Are you a "Snacker? Does it affect your weight loss?
cartersmom06
Posts: 68 Member
I was/am a big Snacker/Grazer! So much so, that some days my snacks were adding up to more calories than my actual meals were! By the end of the day, I would hardly have any calories left for dinner! 
Because I am hypothyroid, I purchased a book called The Thyroid Diet Revolution by Mary J. Shomon. In her book she says that most experts in the area of insulin and leptin resistance are now recommending that rather than eating frequent mini meals or grazing, people who are overweight should focus instead on eating two or three meals a day. The experts claim that this allows enough time between each meal for an appropriate hormonal response to occur so that the food can be properly digested and the nutrients can be absorbed. This is followed by a metabolic shift into fat burning before the next meal.
When I thought about this, I had an epiphany... maybe this was why I am not losing weight! I have this mentality that I have to have 3 meals and 3 snacks a day! What would happen if I quit snacking for a while and ate 3 good, healthy, hearty meals? Yesterday was day one of my experiment to see if I could survive without a snack. I had lots of protein, fat and carbs within my 3 meals and ate until I was comfortably full and you know what? I actually felt a lot better! I drank water and tea between my meals which helped with the urge to snack. I'll tell you, this wasn't easy, because I'm so used to grazing all day long!
I am going to try this out for a few weeks to see if it shakes up my weight loss. I am losing weight very, very slowly, only about a pound a month, so I'm hoping this will speed things up a bit!
So, I want to know... Are you or were you a snacker? How does snacking/not snacking help you achieve your goals?
Because I am hypothyroid, I purchased a book called The Thyroid Diet Revolution by Mary J. Shomon. In her book she says that most experts in the area of insulin and leptin resistance are now recommending that rather than eating frequent mini meals or grazing, people who are overweight should focus instead on eating two or three meals a day. The experts claim that this allows enough time between each meal for an appropriate hormonal response to occur so that the food can be properly digested and the nutrients can be absorbed. This is followed by a metabolic shift into fat burning before the next meal.
When I thought about this, I had an epiphany... maybe this was why I am not losing weight! I have this mentality that I have to have 3 meals and 3 snacks a day! What would happen if I quit snacking for a while and ate 3 good, healthy, hearty meals? Yesterday was day one of my experiment to see if I could survive without a snack. I had lots of protein, fat and carbs within my 3 meals and ate until I was comfortably full and you know what? I actually felt a lot better! I drank water and tea between my meals which helped with the urge to snack. I'll tell you, this wasn't easy, because I'm so used to grazing all day long!
I am going to try this out for a few weeks to see if it shakes up my weight loss. I am losing weight very, very slowly, only about a pound a month, so I'm hoping this will speed things up a bit!
So, I want to know... Are you or were you a snacker? How does snacking/not snacking help you achieve your goals?
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Replies
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I'm not a massive snacker when I'm at home, but on work days I need a snack on the way home to tide me over.
Also I have accidental snacks. Like the 8 cream crackers with butter I ate while making dinner today.
Oops.6 -
HAHAHA
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I didn't snack when I was losing weight because I preferred to use my calories to get fuller at each mealtime. Now that I am maintaining I have more calories each day and I will sometimes have a snack after work. But many times it's just a coffee with almond milk.
I think you'll absorb nutrients either way, but I do think that some people feel better having three bigger meals (or two or whatever) instead of snacking. And some people feel better snacking. The key thing is to figure out which works best for you so that you can be more comfortable on a deficit.4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I didn't snack when I was losing weight because I preferred to use my calories to get fuller at each mealtime. Now that I am maintaining I have more calories each day and I will sometimes have a snack after work. But many times it's just a coffee with almond milk.
I think you'll absorb nutrients either way, but I do think that some people feel better having three bigger meals (or two or whatever) instead of snacking. And some people feel better snacking. The key thing is to figure out which works best for you so that you can be more comfortable on a deficit.
