Confessions of my dark side

I know what you're thinking: "Teddey??  Dark side? No way!" (I think I hear my mother's laughter in the distance...)

But it's true. It's so cathartic to admit when you have a problem. And sometimes the simple act of just telling someone about it is half the battle in getting it resolved. So I'm going to tell, according to my page-view stats on Blogger, about 30 people.

So here it is: I have a seriously hard time controlling what I eat and drink at night. I have a very strong association with evening/dinner time and debauchery. As I walk into the house at the end of the day, it's like this little demon inside me starts rubbing her hands together and saying, "Oooh...what can we get into?!"  I'm sure it's some combination of hunger, exhaustion, and typical Happy Hour mentality--let's cut loose at the end of a stressful day and drown our sorrows!

I can eat perfectly all day with absolutely no problem.  In fact, I enjoy planning what I eat and sticking to the plan; carefully spacing out my meals to keep my blood sugar steady and only eating what I've brought from home. There's a sense of calm and control that comes along with that kind of structure for me. But at night? Forget it.

I need to formulate a plan. I'm sure this is a common problem, so please feel free to share if you have some strategies that work for you.  Here is my action plan:

1. Eat a large, satisfying snack in the early afternoon.
Hot soup or an apple with peanut butter are things I love and will look forward to.

2. Plan my dinner!
When the kids are with me, which is most nights, I have no problem planning and eating a healthy dinner. I need to have a plan and stick to it even when I am alone or it's just me and Bill.

3. Stop eating after dinner.
I'm sure it's some combination of boredom and the need for comfort, but I have a tendency to snack continuously until bedtime.  I know if I can force myself to drink a cup of hot herbal tea and do 20 minutes of yoga, I will feel more relaxed and less likely to snack.

4. Drink a cup of hot herbal tea and do at least 20 minutes of yoga.
See above.

See? I already feel better. I'm going to do my darnedest to stick to this plan for the next week and post an update on my progress. Good luck if you are struggling with a similar "problem area!"

Have a wonderful day!