Tips and tricks for cutting back on snacks

Elisabuffy19

I know there is no magic behind counting calories...but I am having a hard time cutting back on snacks. It has become habitual at certain times of the day, even if I am not hungry. I am breastfeeding, so do feel hungry a lot and I know I need to eat around 1800 calories and not go too low. That being said, i would love to hear any mental strategies for cutting back habitual eating, larger portions and especially afternoon snacking. My diary is open. :-). Thanks!

Machka9

One thing that works for me is simply not to have the snacks available. If I want things like potato chips or chocolate bars, I have to make the effort to walk to the store to get them. Either I want them enough to do that, and get some exercise in the process ... or I can't be bothered.

livingleanlivingclean

I pre plan and prepare my food. I set times for eating these meals and keep myself busy between these times - I function better on less meals, but bigger meals with plenty of fat and protein.

Kalikel

Don't buy them.

Don't make them.

Don't eat them.

Get new snacks. Rice cakes, if you happen to like them, are great for a low-cal crunch. Fruits make very yummy and filling snacks. Berries and cherries and all kind of delicious things are in season. Mfrozen is cheaper, but fresh is so much better.

Bad habits are hard to break! They don't say it for nothing, Hard, but not impossible. It takes some work, but you can make the change if you really want to. Just keep trying.

jan3h

Allocate yourself some daily calories for snacks, say 300. Carefully measure your portions of chosen snack food and don't eat any more calories than your snack allowance. If you eat foods that are low in calories per gram e.g. veggies, you can have bigger portions. My trigger foods are potato chips and sweet biscuits, with these my policy is "don't buy them, can't eat them!" ️️Hope this helps you :-)

Elisabuffy19

Thanks all! I have always purchased cookies and chips but maybe I'll try not having them in the house. :-).

snickerscharlie

For me, simply not having anything yummy in the house just isn't a option I'm happy about, so instead, I purchase my snack foods in individual serving packs - there's lots of sweet and salty treats that are packaged this way, and most are around 100 calories per serving.

I make sure those treats fit into my calorie allotment for the day.

I find this helps prevent the 'mindless munching' that often happens when, say, you open up a big bag of chips, and then sit down on the computer or to watch tv.

callsitlikeiseeit

Elisabuffy19 wrote: »

Thanks all! I have always purchased cookies and chips but maybe I'll try not having them in the house. :-).

ummmm yeah. if you dont buy them, you cant eat them.

that said, you also have to learn how to live with snacks in the house. my 83 year old grandfather lives with us and pretty much only eats junk food. its rare for me to get into his crap food, and when i do, its one or two cookies, not half a package. i want to lose weight more than I want oreos. My husband loves chips and keeps those in the bedroom (have to hide them from papa LOL). again, my *kitten* tells me to take it easy on the chips- so when i do have them, i weigh out (on a food scale) my portion and dont take any more.

its all about priorities, and isnt always easy- but if you want something bad enough, you make the decisions that need to be made. find healthier options- PB2 on caramel rice cakes isnt bad, veggies and a lighter dip, a handful of nuts (weigh them!!!), graham crackers, even a couple of hershey kisses can satiate a chocolate craving and isnt bad calorie wise.

DeguelloTex

Log what you are going to eat. Don't eat what you haven't logged.

For me, knowing I've planned for a snack makes it taste just that much better.

macgurlnet

I love snacking, but I try to do it on a schedule and within my calories.

On days when I work, I'll have a snack around 9 or 10 and again in the afternoon around 2. I have several nutritious options that I can choose from and I make sure I save calories for a treat at the end of the day.

Raw veggies are a great low-cal snack; you can get a lot of volume for a pretty low number of calories. Fruit is a good option, too, though they're a little higher in calories.

Best of luck!

~Lyssa

Bshmerlie

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Log what you are going to eat. Don't eat what you haven't logged.

For me, knowing I've planned for a snack makes it taste just that much better.

^^ This. Every night I log all the things I'm going to eat the next day including snacks. Then I stick to that plan.

captivatedlife

Some people can eat snacks and be fine. Others can't. If I start snacking, I have trouble stopping. So I've worked on cutting most snacks out of my diet. If I'm bored, I will drink water (I also mix ice tea (1/4 ice tea, 3/4 water) because I'm likely to start snacking if I don't! Also, making sure that I eat filling meals stops me from snacking.

And another thing to keep in mind - I can eat an apple and ONE serving of peanut butter for breakfast and call it good. Now. 6 months ago, I would have laughed at anyone saying that was breakfast. 300 calories?! Crazy talk! Now, after 6 months of eating restricted, a lot of things that seemed crazy to start are just normal. Good luck

bpetrosky

snickerscharlie wrote: »

For me, simply not having anything yummy in the house just isn't a option I'm happy about, so instead, I purchase my snack foods in individual serving packs - there's lots of sweet and salty treats that are packaged this way, and most are around 100 calories per serving.

