When are your trouble times?

It is midafternoon between lunch and dinner or late in the evening. C'mon we all have 'em. My days go just fine. I'm very structured at work. I have my protein shakes, meals, snacks all planned. There really isn't any room for trouble. I don't do sugar or carby snacks so the candy jars on desks and snack machine in the basement is safe from me. My trouble time is from the time I get home from work til the time I drift off to sleep. I get home around 5-5:30 pm then walk the dog and then sit here at the computer just like now. I had a protein shake around 3:30 or so. I try to stave off dinner until 7:00 if I can. I go to sleep at 11:00 (unless I have already passed out earlier). I think my issue is that I'm home alone. My time isn't structured. I don't eat an evening meal with anyone. It's little ol' me and me alone. Rich doesn't get home until 9:30 pm. Okay, so here I am it's 5:45. Had my protein shake (a little short one - used the last of the protein powder I had at work and only scraped together 3/4 of a scoop) at 3:30-4:00. What I'd like to eat tonight is my dinner: greek stuffed meatloaf w/ homemade tzazaki sauce and some vegie on the side and a protein shake later. What I'll probably have is the meatloaf and sauce, a piece of cheese or two, a SF york peppermint patty, some nuts. A bit of grazing. Right now this hasn't hurt me but: 1) I'm shorting myself a protein drink which isn't good at all since I love my lab value, 2) grazing isn't a good behavior to get into for the long run, 3) there are better nutritional choices. What I think I'll do is move dinner up to 6:30. Have my protein shake at 9-9:30 and if I want anything after I'll have it. I think if I stop the other stuff before having a protein shake and have the protein shake first... I'll be doing better for my body. I don't really want to lose much more. Maybe 2-3 lbs to give myself more of a buffer to hover below 160 as my weight goes through it's normal fluctuations. Kathy

My trouble time is after 8 pm or whenever I get my daughter to bed, i will have my planned snack usually 100 cal kettle corn or string cheese and 3-4 LF ritz. I stay up intil 1030 so I do not wake my husband up, he works nights and sleeps until 1030. i used to go to bed around 9. I sometimes have an extra snack just because it sounds good, which calorie wise is usually o.k it is just slipping into a bad habit, unplanned snack and of course i am watching tv or reading. I have not purchased a cookie at work in the afternoon since I started posting what i eat, that used to be my bad time, the afternoon at work. We would walk over to the gift shop which happens to be next to the cafe.

I have 2 trouble times, LOL! Right around 3 when the kids get home and things are hectic. If I get hungry I always want to grab a cookie or something sweet. Then evenings, especially like tonite. I'll get cozy to watch Grey's Anatomy and I'll want something~could be wheat thins or maybe some NSA ice cream. If I graze its usually at night which makes me mad at myself especially if I've had a really good eating day up until that point. Tracy B

When I'm working on staying on track I can do great all day long. Until I get home that is. THen I'm looking for carbs - popcorn, pretzels are the worst. I'm keeping my weight up by snacking on those darn carbs but it doesn't make it any easier to leave them alone. You would think it would be easier

I am very structured at work. It is the late afternoon and evenings that seem to be tough. Maybe it is because when I get home from work everything is just all chaotic and everyone talking and everyone hungry. I just seem stressed and seem to want to eat bad things then. Melissa

Kathy, I find myself wanting to nibble twice a day, usually between 2:30 - 3:30 at work, which I'm getting better at since I moved lunch back a little or I'll do a protein shake. I was keeping snack foods at work (cheese, pepperoni, nature's trail mix, peanut butter crackers) and I tend to want to eat something even if I'm not hungry so I'm going to do away with the trail mix and would really like to do away with the peanut butter crackers (probably won't though, I've had some bouts of sugar dropping). Will keep the cheese and turkey pepperoni around for those days I really want something. Also at night if I'm watching TV, so I try to stay away from the tv somewhat and get on OH to help, some days again ok, other days I'm looking and yes the sweets tempt me. Dana

I've become a bit of an insomniac and my worst times are after my hubby has gone to bed. I want to eat all night long!! I try to limit myself to a protein shake and lots of Crystal Light. If I do give into temptation during the wee hours I log it on FitDay nad count it as my breakfast. Then I just have to wait until late morning to eat again. That is when I'll have my lunch. I know - eating late at night or before going to be isn't good, but most of those times are nights that I never went to be at all anyway! I feel like a toddler that has gotten her days & nights mixed up except I'm still up all day, too. I sometimes only get an hour or 2 of sleep if I dose off in the recliner watching an old movie. I'm hoping I'll get back to a "normal" schedule next week when I go to NC for my son's wedding. I'll be staying at my parent's home and although they don't go to bed with the chickens they're usually in bed before midnight which will be early for me! Vickie J.

Kathy, For me it is the afternoon 2:30ish and then a couple of hours after dinner. At 2 1/2 years out I have had the sweet tooth return with a vengence. I've gained 10 pounds and hate it. I'm trying to rein myself in and get it off. CathyA

Trouble times--I only have one trouble time--the time I am awake. LOL. Actually, my evenings are a struggle for me. My life is totally unstructured and that is sort of an issue for me. When all my snowbird friends are down in Florida with me--from October through May, I am busy all day every day. Ya know--golf is a tough job. When I lived up north the winter was always a difficult time for me--even as a kid I would gain weight in the winter and lose in the summer. Now--it is the exact opposite--how weird is that. I want to lose the 12 lbs I have gained over the past year. Grazing--it is the devil! Even cutting way back on my alcoholic consumption to do that. Hey--you know I am serious then.

Me too, Vicki. I am a late night snaker. I can do fine all day, but after 9 or 10 p.m. or so I feel the urge to eat and cant sleep if I dont. I am a bad girl.