Post: #1

Hi, this is somewhat related to threads on sleep, but I'd like to address a specific problem I have more exactly:

At my job, my busiest time is in the morning, because it involves setting everyone up to do their work. Sometimes, I already know the day before that the next morning will be really difficult - and this creates a kind of "psychological spillover" to my evening, especially when I go to bed and there is no more distraction. What I usually do then, in order to calm my nerves is: I eat

What I've tried in order to avoid this:

• exhaust myself early in the evening (too late at night would raise my body temperature too much, making getting to sleep more difficult) - but I find that when I have done a good workout, my psyche is weaker and I can justify eating as a reward even more easily
• watch movies on my laptop to distract myself (I'm already using f.lux to shut out the blue light), but I find that watching movies in bed affects my sleep even more
• valerian pills - I guess they have an effect on some people, but they don't do anything for me (I'd rather not try stronger, prescribed pharmaceuticals)
• drink warm milk or tea - this actually helps a little bit to calm my nerves, but not much
  

During the day, I'm not nervous at all - I guess I can compartmentalize the next morning's frenzy good enough when it's still far away. It's only during the night that some worries come through.

Post: #2

I have had this problem also. I was staying up too late since I didn't want to go to sleep as the next day would come faster.
As a result I would get hungry because it was so long since my last meal then I would eat bad food at midnight.

So there were two problems:
- Not enough sleep and
- Eating bad food just before bed

I changed the time I ate and the time I went to bed.

Basically I pushed my dinner meal later into the evening and bought my sleep time forward. I try to get all the stuff that needs doing done before I eat, that way as soon as I've finished my last meal it's time to start thinking about bed.
I used to find it hard to get to sleep if I was hungry but by bringing the two events closer that wasn't a problem.

The end result is I'm eating less and getting more sleep.

People may say "you shouldn't eat so close to bed time", but it's better doing this than having an extra meal of junk from the fridge at midnight.

Post: #3

To be honest, I think this comes down to personal discipline.

You could try smaller, more frequent meals though I guess.

Post: #4

Get a good protein powder and use it as a meal replacement. I recommend Syntrax Matrix 5.0, but there are many other good ones too.

You could also try protein bars. Supreme Bars are the best, ever since MetRx decided to switch over to soy protein.



Most Supreme bars have similar macros. Where I'm at they're like $2.50 a bar.

Quote:Amount Per Serving
Calories 400
Calories from Fat 140
% Daily Value
Total Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 300mg 13%
Potassium 65mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 4g
Sugar Alcohol 27g
Protein 30g 60%

If you have time to slam a coffee or smoke a cigarette during work, you have time to drink a shake or eat a candy bar. It's not ideal, but it beats overeating in the evening.

I tried looking up meal replacements like Soylent or 100% Food, but they seem to contain estrogenic forms of protein and I don't believe they ship to Germany (yet).

Post: #5

If I'm hungry after dinner, I'll eat an apple.

I tell myself, if you wanna eat, eat an apple. If you don't want an apple, you are not hungry.

Post: #6

Vitamin D is cheap and unless a person is a lifeguard at a beach or outdoor pool they wont get what they need there or in their diet. I usually take 2,000IU in the morning when i wake up, and 2,000IU at lunch. Its also important that the first thing a person drinks when they wake up is 8-16oz of water with a pinch of salt in it. Stinging nettle helps regulate evening Cortisol levels, I take 500mg of that at dinner time. Science is saying that it is ok to snack before bedtime, so something with some protein in it is alright. like a glass of milk.
I use the swanson stinging nettle root and the mason vit d. If a person does not get enough vit d it throws off their hormones.

As far as calming the nerves, you have to come up with the attitude that ive done all i can for today, so its ok to let it go and relax for the evening. If you believe in yourself and are confident in your ability to perform in the morning it will make it easier to let things go. So in other words its a reward system for having things done, and being able to do things in the morning. I have challenging mornings from time to time, so I try to get as much done the previous day as I can, even if its not efficient. Like doing something out of order that takes 2 hours that will take me 30minutes the next morning. Another thing to help visualize confidence is to think about your absolute worst day of a worst case scenario, how did you fare? OK im guessing or youd be working someplace else...

Post: #7

What you eat earlier in the day is what you should be focusing on.

Eat a large protein based breakfast(eggs, meat, beans, etc), and an even larger protein based lunch with fat(chipotle bowl with no rice, beans, meat, sour cream, salsa, guac, cheese). This usually does it for me, and at most, I may down a Clif Builder Bar at night if I need it. If I go out I can even have a few drinks and be fine without stuffing my face. Protein and fat make it happen, with some carbs sprinkled in.

