I eat healthy meals all day, but my snacks are very unhealthy
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Posts: 1 Member
Hey guys, I've struggled with this problem for some time now... I really need help because this is a big problem... I want to lose weight but staying away from snacks is sooooo haaard!!
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Replies
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Have you considered doing a few smaller meals throughout the day instead of a few big, healthy meals? This might let you eat throughout the day and get you away from snacking.
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I have a major sweet tooth so that tends to be my downfall. I save my sugary snacks and/or dessert for the evening after I put the kids to bed. It's a nice treat to look forward to, limits the amount I eat (most of the time), and I don't feel like I'm denying myself.
I'm definitely in a similar boat - I love healthy food but I also love dessert. If not for this rule I can easily end up eating many desserts throughout the day.1 -
Additions to your grocery list:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/the-best-healthy-snacks-in-your-supermarket?page=1
I make 100 calorie packs or almonds or pistachios to keep in my pantry. Always v8 in my fridge.0 -
Why not save room for a something "unhealthy"? I have candy or ice cream nearly every night, all while making sure I hit my macros/micros and fitting it into my remaining calories.3
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You don't have to give up snacks, healthy or not, to lose weight. Work them into your day.2
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Don't buy them. Don't make them. Cannot eat what you don't have. Thin and healthy is so much better than a snack.0
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Learn healthier habits of snacking1
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Are your snacks not allowing you to meet micronutrient goals? Are they putting you over your calorie allowance? What does unhealthy mean to you? Name some of your snacks.1
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I like to eat nonfat greek yogurt to quench my hunger. I mix it with whatever I'm craving, whether it be berries, matcha, or peanut butter. This is what I had earlier for only 137 calories!
Greek Yogurt Dessert with PB2 and Cocoa Powder
160 g, Nonfat 0% Greek Yogurt
2.50 g, Powdered Peanut Butter
2.50 gram, Cocoa Powder
0.10 fluid ounce, Honey
0.20 fluid ounce, Almonds Unsalted Dry Toasted Sliced
But I agree with everyone else here on this thread. If you are aware of your desire for snacks, then you need to incorporate them into your day by eating smaller meals.
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But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?6 -
What makes a snack unhealthy?4 -
You don't have to give up snacks, healthy or not, to lose weight. Work them into your day.
This. Eating above your maintenance causes weight gain, not the type of food you eat.
I've had so called unhealthy foods and have lost 90lbs.
Food is food.
What? Stop. Food is food, a calorie is a calorie. The only thing that causes fat gain is eating above maintenance, not the type of food. Smh.
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Skipping a snack doesn't qualify as torture.Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
OP says it's a big problem for her and she wants to quit them. If she wants to eat them, I don't care, but she says she wants to stop. The advice was meant to be helpful. If you don't like it, that's too bad.1 -
It is possible that some believe that eating a certain type of food causes weight gain, not a calorie surplus, even though a calorie surplus IS the only way to gain weight. The information isn't here just for OP, it is here for any lurkers and newbies.. @Wynterbourne posted helpful advice, too.
Skipping a snack doesn't qualify as torture.Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
OP says it's a big problem for her and she wants to quit them. If she wants to eat them, I don't care, but she says she wants to stop. The advice was meant to be helpful. If you don't like it, that's too bad.
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Skipping a snack doesn't qualify as torture.Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
OP says it's a big problem for her and she wants to quit them. If she wants to eat them, I don't care, but she says she wants to stop. The advice was meant to be helpful. If you don't like it, that's too bad.
Your suggestion equaled skipping the snack permanently. You weren't just suggesting once. Knowing you can never have X food item ever again could be considered torture to some. Especially if it's completely uncalled for. That's what I was pointing out. Many people erroneously think you can only be thin and healthy by completely eliminating certain foods. This is not true. No need to spread misinformation.1 -
OP, are your snacks making you go over your calories? Are you getting adequate micro and macro nutrients? If you are getting adequate nutrition from your meals and your snacks aren't making you go over your calories then there is no issue. Sustainable weight loss is about finding a way of eating that is healthy physiologically and psychologically. Most people will include some "unhealthy" or "treat" foods in their diet for this balance to be in place. If your snacking is causing you to go over your calories or you aren't getting enough nutrients from your diet then you probably need to cut the snacking back a bit or find healthier snacks that fulfil your cravings. Maybe only give yourself one treat snack a day.
