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Usually for me, it is the meal, wine, dessert, some TV, and then falling into bed.....probably because of the wine.
Last night, however, I skipped the wine, had my meal, then went off for another 2-3 hours of building house infrastructure.
I have been on both sides such as being in the service when there was still work after the evening meal or being in college, especially at a marine research station, when dinner was around 5 PM but then we still worked, exercised, and studied well into the night.
Being older now and living outside the norm with my nocturnal life, though, I thirst for trying to live like the rest of dinner with the TV line up and then bed.
Rarely do I eat 'meals' in the evening. I will have various snacks of whatever fills my need ( healthy snacks - salads - veggies - cheese and crackers etc ) - My big meal of my usual day is a late breakfast / brunch. I will consume 60-70% of my daily calories between 10am and 1pm.
Thats just what works for me ( I work from home so my office and kitchen are joined at the hip so to speak )
I usually have dinner around 6 or 7 ... I wouldn't be able to go to bed so soon after eating. It would be far too early for me. I'm up until 11 or 12.
Besides, I need to digest for a few hours before going to bed.
Same here. For the sake of proper digestion, I can't go to bed right after I eat. You may be different, though, Tamara. I had a friend who used to eat right before he went to the gym. I would have had dinner pouring out my mouth while doing bench presses, but he could do it. Maybe you can too, given that you can even imagine the possibility.
We eat fairly early, I watch TV for awhile and DH often watches a game. Then quiet house til bedtime at 10 or a little later. Some times I stay up late to read.
But your own natural schedule should dictate how you spend your evenings. About 15 years ago when I was in my late fifties, I noticed that I wanted quiet time in the evenings. I resented any obligation that kept me from being home. I seldom go out now after evening meal. We keep one evening obligation every week, and even though I value the activity, I resent going out every time.
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Dinners for me and mr. diva typically involve wine and unwinding. I'll usually tidy up the kitchen after, but he typically falls asleep shortly after eating, and we tend to eat late for Americans, like at about 9. I eat more during the day and less at dinner than he does, so he may sleep due to "food coma." We don't have kids to worry about, which of course would change things.
I don't think there's any "right" way to do things. When I was younger, I stayed up late all the time, got up early, and drank lots of coffee, then often napped after work and/or school. As I've gotten older, I've noticed I sleep from about midnight until seven, but I don't typically have to be anywhere before nine in the morning.
For me it's weather dependent. If it is a nice evening post dinner may involve a walk, bike ride or swim. Some evenings if there is a good movie at the theater we will take that in. Days with inclement weather usually end with dinner and TV or reading and then bed.
For me it's weather dependent. If it is a nice evening post dinner may involve a walk, bike ride or swim. Some evenings if there is a good movie at the theater we will take that in. Days with inclement weather usually end with dinner and TV or reading and then bed.
Right on about the weather thing. Also, whether it's long evenings or short evenings. I mean, to me there's a big difference between what we do in January vs what we do in June. In January it's dark by 5:30 and it's cold outside and we tend to eat a bit later but then we go to bed earlier - we're usually in bed by 11 at the latest and sometimes earlier. In June it can be light outside till 9 pm, and we are "porch sitters" and love to hang out on the patio, and we might not eat supper till 8 or 9 and then sit outside with a glass of wine, talking and laughing and listening to music and playing with the dogs and we might not go to bed till midnight.
But I never go to bed within an hour or two of eating - it's always several hours later.
My days are driven by what time I have to get up, and good sleep hygiene means getting up (and thus going to bed) at the same time every day. That's 9pm to bed and sleep no later than 10 (reading books till then).
Not wanting to go to bed with a full stomach, 6pm is about the latest I like to eat. Eat later than that and I suffer indigestion/heart burn/reflux and discomfort. Even little snacks or drinks more than tea/water are an issue. Means I have a bill to pay for going out, doesn't matter if it's the same time difference between eating and bed (8pm eat, midnight bed), my body simply doesn't like the disruption.
So, even when going out, I try to eat a big meal before leaving and just skip food for the rest of the night. With friends who don't light the grill till 9pm during the summer, it's hard to not offend when I don't want to sit down and dive into steak or burgers at 10pm. It's also odd to be out at a restaurant while everyone else is eating and have only water in front of me (sometimes I'll order a house salad to make it less obvious).
I do try to eat the majority of my calories for breakfast and slightly less for lunch with a small dinner. No need for massive calorie intake at the end of the day.
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