I am trying to exist on 1-2 meals a day. 1 meal a day is really all you need. This sounds psychosomatic more than anything else. Learn more about yourself; experiment with eating patterns, amounts of food, activity/relaxation after work, etc.

Post: #8

Chug a bunch of water, 2 hours or so before sleep.

It will fill you up so you won't want to eat anymore. Don't do it any less than an hour before you sleep or you might piss yourself at night, hah.

Post: #9

You want to try all these things and see how they workout. I find if I eat a large breakfast I feel lethargic and heavy, which is bad for me as I'm running around a workshop a 7am getting guys sorted out on jobs.

I have a coffee for breakfast and a large meal at 10am. Another smaller meal at 2pm and then hold out till dinner around 8pm.

Post: #10

Why not postpone your dinner until late evening before sleeping time?
Then you don't need a breakfast because you wont be hungry in the morning.

I have never understood the fuzz about whats's wrong with eating before going to bed.

I only eat light meals or no meals at all during daytime because that keeps me sharp,focused and productive. In the evenings when I'm coming home when all my daily tasks and workouts are done, I prepare the largest meal of the day.

The big meal makes me sleepy and that improves my sleep a lot.
I sleep more hours and wake up well rested.

When I'm doing a 48+ hour fast and going to bed with a empty stomach it's much harder to fall a sleep and I usually wake up after 4-6 hours of sleep but I'm not tired.
When my stomach is empty I'm more focused,productive, sharp and getting things done.

That's why I'm eating before going to bed.
It works for me.

Post: #11

It is ok to eat before a person goes to bed. Like Chaos said, it will help a person sleep better. I brought up the supplements and diet because of the hormone implications. If a person is not getting enough Vitamin D it will screw up a persons hormones and they will not be able to sleep well and they will not be able to handle stress. Evening Cortisol levels will be all messed up and then 10pm comes around and then they catch their 2nd or 3rd wind instead of being able to calm down for the night. Vitamin D, and Stinging Nettle is cheap and easy to try. Avoid working out or showering before sleep if possible they will amp a person up. I suspect OP's evening Cortisol levels are out of whack and the Vitamin D and Stinging Nettle will have a very immediate impact on his situation.

Post: #12

What's wrong with eating something at night?

Have some Casein Protein (or Whe if you don't have Casein) or eat some low-fat Greek yoghurt with peanut butter. Do this especially if you hit the gym often. It will help your muscles grow!

If you are not much into sports, you can still eat. But just go for a watermelon, a cucumber or something else that hardly has any calories.

Other than that, I'd probably try to find a way to calm down and avoid that psychological spillover effect you mentioned altogether.

Post: #13

There is a trick to this and his has to do with your meal planning.

I usually space out my meals every few hours. i am also an evening snacker but not much snacking and the like during the day.

What i do is eat my normal meal at dinner time and then about 1-2 hours later, i eat another, smaller meal but still a meal. Satisfies the snackiness and keeps me on target.

Post: #14

I always eat protein at night, usually chicken, lamb, eggs, or beef jerky. It helps to build muscle and to keep you full because it's dense. For whatever reason eating a lot of protein puts me too sleep, so maybe it will also work for you. I wouldn't eat carbs at night, you won't have enough time to burn it off or use it, so it will convert to fat.

Post: #15

Count your calories, and reserve some for this reward eating at night.

I eat ice cream by the way.

Problem solved.

Post: #16

(08-15-2015 07:28 PM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  To be honest, I think this comes down to personal discipline.

You could try smaller, more frequent meals though I guess.

At the end of the day this is the key here. You are the answer.

However, you can help fight cravings with intermittent snacking. And by snacking I mean an apple, a banana, half a protein bar (50-100 cal tops), a simple salad w/o dressing. I've found that a good old slice of bread with a glass of water works well too.

Agree with other posters in the thread. You should be consciously in one way or another be counting calories in your head. I'm not overly strict on myself because I find I'm happier when I'm not acting like a calorie nazi, so I don't always add them all up. However, even if you aren't tallying, you should know the caloric intake of every piece of food you put in your mouth - versus what your daily targeted total should be. That might make you think twice before chowing down on 500 calories before bedtime.

