Snacks (Or how you avoid binging...)

I usually have yogurt, humous with veg sticks, or low fat crackers with a little spread. Also make sure you are drinking lots of water. It really does help. Good luck

Dark chocolate almonds

I also do the hummus with veg sticks, or a tiny bit of peanut butter... Also make my own salsa, which barely has any calories, and just watch my portion of tortilla chips. And I find if I'm not drinking enough water, I feel hungrier. Hang in there!!

I bring Banana nut cheerios to work. They are filling (the serving size is 3/4 cup) and I can just graze on them for a while. If I take my time eating them they take the edge off of my hunger and get me through until lunch time! I eat a lot of fat free yogurt too, its healthy and has a ton of flavors so I can have a different one every day. Fiber Plus bars are pretty filling and not too high on cals.

I like to snack on fruits and vegetables, nuts, or a protein/fiber bar. One snack combination that I frequently have is some almonds, blueberries, and a "light" string cheese. Find some healthy foods that you enjoy and keep them stocked so you can grab a handful when you're hungry between meals (or pack them with you when you go to work). That really helps me avoid binging later, and it decreases my cravings for unhealthy foods.

Edited to add: I think one of the reasons I like the combination snack above is that it's a bunch of little pieces, so it keeps my hands busy and it can take a while to eat. Eating more slowly often helps with feeling full when you're done.

I find Clif Bar's are quite yummy, a large variety of flavors.. my favorite is the chocolate brownie!! YUM!! It has a good amount of proteins and carbs, low in fat and at the same time low in calories... it's not quite a meal replacement bar runs only 230-250 calories depending on which you choose to eat..so it can be eaten between meals rather than as one... hope this helps! :bigsmile:

Another thing to try if you are feeling way too hungry is to switch to 1 or .5 pounds loss per week for a bigger calorie cushion.

I LOVE dark chocolate covered almonds too!! :O

Tortilla chips are reasonably easily replicated - get tortillas that aren't too high in calories or sodium (we used to get some multigrain ones that were great), cut them into pieces and spritz with lime juice. Sprinkle with salt if you want, then bake until they're crisp. I don't miss regular tortilla chips at all!

On this note, I made homemade potato chips that were really delicious (and easy to make). The satisfied my craving for something crunchy and savory (like chips), but without all the junk in store-bought chips. Here is the recipe if you're interested:


Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
garlic powder
paprika
Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Slice potatoes into thin circles. Put potato slices into a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Add olive oil, garlic powder, and paprika to bag. Zip the bag and shake/rub the potatoes until oil and spices are evenly distributed. Add more garlic powder and paprika if desired, and shake again. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and put potato slices onto cookie sheet in one layer. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of potato slices. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes have desired crispness. Enjoy!

The whole batch was 450 calories, but I didn't eat them all at once. The calorie count will vary based on the size of the potatoes that you use.

Always snack when you're hungry. Go with what you want to eat. Just remember portion and calorie control. My favorite in between meals snack is definitely salted almonds. Gives you some good dietary fats, has a touch of sodium, and will keep you full for a while. I usually just pop a handful after a workout.

I know this sounds crazy, but I am a huge chips and salsa fan, so this has worked great for me & my husband loves it too. But I will pop a bag of popcorn (sharing it with my husband, it is only about 60 calories for half a bag), and then I will dip the popcorn in salsa (only 50 calories for 1/2 cup). It totally satisfies my cravings and is pretty "healthy" for ya.

I usually eat a small spoonful of peanut butter (keeps me from getting hungry for a while), or maybe some fruit, string cheese, veggies w/humus, yogurt, fudgesicles, etc... I find that sometimes I have to just completely stay away from unhealthy things like candy or soda, or else I will end up coming back for more.

oatmeal, cliff bar, turkey bites or turkey jerkey, almonds, can of tune w/ mustard, bowl of cheerios w/ strawberries, any fruit or vegetable (good thing about these is that you can have as much as you want, I've never heard of anyone becoming obese from eating too much fruits and veggies.) Salt and butter free popcorn.

Heres what I have found out. Eat small and eat often. I eat about every 3 hours and try to keep it around 300-500 calories. 500 on dinner and 300 for the rest. I stay full, never hungry. I tend to have to force myself to eat. I am full of energy and weight is falling off. Just watch what you are putting in your body, if its good and you don't overdue it then you should be fine.

Peanut Butter on Rasin Toast or String Cheese. I also try to snack on fruit.. not too much for veggies yet!