how to keep from overeating while cooking dinner?

sparkle04

I seem to run into the same problem when I am trying to control my calorie intake. I usually have a good breakfast, lunch, mid afternoon snack (sometimes) and then come home around 4:00 and start making dinner. I usually feel pretty hungry (we usually eat around 5:15-5:30). I've tried just having a light snack, but it seems as soon as I start eating, I just am so hungry I get out of control really quickly. Being around food makes it harder. Also, I am the most tired this time of day, and have 3 kids to take care of while I am making dinner etc.

I don't feel like I am under eating during the day, just adjusting to having less. I am shooting for around 1700 calories a day, and usually have 400-600 left for dinner. I hate the out of control feeling, and often this causes me to go over my calories for the day.

I would love any suggestions for dealing with this problem!

Sarah4fitness

Option 1: Intermittent fasting. Do a search for it here, there are a lot of very informative threads.

Option 2: Drink a large amount of water as you cook, and don't taste/eat anything until you've portioned out your dinner.

Josalinn

are you getting enough protein earlier in the day? It is more satiating than carbs.

callas444

Plan your snack (a high protein snack is what works best for me), eat just what you planned, then sip lemon water and chew gum. It gives your mouth something to do while you wait for dinner. I'd also highly recommend making sure you have your dinner planned out and prepared as much as possible in advance. Crock pot and freezer meals (and other make aheads) are the working woman's best buddy. If dinner is only going to be 15-20 minutes away, it'll be easier to convince yourself to wait.

michelefm1l

I absolutely do not let myself taste anything until after I am sitting down for dinner and that seems to help. I do drink water or chew gum sometimes to distract myself. Having a late afternoon snack seems to help as well because I'm not overly hungry by the time I get ready for dinner.

madisynclaire14

Here's a couple tips:
1) When you're making dinner, try not to nibble as you cook… the calories add up pretty darn fast.
2) When you make your portion, make it big enough so that you're satisfied, but small enough so that you're not overeating
3) Before you sit down to eat, but EVERYTHING (leftovers) away in the fridge, pantry, etc, so you aren't tempted
4) Drink water, it makes you fuller
5) If you're starving when you reach dinner time, that means you aren't eating enough during the day. I suggest eating smaller and more frequent meals spaced out evenly during the day.
Good luck I hope this helped you

Branstin

Usually, I load up on water before each meal but your situation opens several possibilities:

1. Exercise a little more then you'll have more calories for tasting. LOL!

2. How is you protein intake?

3. Are you using MFP for tracking? If so, are you stats correct in MFP? Does your activity level selected actually match your current level of activities?

4. Are you eating good carbs?

Boogage

If you have different dinners from the kids are you doing theirs first? I don't eat the same dinners as my 5 and if I do theirs first I tend to pick quite a lot while I'm waiting for mine to cook after. You could try getting them all ready at the same time or doing yours first. Maybe you could have a portion of carrots or apple handy to snack on while you're cooking?

Kenazwa

Have the snack, then suck on a Mentho-Lyptus cough drop. It makes everything else taste disgusting.

Chewing gum helps me, too, except I just take it out of my mouth when I'm really feeling low on motivation. Food still tastes good after chewing gum.

(P.S: I have the same problem you described.)

wannagonavy

I make someone else my taster, and I put music on to distract myself, might as-well dance or talking on the phone works well too. I agree with the water thing too.

sentaruu

I drink a ton of water through out the day, but especially while making dinner. definitely helps keep the snacking and "taste testing" to a minimum

Tanya949

Two things I do, but not because I snack while making dinner:

1. I precook/make meals on the weekend, so all I have to do is reheat during the week. No cooking on weekdays for me.
2. I eat half my calories between breakfast and 2pm, then the other half for dinner/dessert. This is just the way my body needs calories.

Ready2Rock206

Eat a starter salad while cooking dinner.

Schlackity

I have had this problem from the beginning, but I'm working on getting this little problem under control. I found that if I went for a quick walk as soon as I got home from work, I tended to not eat until I actually sat down to eat dinner. Once the bad winter weather showed up, that was another story!

I plan my dinner menus a week at a time (plan it on Saturday and go grocery shopping on Sunday morning), so I know what I'm making each night and can usually plan the rest of my day more easily (I'm on 1600 calories a day).

If you have worked snacks into your day, maybe plan one to eat while you're cooking dinner, so you're not tempted to eat the dinner stuff while you're cooking it.

Also, like the other posters have said, drink water....have a lot of water sloshing around in your belly makes other food a little less tempting. I also do squats and countertop push-ups while waiting for things to cook. It keeps me moving and keeps the extra food out of my mouth.

Good luck!

klyn7788

I drink a bloody mary (with a homemade mix) while cooking dinner ... They're filling and lower calorie than a lot of other alcoholic options and tend to keep less interested in the food. Not a great option if you don't drink or didn't plan on the calories.