I'm a snack-a-holic!

Spedangie

I will turn 69 years old next week. I've exercised fairly vigorously for many years--during the summer I ride road bikes 3-5 times weekly, 20+ miles per ride. Throughout the year I am at the gym 5-7 days a week. I do various cardio machines always about 60 minutes worth at a fairly aggressive level and try to do weight work a couple of times weekly. I try, mostly successfully, to eat veggies (raw broccoli, baby carrots, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes are favorites) every day and fruit as well. My school lunches usually consist of the aforementioned veggies and a cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt and maybe a cheddar cheese stick. Breakfast on school days is a glass of skim milk with choc. syrup and a piece of whole wheat toast (buttered of course) or a Special K protein shake. This doesn't go so well on the weekends, more hit and miss eating then!
This all sounds so healthy (and it is, of course), but still I struggle with weight gain. Why, you may ask--why??
I am a snack-a-holic! In addition to all those healthy things I just love a little cookie here and a donut there and a couple of Reeses mini cups here AND there. Not to mention a handful of my husband's chips-oh heck make that 2 handfuls; a spoonful (or 2!) of ice cream down the hatch when I make him a bowl. And so it goes, I really have trouble resisting too many "goodies". That is definitely my Achilles heel. I frequently convince myself that I can eat all those extra goodies BECAUSE I exercise regularly and with some intensity.
Obviously this is not really true. I am hoping that if I keep honest track of what is actually going in my mouth I may actually stop putting a lot of these unnecessary items in it! So wish me well and we'll see how it goes!

shanesemathis

It is really about holding yourself accountable for everything you eat. I think once you do that, you will be more selective in what you choose to splurge on and when you choose to splurge on it. It also seems like you limit yourself in your daily meals... Milk and a piece of toast for breakfast probably is not satisfying enough to make you content. Limiting yourself so much in your regular meals is probably what causes outbursts of (unhealthy) "splurge" snacking throughout the day. Food for thought!

zumbatat

I'm 64 yrs young and it sound like we share the same oh I can eat that piece of something like a cookie, candy bar, etc and to boot, I make my cookies very healthy-either fat free, low fat, pale etc. It also sounds like you are not eating enough. We need to have more protein, good complex carbs, healthy fats and veggies in our diets.(of which I do) We can have a cookie, or splurge on a day, then go right back eating healthy. I work out 5-7days a week as well, boot camp, elliptical, Zumba, jogging on treadmill, cardio and strength training, but we just can't eat in calories what we just burned off. It is like a vicious circle.