Yes I agree...the science behind snacking/not snacking it is intriguing though!0 -
I am a snacker but I'm trying not to be because if I snack, I overeat. I tend to lose weight better when I eat 3 meals and only snack if I REALLY REALLY need to.1
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I needed to snack at first because I was afraid I wouldn't get to eat enough food. Once I trusted the process a bit more, I focused on the meal prep and composition of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have a hard time making it all the way from lunch (at noon) to dinner (6pm or later!), so I built in a small snack in the afternoon (usually an apple).
On weekends I like to sleep in, so I usually combine breakfast and lunch into a larger meal and have a heartier snack (usually still an apple, but with some crackers and cheese, also).
If I have access to snacks, I'll just munch all day rather than eat mindfully and purposefully, which is something that has helped me emotionally attack weight loss.2 -
I don't graze all day (anymore), but I do snack some. One problem I have is with my coffee--I always have dark chocolate with it! That adds calories to what should be a pretty low-cal drink.
I do 16:8 IF, so I can eat a decent-sized lunch and dinner, but often I do find myself needing (wanting?) a snack in between, and also after dinner. If I can manage to avoid the after-dinner drink/snack I do pretty well for the day, but lately I've had a problem eating/drinking too many calories after dinner! But I've also had some days lately where all I have is a glass of water or hot tea after dinner, so I know I can do it. It's all a learning process--figuring out what works for you!
I've been prelogging lately, which has helped me to "plan" my snacks.3 -
I guess I do not know the definition of a snacker. I eat three meals every day but I also have planned snacks between meals and I eat snacks every night before bed. I eat tic tacs or chew gum at work. I do not know if that makes me a snacker or not, but I plan my snacks and I enjoy them every day.3
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Sorry...I guess I should be a bit clearer on the definition of a snacker (imo) is someone who eats 4-6 meals a day instead of 3
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fitoverfortymom wrote: »
If I have access to snacks, I'll just munch all day rather than eat mindfully and purposefully, which is something that has helped me emotionally attack weight loss.
This is exactly how I feel! 0 -
I am a snacker. I usually have about 3 planned snacks a day. I am 2 pounds away from my goal, so it hasn't been detrimental to my weight loss. I am pretty active though. It's 10am and I have about 7k steps in. Between the kids and the house I don't sit much. I think if I didn't have the kids around I could go without the snacks, but I am always grabbing something out of the kitchen for the babies and the 3 yr old, it makes it easier to resist popping their snacks in my mouth if I know I have my own snacks coming up. I tend to go high protein for my day time snacks (cottage cheese, greek yogurt, protein shake ) and save my sugar /carb sweet snack for after the evening workout.3
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I'm not that active and I find I snack out of boredom. Once I start snacking, I can't stop!
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March 9, 2017 12:31PM edited 1:21PM 2Flag Quote · Insightful Inspiring Like Awesome
I can't believe I've been "flagged" two times for my post!! For what??0 -
I need a snack at about 9:00 AM. For breakfast I eat a bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, chia seeds and almond milk but I am starving two hours later. I either eat an apple or have some almonds to make it through to lunch.1
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I need a snack at about 9:00 AM. For breakfast I eat a bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, chia seeds and almond milk but I am starving two hours later. I either eat an apple or have some almonds to make it through to lunch.
Sounds like my breakfast! I agree that an apple or something does help if you have a small breakfast! 0 -
I have a late afternoon snack, and that's about it. I eat dinner rather late, so a snack around 4 PM or so is usually in order.1
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I have an apple between 10:30-11:00, about an hour before I go to the gym. I'll have a yogurt around 2:30 and cereal or a shake before bed. I plan these out though, so I'm not really hurting from it.2
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What I've found is that when my meals met three requirements, I didn't feel the need to snack. I eat two meals a day (lunch and dinner), and I am never hungry. In the morning, I have a nice warm cup of green tea with unsweetened cocoa powder. I drink water up until lunch time, where I have a nicely sized meal that meet the following requirements:
1) The meal must be tasty. If it's yucky, I won't enjoy eating it
2) The meal must have a protein, carb, fat, AND micronutrient source. Micronutrients come from fruits and/or vegetables. Without these 4 things, my meal cannot be considered "balanced."
