Question:
Sabotage-I find myself not eating anything really during the ...

I may have a small snack like sf yogurt or sf popsicles or maybe some veggies and hummus, but that's it. I'm just not usually hungry, I drink fluids during the day and then find myself eating dinner anytime between 7pm-11pm(if it is a bad night) I have a hard time deciding what I want to eat because I get so sick of everything and then by the time I look at the clock it's close to 10 or 11pm. I also then find myself making meals such as last night 1 ostrich patty and 3 broccoli florets and eating it all of it little by little because I know now I need the calories and the protein, so I keep taking lil bites until that whole meal is gone, but then last night I felt so horrible and guilty because then an hour later I had 4 grape tomatoes and 1 boiled egg, just the egg white and three pieces of crumbled feta cheese(small pieces). Then later on I woke up and the middle of the night and have been doing so lately hungry and munched on 2 mini biscotti-I don't know what the hell is wrong with me I feel like a failure and I'm on the border of tears. I'm a lil over 6 months out since having surgery on March6 03 and have lost 90lbs and I am estatic about it, I love the compliments, the weight loss in itself,the energy, everything, I don;t know why I'm doing this but I don't want to sabotage everything I have worked so hard for and I don't want to gain the weight back now or ever for that matter. Is there anyone else out there going through the same thing and do you have any suggestions I'm feeling like a complete and utter failure? Has anyone started to get a lil cocky about the weight loss and find that they began to eat more like "skinny people eat" because they know they have the tool to back them up a little? I don;t if that could be my problem but whatever it is I just need help to stop and know that I'm not alone in this thing. Thank You Tori    — TotallyTori (posted on September 17, 2003)

September 17, 2003
If I'm reading your question right, it sounds like you're not eating much during the day, and then eating a lot of your daily calories (relatively speaking) in the evening (or even in the middle of the night). It could be there is some genuine hunger happening at night, combined with a return to old bad habits (or development of a new one). What is it about late night eating that's such a problem? I am plagued by that issue, too, always have been, and I see lots of us are. It's frustrating!<P>Maybe it would help if you made yourself to eat several small meals during the day, instead of loading your calories into the evening. That might help your metabolism work better, and it might slow down the late night eating. At this point, it probably won't sabotage your weight loss to eat those sorts of things (in those amounts) at night, but the thing to worry about is, what about down the road, when you can eat more (and more types of things)? That's what I worry about ... I know late-night eating is just a bad habit no matter what.<P>Having said that, if you still wind up eating at night, try just to snack on protein foods (small amounts). Or, try to break up your evening routine -- go to bed earlier, maybe exercise in the evening (though that might make you more hungry, or keep you up later ... depends on you). Also, is it possible you are eating late at night because you're tired, and you're looking to food to give you energy (instead of just going to bed)? Sometimes that's why I think I do it. <P>Don't be too hard on yourself about this. These challenges are just another stage in our journey; they can't be avoided, we have to tackle these problems head-on and that's what you're doing. Hang in there, and good luck!!
   — Suzy C.

September 17, 2003
Tori~ Don't be too hard on yourself. At least you're making good food choices. You just need to spread your food out during the day. A habit I started from the beginning, and continue to do, is to plan my next day's food the night before. The evening before, I pack an insulated lunch bag of what I'm going to eat the next day. I pack a small container of yogurt or cottage cheese or a boiled egg or a deli roll up for breakfast (always protein-based). Then I'll package up 2 to 3 ounces of meat or fish (usually left over from dinner) and a few veggies for lunch, and a couple of sticks of string cheese or a 1/4 cup of nuts for a snack. I take that to work, and it gets me through the day fine. At the same time that I'm packing for the next day, I take something out of the freezer for the next night's dinner. That way, I know exactly what I'm going to make for dinner before I even get home. The time between coming home from work and going to bed was always the worst eating time of the day for me. If I did not have dinner already planned out before I get home, I would easily graze myself through the evening, too. A little planning goes a long way for me. I've also found that eating early in the day, and starting off with protein, really helps me control the urge to eat later in the day. I never liked to eat first thing in the mroning, but I find that a good base of protein early in the day helps curb those late day cravings. So, perhaps try more specific meal planning, and eating earlier in the day. Best wishes.
   — Vespa R.

September 17, 2003
I have the same problem. I find that it helps if I start the day with a protein shake, gets me in the right frame of mind to eat right the rest of the day.
   — janni

September 17, 2003
Tori, I found that I can self-sabatoge myself, too. I did this last month and am now trying really hard to get on track. I have made an appointment with a clinical social worker to find out if I have some sort of hidden problem with getting thin. Sometimes we do things, like eat, without even thinking about it until we have eaten the stuff all gone. I am going to find out why I do this and how to get some self control over the situation. I feel like a little counceling would do my some good in this situation. I have came to far to screw it up now. Good Luck
   — Jan S.

September 17, 2003
I am a brand new post op, but think this will help me A LOT later on. I dont have the URL anymore, but if you click on my profile and read "POUCH RULES" it might help. I got the link off of here the other night, and think it sounds like a good answer to your UMPH!! HOPE IT HELPS, Leslie Nolan RNY/9-3-03/27lbs GONE!
   — Leslie N.