I make sure those treats fit into my calorie allotment for the day.

I find this helps prevent the 'mindless munching' that often happens when, say, you open up a big bag of chips, and then sit down on the computer or to watch tv.

+1 to this.
Whole fruits (apples, plums, peaches, etc) are relatively low calorie and convenient enough (though weighing the core/pits can be a slight annoyance). I also get some individually wrapped cookies that are about 220 cals/ea that are big enough for a satisfying sweet snack. It also makes it easy to "earn" enough extra calories with some exercise if need be.

There's a nice side-effect to this strategy, the treats tend to stretch much further. A box of cookies or bags of chips will last a couple weeks, so I don't spend nearly as much on snacks. Getting something that was bulk packaged would tend to make me want to finish it before it went stale.

steph2strong

I have a hard time keeping snacks small (a piece of chocolate or a few crackers just wets my appetite) so I eat snacks that are low calories for high volume such as yogurt. I mix Plain 0% Greek yogurt with Source fat free, sugar free dessert selection yogurts. I also mix cocoa powder and stevia into plain greek yogurt. 1 serving of the Source yogurt is 35 calories so even if you have 3 thats only 105 calories and an equal mix of protein and carbs. I also like Smart Pop popcorn and of course fruits and vegetables. I get large apples because they take a long time to eat and I don't just inhale them in 2 seconds, and also grapefruit because they take a while to peel and are juicy and sweet but also sour so it seems to quell my snack cravings.

kshama2001

Elisabuffy19 wrote: »

Thanks all! I have always purchased cookies and chips but maybe I'll try not having them in the house. :-).

This, plus have healthier, more fullness-enhancing snacks available. I like the apple and peanut butter idea mentioned above. Also try hummus and veggies, or a hard boiled egg.

asrai50

Snacking is rough. The only thing that works for me is simply not to have those "trigger" snacks easily available. Try snacking on things with more protein and less carb. Nuts, cheese, etc. Breastfeeding moms need the extra dairy anyway and they will keep you filling fuller. I find the more carbs I eat, the more I want. Its a slippery slope for sure!

benzieboxx

Elisabuffy19 wrote: »

Thanks all! I have always purchased cookies and chips but maybe I'll try not having them in the house. :-).

This is probably the best thing you can do if you're the type of person who can't eat one and walk away. I really cannot give myself a small portion of something I love because I WILL overdo it. So the best thing for me is to just not bring any of that stuff into the house. I'm less likely to go out and get it because I'll realize I don't need it that badly.

snickerscharlie

I do find with the snack size servings, once the bag is empty, I'm very rarely tempted to open another one. But with a big bag of chips that's open, for example, I find it's waaay too easy to go back for "Just a few more."

Agathokakological

I usually have 3 snacks for the day. Pretzel sticks for something salty, animal crackers for something sweet, and a little chocolate for after dinner, because chocolate. I weigh out all 3 in the morning and snack on them as I want to. I know that they're already accounted for and when they're gone, they're gone.

sthoms2

I have no self control so I don't even buy that stuff. Someone was shocked when I said I don't have a cabinet full of chips and cookies for my kids. Why would I do that? They should be eating healthy snacks also. I do better if I don't snack much. I try to stick to 3-4 meals a day. If I start snacking I can't stop. Everyone is different but you have to listen to your body. If I'm really needing a snack I will try to eat an apple or cheese stick. And make sure you aren't really thirsty. I was constantly thirsty when I was breastfeeding!

AlabasterVerve

You need to decide on the structure and timing of your meals (whatever your personal preference is 3 meals, 1 snack etc.) and then follow through.

It doesn't take long for your body to adjust to the schedule and you'll stop feeling hungry at the old snack times. It might feel uncomfortable to be hungry for a couple hours before your next meal in the beginning but that's ok -- it's not harmful and it's worth it when you have new, more weight friendly eating habits in place. Best wishes.

whmscll

Eat more at mealtimes. If you eat a filling meal you will be less likely to be hungry in between and reach for snacks. You may still need a snack or two a day, but that should fit easily into your calorie goals.

lemurcat12

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

You need to decide on the structure and timing of your meals (whatever your personal preference is 3 meals, 1 snack etc.) and then follow through.

It doesn't take long for your body to adjust to the schedule and you'll stop feeling hungry at the old snack times. It might feel uncomfortable to be hungry for a couple hours before your next meal in the beginning but that's ok -- it's not harmful and it's worth it when you have new, more weight friendly eating habits in place. Best wishes.

