Study snacking.

chip_cookie

I have a serious issue when it comes to studying. I'm in my final year of university, and am currently writing my final essays. The WHOLE DAY I think about food. All I think about is when lunch is or when dinner is, or what I can snack on, and if there is anything in front of me, I WILL eat it. I try healthy snacks, fruit etc. but nothing seems to stop these chocolate/biscuit/crisp cravings. I've been doing pretty okay for about 3/4 days, but I know as soon as I leave my parents and go home at the end of the week, I'm going to cave.

Any tips? I'd really appreciate it.

Lyerin

Have healthy snacks ready to go when you sit down for a session and apportion out what you have already figured into your daily calories.

Air-popped popcorn with seasoning
Celery and other veggies with dip (hummus, yogurt)
Nuts (be careful of portion size).

I would also make sure that you aren't hungry when you sit down - eat plenty of protein and veggies. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. When you have a craving, sip water, wait 20 minutes and then decide if you are actually hungry or just stressed and bored.

Best of luck!

mimieon

Maybe you can try drinking tea? It works for me. Apparently they also sell these special 'dessert' teas in the USA, that taste like cookies, cake, caramel and stuff. I think it was called Davids. Maybe that could help the cravings, without the calories?

girlmeetslife

^ I definitely second the David's Tea. I only let myself drink tea (no sugar, no milk) or water when I'm working. I'm just about to start finals, so I feel your pain girl! I also like to make sure that when I have my snacks, I'm not studying. I find that I can eat a lot more when I'm reading/writing an essay than when I'm away from my desk and on my "break". Try going for a 10 minute walk, and then come back to have your snack (away from where you study) so you get some fresh air, nourishment and a break all at once.

cleback

Maybe you can try drinking tea? It works for me. Apparently they also sell these special 'dessert' teas in the USA, that taste like cookies, cake, caramel and stuff. I think it was called Davids. Maybe that could help the cravings, without the calories?

Second this! Tea works well for my psychological satiety. I also read on another post that try mixing hot water, cocoa powder, and sweetener for no guilt hot chocolate. I haven't tried it yet though. When I was a student, I also liked rice cakes!

PS I used to go to school and work night shifts. Snacking during studying was not only comforting but also helped keep me awake!

chip_cookie

I know this is going to really obliterate all your help you just gave...But I am not a lover of tea!! Infact, I really don't like it. I'm very plain with my drinking, I only drink juice, squash and water. Put any food in front of me and I'll eat it, but a fussy drinker! Which is actually good in some ways, but clearly not in this way! I've been going for runs before I eat lunch and that's been really helping, it helps my brain to focus quite well. It is a terrible addiction, sweet food! And it doesn't help when my dad is constantly buying cakes and chocolate bars. I've avoided the Kit Kats and the Mars Bars in the cupboard all day, they've been calling me!!

fluffykitsune

I buy those really big Symphony Hershey bars and allow myself half of one piece in the middle of studying and the other half when Im done..
I'm a senior in High School and I'm in 4 AP classes, so I kinda feel your pain.

I would tell you to eat a big salad before studying, but I cannot study on a full stomach..

Sometimes sipping on a low cal coffee helps too. I got these ice coffee packs that are 60 cals, mix with 1 cup of milk, 90 cal, then I add a bunch of ice and a little water so I get some more out of it.

I'm a sugar fiend. :frown:

ohcarolinna

I'm in my final year too and I can definitely relate!

Go food shopping when you're full and don't buy those foods, you're less likely to eat a packet of crisps if you have to go to corner shop to get them first. You should try having smaller meals throughout the day as you will be more likely to wait if you know it's only an hour compared to three. You said you don't enjoy tea, have you thought about having low calorie hot chocolate or squash with hot water? It will keep you occupied for a while and should help with any hunger pangs.

Finally don't stress about your diet too much, if it's really interfering with your ability to focus try increasing your calories and just concentrate on maintaining and exercising.

Oh if you like icecream - http://www.comfytummy.com/2009/06/03/banana-ice-cream

deadbeatsummer

I literally put on a stone and a half in my third year of uni, hun, it's tough when your studying.

It also makes you more hungry than normal becuase your brain is working so hard, so why don't you try and up your calories to having bigger more nutritious meals. Do you think you could up your calories to 1,500? You won't be as hungry on that, you will be able to do more and still lose weight? It's better to have a decent breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of two meals a day and then loads of snacks.

I have a similar thing in my job at the moment it's boring. So I get a huge ice cold bottle of water and only allow myself that and set myself a challenge to get to a certain point of the bottle at certain times and that keeps my boredom.

