The Magic of the Late Day Power Snack

No breakfast.

Protein shake for lunch and then ...

DINNER!!!!  

As I've mentioned before, this is how I used to eat.  It works too, uh, if you want to gain weight that is.  

I don't know how many nights I'd come home from work "hangry", a combination of hungry and angry.  I had that frantic, crazy energy that feels it can only be satisfied with a binge.  

Oh, and then the fun really begins.  You get home with all that crazy and then all the dichotomous thoughts of desire and shame set in.  

Somehow you literally feel like you're craving EVERYTHING in your house, at the store, and in every restaurant.  Not only that, you DESERVE to eat everything because you haven't eaten ALL DAY LONG and "I've saved up all those calories for this and don't I deserve this?!!!" 

"YES, I DO!" is the resounding cry.  And then the binge begins.  It's binging on a little of everything, because you know that "just a little" really isn't that bad.  But, of course, when it's a little of everything the little bits really add up.  

One half to two thirds of the way through your binge you hear a little voice.  

"But, wait, ...."

That more quietly emphatic voice prods, "I'm fat.  I hate the way I look.... in everything, all the time. And I'm so tired of looking this way and feeling this way about myself.  

I need to lose weight.  

I shouldn't eat that, any of it.  

I shouldn't eat at all.

I don't really deserve it."

In the middle of all that chaotic energy you can't really see that line of thinking for what it really is, crazy.    

So, for me avoiding that was a really big first step.  Fortunately making this change wasn't quite as hard as many others I've made.  

I started making myself eat breakfast, a mid morning snack, lunch, and a late afternoon snack before dinner.

This gradual buildup of food took getting used to and, if I'm honest, I really wanted to hoard my points for dinner but I made the change.

One of the things that really has helped the most is that late day snack.  Around 4:00 pm I have my yogurt snack.  

I mix 1 cup of my favorite plain Greek yogurt, FAGE( http://usa.fage/yogurts/fage-total-plain#fage-total-0), with 1 tsp of Truvia, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a cup of cherries(I buy them frozen at SAM'S).  

This is incredibly filling for 3 Smart Points.  It's really versatile too.  

I change it up a lot.  I may use coconut extract, vanilla extract, Truvia and peaches with yogurt or any other combination you can think of.  

I made this up for one of my co-workers and she told me the next day in the most astounded tone "I wasn't even hungry for dinner".  

That's the point.  For me this snack really staves off the hangries and all the self-defeating thoughts.  

Admittedly, I have actively worked on changing my self talk to a more positive and productive chatter but not feeling like you're starving really helps it along.  

So, even if you only do ONE thing, try this.  Try adding the Greek yogurt at around 4:00 pm and see how you feel.  

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  ;)