Hi Friend

Here’s what happens when a coach builds a system to fix the After-18 Effect.

Sarah’s a PT in Manchester.

Smart. 

Caring. 

Knows her stuff.

But she couldn’t figure out why so many of her clients started strong… only to fall apart a few weeks in.

The pattern was always the same.

Progress early on.

Then a quiet slide in the evenings.

Then guilt. Missed check-ins. Ghosting.

That’s when she stopped trying to eliminate evening eating and started working with it.

She built a 3-part system.

First came the environmental reset.

She realised the moment clients got home was the danger zone.

Tired, hungry, and surrounded by food.

So she helped them prepare “transition snacks.” 

Simple, satisfying options they saw the second they opened the fridge.
 

No decisions. 

No guesswork. 

No raiding the cupboards at 8:30pm.

She also introduced what she called the kitchen timer rule.
 

When cravings hit after dinner, clients had to wait 20 minutes before making any food decisions.
 

Most didn’t end up eating.
 

They just needed time for the urge to pass.

Next came the rhythm fix.

Instead of fighting natural evening hunger, Sarah leaned into it.
 

She shifted 40% of her clients’ daily protein to the evening.
 

Bigger, more satisfying dinners…

Fewer late-night munchies.

Same total calories. 

Different timing.
 

It changed everything.

Finally, she brought in personalised if-then plans.

No generic rules.
 

Just simple prompts for real-world triggers.

If I feel snacky while watching TV, then I’ll grab the prepped option from the fridge.
 

If I’m tempted at a work dinner, then I’ll follow the two-plate rule and slow down.
 

If I get stressed at night, then I’ll go for a 5-minute walk before touching food.

No more relying on willpower.
 

The decision was made before the moment arrived.

The results were mind-blowing.

Client retention up 60% in 8 weeks.
 

More transformations. More referrals.
 

More clients are saying things like:
 

“For the first time in years, I’m not fighting myself every night. I already know what to do.”

Sarah didn’t change what her clients knew.

She changed what they did.

That’s the real difference.

And that’s why behaviour change isn’t about more motivation.
 

It’s about smarter systems.

Best wishes,
Naomi

P.S. Have you ever helped a client fix their evenings? It’s usually not a big breakthrough, it’s small, consistent changes that stop the spiral before it starts.