HOW did you quit your horrible SNACKING habit?

2

Replies

  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I do this terrible thing where I take nibbles of my friends unhealthy food! So my partner will order pizza and I'll make something healthy for myself, but have two bites of pizza. We will go to a movie and I will not order popcorn for myself, but will eat a hanfull of my friends! Sometimes I've had 300+ calories at the end of the day in nibbles (weekends are especially bad)

    I have found that I can avoid this just by doing the actual math of it and logging it in my head. When I want that bite of pizza I try to think "a slice has 400 calories, I could eat that slice in 12 bites. Each bite is about 35 calories."

    This thought process turned my mindset from "its a nibble so it doesn't count" to "that bite has the same amount of calories as as tablespoon of ranch"

    So basically, maybe try relating those snacks to something you do count.

    Why do you think pizza is unhealthy??
  • SEAFOODMAN
    SEAFOODMAN Posts: 342
    burning 3000 calories helps lol
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
    I didn't quit! Just more conscious now and no more mindless eating. If you are a "grazer", maybe just have smaller meals so you have enough calories for snacking.
  • EmbraceTheDarkSide
    EmbraceTheDarkSide Posts: 514 Member
    I didn't stop snacking... I just changed what I snacked on and when.
  • Maybe it's just not realistic for you to wait for people to eat with you. If you are teaching a cardio class and you get home and need to eat, that sounds like hunger to me. Go ahead and eat, maybe saving some calories to have a light snack with your boyfriend when he gets home, or even just sit down and have a cup of tea while he's eating dinner. It's tempting to try to save your calories for later in the day, kind of as a reward, but it actually makes more sense to eat more earlier in the day to give you energy. I'm also a fitness instructor, and if I teach a 6 pm class, I need to eat a hefty snack (more like a mini meal) at 4:30 so that I can give it my all at class, and then I eat again immediately when I get home. You need fuel!
  • lwanbaugh81
    lwanbaugh81 Posts: 70 Member
    A nutritionist told me once that anytime you eat either a meal or a snack it should have a protein and a good fat. Apparently the good fats help with the "feel good feeling" so you are more satisfied and the proteins help you stay fuller longer. I'm trying it myself. I have a hard time distinguishing between hunger and every other emotion that makes me want to eat even when I'm not hungry!!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I used the patch.


    A lot of people I know have been successful with the e-snacks though.

    :indifferent:
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    First of all when I want to snack, I stop and ask myself if I'm physically hungry or I want to eat for another reason. Often that is enough to stop the snack right there. I also have multiple smaller meals each day. I usually have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day with 3-4 hours typically in between. So when I want to snack and I'm off schedule, I can usually have some water and wait until the next 'scheduled' meal. I also try to get lots of protein in each day, the protein helps keep me from feeling hungry.
  • tompkinsw
    tompkinsw Posts: 27 Member
    Stop buying on the foods you snack on.

    Not so easy to do when there are others in your household whose weight is not an issue :(
  • matuskap
    matuskap Posts: 131 Member
    Thats enough of useful answers :D Btw I refuse any responsibility for a suicide of anyone who tries this simple 3-step guide to stop snacking using method called: Guilt. :P

    Its easy.
    First, you watch some random video on youtube on how they do heart surgery on someone and pull 10 cm long string of fat that clogged the arteries.
    When you think youve seen enough, you can go and stand in a mirror for couple of hours, thinking about the last time you ate a cookie while looking at your stomach fat, which is in most cases pretty much imaginary. But dont forget, regret is a crucial part of this exercise.
    And third, if you still havent killed yourself, you might consider liposuction while looking at anorexic models in a magazine.
    After all three steps, you will probably never eat a snack ever again in next 5 minutes until guilt disappears :D.


    Ok now seriously: Like most ppl suggets, dont quit, just moderate. MFP counts also sugar and fiber, so set a goal for both. Max sugar wont let you eat too much of sweets, and fiber will force you to eat more veggies. Anything else is a fair game if you fit it to daily macros. Thats how most people do it if they just cant give up snacks. Maybe in time, you will even realize you dont need as much sweet treats as you used to.
  • Wulfpak5
    Wulfpak5 Posts: 3 Member
    I was just like you when I started out. It's amazing how those little bites can add up. There are two things that got me throught this. First and foremost, prayer. I couldn't do it with out help from God. Secondly, homemade yogurt. You would be surprised to find out how a cup of homemade yogurt (made with 2% milk and only 135 calories) can curb any craving. I use a little packet of stevia to sweeten and keep the carbs to a minimum. Go online to http://livesimply.me/?s=yogurt to see how easy it is to do. I make it once a week and it has so many benefits and NO chemicals! When I come home from work depending on how hungry I am, I eat 1/2 to 1 cup and wait 15 minutes before I start cooking. You could add berries and a little vanilla if plain yogurt isn't your thing!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I used the patch.


