SAHM-How do you avoid snacking all day?

klmmoore

I've been a sahm now for almost 2 years. To me, it is way harder than working was when I was trying to loose weight. When I went to work, I brought a lunch and could only eat what I brought or what I was willing to buy at the vending machine. I was also better about logging since I sat in front of the computer all day.
Now, I have access to snacks all day long. I am pretty good about the mornings but after lunch it's really hard to not snack. Especially when that's when the sweet cravings start. I also have gotten very bad at logging my food since I am not on the computer as much and the phone app can take awhile if I have to look up every item.
The only good thing is I am pretty consistent with going to the gym. I found classes that I love and I'm thinking of getting a personal trainer for Christmas!
Any suggestions?

brb2008

Wow I find my phone so much faster because the list of frequent items loads as I type!

Anyway, I work as a nanny so my day is a little different in that at LEAST the food isnt mine! I adjusted my eating schedule to match the kids, I eat when they eat and they're on a schedule of meals and snacks so they only eat at certain times of day and i follow that. So thats something to try. I also pre log in the early morning. I cant stress enough how important pre planning is to success. I know what Im eating and when, so mindless snacking doesnt happen. Its taken weeks of practice and patience with myself to resist a nibble of their left overs as i wash plates after meals. But good habits take time to build, so decide on a simple goal at first, like only eating at meal times (you set the times of course). Then build off that success and work in another new habit.

I exercise during kids naps if I didnt manage to on my own time also. And we go on walks when I need to get more steps in!

ARC1603

I'm currently on maternity leave and will be a kind of Sahm soon as I go back to work part time in the evenings.

I find it easier when I'm at home compared to work. I'm always busy and active where as when I was in work I was sat down all day and picked out of boredom.

Also there is no eating anything in front of my eldest without him badgering me for some of it, so it's not worth it!

stircrzy

Having a meal plan and a fridge stocked with healthy stuff helps. Having kids who want to eat what I do helped a bunch (I don't want them eating chocolate and chips). Having a daily plan with the kids activities, crafts, my housework mostly planned also helps. Just keeping busy with constructive projects and not being caught out and about while hungry helped.

dawnz75

I have been homeschooling for that past 8 years, a good chunk of the time we are home. I have found that it helps me to have 4-5 smaller meals a day, rather than 3. If my meals are smaller I can go grab an apple, string cheese, healthy popcorn, veggies, or I try to have lots of leftovers that I can heat up in 1 cup servings. Mindset is soooo important, if I know I can go grab a healthy bite at any time, then I rarely get anxious or overly craving other things in my kitchen. Hope that helps! Also my phone died a couple weeks ago, my new one is having issues with online access, so I understand how logging becomes a "chore". But I look at it as the most important chore of my day! Also you can have a paper and just write down what you eat and catch up later, just make sure you are aware of approximately how many calories you consume. Good luck!!!

Lounmoun

I've been a SAHM for 15 years.
The thing that helps me the most is I prelog my food for the day the night before or in the morning. I log 3 meals and 1-2 snacks a day. I almost always want a snack in the afternoon and one in the evening so I plan snacks for those times.
I tend to eat similar foods for breakfast, lunch, snacks every day so it isn't hard to log those. Yogurt, sandwich, dinner leftovers, cereal, fruit, vegetables, popcorn.
I put food away. The only thing left out in sight is fruit and onions.
I don't buy a lot of high calorie foods that would be fast to grab and eat.
I get out of the kitchen and do other things. I homeschool my dd. I do chores around the house or yard. I exercise sometimes alone, sometimes with dd. I have hobbies.

So my suggestions are:
Plan your meals and plan your day. If you lack a plan or routine/schedule it might be making things more difficult for you. You can still prepare your food for the day or week in advance. You can eat or do things around the same time of day every day.
If you are eating out of boredom, find some other activities to turn to.
Stock up on snacks that are lower calorie. Vegetables, fruit, hard boiled eggs, popcorn, pickles, cheese, yogurt.
Are you getting enough protein, fats, fiber, water? Are there days when you were more snacky than others? Look at the kind of food you are eating and maybe change it up a bit.
It is fine to eat something sweet every day just fit it in your calorie goal.
Try drinking water when you want a snack but aren't really hungry and waiting 20 minutes or more first.
Chew some gum.

Your child is probably fairly young but maybe some of these sites will inspire you with things you can add to your day.
http://singleparents.about.com/od/havingfu1/a/absolutely_free_kids_activities.htm
http://inspiredtoaction.com/2012/02/101-fun-activities-to-do-with-your-child/
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/