Introducing me a newbie

mcgoumar738

Hi I am 61 newly retired and newly larger.
I am looking for a a way to stop the incessant snacking.
I was a teacher in a primary class so I did not have time to snack during the day. I moved a lot more too. I am not looking for a bikini body but a healthier weight.

AnnPT77

Are there actual cravings/appetite, or is it mostly a habit?

If mostly a habit, often the easiest way to drop an undesirable habit is to replace it with a different desirable habit.

How about a new hobby, or a resumed one you didn't have time for before retirement? Bonus points if the hobby requires clean hands (needlework, sketching, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or creates dirty ones (painting, carpentry, gardening, etc.).

There's also a new trend called "exercise snacks": Instead of eating something, take a few minutes to do some small, manageable active thing that you enjoy. Dance to a song or two (dancing poorly is fine ). Walk around the block. Do some stretches. Do some "chair squats", i.e., stand up, sit until your behind just barely touches the chair seat, stand up again, and repeat a few times. Etc.

Alternatively, if appetite/cravings are involved, try an herbal tea habit instead. De-stock the house of high-calorie, non-filling snacks to the extent possible. (If a family member needs those kinds of snacks in the house, collaborate with them to find a special cupboard or refrigerator shelf for those snacks, ideally on that's out of routine sight, and mentally define those firmly as "their snacks" not "your snacks".) Stock up on "your" snacks, things that are tasty, nutritious, filling, lower in calories, and that ideally take some time to eat.

I'm also retired, age 69, and have been retired for a loooong time. Developing a new routine in retirement does take a while, so I hope you'll give yourself some grace as you work on that. It's a wonderful opportunity, though, in my experience, to think about what we'd really enjoy doing, who we'd really like to be; to try things, not all of which will work out; and just generally bloom. If your experience is like mine, you may find that you're capable of things you never dreamed possible, once you learn and practice those things, and that some of them are very fun and rewarding. I'm hoping for that for you, because it's pretty great!

Challb7

I know how you feel. I have a huge sugar addiction. Also, love to bake, cook, and make confectionery. My kids say I could beat Bobby Flay. Lol. This is why my way of being accountable is MFP app. However, my biggest struggle is my weight due to having 7 children, then divorce, and my age. I will be 57 soon ect. So it it tough but I'm determined. My 20 grandchildren and 1 great grandbaby are my inspirations.