Craving to Snack through out the day

bunniestookover

I believe is 5-6 small meals a day, and since I've started my weight loss journey June 16th, I've been having an awful time adjusting to healthy eating. For one, I have an emotional eating problem. I eat when I'm stressed, happy, sad, basically anytime. And mentally, when I eat I 'think' I 'feel better'. Like a donut makes my morning, or a savory green bean casserole loaded with butter is the height of my evening.

And I'm working towards stepping away from that. But in the mean time, as I'm eating my small meals, filled with brown rice, grilled chicken, veggies, or nuts and rice cakes, spinach omelettes or waffle (I'm keeping my food variety low ATM due to my busy schedule) I'm constantly craving MORE. Last time I are breakfast, two eggs and two rice cakes, and then ate lunch a couple hours later. Brown rice, green beans and grilled chicken. I experimented with home made kale chips and had those, then went grocery shopping. (After eating to avoid over buying food I didn't need) when I came home I started cooking dinner for my folks, (a simple beef stew recipe from Pinterest) I was munching on snow peas and hummus along with having a dark chocolate peanut butter KIND bar. Maybe it doesn't sound so bad after typing it out but I felt like I was constantly craving having something in my mouth, even though I did not feel hungry.

Does anyone have any tips for those who are trying to eat healthy and eat a little less? I'm just concerned because I go to the gym 4-5 times a week, 60 min cardio sessions because I am overweight and want to lose more fat before I start weightlifting, and I'm at a stand still. I've lost 5 pounds and cannot budge past that. I feel like I've only lost water weight. Please help!

writergeek313

You don't need to lose more weight to start strength training. Start now. It will help you keep your lean body mass as you lose weight (meaning what you lose will be fat instead of muscle).

It's hard to offer specific advice without being able to see your diary. If you're not losing, my guess would be you're not logging accurately, either overestimating how much you burn when you exercise or not logging food correctly. When I'm sloppy about logging, I stop losing weight. I also recently cut my carbs by 10% and increased my protein and fat by 5% each, and that has helped.

Protein, complex carbs, and fiber will help fill you up. Think about eating a higher protein breakfast (have some sort of meat alongside your eggs, or have a side of Greek yogurt or protein powder mixed with milk, almond milk, etc.). I'd also say ditch the rice cakes. They're low calorie, but they don't keep you full the way a complex carb like wheat toast would. Make sure to drink plenty of water, too, as sometimes it seems like you're hungry when you're actually thirsty. Keep yourself busy enough that you don't really have time to snack, or else chew gum except at meal times and planned snack times.

You'll probably be able to get more helpful advice if you open your diary.

Bukawww

There is literally zero evidence to support many small meals and also zero against 1-3 good size meals. It is really all about total calories consumed vs used. I love to snack too however it really messes up my weight loss efforts because 1. I'm thinking about food all day 2. I never feel satisfied and 3. I end up using up all of my calories before 6pm and go nuts until bed time trying to talk myself off of the 'eat MOAR' ledge until bedtime. So here is what works for me:

1. I don't love breakfast so I try to stave off any hunger with iced tea or a protein iced mocha (Costco chocolate protein drink and cold coffee - 165 cal). The coffee and protein do a great job of keeping my mind off of food.

2. At about 12ish, I'm ready to eat a good meal. I can eat a filling meal worth 500 cal. A meal that will satisfy me until at least 4pm or so...no thoughts of food whatsoever, in between.

3. Start preparing dinner at 4ish, ready by 5, done eating by 5:30 or so. Another 500 cal and my belly/brain are happy again.

4. Usually go on a bike ride or walk around the neighborhood with the kids, deal with the hustle bustle of night time routine and I'm ready for a 2-300 cal snack around 8/9pm. Once again, my brain is satisfied and its close enough to bed time anyway so less of a chance that I'll be obsessing about food until I wake up the next morning lol.

And if you add all of that up, I STILL have plenty of extra calories in case I needed another snack in there somewhere

bunniestookover

Thank you for your input. You have a very good point. I will try tracking my food and exercise for about 2 weeks an then go back to this again.

I will also take your good substitutions into action!