    A lot of people I know have been successful with the e-snacks though.

    :indifferent:

    Hey, don't knock what worked for me!

    You just have to find what works for your body.

    We're all here for the same reason.
  • roxanethree
    roxanethree Posts: 78 Member
    Great suggestions! Snacking has been what I feel is my worst habit that is slowing me down from completing my weight-loss. My meals aren't usually that big, but my snacks are always so high. I'm also one who grabs handfuls of cereal, a cookie or bite of leftovers when I'm stressed, rushing, bored etc. I log most of them and I use to give myself a buffer, until I started eating up the buffer with even more snacks. :) It is really refreshing to see others struggling with the same thing. Hopefully some of these suggestions will work for me.
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
    I meal plan.

    Every sunday (because thats my day off) i put aside time to pre-portion all my snacks for the week. I use the snack baggie system (I'm working on a less wasteful system). So when I go to the grocery store I'll buy bulk trail mix, dried fruits (only 2 pieces per baggie), mixed veggies, cottage cheese, celery with almond butter, ect.

    So when I buy all these snacks I immedatly portion them into healthy servings in baggies. I allow myself 3-4 baggies over the course of the day. This healps me eat only healthy snacks, and controls how MUCH of said snack I'm eating.

    So far I've had great success, it makes my life so easy when I am hungry I know that I always have something healthy and satisfying to eat.
  • smc0170
    smc0170 Posts: 56 Member
    To echo what others said, I still eat two snacks a day as always, I just try to snack on lower calorie things like fruit, greek yogurt, veggies or nuts. I've noticed that if I do that, I tend to eat smaller meals as well to compensate. It all balances out.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    me too have the same problem... after work when I come back I need to eat and eat.. I wont stop... I drink mere than 3.5l through out the day.. I read all advices.. I will try few.. thanks for posting this topic..

    Pack an extra snack for the drive home.......I'm big (too big) on eating crap when I get home. Having apple slices, or baby carrots for the drive home cuts down on this (some).
  • jrdnklly
    jrdnklly Posts: 1
    Pack an extra snack for the drive home.......I'm big (too big) on eating crap when I get home. Having apple slices, or baby carrots for the drive home cuts down on this (some).

    This is an excellent idea! It's always on the way home from work that I want to stop and pick up unhealthy food ie. chips, chocolate, Mcdonalds...
    Thank you for the tip!
  • matuskap
    matuskap Posts: 131 Member
    Well theres also possibility to make healthy snacks, like:

    - homemade protein bars: 160g oats, 120g protein powder, 80g all natural peanut butter, 0.5-2dcl of water and possibly mix in raisins if you like. Mix everything together and put to freezer until it gets solid. Depending on protein powder, it is pretty sweet and you get many serving for couple of days while it takes maybe 10 minutes to make.

    - cookies: mix one mashed banana(just use fork to mas it good) with cup of oats, and make small cookies out of it. Put to microwave in 30 seconds intervals until they get solid. They are super sweet.

    Ive eaten a lots of these when cutting. And that was no fat to fit kind of 90lb weight loss. That was a hard cut to get muscle striations even on armpits :D.
    Anyway, theres like million billions of good and healthy recipes on youtube. Just go and search. Most of them are easy as hell and done in just few minutes and from very few ingredients. Even non-skilled cooks can do them and you have the preparation shown in video so...
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Stop buying on the foods you snack on.

    Not so easy to do when there are others in your household whose weight is not an issue :(

    Weight is not an issue in my household either, health is. So we do not buy unhealthy snacks and yes I said UNHEALTHY!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Stop buying on the foods you snack on.

    Not so easy to do when there are others in your household whose weight is not an issue :(

    Weight is not an issue in my household either, health is. So we do not buy unhealthy snacks and yes I said UNHEALTHY!

