Here;s a tip that originated back in the 60s. My mother closed her kitchen between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., depending on when we finished eating our dinner and washing the dishes.

I mean she literally closed the kitchen, same as a restaurant. No food went out of her kitchen unless it was something “dry.” She went as far as drying the sink with her dishtowel, and that spigot never got turned on again until breakfast. Really!

She figured her job was done. The evening hours were for rest and relaxation.

Consequently, eating was kept to a minimum. Any utensils you might need to use were a “no-no” since they’d have to be rinsed in the sink. Think about it. There were no microwaves, so you couldn’t pop popcorn. Fruit was an option and I remember I ate a lot of pretzels (even then I think I was addicted to carbohydrates). But funny thing–I don’t remember being hungry because I was busy doing homework or talking on the phone or watching TV.

Thinking back–I wasn’t eating in the evenings. And I was skinny!

It wasn’t until I got to high school and began to stuff my mouth with a lot of junk food at lunchtime that I started putting on a few pounds.