Mindless snacking

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justbreath77
justbreath77 Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
I need help I find myself mindlessly snacking in the afternoon and hiding my snacking from my boyfriend. It's borderline binge eating sometimes....HELP!!

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  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Go for a walk instead.
  • justbreath77
    justbreath77 Posts: 5 Member
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    I wish it were that easy. I would have to drag along 2 small children which kinda limits walking distance
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
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    Since your snack attacks seem to strike at the same time each day it may be that your blood sugar is low and you really need a snack then. I have found that prelogging my food helps a lot. Why don't you plan in the morning a reasonable snack for your afternoon doldrums? If you can take the guilt out of it you may well find that you are less inclined to binge.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Then make your snacks fit into your calorie allotment for the day :) Put the rest away for tomorrow's snack.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I would also suggest pre logging and never ever eat out of the package. Make whatever you are eating like a meal presented on a dish. It may seem like a lot of work but it helps you train your mind to recognize it as what it is . . . a meal and will help with the mindless eating.
  • justbreath77
    justbreath77 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you all for your suggestions! Any and all help is appreciated, as I feel very alone in my struggle with weight.
  • jkraemer744
    jkraemer744 Posts: 1 Member
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    Don't limit yourself to the three meals a day only mentality! Our Bodies get hungry for a reason becuase they crave nutrients! You just have to make sure you're putting the right things in when your body needs them. Your body is hungry in the afternoon have things like high protien snacks thst fill you up like cottage cheese, some chicken or a protien smoothy! I do this nearly every day to last me till dinner :)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Pre-log your day and your snacks. Nothing wrong with a snack here or there but you don't want to wind up with 100 calories left for dinner. I'll usually start everyday by adding my breakfast, which is always the same. Then I'll go over to dinner and start logging something I'll like, then dessert, then back to lunch, and fill the rest in with snacks.


    Sometimes I log dessert first :)
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
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    Put the little ones in the stroller and go walk to the local park, chase them around a bit. They'll love it, and it gets you out of the house and away from temptation. I found when my 2 were small, getting away from the house helped a lot.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Develop a list of go-to low cal satisfying snacks. There are many blogs on MFP about this and many tips in th Food forum. Don't keep binge food in the house, then you can't eat it. Make sure you are eating enough protein and consider protein shakes--I find they help
    Control cravings & keep hunger under control.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    nawlinsnawlins wrote: »
    put all the bad foods you have in the GARBAGE.
    buy mini wheats and snack on them. satisfies sugar craving while giving you fiber

    That is wasteful. Give them to a neighbor or take them to work but don't throw out food.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    It sounds like boredom eating to me. Would you benefit from a little mental stimulation in the afternoon talking to other adults? How about a moms and tots outing? Texting instead of eating?
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I find that I just have to get my mindless snack foods out of the house when at all possible. It's hard especially now that I have to pack my son's lunch for school. Every night around 9:30 when I'm packing it you see a piece of cheese and pirates booty pop up under snacks on my food diary. Luckily I've found the willpower for only 1 piece of cheese and a serving of pirates booty is only 130 calories. I've been leaving myself 200 calories at night since I KNOW I'm going to be tempted.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I have a horrible habit of just snacking on things without realizing how much I'm eating too. What worked for me was to:

    1 - Keep snack foods out of my office. If I want something to eat, I have to get up and go downstairs to get it, if we have it in the house. Because I'm lazy by nature, unless I'm actually hungry, I don't.

    2 - Don't have packages of snack foods in the house at all. I have a few things in the kitchen that are ok to snack on that I like, but I don't keep bags of chips or packages of cookies or the like in the house unless it's for a special event. If I really REALLY want chips, I make myself go to the gas station and get a small bag. Yeah, it's still more than a serving, but at least I won't end up eating a full bag without realizing it!

    3 - Find something to do with my hands. I'm on the computer a lot, and that helps because it keeps my hands and brain busy. Without snack foods right there, if it's just habit wanting a snack, I can ignore it now. If I'm not at my computer, I'll sketch or do something crafty to keep my hands and brain occupied.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Develop a list of go-to low cal satisfying snacks. There are many blogs on MFP about this and many tips in th Food forum. Don't keep binge food in the house, then you can't eat it. Make sure you are eating enough protein and consider protein shakes--I find they help
    Control cravings & keep hunger under control.

    This^

    It takes awhile to eat sunflower seeds in the shell. I pop some light popcorn and use different toppings on different days.

    You might try a walking video:

    www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe5P3ayTEj7as1XDiI6jh0I0W3NEFOL23......

    Just do 5 or 10 minutes at a time.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    Make snacks fit into your calorie goals. If you know at 2.30 you're going to be "hungry", pre-log a snack. Also, stop hiding your eating. It just increases the guilt and you really shouldn't be ashamed or made to feel bad for eating a snack.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I prelog my day the night before and even include the snacks that I will be having. If those snacks happen to be chips or cookies or something that comes out of a larger bag then portion them out the night before and put them into 50-100 calorie baggies. Plan everything you're going to eat the next day and then stick to the plan. If you're a stay at home mom have an area designated for your food for that day. That way you're not tempted to eat other things. Get all your trigger foods out of the house. *** Don't eat them **** Always have a bottle of water with you. As soon as you start to feel the munchies drink the whole bottle. If this happens at night brush your teeth. If you've got little ones and can't get out to exercise how about getting a treadmill for the house?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    justbreath77 wrote: »
    I wish it were that easy. I would have to drag along 2 small children which kinda limits walking distance

    So? Go for a short walk. Go outside and play with the children. Play an inside game with them. Turn on some music and dance with them. Children can be a great distraction.

    Do something that will keep your hands busy. Crochet, knit, quilt, sew, draw, paint, color in a coloring book, play with Play-doh.

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