3) The meal must be big enough. If I'm not eating enough, then I'm going to be hungry.
And that's it! If my meals don't meet these requirements, then I'm gonna be hungry and I'm gonna snack. If they do meet the requirements, then I can get through my days happily munching on two meals a day.
Oh and another thing -- I like to log all of my food at night. Why? Because when I log my food as I go along (like I eat my lunch then log) and I see 'oh wow, I've only had 600 calories. That means I can have a crap ton of food tonight!' Then I start fretting about making sure my dinner isn't too big, but big enough ... it just doesn't work. I also find that if I follow the above rules and keep my portions reasonable, then I stay within my calorie goal quite easily.
Another thing: I was "weakest" in the afternoon, in the time between lunch and dinner. What did I do? I exercised. I find that if I exercised, my appetite was decreased, and I would be put back into the "healthy lifestyle" mindset. Plus, by the time I'm done working out, I have less than an hour to wait for dinner so it's all good!2 -
GoCleanGoLean wrote: »
Another thing: I was "weakest" in the afternoon, in the time between lunch and dinner. What did I do? I exercised. I find that if I exercised, my appetite was decreased, and I would be put back into the "healthy lifestyle" mindset. Plus, by the time I'm done working out, I have less than an hour to wait for dinner so it's all good!
This is what I plan on doing! Exercising around 3:00 pm when boredom and hunger start setting in! Thanks!0 -
Thanks everyone for all your awesome replies!0
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cartersmom06 wrote: »Sorry...I guess I should be a bit clearer on the definition of a snacker (imo) is someone who eats 4-6 meals a day instead of 3
I guess that would be me then... I eat every couple hours throughout the day. I have been eating this way since 11/28/16 and have lost 40.2lbs and lost several inches off my body. For me the the "grazing" was something I did as I was that person who didn't eat breakfast, my first meal would be lunch and by then I was ravenous ate all the wrong things then was too full to eat dinner most nights til 8pm. Now my typical day looks like:
Breakfast- Oatmeal with dried fruit/nuts or Greek yogurt with protein powder mixed with fresh fruit or trail mix, poached eggs w/turkey bacon and multigrain bread.
mid morning- handful of raw almonds/walnuts
Lunch - Tuna on flaxseed wrap with a side of raw veggies & hummus or a bowl of homemade ground turkey veggie bean soup with a side of raw veggies and hummus / grilled chicken salad or the night before left over dinner.
Afternoon snack- rice cake with almond butter & banana
Dinner - Chicken/shrimp stir fry or Baked fish w/roasted veggies, or veggie omelet, homemade pizza, steak bowls with brown rice, avacado, black beans
Night Snack- I make a dark chocolate protein balls out of rolled oats, dark Chocolate, almond butter and cinnamon or sometime we have a 100 calorie fudge bar. I also drink 128oz of water through out the day.
I NET, on average aprox 1300 calories after exercise, at least that is what my fitbit tells me. I think I enjoy being a "grazer" because I truly am never hungry so the mindset of hungry has now turned into fuel for the body. May sound weird but its been working for me thus far.
Of course I know nothing about Thyroid and what you should and shouldn't do, I would definitely talk to your dr/nutritionist before starting anything. Good luck!3 -
I get hungry in between meals so I plan my day for that. Today my morning snack was baked chips and my afternoon snack was frozen grapes. My snacks change depending on my cravings, my grocery store haul and if I'm working out that day. I weigh everything at home and portion them out before I leave for work in the mornings.
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I'm a big snacker so I skip breakfast (not ever hungry in the am) and have a tiny lunch. The bulk of my calories are eaten post-6pm0
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cartersmom06 wrote: »I'm not that active and I find I snack out of boredom. Once I start snacking, I can't stop!
