September 7
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
0
Replies
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Today’s topic is all about snacking. We are a very snack-oriented culture (at least here in the US). What about you Canadians – Australians – French – Dutch – where else are we represented here? Are you as snack-crazy as we are? I read a survey that each American will spend an average of $30,000 in snacks in their lifetime. Yikes. If those snacks were all healthy, well that would be fantastic, but we know that’s not the case.
I had a very interesting conversation with my 3 daughters, all moms. One of my girls is sending her children to a charter school this year. There is no school lunch provided, and the lunches from home MAY NOT include any chocolate or added sugar. AND, parents must provide snacks for the classrooms but there is a strict rule – ONLY fruits or vegetables are allowed.
My other two daughters send their kids to public schools and they were telling me what some of the schools ideas of “healthy” lunches are. It was absurd!
One of those daughters is also sponsoring a foreign-exchange student from South Korea, who has been shocked at all the junk food we eat – and that is served in the school.
So let’s talk snacks. I found this study, again it applies to Americans. “Nearly 1 in 6 adults (16 percent) obtain over 40 percent of their total daily calories from foods and beverage they report as being consumed as snacks.”
I know we are urged to eat every few hours to maintain sugar levels, but 40% of daily calories! That is pretty shocking, especially knowing that so many snacks are often promoted as being healthy but really aren’t.
I'm going to admit - I thought I ate a LOT of freggies - until I started counting. Some days I hit 8, but lots of days it's only 3 or 4.
All that to ask - Since you’ve begun your journey, what snack have you THOUGHT was healthy only to realize it’s not? How have your snack habits changed? How do you plan to incorporate healthier snacking, or control the amount of calories that come from snacks?
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Thanks @biketheworld! Fascinating topic! 🎉
I was never a snacker - except on my training bike rides & 100-mile rides!!!!
It was news to me Americans are big snackers!!
My Mom didn’t believe in snacks (not sure she was right).
So I got really heavy & stayed that way eating two large meals a day as a young adult. Usually not at home. No snacks (because I was stuffed.)
How have your snack ( EATING )habits changed? I NoW I eat a minimum of three meals. Often, based on my new awareness of what my body needs, I break one or more of them into two smaller meals.
Generally, I’ll eat:
A big breakfast
A late slightly smaller lunch
OR a small noon lunch + afternoon mini-meal,
A modest dinner & a bedtime very small mini-meal (required for pills).
How do you plan to incorporate healthier snacking, or control the amount of calories that come from snacks?
I really realize that everything I eat counts. I’m going to eat if I’m actually hungry - regardless of the time of day. I tell my body if it’s truly hungry, it can eat.
The only thing I control is the QUALITY of the food choices I keep in the house & how many calories I consume in 24 hours!
Thanks again!
Maddie🌸11 -
Thanks @biketheworld for today’s topic and the great information shared.
I appreciate being able to see into some really experienced folks food diaries and early in my first month (last month 😂) on MFP noticed some (shoutout to @WhatMeRunning ) had used the meal labels option for vitamins, etc (and the hilarious “Are you still reading” tag). I added a meal label in my food diary for vitamins/minerals, one for “daily staples” (the milk in my tea) — both of which I pre-enter to my diary days a month at a time). AND I added a category called “Snacks” so I could track how much of this I was doing and how many sugars and carbs (and hopefully increasing over time, protein) I was using my daily calories for. It has been such an insight for me and caused me to add protein to every meal and replace or supplement some snacks with protein snacks.
In Canada 🇨🇦, I think we were really influenced by the grocery food industry’s introduction of the “100 calorie” snack packs of foods that started after a pitch in 1996 to industry executives that this would be the next wave. Some of those major players have stayed in the game (apparently 15% of Nabisco’s current profits come from this product line) and others have pulled of that market. It has been a brilliance in marketing — especially to the female audience (remember Cadbury Thins and their campaigns?) https://ohsheglows.com/2009/06/03/the-end-of-100-calorie-packs/For one insight into the history of the (now suspect) research history behind this approach see here: https://www.inverse.com/article/56694-why-are-100-calorie-snacks-so-popular
All these years and nobody really questioned why these 100 (mostly empty calorie) packs were better choices for us than whole foods. They morphed to have peanut free, gluten free, sugar free, trans fat free, fat free, Kosher, etc options, but at the heart of it, most were processed carbohydrates. The initial appeal was portion control (in our home anyway) — that is until I caught the kids and husband only satisfied by having two or three at a sitting (and justifying it because they were “healthier”). 🤯 Just have a little bit of something you probably don’t need. Or lots of little servings of empty calories.
