-9 . I get ready for bed and then it hits. Its like I can finally relax and my brain turns on and I want something to eat, even if its only been an hour or two since supper. I was taking a sleeping pill ambien, and that was helping to curve my night eating, because I would take it and go straight to sleep. I wanted to get off of it, because I definately get the amnesia affect from it. So I'm not sure what to do. It feels like if I don't get something to eat I'm gonna explode. I attempt to make decent choices when I do eat, but I have to be consuming a lot at night to be on this gain, and sometimes my choices are lousy and then I don't feel so good physically. I'm sure it just stress, and I have to find other ways to cope with the end of day let down. I do try to drink something first like hot tea, but the feeling of needing something is still there. Exercise that late at night is out of the question for me because then I don't sleep. Anybody else have a problem like this, or any suggestions? I feel like I just needed to get it out in the open so I can start to deal with it. Thanks, Sarah

Not that I'm doing all that wonderfull right now. I've been plateaued about a month again. I get the snackies at night too. I've been trying to keep SF jello or the 60 cal yogurts of the SF puddings in the fridge. Hard boiled eggs is also a favorite late nite snack. I try to keep the bad stuff (chips and crackers) out of the house the the guys think they need them. If you vary the treats you allow yourself at night they don't seem as boring.

Sarah, I did best...and am going to have to start taking my own advise again...when I make my 'snack' choice the pork rinds from bariatric eating. They are high in protein only if you eat a little bit of protein with it (has to do with completing the protein chemical chain). So I usually eat about an ounce of cubed cheese along with them. They satisfy the carb/crunch craze, yet high in protein...and they fill me up to where I'm not looking for something else 20 minutes later. I also keep Kroger's fat free french dip in the fridge...sometimes, the rinds are too dry for me. It gives me a chip & dip moment..that's healthy. I think part of mine is boredom. I'm fine until I'm sitting there watching tv at night. I do my sewing...which keeps my hands busy. Part of mine also though is just head hunger. Since I don't feel real hunger anymore, my brain tries to tell me when to eat...and my brain is often doing it out of boredom, old bad habits, or even like a child, to try to stay awake. Seriously! I'll want to stay up to watch LOST (on at 10 now) and yet I'm falling asleep in my chair at 7..so...I'll get up and get something to eat! Dumb I know, but true! Good luck...and know that you aren't alone! Sherri

Could it be the Ambien making you hungry? it did that to my son-in-law, He even ate during his sleep!! he would get up and eat bowls of cereal, or a whole cake that was left over! My daughter found him several times, sitting on the couch with his eyes closed, eating something. When they told the doc, he said that was a possible side effect of the medicine. You might check that out. I get the munchies when I am sitting at the computer at night, often after hubby has gone to sleep. So Ive been eating the pepperoni chips, or cheese, or SF FF pudding. A lot of it is head hunger I know, and Im gonna try to get it under control. And I really need to drink more water. Hope it gets better for ya, sounds like we all have that same struggle. hang in there! Blessings Betsy

Hey Sarah- You are not alone!!! I often get the bed time munchies!!! My husband tries to help me by keeping me very busy at bed time, but you can't expect that everyday! So I have a few yummy bed time snacks that I treat myself to. Soy beans dried or fresh I know it sounds gross, but try them! I love the fresh ones that you can get in the deli section with the sushi stuff; you have to remove them from the pods, but yum! I also put them on salads! I eat a ton of pickles or sauerkraut. Turkey jerky or turkey pep. chips. I also eat the pork rinds that Sherri talked about, but they sometimes make me sick. I have a craving for salt, not to much sweet. I also drink sugar free Jones soda, or have a protien bar. I eat nuts, dried fruit, or fiber one dry, when I need sweets. But my one over the top really bad thing is Sugar free cool whip in a bowl! I love it and it just works for me!! No reason to eat it nothing good on it at all!!! Oh one more thing the Uncle Cracker pumpkin seed and cheese crackers are so good for you!~ Check the label and see if you can find any better cracker out there! I hope this helps give you some healthy ideas, I have tried to deny myself snacks and that's when I have real trouble. I binge eat and then vomit. Not good! Blessings, and thanks for being so brave and honest! Carmen

Carmen, I think I asked you at the baby shower, but I forgot...where do you get the Uncle Cracker seed & cheese crackers? Sherri

Sherri, I used to only find them in the deli at super target, but just last night I found them at the meijer deli!!! They come in a plastic clear round tub, and I just had five of them with a cheese triangle, yum! I hope you can find them, they sure get me by when I need the crunch! Carmen

Hi Sarah, I'm going through something similar myself right now. Not so much at night as during the afternoons at work. I'm kinda bored at work right now and I find myself craving pumpkin seeds and nuts or popcorn. Like you, I try to pick healthy snacks if I'm going to eat, but what I really want to do is stop snacking! But everytime I try to do something else I get really frustrated and then I wind up eating even more. I know it is all in my head, but then I was never able to deal well with that before surgery and the surgery definitely doesn't address this. What I really need is to get to more support groups, but that has been more difficult since my husband went back to work (trying to make sure one of us is there for the kids). Oh well, I don't have any solutions to offer you, but I can sympathize. Cindy