I know this wasn't brought up in the thread and this isn't exactly groundbreaking news, but when dining out I highly recommend taking a second to make a judgment call every time you order something that appears to be more than a normal serving (which is let's say 800 calories for dinner). Aside from when I'm on first dates (for obvious reasons), not only can you cut down on the calories by taking food home, you can save money with what are essentially free meals to consume later (not midnight). Even something as simple as not eating all the french fries or opting out of eating a burger bun off can cut down on hundreds of calories. It adds up.

Apologies if something like this has been shared (I don't normally post on this part of the forum), here's a tool you can use to estimate your daily caloric target (scroll to the bottom): http://www.livestrong.com/article/311404...or-dinner/

Post: #17

Really great advice here, thanks to everybody. I'm using FitDay now as a journal to count calories, and am pushing my whole eating schedule more to the earlier parts of the day. I also got some Vitamin D pills and stinging nettle tea.

Will see how it works out - last week was too much work and I didn't follow through.... But it's the right way to go.

Post: #18

I was so out of it the other night, when I read the title I thought it said, "How to keep your girl from eating in the evening?"

I was like wow this dude is hard core.

Now I just realize I am an idiot.

Post: #19

(09-06-2015 04:38 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  I was so out of it the other night, when I read the title I thought it said, "How to keep your girl from eating in the evening?"

I was like wow this dude is hard core.

Now I just realize I am an idiot.

Would be a great title for an ROK article if Roosh calls for another "fat shaming week"

Post: #20

Why avoid it at all? Reserve some spare calories for the day for an evening meal and just eat in the evening without any kind of feeling of regret or guilt. I eat nice hearty meals in the evenings and depending on what I was trying to do I did gain or lose weight with no problems. It's not the timing of the meals or how many you eat in a day, it's all just a question of total calories consumed per day. If you count and account for your daily calories in the right way you could be eating donuts and ice cream just before bed and still losing fat

Post: #21

(08-15-2015 07:47 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  If I'm hungry after dinner, I'll eat an apple.

I tell myself, if you wanna eat, eat an apple. If you don't want an apple, you are not hungry.

I do this... with a spoon and a jar of crunchy peanut butter...

Post: #22

(09-06-2015 04:38 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  I was so out of it the other night, when I read the title I thought it said, "How to keep your girl from eating in the evening?"

I was like wow this dude is hard core.

A few weeks back I was out to dinner with one of the regulars in my harem/rotation.

We went to an Italian place; as always I ordered for the two of us. I ordered a substantial three-course meal for myself, and then at the end I added almost as an afterthought, "And she will have a glass of water."

The waiter was one of those smiley/greasey/jokey types. He lightly tapped me on the arm and said, "Aww come on, be a nice guy -- order her something to eat!"

Me: "No. My doctor told me to go to bed on an empty stomach."

Post: #23

Increase vegatable intake. A salad without dressing is like 100 calories. Eat a small salad and your body will be too busy digesting all that green stuff to get hungry again.

Post: #24

(09-09-2015 05:29 AM)Fortis Wrote:  Increase vegatable intake. A salad without dressing is like 100 calories. Eat a small salad and your body will be too busy digesting all that green stuff to get hungry again.

I agree but man vegetables are not on the top of my list of desired foods sadly. I admire those that like them. I have read that celery takes more calories to digest than it gives. Crazy!

Post: #25

(09-09-2015 06:26 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(09-09-2015 05:29 AM)Fortis Wrote:  Increase vegatable intake. A salad without dressing is like 100 calories. Eat a small salad and your body will be too busy digesting all that green stuff to get hungry again.

I agree but man vegetables are not on the top of my list of desired foods sadly. I admire those that like them. I have read that celery takes more calories to digest than it gives. Crazy!

It depends how you prepare it. If you just chow down on some raw tomatoes or a cucumber, yeah that won't be very appealing. But chop up some zucchini, tomatoes, olives, spinach into a bowl, pour some olive oil and balsamico on it, maybe add in some low fat mozzarello and man that is a whole meal already and doesn't even taste all that bad. If you just can't eat those raw veggies, just stir fry them or make a stew out of meat and veggies. It's all in the preparation. Same reason why people who think torturing themselves by eating bland cooked chicken breasts with only a side of steamed broccoli as a side dish is how you should diet will never be able to keep this "diet" for long. It's all a matter of making your food as tasty as you can, even if you have to pour some BBQ sauce on it or add some feta cheese or croutons to your salad: do it, if that's what it takes for you to enjoy your meal. Just account for those added calories at the end of the day.

The only way to turn "a diet" into "how you usually eat every day" is simply: consciously account for what you eat and make it tasty.