What kind of foods do you usually snack on? Maybe we could suggest some alternatives1 -
eat your snacks while you are standing on a scale and looking in a mirror. That always works for me.0
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I didn't say permanently. And, again, don't like my advice? Too bad.Wynterbourne wrote: »
Skipping a snack doesn't qualify as torture.Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
OP says it's a big problem for her and she wants to quit them. If she wants to eat them, I don't care, but she says she wants to stop. The advice was meant to be helpful. If you don't like it, that's too bad.
Your suggestion equaled skipping the snack permanently. You weren't just suggesting once. Knowing you can never have X food item ever again could be considered torture to some. Especially if it's completely uncalled for. That's what I was pointing out. Many people erroneously think you can only be thin and healthy by completely eliminating certain foods. This is not true. No need to spread misinformation.
No, knowing that you had to skip Snickers for the rest of your life is not the same thing as torture. It isn't considered torture by anyone who understands what the word means. Torture. Honestly. Exaggerate much?
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So
1) choose not to snack or
2) choose to snack on calorie controlled portions of snacks you currently have or
3) change your type of snacks to ones that fit your calorie and macro requirements
But overall...stop labelling food healthy or unhealthy ...that word can only equate to your overall diet and not a specific food3 -
Let's get this straight. Do you want to stop eating snacks or do you want to keep eating it? To lose weight, all you need to do, is stick to your allotted calories. Does the snacking make that impossible for you? Or do you think snacks have intrisic qualities that makes losing weight impossible? When you have the answers ready, decide for one of these tactics:So
1) choose not to snack or
2) choose to snack on calorie controlled portions of snacks you currently have or
3) change your type of snacks to ones that fit your calorie and macro requirements
But overall...stop labelling food healthy or unhealthy ...that word can only equate to your overall diet and not a specific food0 -
Skipping a snack doesn't qualify as torture.Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
OP says it's a big problem for her and she wants to quit them. If she wants to eat them, I don't care, but she says she wants to stop. The advice was meant to be helpful. If you don't like it, that's too bad.
She isn't saying that she wants to quit snacks. But she has a problem with snacks. It's not clear yet what the problem is. But I agree with you that stopping eating a random low-nutrient food doesn't qualify as torture. Having trigger foods around can feel stressful, so I stopped buying foods I just overeat, and that can be a solution for the OP too, but we have no way of knowing if the OP has problems with overeating snacks or not.0 -
Re-think what you consider "healthy" and "unhealthy" foods or your meals and your snacks.1
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Replace your snacks with healthy fruits which helps you to cut down.0
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Wynterbourne wrote: »
But if you want the unhealthy snacks, and can fit them in and remain thin, why should you torture yourself and forbid yourself from something you don't have to?
This. If a person has issues with trigger foods and needs to try to limit consumption for a period of time (or even forever) then that may be a viable approach.
But for many, arbitrarily labeling foods as healthy/unhealthy or good/bad and using those labels as ways to make widespread dietary changes can be stressful and is largely unnecessary.
Learning how to work all the foods I love into an overall healthy diet is the strategy that works best for me.
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OP so that your thread doesn't get totally derailed, can you give us more details about the struggles you are having? What type of foods make up the majority of your diet? How many calories do you consume, on average, at each meal? What sort of foods are you snacking on and why do you say you are struggling? When you eat them do you not limit yourself to a calorie appropriate portion of those snacks?
Opening your diary would be the most helpful.2 -
I love snacks so I work them into my calorie goal.
I've no idea what an unhealthy snack might be though - can you give examples OP?0
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