This is really perfect, IMO.

Structure works well, and experimenting with how much you want to eat. I do better with larger meals and not snacking much--I just eat more without feeling satisfied if I snack, and it really doesn't matter what the snacks are.

But as Alabaster says, transitioning to a new pattern can be hard for a little while (not too long, IME), because you have a habit of eating at certain times. For me letting myself eat low calorie foods during those periods (basically just raw veggies) helped with this until I adjusted, and also reminding myself that it really wasn't that long until I'd have a normal meal and I wasn't really hungry.

Elisabuffy19

TweetEscape wrote: »

I usually have 3 snacks for the day. Pretzel sticks for something salty, animal crackers for something sweet, and a little chocolate for after dinner, because chocolate. I weigh out all 3 in the morning and snack on them as I want to. I know that they're already accounted for and when they're gone, they're gone.

That is a great idea!

Elisabuffy19

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

You need to decide on the structure and timing of your meals (whatever your personal preference is 3 meals, 1 snack etc.) and then follow through.

It doesn't take long for your body to adjust to the schedule and you'll stop feeling hungry at the old snack times. It might feel uncomfortable to be hungry for a couple hours before your next meal in the beginning but that's ok -- it's not harmful and it's worth it when you have new, more weight friendly eating habits in place. Best wishes.

I need to do this, thanks!

swift13b

I snack all day, every day. Around 10/10:30am I have a cup of chai tea (not chai latte which is full of sugar and calories though) with something sweet like a homemade muffin or 2 or 3 small cookies. Then around 3:30pm I have some apple and a string cheese or a Laughing Cow cheese triangle. Sometimes if I didn't have enough at lunch or I'm particularly bored at work, I'll snack on some popcorn that I package up into little 50 calorie bags. Usually after dinner I'll have another small sweet snack, like half an Atkins chocolate bar or some dark chocolate. Then I'll have an actual dessert at 8:30pm. I do have smaller meals to compensate for all this snacking though!

Spiderkeys

I think it this way, snacking it only a temporary fix, it's only going to eliminate your cravings for a few hours, just think ahead before you grab that chocolate bar, at the end of the week would you rather be 3 pounds heavier or would you rather see other results instead?

callsitlikeiseeit

i try not to snack too often (when i first started i did though). my diary entry for snacks is really miscellaneous things like my nightly beer and if i have a cookie or something after i go to my room (my dad lives with us so we can care for him and i go and hide in my room for the evening around 7 pm LOLOL)

when i do have a true snack, its fruit I got from the farmers market, or veggies, or sometimes graham crackers. I try to keep it fairly low calorie.

sw6709

Elisabuffy19 wrote: »

I know there is no magic behind counting calories...but I am having a hard time cutting back on snacks. It has become habitual at certain times of the day, even if I am not hungry. I am breastfeeding, so do feel hungry a lot and I know I need to eat around 1800 calories and not go too low. That being said, i would love to hear any mental strategies for cutting back habitual eating, larger portions and especially afternoon snacking. My diary is open. :-). Thanks!

I am also breastfeeding my LO, in the beginning I was CONSTANTLY snacking. I wasn't particularly hungry but I always had my head in the snack cupboard or in the fridge. I planned out my days calories the night before to include 2-3 snacks. I ensured my (planned) snacks were healthy (nuts, seeds, crackers, cheese, yogurt with berries, nut butters) but I still wanted to snack. It wasn't until I increased my calories by an extra 200-300 a day that the cravings for snacks went away. Like I said I wasn't really hungy, but my cravings was my body telling me I wasn't eating enough. I added more oils/ nuts/ calorie dense foods as I was already feeling full to get in those extra calories.

hutchin88

I keep on hand snacks like jicama and cucumbers. My treat is microwave popcorn every night. Or cucumber slices with salsa. If I have enough protein during the day I don't crave sweets, and the popcorn satisfies the craving for "crunch". I also have a cup of tea to signal the end of a meal, for me that really helps. And like others have said, I just don't keep junk food in the house.

What also helps me get rid if the snack habit is being really motivated to lose weight. And having a plan for the day which includes a planned snack at 4:00 and 10:00pm.

snickerscharlie

Spiderkeys wrote: »

I think it this way, snacking it only a temporary fix, it's only going to eliminate your cravings for a few hours, just think ahead before you grab that chocolate bar, at the end of the week would you rather be 3 pounds heavier or would you rather see other results instead?

If someone is eating enough chocolate to gain 3lbs a in single week, they've got a whole different set of problems.