They certainly were handy, but mid twenty-teens, they were banned from our house and replaced with better choices and our own home made portion packs (with snack bags, and now with small reusable non-BPA containers). I know that a lot of colleagues and friends still use the grocery food industry portion packs.
Snacking is big here 🇨🇦. Fast food restaurants have “snack size” chicken wraps, etc and I think that is great in just one way — they have enough calories/fat/carbs alongside a “freggie” supplement to serve as a full meal when/if you are stuck. Period.
Julie11 -
3xyes
Epic Day 12 Shoulders. But handstand is really beyond my ability. I am even not going to try 😊. 3 km walk9 -
7 Sept 21 Tuesday
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? yes
As far as snacks. I too have a separate category in my diary. I think everyone is different. I like to pre log so I know exactly how many snacks I can have. IMO there is really nothing which is forbidden as long as it falls within the calorie limits. (unless you have specific health or macro goals which you are working on).9 -
07/09
Excersize for 20 min - walked and cleaned all day not sure how many minutes
Under calories - yes
Logged food - yes9 -
Exercise – yes,
Tracked – yes
Calories – yes.9 -
07/09/2021
Exercise – yes, longer bike ride today, cardio etc
Tracked – yes
Calories – yes.
I went to bed last night (Monday) feeling pleased with myself that I was well under my calorie goal. However, I woke up about 3.30 and couldn’t get back to sleep. Eventually I realised that I was hungry so I got up and had a snack, read a book and went back to bed at just before 5.
So, snacking?? I should have eaten more at dinner, shouldn’t be trying to make up for last weeks treats so quickly.
I do have an afternoon snack – raw carrots, mini babybel, half an apple. And after dinner I have a low calorie high fibre bar and sometimes a small portion of good quality chocolate.
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Great topic!
How have your snack ( EATING )habits changed?
I really started to limit snacking mid-July when I started my weight loss journey. Before then I was stress-snacking. Usually I picked healthy-ish options but it was just too much food. I put on 20lbs in 9 months doing this, even though I was still 15lbs away from losing all the baby weight so by June I had 35lbs to lose 🙄
I have 3 meals most days. On days that I’m super active I’ll have 3 meals plus a snack or 4 meals if needed. They are all small. I’ve made a habit of serving myself on 9” plates. My portion sizes have been the biggest change.
How do you plan to incorporate healthier snacking, or control the amount of calories that come from snacks?
I try to only snack now if I’m genuinely hungry in between meals and it will be something like 2 hard boiled eggs which will hold me over. The naughtiest snack I’ll go for is a pickle. I may not be hungry but craving something salty and crunchy so I let myself enjoy one to three of them. Sometimes If I want a snack I’ll reach for a tea or coffee.
✅ exercise
✅ tracking
✅ calories11 -
SEP 7
Exercise ✅ [5 min stair climbing + 1:25 h strength training]8 -
Yes, yes, yes
Up until a month ago, my snacks also included 100 calorie packs of almonds or other type of nuts and fruit. This month, I'm playing around with eating during less times while still maintaining my caloric requirements. I quickly eliminated snacks and don't miss them. We'll see as this is day 7 on this new experiment 10 -
9/07
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? 👍🏻
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? 👍🏻
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? 👍🏻
3 Pass Days Remaining9 -
As for snacking I still like the idea of prepackaged snacks. I like the 100 calorie packs of raw almonds for when I am out and about or trail mix for when I’m on a longer hike. I keep a large package of raw almonds in the cupboard to count out a serving when I’m home. I still get myself in trouble if I buy a bag of trail mix I like that’s not individual servings! Grapes are a snacking staple as well. As for a late afternoon snack, that’s generally when I make my huge plate of salad greens with other veggies to eat.
Exercise:✅
Tracked:✅
Under:✅10 -
I don't really snack or feel the need to snack on ketosis so my current opinion is skewed. I have felt hungry a few times and ate more than my planned calorie reduction but have not had anything happen to blow out my calories for any day while keto.
I don't think I've ever viewed anything outside of veggies as a healthy snack as any item can go very wrong depending on your goals. I do recall being really surprised at exactly how calorie dense fig newton's were back when I first started looking at labels (let alone the carbs). I used to think those were a less guilty pleasure until that day.
