The wrong kind of snacking.

1) dont' keep the chips in the house!!
2) you aren't eating enough during the day. I have recently upped my protein by a little bit (seriously, like 20 g worth during the day) and I'm am no longer "starving" when I get home and devouring every bad thing in site at home.
Make sure you are eating enough during the day!

As soon as I come home from work (I'm a teacher so can't snack throughout the day or anything) I am starving and it all goes downhill from there. Then I feel psychologically rubbish because I have let myself down.

It must be tough not being able to snack at all during the day. Maybe try a protein shake mid afternoon. And also keep some healthier snacks in the car. Ex. Apples & Pb, Bananas, Jerky. If you can eat something right when you get off, you may be less likely to binge on foods when you get home since you'll have a little something in your system before dinner.

Hi everyone,
I've been using MFP for a while and read these message boards regularly yet never posted!

I have finally started realising that:
a) I need support!
b) snacking on the rubbish foods (crisps are my downfall!!!) actually makes me feel like rubbish. But, I can't stop...

As soon as I come home from work (I'm a teacher so can't snack throughout the day or anything) I am starving and it all goes downhill from there. Then I feel psychologically rubbish because I have let myself down.

Can anybody recommend anything I could maybe do? (other than to get a grip!) I want to lose at least 30lbs and know that I'm going to have to find something to curb these cravings and receive some support. It just feels like an impossible task.

Grazing in the kitchen after work was my downfall too. Ideas to break the habit:

Bring a snack with you to work. Eat the snack on your way home. That way you've already eaten.

If it's the crunch......carrot chips (carrot slices) are good. If it's the salt, popcorn can help. Look for a low fat brand, or make your own.

If you must have chips, buy the lunch box sized bags. This way you can have a small serving.

Eat more fat and protein to keep your self satiated. This will help you snack less as you won't be hungry.

I second the poster who said "don't keep crisps in the house!" I can't buy ice cream, chips, bagels, etc because I will EAT ALL THE THINGS!!

Change your attitude. As long as you're saying "I can't", you won't.

also, can you keep nuts at work? Those are easy to keep in your pocket or your desk drawer to snack on during the day...
I do that when I'm on site at customer locations, and can't bring protein bars or fruit or whatever... (just don't eat too many!)

Try having a larger breakfast and lunch with more protein and fiber. Cup of Noodles is low protein, low fiber and high sodium. How about making a batch of homemade soup with lots of veggies and some protein (chicken, beans, lean ground beef) on the weekend that you can eat for lunch during the week? Or take some leftover chicken and veggies, brown rice, etc. from dinner?Depending on the type of yogurt you eat, that may not have much protein and could be high in sugar, so you are setting yourself up for a binge later on if you eat like that.

Here are some ideas of stuff you can bring with you to snack on the way home:
cut veggies and hummus
hard boiled eggs
celery or apples with peanut butter
cottage cheese and fruit (my favorite!)
string cheese with whole grain crackers
Greek yogurt
fresh fruit
rolled up deli turkey, ham or roast beef
nuts and raisins (be careful with portion sizes as these foods are calorie dense)

There is nothing wrong with eating chips in moderation. But eating them because you are starving means you haven't given your body enough food during the day. Teaching is HARD WORK! You deserve the fuel!

Keep some almonds (ideally unsalted, but salty snacks are my downfall as well) in your car or work bag. Then you can have a handful on the way home. It won't fill you up, but having a bit of protein in your system on the way home can really help control those snack urges when you walk in the door- that extra boost helps me fight the cravings and wait a bit until I can prepare something more healthy.

If that helps, then I'd suggest this as a next step: I made the switch to having 4-5 "meals" a day (really, I just work in 2 small snacks at midmorning and midafternoon) and it's helped me control my appetite, keep from being sluggish in the afternoon, and kept me from diving into the hummus and pita chips the moment I get home. Maybe you're like me, and having a prepared "after work snack" as a healthy mini-meal will help. I just keep something in the fridge at work and grab it on the way out the door (some baby carrots and turkey jerky, or homemade trail mix, etc. I try to get a mix of at least 2 food groups and have it run 200 cal or less.) If I don't want it, I make myself eat it anyway because I know when I get home I'll want to snack on the unhealthy stuff that the others in the house have around. Once I got in the habit, my body started to expect this "mini meal" and it was easy to eat less at dinner (which was an added bonus.)

Try and have some healthy snacks pre-prepared in your fridge so as soon as you get home you can grab these, i always keep lots of fresh fruit and some type of clean energy bar like a cliff, a nak'd or a pulsin' bar so i can have these. As already suggested keep some nuts and dried fruit in your bag to snack on if you are allowed. I know some schools can be funny about taking nut products in due to allergies the children may have, I'm not allowed in the nursery i work in so I've been adding tuna, or chickpeas to my salads instead for that extra bit of protein. Hope this helps

I would be starving too if all I had to eat all day was cup of soup, a yogurt and a piece of fruit. I know some people are fine with that but it would not be enough for me. I agree with everyone to add some protein. I love a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a slice of Cheddar on Nature's Own bread. Cottage cheese has a pretty good amount of protein (13g) for 1/2 cup and about 90 calories. Some raw veggies or fruit on the side. You might also want to consider taking a snack to eat in the car on the way home some you are not starving when you get there. Maybe some beef jerky or a granola bar or some more cut up veggies or something just to take the edge off. If you only bring what you want snack on you won't be tempted to eat more than you want and your hunger should be reasonably under control by the time you get home so you can work on dinner. Best of luck

I also crave crunch and salt..so I've been snacking on olive tapenade hummus 2 tbs. for 80 calories and Flatbread crips..8 crackers is 70. It's been plenty for me. I do measure it out. It's still 150 calories but I lost 3 lbs. last week and I did this. You can also substitute carrots or whatever veggie then it wouldn't be bad at all. But the other's are right..more protein during the day.. My daughter is a teacher and eating lunch even can be a problem. I also have been adding turkey to my salads. Good Luck!

Another option might be to have your lunch near the end of your break, this 1/2 hour may help take the edge off. I eat part of my lunch, then go for a walk and finish lunch on return.

Also on your way home, if you can, drink some water because it might be dehydration playing a factor if you are craving salty snacks.

Good luck.

I have found a few new snack things that are really tasty, and have helped with some of my cravings:

Kale chips (already mentioned)
My own potato chips (oven baked with a little fresh ground sea salt)
My own sweet potato chips (again oven baked with a little fresh ground sea salt)

And for chocolate, I have discovered Bolthouse Farms Chocolate protein shake.

I keep gala apples in the fridge - crisp and cold - it's the crunch factor that satisfies. The pectin in apples is a natural appetite suppressant. Sometimes I add a spoon of peanut butter.

Then I brush my teeth, drink a bottle of water and GO - anywhere and do anything. Gets the mind off food.