Help keeping diet in check

mitch239

Hey so I've posted similar a while ago I think.
So a little background, I have a pretty active job, I'm always on my feet and carrying goods all the time. So I don't have much problem with the activity side of things, I enjoy walking/hiking and comfortably hit 70-75,000 steps a week. (I.e. the recommended 10000 a day.) However I have an issue with eating and snacking when I'm not supposed to be 😂. Late night snacking can be an issue but doesn't tend to be a big issue. I do tend to pick at foods if I know they're there. I also have an issue of not being able to stop, so for example if I open a pack of biscuits I would probably sit and eat the pack, oops 😂.
I also live with my family so they bring lots of sweet treats in, I know they're there and eat them because I know if I don't then I wouldn't get anything. Just curious to know if there is anything that I can do to help reduce the amount of snacking and picking.
Any help is hugely appreciated.

cmriverside

Give us a little more info about you. I mean, snacking is mostly about not getting enough to eat at meal times.

How much weight are you trying to lose? How many calories per day are you eating? Regular three meals? You may just have too few calories in your meals to support your active lifestyle.

mitch239

Oh sorry man, didnt get the notification to my phone XD. Erm im trying to lose around 3st. I eat anywhere between 2300-2600 calories per day, however somedays its not the most healthy diet, i.e. could be like half a pack of biscuits. (oops) I do get three regular meals everyday, the times can change depending when I get up however I do get 3 square meals a day. I personally cant see any issue, however because I have had the same diet/times etc for a while I wont be able to see that.

1BlueAurora

I created Jedi mind tricks for myself. For instance, if someone brings a box of pastries into the house to share, I imagine that someone spit on them and I don't eat them. If there's a package of cookies, I look at the box to see what the calories are, and portion out one serving and that's it. Honestly, the hardest thing for me is not snacking nonstop after dinner. I want to watch television and eat buckets of buttered popcorn. Or walk through the kitchen and look in the refrigerator and help myself to just about anything. I'm apt now to grab and apple and an ounce of cheese (yes, I weigh it on a food scale) and do not eat any crackers with them. Or I make myself some herbal tea and sip it slowly. It's all about substituting cucumbers for crackers for me. And, pretending people spit on food.

mitch239

1BlueAurora wrote: »

I created Jedi mind tricks for myself. For instance, if someone brings a box of pastries into the house to share, I imagine that someone spit on them and I don't eat them.

That is genuinely one of the greatest techniques I've ever known. I will deffo start using that. Might help. Thanks.

Dilvish

I have the same problem and decided that instead of forcing myself to stop snacking, I just added more exercise.
I still am mindful of what I eat and that's the first step. Eventually you'll know what to expect from yourself and will learn to curb the snacking. I've dropped a lot of crap from my cupboards but I still indulge once in a while.

It's also important to recognize that if the snacks are mostly carbs, you eventually run the risk of getting type 2 Diabetes because of all the simple sugars your body has to process.

It has become a worldwide epidemic because these snacks are ever present in the average diet. It doesn't need to be full of refined sugar like cakes and pastries, just made with a simple sugars like white or potato or corn flour (biscuits and crisps). The added sodium can also wreak havoc on your blood pressure.

If your snacking is due to being hungry, just opt for healthier snacks like nuts or seeds, fruit with yogurt, sweetened dried cranberries and dark chocolate.

My favorite is sweetened dried cranberries mixed with roasted/salted pumpkin seed kernels with dark chocolate chipits. The snack has protein (pumpkin seeds), low refined carbs, vitamins, minerals and fibre as well as antioxidants (dark chocolate and the cranberries).