    LOL@inherently unhealthy food.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I just converted it from a "horrible" snacking habit, to a "snacking habit" without the horrible.
  • LadyTalulah
    LadyTalulah Posts: 174 Member
    I just discovered something that has definitely helped with my snacking and general fat loss! Intermittent fasting (:
    I'm sure you've heard of it loads of times before, but I'll just briefly outline what it is...
    There are many different methods, but my favorite, because it's convenient, is the 18/6 method (variation of leangains? Not sure) where basically you do not consume ANYTHING with calories in for 18 hours, do intense training at around 17hours into the fast and then consume all of your daily calories within a 6 hour window. So is you finish your last meal at 8pm, you won't eat again it 2pm the next day! This means that you're not snacking all day long and you feel satisfied after you've eaten because your meals are much larger when they're split into two, rather than 3+. Honestly, if you're at 1800cals a day, having a 900cal meal after a 18hour fast is more than enough! You probably won't feel the need to snack at all before your next 900cal meal a few hours later! And even if you do, just have a lighter meal!
    Anyways, that's helped me a lot (and I've only been on it for a week) but I just want to make it clear, it's apparently not for everyone! Apparently people under the age of 18 / people with a history of eating disorders / pregnant women etc.. should not partake in fasting. Also women in general have had a range of different results due to hormonal changes! Haha I felt the need for the disclaimer, but we're all adults so I'm sure everyone will do the sensible thing and research if it's right for them before jumping headfirst into a new way of eating!
    All of that to say, I totally get you and if it's not through IF, I hope you'll find some other way of controlling your snacking habit! If you do, let me know, I'm always interested in little tips and tricks ;)
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    You know what is annoying too? I am seeing all these half eaten, bitten off pieces and partially gone foods all over the cupboards and kitchen and it is obviously because IN A PAST LIFE I WAS A MOUSE AND I GNAW ON THINGS RANDOMLY!! It sounds funny but I am really almost disgusted by this habit and although he has not said anything yet (we recently moved in together) I bet it drives my boyfriend crazy!!!!

    Thanks for any wisdom you may have :D

    Don't tell me you're the one that leaves half a bagel/doughnut back in the box at work huh?
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
    Snacking unhealthy food is not so bad. you CAN have anything as long as its in moderation. And i have a hubby who is not on a diet and will get pop but just cause its their, you don't have to drink it. And on having healthy snack options idea is GREAT. But sometimes those cravings stick around long after you have eaten the apple and now you are still stuck with that behemoth sized craving-it usually means you just need to let yourself have it. Moderation is so important. pizza is bad but not when you eat the whole thing. a few slices won't kill you so stop eating your friends pizza. You just gotta be sure to be active too to balance and balance and moderation are such a great component to living and optimum quality of life!
  • carowesn
    carowesn Posts: 1
    I have trouble with my husband's potato chips. I get home from work first, starving, and there is his big bag of chips (which he has no problem eating in moderation. I'm trying to drink a couple glasses of flavored water right before I head home to help me stop stuffing chips when I walk in the door.
  • Ortax
    Ortax Posts: 98
    willpower and self-control
  • Awesome that keeping track of everything is really helping you to open your eyes to what your eating habits really are like. When I was tracking, that really helped me to see my own areas that I could improve too.

    I don't know that I would recommend NOT snacking at all - I think that snacking can be great if your body is craving some extra energy between meals. I would say that keeping a stash of healthy snacks in your house or within reach at work/in your car is going to be your best bet for staying on track with your healthy goals.
  • ErinMcMom
    ErinMcMom Posts: 228 Member
    I love to snack and plan for snacks everyday. Most days my total snack calories are higher than the total calories for my dinner (which is my biggest meal of the day) If you can fit a bunch of snacks into an overall meal plan in a way that works for you, you're golden! :)
  • lindakirchubel
    lindakirchubel Posts: 5 Member
    Not buying my favorite snack food is one of my main strategies. Also i have forced myself to eat celery and carrots and I actually crave celery now. Crazy, I know. Another thing I do (in the evening) is GO UPSTAIRS AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN. This helps me because out of sight out of mind and I'm really too lazy to go down and eat something once I am up there.
  • DeterminedFee201426
    DeterminedFee201426 Posts: 859 Member
    not buying them often & when i do it i buy it small