I don't really know what to say for go to snacks. Eggs? Nuts? Cheese? Kipper?
This will be a struggle on maintenance, I'm certain, because I really only feel comfortable with snacking while on a low carb diet. I actually dread the whole "needing a blood sugar fix" days again.8 -
Snacking hum… I would like to think the protein bars whole grain ceral bars etc are healthy but when I read the label on some of them especially the carbs they often go back on the shelf at the store. My idea of a snack used to be a plate of nachos with all the trimmings but now it’s more a serving size of crackers and hummus. Occasionally chocolate but I need to be careful there. Sometimes it easier to not snack or only keep the good stuff in the house.
Tracked logged did not eat my exercise calories back did resistance band work some spin and some flexibility work. 0/3 pass days tomorrow I go for a yearly check up on my radial head and the screws hope all is well.7 -
@MaltedTea where are you? Hope all is well come and join us we miss you6
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@MaltedTea My dear fellow Canadian — I am missing you. 🥰 And, I understand from @WhatMeRunning that you have experience and could have advice about increasing protein intake without supplements? Hope everything is well with you @MaltedTea3
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Everyone seems to be thinking the same things about snacking many of us use the per packaged snacks or the 100 calorie snacks. The most important thing is that whatever works for you continue to do.6
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Yes, yes and yes
Walking and push-ups
It feels great to be back on track after traveling and the holiday weekend!9 -
Exercise: 20 Yoga, 10 core, 10+20 Arms, Low Impact spin
Tracked: Yes
Calories:Yes
I have two slot in my diary for snacks. Sometimes I have them at both times - other days no snacks. I try to stay away from packaged food although I do like my Kind bars. I am trying to snack more on fruit. I feel most of my snacks are pretty healthy, though, although they might not be helping me hit the best macro numbers.
Weekly goal Protein: Today 129 grams/75% of protein goal8 -
snowshoe072 wrote: »Everyone seems to be thinking the same things about snacking many of us use the per packaged snacks or the 100 calorie snacks. The most important thing is that whatever works for you continue to do.
Absolutely! Totally agree — whatever works for each individual. 👍🏻2 -
Sept 7:
✅ ✅ ✅
Exercise tonight was unpacking the car and then walking on the treadmill afterwards to get me to 20 mins. Very lonnnnnnggggg day driving 13+ hours, but we're home with no major issues! PTL! I promise to catch up on all your posts tmrw! I've sure missed y'all! 😃11 -
@jamcnewman @snowshoe072 I missed everyone too and have caught up today (somewhat...I need to read everyone's posts this weekend).
That said, @jamcnewman, I saw you mention protein in the What's On Your Mind thread and happened to reply there lol. And @snowshoe072? I really like this new profile pic!!
As for snacks, I was literally just talking about this with my son (who is now officially in boarding school but comes home on weekends). As of next week, his unrefrigerated "snack box" will likely have his peanut butter Clif Bars, unsalted crackers, maple-covered almonds, aloe juice and canned V8...and whatever else I can think up between now and next Sunday. He has more liberties because he's in a soccer academy so half the day is non-stop movement.
My snacks are either berries and Sesame Snaps (daily) or homemade baked goods (biweekly). Last Friday, I somehow found the time to make banana bread cupcakes topped with cardamom and chocolate covered espresso beans.
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Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? YES | Walking (40) TOTAL: 40
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? YES | Base
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? YES |
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Bonus: Did I meet my protein macro for the day (40%)? NO | 22%
Pass Days Used:
8 -
Exercise: 5k run and weight circuit
Tracking:
Calories: 9 -
9/7
Exersised yes
Caleries yes
Logged yes8 -
SEPT 7
Exercised: Yes - Upper circuit and BodyJam
Calories: Yes
Tracked: Yes
0/3 Pass Days Used8 -
Yes to all 3 for yesterday the 6th. I was in the mountains with no cell phone service to report.
I am a yes on all 3 for today as well. Golfing and working in the garden in the heat kicked my butt today. Now my wife wants to go to the gym. Happy wife makes a @##×!!
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September 7
Hello! Today I wasn't feeling my best, no energy, just lagging, so I skipped exercise. I'll get back on track tomorrow.
Exercised?: No
Calories?: Yes
Tracked?: Yes
1 Pass day used.8 -
✅✅✅ all good, but snacks are my downfall.6
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Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? No
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes6
