My snack calories are keeping me from reaching my goals!

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j2patrick
j2patrick Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My goodness, my snacking is close to 350 empty (chocolate, cookies, sweets) calories each day. Most of them come at night (after dinner). I know it is a habit but I can't get past it. I will be good for a day and then almost double it the next. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Replies

  • Grumpellina
    Grumpellina Posts: 49
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    Don't buy them at the check-out line if they are such a problem.
  • mbarrette
    mbarrette Posts: 4
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    Try popcorn..
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
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    If you think you cannot avoid them then try pre planning your day loosely around them.

    I prelog my food each day and give myself 200-400 calories for snacks. This way I know I can still have them guilt free.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    I'm a nighttime snacker too, so I have to not buy the stuff at all or plan carefully for a decent sized portion. I also try to buy single-portion snacks. I don't eat a lot of packaged food but I do really like stuff like Goldfish (especially the graham cracker kind), so if I buy the stuff that comes in individual packages, I'm much better at not just grabbing a handful as I wander past the cupboard.

    My other trick is to finish my dinner and then close my MFP log for the day. It's a good mental "Okay, you're done eating today" kind of thing and it works pretty well for me.
  • j2patrick
    j2patrick Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks! I know it is obvious to not purchase items but I will overdue it on even low cal treats. It seems to be more of a habit- I will eat just about anything with choc in it. I like the idea of closing the journal and of popcorn. That might be just what I need.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
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    Personally I think you would do well to also consider relaxing your ideas about "bad" foods. I eat 200-400 calories of empty-ish snacks (add another 100-200 for alcohol) many if not most days and to be honest, having that snack to look forward to each evening is a fantastic reminder that I can eat healthier and lose weight BIG PICTURE without excessively denying myself or resenting my diet or my body. That kind of thing has made it possible for me to stick to a calorie-reduction plan for 10 months and counting, without any flagging or desire to give up, even though sometimes I'll go through a week (or a month) of very SLOW progress.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    My goodness, my snacking is close to 350 empty (chocolate, cookies, sweets) calories each day. Most of them come at night (after dinner). I know it is a habit but I can't get past it. I will be good for a day and then almost double it the next. Any suggestions? Thanks!
    There's no such thing as an empty calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy. Just plan some snacks into your day within your calorie goals.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    Orville Redenbacher popcorn has one that is called sweet + salty. Liking it more than normal kinds. Also a kettle corn but can't really tell.

    Maybe try adding fruits, yogurt and other such things that still give you that fullness? Maybe dark chocolate for better antioxidants?
  • _cdaley
    _cdaley Posts: 79 Member
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    I love to have a treat after dinner, whereas I don't really crave sweets during the day. I've been pre-logging my after dinner treat, so when choosing breakfast and lunch I can make sure I stay under calories for the day. As long as your treat is around 200-400 cals there really shouldn't be a reason you can't fit it in to your day, even if it means you need to hop on the treadmill or take a 30 minute brisk walk to burn the calories to allow for it. I've only been logging for 2 weeks but I've lost about 5 lbs so far so I think this approach is reasonable and might work for others. Good luck!
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 570 Member
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    My goodness, my snacking is close to 350 empty (chocolate, cookies, sweets) calories each day. Most of them come at night (after dinner). I know it is a habit but I can't get past it. I will be good for a day and then almost double it the next. Any suggestions? Thanks!
    There's no such thing as an empty calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy. Just plan some snacks into your day within your calorie goals.

    Semantics. Calories that will not keep you full or satisfied for long, or will not go towards your macros and be used by your body productively, like fiber and protein, are essentially "empty."
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
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    I'm a snacker and my cravings will run to sweet or salty depending on the day. I load my fridge with fruits I like such as raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, etc and vanilla (all mixed together for a yummy fruit salad). This satisfies my sweet craving days. I also love the little praeventia cookie bags. 140ish cals so not really less than a real cookie, but because they're in a bag and small I feel like I'm snacking more than one cookie. For my salty craving days I keep little bags of cheezies or have something like whole grain toast and butter.

    My snacks are often 200+ per day, but as long as I fit it in my calorie goal, I don't worry about it. I know I'm a snacker so I just plan for it it in day. I also pre-plan much of my days so I know what I can fit in and where I can fit it. I try to gravitate toward "healthy" snacks as they're more filling and leave me more satisfied in general.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    If your snacking is maxing out at 350 calories I'd say you're doing good. I allowed myself to plan some snacks and now they don't really feel like something I just have to have. Just another item in rotation. However if you have a trigger item in the house or you have something where you can't eat just one, you may wish to keep it out of the house. For this same reason I also prefer snacks I can make rather than something readily available in a can.
  • Pectinbean
    Pectinbean Posts: 62 Member
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    All you need to do is break some bad habits. There's nothing wrong with the occasional snack, just make better choices. I have a slice of toast with nutella in the evening. Or, as someone's already said popcorn. Wee portion of strawberries dipped in a little dark chocolate (delish). Rice cakes with anything ;-) Have one snack instead of several. Plan them ahead. Savour them, don't scoff them. Afterwards, brush your teeth to put you off eating anything else. (this may just work for me cause I'm so lazy having to go brush my teeth again is too much effort...) Hope this helps!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    I'll be honest, I don't see the problem. Once you've hit your nutrient goals for the day, there's nothing wrong with having snacks. I usually have 300 calories or so of snacks/dessert each evening and it hasn't hindered my progress at all. If anything, it's made my choices during the day more health conscious, because I know I want those calories available in the evening and don't want to blow them on mindless snacking or treats during the day.
  • 12pillows
    12pillows Posts: 81 Member
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    Try getting a pack of grapes and freezing them in a few sandwich bags!
    I find it helps when I crave something sweet and it helps when I get that 'I want to be eating' feeling.
    when they're frozen they take longer to eat , especially if you just suck them :)
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    My goodness, my snacking is close to 350 empty (chocolate, cookies, sweets) calories each day. Most of them come at night (after dinner). I know it is a habit but I can't get past it. I will be good for a day and then almost double it the next. Any suggestions? Thanks!
    There's no such thing as an empty calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy. Just plan some snacks into your day within your calorie goals.

    Semantics. Calories that will not keep you full or satisfied for long, or will not go towards your macros and be used by your body productively, like fiber and protein, are essentially "empty."

    So called 'empty' calories actually count toward either your carbohydrate or fat goals (depending on what it is). If it's ice cream, it even has protein in it.
  • Jackay214
    Jackay214 Posts: 3
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    Try some SF jello with a few strawberries and RediWhip! Its filling and so much better for nighttime snacking than carb snacks.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,250 Member
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    Try some SF jello with a few strawberries and RediWhip! Its filling and so much better for nighttime snacking than carb snacks.

    Why?
  • DevinJean123
    DevinJean123 Posts: 18 Member
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    I have a new addiction to hot tea that is really helping me with snacking I drink one of my yummy zero calorie teas anytime I am craving a mindless snack. I also have been snacking on raspberries/blueberries and I love to have a bag of light popcorn at night!!! Try and get things you can almost overindulge without breaking your calorie budget!!
  • j2patrick
    j2patrick Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for your suggestions, as a night time snacker, I know that my "down time" usually involved a treat. My snacks keep me about 200 cals over my calorie goals. I exercise 5 day a week but these last lbs wont budge. The suggestions you offered are great! I know that I have to change a habit and need to find one that is satisfying and sustainable.

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