Several Questions! Need input

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2005
Several Questions! Need input
8
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 8:25am
Hi Everyone!
I am in phase 2 now. I believe my cravings are minimal, but still rear their ugly heads once and awhile. Phase 2 officially started Monday. I need to know what you think about eating times. I eat breakfast at about 8:00 am, snack about 10:30, Lunch around 12:30, then maybe a snack at 3:00, but dinner seems to be the worst for me. It takes place many nights around 7:00 or AFTER! I fel this is sabotaging my efforts to lose! Could you let me know what time you finish dinner?
Next, I am going to let you know what I ate yesterday, everything, and please suggest ways to make it better:
Breakfast: 2 egg omelette filled with spinach ricotta roasted garlic dip, tomato juice, coffee (decaf) w/ skim milk
Snack: LF String Cheese
Lunch: Mcdonalds cheeseburger NO BUN Wendy's side salad with ceasar dressing, diet cola
Snack: Pecans (plain), LF american cheese, romaine leaf
Dinner: Cabbage Patch Stew, crispy toasted pita triangles w parmesan & olive oil, roasted cauliflower w ranch, 2 slices american cheese LF, diet cola
Then at bedtime I was bitten by the chocolate bug ( AFTER disagreement w DH) I was stressed, sad, and ate chocolate.
Next, question:
Can caffeine make you crave? I really think the combo of stress and caffeine weakened my resolve! Today I am going caffeine free. Making water my beverage. I may have a caffeine free cola after I drink at least 64 ounces water.
I need to succeed here. So please do not hold back suggestions!
Hugs,
Queenie
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-2004
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 8:42am

I know when I first started SB and even now, I really needed to eat by 6:00 or I would start grazing. If you can't eat until 7:00 or later, can you have some raw vegies handy to keep you from straying to far off the beach.

Note on your menu- you do not seem to be getting your 2-3 cups of dairy. SB only considers milk and yogurt dairy. Are you one of the ones that can't do milk?

Have you tried the sf fudgicles or sf ff instant pudding. Have some of these things handy for when the chocolate bug bites so you can safely bite back. Plus the pudding helps get more dairy in : )

Caffeine can cause carvings in some people. It sounds like you are realizing it might be affecting you that way.

Good luck.
Kathy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 9:11am

Hi Queenie!

I have found that diet sodas trigger cravings for me. I don't know if its the caffeine, artificial sweetner, or the carbination (could be the combination). Because of this I stick to milk, water, Crystal Lite and teas.

As far as eating dinner at 7:00, I'd try to push my afternoon snack to 3:30 or 4:00 if you can. Maybe putting a little more protein into your afternoon snack might help take you through to dinner also. Also if you had raw veggies ready to go you could munch on them while making dinner.

Another thought... I'm not sure how flexible your schedule is, but could you try this:
8:00 Breakfast
11:00 Lunch
2:00 Snack
4:30 Snack

I think this WOE is all about keeping your blood sugar leveled out, not necessarily eating meals and snacks in a particular order... shake it up a little :-)

Hope that helps!
Michelle




Edited 2/3/2005 9:19 am ET ET by nickswohm
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2005
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 11:23am
Hi again,
I agree with both of you. I have been waiting until I am hungry for the snack. I need to eat BEFORE the hunger to keep things level. Also, I know now there is a direct correlation between diet cola's and my craving. It sets off something in me. Nix on the cola as of today! I will try to just do the water. Thanks for the input!
Queenie
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 1:27pm
Good Job! Take control and don't let it control you!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 2:50pm

I have the same problem when dinner runs late. You might consider having another afternoon snack. Maybe eat your first snack at 2:30 and then have another one at 4:30 or 5:00. Heck, call it an appetizer if it runs close to dinner. LOL. If I eat something around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, I almost always wind up eating healthier for dinner.

Don't be afraid to eat. The goal is to avoid that "I'm so starving I don't care what I eat" mode that we've all fallen victim to. Having a few stalks of celery or a ff yogurt right before dinner is not going to sabotage your weight loss, and it may even help.

Here's another schedule that might work:

B - 8:00
S - 10:30
L - 1:00 (but you'll probably need a bigger a.m. snack than just a piece of cheese if you push back lunch)
S - 4:00
D - 7:00
S - 9:30

I believe that people know themselves best, so follow-up on your theory about the diet cola. My guess would be that your own suspicion is leading you in the right direction. The other thing I see is that you are eating a lot of cheese. I do this too. I have to make it a point to only have cheese 2x a day, or I go overboard and see stalls.

Hope you glean something useful from all this!

Sounds like you're doing a great job conquering your challenges so far.

~Leslie

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2002
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 3:31pm

Hi Queenie,


Caffiene does cause cravings for some people.

Avatar for atlantagirl74
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2004
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 4:11pm

I don't get home until about 6:30, dinner is usually around 7:30-8:00. I have found that this schedule works best for me...

8:30 breakfast at my desk
10:30 big decaf coffee with Splenda (fills my belly with warm, sweet goodness!)
11:15 morning snack
1:30 lunch
4:30 afternoon snack
6:30 get home, guzzle some water, and start cooking

If I have dessert at all, I have it immediately after dinner. I rarely get night-time munchies - I'm usually asleep on the couch by 10:30! If I do get the munchies in the evening, I just ignore it, because if I eat right before bed I wake up starving and it throws me off for the whole next day.

On the caffiene thing... I just avoid it altogether. I discovered several years ago that caffiene gives me a nervous stomach and makes me irritable. I just can't handle it - too much No-Doz in college I guess!

 

AtlantaGirl74

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-2004
Thu, 02-03-2005 - 4:49pm

Breakfast: 2 egg omelette filled with spinach ricotta roasted garlic dip, tomato juice, coffee (decaf) w/ skim milk
Snack: LF String Cheese
Lunch: Mcdonalds cheeseburger NO BUN Wendy's side salad with ceasar dressing, diet cola
Snack: Pecans (plain), LF american cheese, romaine leaf
Dinner: Cabbage Patch Stew, crispy toasted pita triangles w parmesan & olive oil, roasted cauliflower w ranch, 2 slices american cheese LF, diet cola
Then at bedtime I was bitten by the chocolate bug ( AFTER disagreement w DH) I was stressed, sad, and ate chocolate.


Here is my 2cents.