:flowerforyou:

annmarie279

I totally relate to this i am in exactly the same situation in last year of uni and spending all time at uni i have solved this by buying weight watchers crisps 77 cal or wotsits waffles 74 i feel like im being naughty and treating myself by still having crisps then. I also started ordering graze boxes the low cal ones they send you four snacks which are sealed and usually under 100 cal i have the graze snack in the morning and the crisps in the afternoon that keeps.me.going until dinner where im usually left with about 600 out of 1200 cals for the day.

have something like oats for breakfast they fill you longer and release energy gradually. In an average day i have oats so simple porridge with water 137 cal lunch home made mixed salad 240 cal the two snacks mentioned above then a nice dinner. :-)

ecw3780

can you study somewhere there isn't food? I either have to nap or leave the house in the afternoon to stay away from snacking.

functionallydysfunctional

I'm so glad you posted this! I'm working on my second Masters degree and commented today that I want to snack when I study. I'm going to be using a lot of the advice here. Love the popcorn idea!! Thanks.

Erica_theRedhead

I gained 25 pounds in my final year of college...I wish I had asked this question back then.

I would recommend portioning out your food ahead of time, with a lot of low cal veggies. I found that I like the crunch...so I recently replaced chips with carrots and peppers and still get the salt/flavoring from whatever I'm dipping them in.

chip_cookie

I can study at uni, but I just sit there looking out the window at the food shops and getting agitated with all the continuous noises of other people's typing! I sound like a right lunatic. I don't even eat excessively, it is genuinely only when I'm studying that I just sit and dream of chocolate and creme eggs and mars bars. Oh, and mccoys salt and vinegar crisps, (which strangely enough go really well with chocolate).

I have eaten an apple as a snack today, and I'm going to do a small workout before dinner so as to keep my calories down.

I do love wotsits, and they are really good because they have such a small calorific value.

I've also thought about getting myself a juicer? Fruit smoothies could be a very good alternative, however what could I mix the fruit with?

Thanks for all your help guys .

kiwi2006

I'm so glad I came across this. I have the same(ish) problem, I can study without snacking but as soon as it comes to writing essays or reports I become a ridiculous snacker!

I find frozen grapes a saving grace as they take so long to eat, Ryveta thins aren't to bad either I'm going to give the tea a try too.

I put spinach, greek yoghurt and oats in my smoothies which really help to fill me up.

pennydreadful270

These are all great suggestions, I put on about a stone when I was studying eating share sized bags of kettle chips, so I know exactly what it's like.

I wish I had the willpower to stock up on the carrots and celery, hummus, nuts and popcorn. The only way for me not to eat those big bags of chips is not to have them in the house.

groovy_dhruvy

I was totally in the same boat. I ate like a beast in my final year at uni - it was comfort eating because i disliked sitting down to study so much. I've continued doing professional exams since and found that taking time our to plan food and menus and then going shopping after a meal not before it has made a difference to what I buy. Consequenly, I don't eat what I don't have in the house.

krhn

Chew on a gum and get your head down

MSeel1984

Rice cakes
Goldfish Crackers
Light popcorn

My "brain food" during my finals and studying for my registration exam was this:

Romaine lettuce leaves (just trim the end off)

Mix 1 small can white albacore tuna, 1 Tbsp dijon, lemon pepper to taste and 1-2 tsp lemon juice

Fill romaine leaves with tuna mixture, sliced cucumbers and sliced tomatoes.

High protein, low calorie, high fiber. Keeps you full and it's a satisfying snack.

qwertymh

If you like squash have hot squash instead of tea! I love hot juice, stops me from wanting any food though as it fills me up.

Another thing you could try as healthy snacks is making your open vegetable crisps! gets rid of sweet cravings depending on the vegetable. Slice them super thin, few sprays of fry light and bake them in the oven for 20mins ish. Then, it is like having crisps but without all the fat and not deep fried ..

Also try dark chocolate, I find you can't eat much dark chocolate, as you savour it more only want 1 or 2 cubes and thats it.

aimeelouise79

I'm in exactly the same boat as you, I feel your pain. There's nothing I want to do more when I'm studying than pig out on junk...crisps, chocolate, ice cream, preferably washed down with a dominos stuffed crust to reward me for a hard days work! That's what I did last year, and I really don't want to go there again. Everyone here has really great suggestions for healthy snacks, I will definitely be trying some of those out!

Although, I have to say that, for me, the only thing that has worked is putting my calorie allowance way up, above what MFP puts me at for maintenance (I calculated it using a minute by minute TDEE calculator). Within that I am allowed to eat what I want (although I try to keep my meals fairly healthy) but it has to be at scheduled meal or snack times. Stops the cravings and mindless snacking because I know I'm getting something really yummy to eat in two hours, tops. And then something else two hours later. And so on. I also include something really naughty at the end of the day, to look forward to. I've been doing it for three weeks, I haven't gained any weight.

Some of it is boredom and comfort eating, but I do genuinely think my body and brain needs the fuel to perform at the level I'm asking it to. Don't underestimate the magnitude of the task you're trying to complete, cut yourself some slack! Also, you have all the time in the world to shed the pounds...right now, for these next few weeks, what really matters is passing the degree. I know I, for one, don't have the headspace to waste stressing out over my diet.