Can't control the snacking....especially late at night

marybasinger
marybasinger Posts: 1 Member
edited September 2024 in Introduce Yourself
I am a stay at home mom. I get a good work out in 4 times a week and have been trying to watch what I eat.....but I just keep GIVING IN to cravings! I have snacky things around the house because of my children. I just taste one cracker and end up sitting down eating half of the box. I just began looking at calories and realized that I need to pay closer attention to my every day caloric intake. The cake I was eating on yesterday.......408 calories for one little square....and I have eaten probably 6 or 7 pieces within the last 3 days(being a weekend).......things like that. Once I say yes to one thing....it is easier to say yes to another.,.,,,and yet ANOTHER. I might just have to say no to every treat that comes my way for a while!
Oh....and by the way....I am a newbie on here and I am excited to see what this site does...so if you all have any helps please message me:)

Replies

  • loopylis
    loopylis Posts: 116 Member
    I am a night time snacker as on the evenings I am up alone, so the boredom leads me to food.
    Along with willpower, I find brushing my teeth leaves a horrid taste to food so puts me off, or I have a large bottle of fruit flavoured sparkling water that I drink from whenever I start to feel the urge.
    I also have my own 'diet sweet treats' in the cupboard so if the urge is that bad I have a little something there instead of trying to deny myself
  • sandyw127
    sandyw127 Posts: 131 Member
    what i did was got rid of all the crap in the house. i had to cause it would just make it easy for me to say ahh just one. yea right... we have a aldis here and stock up on there 100 cal snack packs. they are wonderful and do the trick.. mabye try that. for our daughter tho we have popcorn and other healthy snacks for her...
  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
    Do not buy the food then you wont have the issue. I know that if the food is in the house I will eat it so I just don't buy it anymore.

    If you need to snack then raw carrots are great.
  • supercatie18
    supercatie18 Posts: 82 Member
    I definitley am the type that needs to remove all snacks from my sight! I also have roomates too though and cannot control (and shouldn't!) everything that they have in the house as well. What has helped me with this, is a commitment to logging all my foods into MFP. It started as just doing it Monday-Thursday. Then when I would be thinking about what late night snack I want, or if i am about to just grab a cookie without thinking, I remember that I HAVE to log this. It's much harder to go out of control, when you know you have to see the truth in numbers on MFP! This week I logged everyday, so I could see my weekly average, and it definitley was eye opening!
  • lizzycomp
    lizzycomp Posts: 64 Member
    It's difficult to juggle snacks when you have kids and family members who don't need to lose weight. I try to work the snacking into my day. I know at night my husband and kid will want to munch on something while we watch a movie. I make sure I work out enough to allow room for that. I also buy snacks that are just for me. My ice cream sandwiches are only 90 calories while theirs are way more. Just takes planning, time and patience. It will all come together if you stick with it. :wink:
  • Gay11nell
    Gay11nell Posts: 166 Member
    I agree with "fuzzymlel", just don't buy it, but you can make it a reward time by going out to eat the ice creams and cookies or start putting the snack money in a jar for the new clothes you are going need!!!!!! That way you don't feel deprived. For the kids focus on more healthy snacks-the kids need to eat healthy as well. I found reprogramming everyone in the house has help me stay on track with my weight lost.
  • teebeegeebee
    teebeegeebee Posts: 218 Member
    have you got a regular craving for foods ?

    yes in the evening ?

    simple solution really took me a while to figure it out - you are doing nothing wrong - your brain is conditioned by years of food consumption behaviour

    the answer is do something else - get up, get a glass of water drink it and do 10mins of muscle stretches, do some ironing - make a cup of tea and run a bath - something to take your mind off the boredom of watching tv

    then look at your food diary - is something our of balance - tweak that and the hunger will go away

    I used to be a perpetual snacker
    light breakfast, light or no lunch then ravenous in the evening - 2 servings of dinner, pudding, snacks cakes biscuits - all looked good - now i can choose not too eat them with ease - because i have changed to eating a large breakfast, medium lunch and top up evening meal
    its took me 10 weeks to get the balance here and now I'm tuning it down

    try and keep the food diary for one week then review it - dont look at a review daily, thats like weighing yourself every day - I weigh in fortnightly - its coming off slowly and steadily - the belt notches tell me that.

    have fun and remember the food companies want us to eat their good tasting junk food - it makes them more profit than good wholesome home cooked food !
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    If it's not good for you it's not good for your kids either. Get the junk out of the house. Buy fruits, Veggies, Full Fat cheeses,
    Whole wheat crackers, Yogurts, Peanut Butter, Air popped Popcorn ( you can control what you put on it, Chili powder, Parm ch. bay seasoning) . Look in recipes or online for healthier cake and snack recipes. Since your home during the day it should be easy to plan healthy foods for the day and If you read I find it is great for helping to keep my mind off food. I read a lot. Hope it helps.
  • peytjalmom
    peytjalmom Posts: 76 Member
    I have snacky things around the house because of my children. I just taste one cracker and end up sitting down eating half of the box. ...The cake I was eating on yesterday.......408 calories for one little square....and I have eaten probably 6 or 7 pieces within the last 3 days(being a weekend).......things like that. Once I say yes to one thing....it is easier to say yes to another.,.,,,and yet ANOTHER.

    Sounds just like me!! I had to figure out if I was really hungry and eat a healthy snack that wouldn t stoke up the cravings like cheese and fruit or almonds and oatmeal. Something with protein and not simple carbs! They are what builds up those cravings. It is easier to say "none at all" rather that "just one" when it comes to bad carbs. Be happy that you discovered this about yourself and just keep tweeking your eating habits. How to eat healthy is really a project that is ongoing. Especially for us moms!!
  • hsmomof6
    hsmomof6 Posts: 3 Member
    It's very hard to be a stay at home mom and lose weight. I have 6 kids and am homeschooling them. It's easy to say get rid of the snack foods when it's just you. But it's not just my house. I have a 14 year old son who is over 6 feet tall. He eats all day long! My kids are all thin and athletic and they eat alot. I'm the fatty of the house. It is an extra challenge to be surrounded by food and people eating all day and continue to say no. I guess the key is to emotionally distance yourself from their eating. Feeding the family has to be just another chore like doing the laundry and not something you "share" with them. Does that make sense? Maybe tell yourself you'll track everything, no matter the calorie count. Just forcing yourself to be aware of what your eating is a good first step. And I think the advice of weighing yourself every 2 weeks or so is very good!
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/MY00431/DSECTION=healthy-menus-and-shopping-strategies

    I found this site online. Check it out.
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