How to stop snacking

ABeers972

Hello everyone!

Just wondering what other people do to stop themselves from snacking thought out the day - my meals e.c.t. are all fine but i still find myself wanting to snack thought out the day and on days where i let myself do this i end up with a surprising amount of my daily intake being snacks.

Any advice welcome - snacking is the one thing where i could possibly sabotage myself without meaning to!

janejellyroll

I do it the same way I keep myself from not doing other things I don't want to do (spending my rent money on new books, calling into work all week and going to the lake, telling a boring family member I really don't want to hear about their day). I don't do it because I have other priorities (paying my rent, being a decent employee, not alienating a family member).

If the snacking is keeping you from meeting your goals, maybe a more concrete visualization of your goals would help? Is there a piece of clothing, a life event, a fitness goal, etc that you can think of when you're trying to decide if you want to meet your goals for the day?

tinkerbellang83

Pre-log your day and make allowances for some snacks. There is nothing wrong with having snacks, I would have quit by now if I didn't factor my snacks in.

I usually aim for under 200 calories in the morning, things like:

• string cheese
• low fat babybel
• 30g Nuts/Bombay Mix
• Homemade Protein Muffins (Blackforest/Lemon & Chia/Orange & Sunflower seed/Coconut)
• Protein Bar

If you're adamant you really don't want to snack, try tweaking your macros to include more protein, healthy fats and fibre, it might help you feel fuller.

ABeers972

I have been pre-logging my day and that likely the only reason i have so far stayed within my goals. I'm just wondering if theirs anything i can do to cut down on the desire to snack

Outside of work i'm reasonably active and have a fair few active hobbys and while im busy that seems to keep whatever wants me to snack at bay, but i work a desk job and its normally at work where i have the most issues

crb426

I build in snacks and pre-log everything. 100 calorie snack between breakfast/lunch, 100 calorie snack between lunch/dinner, and 100 calorie snack after dinner. I also love to snack, but having a structure to the timing and pre-logging the calories definitely helps.

PearDragon

Not snacking is pretty much my main goal (and saying no to treats at work - the two go hand in hand!). It's where I massively fall down because my meals are usually very healthy and balanced.

I think it's partly habit - you have a snack at 3pm every, you'll end up being hungry at 3pm every day. For me what's worked (through trial and error over a number of years) has been:

• filling meals with plenty of protein/fat
• not skipping meals or skimping on meal sizes, even if I'm not hungry
• limiting my sugar intake because it gives me crashes and cravings
• planning an amazing "next meal" to look forward to
• not keeping any snacks to hand
• delaying my meals as long as possible - I now have breakfast at around 9.20 as soon as I get to work, and I try not to have lunch until 1.30/2pm
• drinking plenty of water (and a lot of black coffee/tea..)
• having set periods of 'no food' like 10am until 12pm, then 2pm until 4pm - I started small and gave myself very specific times when i was allowed to snack (like 'at 4pm exactly') to try to limit the times my body started demanding food, and then expanded it until I could go from lunch at 2pm right up to dinner at 8pm without eating a thing
• plenty of sleep

It's still hit and miss and I've just started logging again because the amount of free food at my new work place was out of control and I was snacking like mad. It's definitely harder on days when I'm tired or stressed but I've been great this week so I think my advice is reasonably sound!

scarlett_k

I've stopped bringing the things I would usually snack on into the house. So if I want to snack then it's either fruit, a plain boiled egg, or I have to cook something. Also sucking on sugar free mints helps as nobody sane wants to eat food with a minty mouth!

Locolady98

Others have said it - plan for snacking. It's a great way to keep energy levels even throughout the day. I really need my (healthy) snacks!

As another poster suggested, I pre-plan my snacks, log them ahead of time. I use low fat string cheese mostly, raw veggies are also great, and also single-serving cottage cheese. Find what healthy snacks work well for you to stop the belly grumbles. For me, anything that has a some protein in it works.

Just remember to keep track of your snacks, and log them in MFP!

mitch16

ABeers972 wrote: »

I have been pre-logging my day and that likely the only reason i have so far stayed within my goals. I'm just wondering if theirs anything i can do to cut down on the desire to snack

Outside of work i'm reasonably active and have a fair few active hobbys and while im busy that seems to keep whatever wants me to snack at bay, but i work a desk job and its normally at work where i have the most issues

Pack a known amount of snacks (pre-logged) that fit within your daily goals, and don't buy snacks from vending. Drink water. Chew gum.

deannalfisher

I pretty much plan my snacks - I wouldn't say that I eat meals but rather graze - my MFP diary is set up by 4hr periods and I just log what I eat during that period

cityruss

If you don't a want to do it, don't do it.

hesn92

Eat bigger meals that keep you full. Lots of protein.

trjjoy

There's nothing wrong with snacking if it fits into your caloric allowance. I used to snack on vegetables and diet jelly when I was actively trying to lose weight.

AlabasterVerve

Stick with it for a week or so with sheer will power. Your body will adjust and you'll only get hungry before meals, IME. Eating nourishing meals (enough fat and protein, light on refined carbs) with enough calories to fill you up and getting a proper nights sleep should help.

After that period of adjustment if you're still having issues with snacking you'll want to consider if you're snacking for reasons other than biological.

Poisonedpawn78

I tell myself no.
I find a healthy snack option and make it work for the day if i am REALLY hungry.
I make my meals smaller if i snack due to actual hunger.

TheChaoticBuffalo

Snacking isn't bad as long as the snacks don't put you over your daily calories. My daily meals in my food diary include a Morning Snack, Afternoon Snack, and Evening Snack. I try to keep the snacks to lower calorie, higher protein items like cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and so forth. I do have a cookie or two most days but try to keep those to lower calorie types as well.

Lleldiranne

Keep a big mug/bottle of water at your work desk and sip on it through the day. Chew gum. Maybe try a fidget spinner (lol) or something else to keep your hands busy. Doodle or try one of those adult coloring books. It's all about changing the habit that you have (snacking) to another habit.

I do agree that planning a couple of healthy snacks into your day can be beneficial. That way, if you find you really are hungry, you have something to turn to instead of the vending machine candy bar.

midlomel1971

If I feel the need to snack, I drink a cup of hot tea. It gives my hands and my mouth something to do and it's usually boredom that's causing the urge to snack.