Starting to gain after maintaining for 1 year

The darker the chocolate, the lesser the likelihood of overeating it (or so the theory goes.) If you crave crunchy and/or something to so with your hands, carrot and celery sticks can't be beat. What about interrupting the boredom with a walk or short DVD workout? A new hobby? People love those adult coloring books - may help with your stress and desire to snack.

If you know it's boredom/emotional eating, I would address the habit of eating when bored/stressed rather than finding new snacks or ways to avoid boredom. Everyone has boredom and stress in their lives at times. Changing habits is easier said than done, admittedly, but it is the only true solution to the situation. Avoiding boredom and better snacks are band aids, IMHO. Your workouts sound great. Sorry to hear times are difficult. Best to you.

Having just a small bite of something is always a good way to scratch the junk food itch. One or two cookies, for example. Another trick you can use: brush your teeth after you eat dinner. The mint in the toothpaste is a signal to your body that you are done eating. Mint is a natural appetite suppressant. You may just beat the urge altogether.

But if you need a snack, just build it into your calorie budget.

If you know it's sort of boredom/emotional eating, maybe you should try a high quantity liquid? I drink a ton of sparkling water and herbal teas. Also, sometimes, I will portion out 2 cookies or 2 pieces of dark chocolate to accompany the tea. If you know, however, that they are foods you might feel too tempted about when you're bored, maybe keep them out of the house! I would also support the poster who said about dealing with the boredom - can you find any good activities to get engrossed in? My go to is reading novels OR the MFP forums! Good luck and sorry to hear about your recent struggles x

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

If you know it's boredom/emotional eating, I would address the habit of eating when bored/stressed rather than finding new snacks or ways to avoid boredom.

Yes, agreed. I think snacking (ie: mindless, unplanned eating) itself is lousy concept. Screw snacks!
OP, try to find more engaging ways to entertain yourself and you'll be good.

WulffTamra wrote: »

I have maintained weight, BMI for a year now; but I'm going through a difficult time lately and evening boredom so I'm finding myself craving comfort foods -- I don't want to "go off the wagon"! Any suggestions on whole foods that could help salt and chocolate cravings? I workout 5 days a week, doing strength and HIIT workouts in my workouts. Any suggestions?

It's work, it's hard, and basically, it sucks. This is why so many of us fail/ and yo-yo. I'd go back to how you were eating for the past year. You probably had chocolate or salty foods once in awhile. Trying to fit them back in, as they are often trigger foods, is risky. Bite the bullet and eat an orange. Have a little chocolate on a "special day". I have 3 cups of popcorn cooked in oil but no butter (160 cal) for an evening snack.

+1 to addressing the root cause primarily, rather than substituting new snacks. But, for the habit/boredom part, I see no downside to considering a new hobby, especially one that keeps your hands busy (and needs them to be clean ). Crafts are good (knit or crochet are good, but there are lots of other options).

That said, if you have no reason to avoid salt (like high blood pressure or something), I suggest trying pappadums (crispy tortilla-sized rounds that you put in a microwave so they wrinkle, puff and crisp). I like the Sharwood's brand, which are 20 calories each, and made with chickpea flour so there's a bit of protein & fewer carbs. (There are other brands; look in the Indian/ethnic section of a big supermarket, or at Indian/Asian groceries, or online. And sometimes it's spelled differently: Puppodoms, papadams, etc.) Other salty satisfiers for me are pickles of various sorts, and sauerkraut.

I highly recommend Trader Joe's Inner Peas to satisfy the salty/crunchy cravings.

I just eat what I crave when I crave it... if it's sweets, it just means that I have a small portion and that I skip the rice or the potatoes for dinner (I had some bread pudding today, just ate less the rest of the day to make up for it). If it's a specific meal, I just make it with less calories than the normal version. Heck I plan my meals around my cravings... that way I'm satisfied and more likely to stay within my calories.

For chocolate specifically, I just have a piece or two. Or oatmeal with chocolate protein powder.

For salt, I found sunflower seeds in shell to be amazing. It's a bit counterintuitive because they are high in fat and calories, but most of the weight is in the shell. It takes a long time to individually shell and eat every sunflower seed so it lasts for a long while in under 200 calories.