Me too! I don't snack because I'm hungry. I snack because either 1)I'm bored - at work, it keeps me awake or 2)It's become a reward. Totally psychological. When my children were young I was always very careful to eat healthy around them and would only 'reward' myself with junk food/snacks during those brief respites that I was alone and could sit down with a good book and relax. Now, anytime I find myself alone and time on my hands I just want to read or watch a movie and mindlessly munch.
I try now to pick slightly better snacks. Fruit, veggies with yogurt dip, Halo Top ice cream, etc. But it really does add up. I'm able to maintain at a decent weight doing this, but in order to lean out I would need to limit my snacks. By only eating planned meals I was able to drop to about 15%BF last summer. I'm hanging out now around 18-20%.
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I'm a big snacker so I skip breakfast (not ever hungry in the am) and have a tiny lunch. The bulk of my calories are eaten post-6pm
I'm usually this way too or at least I have been for the past few months but then I tended to make bad decisions in the evening because "I have so many calories left!" or because I was starving.
Now I do something similar - I still do a really light breakfast late in the morning (not until 10 or 11 at the earliest) of some cottage cheese or Skyr, then a decent lunch somewhere between 1 and 3 depending on when I have time, then normal dinner around 6:30-8 or so and a nighttime snack around 8-11 and it seems to work pretty well for me. I do bring an extra light snack to work in case I need something to get me from lunch to dinner if there is a long span of time between them but if I have a decent enough lunch, I find I often don't need it. After dinner is my prime snack time and I thoroughly enjoy it because I make sure to leave the calories for it so I don't have to feel guilty about having some popcorn or some chocolate after dinner.
Before that I tried doing the lots of little meals thing and that didn't work for me at all, I was always a little hungry and wanting another snack, I need that full feeling from eating a decent meal.1 -
About 20-25% of my calories every day are reserved for snacks. Usually something mid afternoon, and then some tasty things to nibble in the evening. 1
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ivygirl1937 wrote: »I'm a big snacker so I skip breakfast (not ever hungry in the am) and have a tiny lunch. The bulk of my calories are eaten post-6pm
I'm usually this way too or at least I have been for the past few months but then I tended to make bad decisions in the evening because "I have so many calories left!" or because I was starving.
Now I do something similar - I still do a really light breakfast late in the morning (not until 10 or 11 at the earliest) of some cottage cheese or Skyr, then a decent lunch somewhere between 1 and 3 depending on when I have time, then normal dinner around 6:30-8 or so and a nighttime snack around 8-11 and it seems to work pretty well for me. I do bring an extra light snack to work in case I need something to get me from lunch to dinner if there is a long span of time between them but if I have a decent enough lunch, I find I often don't need it. After dinner is my prime snack time and I thoroughly enjoy it because I make sure to leave the calories for it so I don't have to feel guilty about having some popcorn or some chocolate after dinner.
Before that I tried doing the lots of little meals thing and that didn't work for me at all, I was always a little hungry and wanting another snack, I need that full feeling from eating a decent meal.
I pre-log so that in the evening I get home and I know all the things I'm going to "snack" on. I literally have a protein bar at lunch and the rest I eat at night. I find pre-logging helps2 -
I have been a halfstarver/binger/grazer for long periods while gaining weight. I gained weight because I ate too much, though, not because of the meal schedule (or lack thereof). But a good meal structure makes eating well so much easier. It creates a framework for good eating habits and a mindset that support those habits:
- Eating meals and only at meals makes eating a mindful and meaningful activity.
- There is a time to eat, but most of the time, it's not a time to eat. It's time to do and think about other meaningful things. You eat for fuel and for pleasure, but not to pass time or to soothe emotions.
- Fewer eating occasions decreases number of decisions to make. Decision fatigue is a thing. Making decisions depletes willpower. Using willpower to resist temptation is risky. Having to rely on willpower to resist food, a basic need, in an environment that is overabundant in cheap, tasty food... is a recipe for failure.
- Because easy, quick calories are too easy and quick to obtain and overeat, it's so easy to gain weight, because the feeling of fullness never comes, because it doesn't nourish. Being malnourished makes you crave quick, easy calories and simple, strong flavors.
- Getting the right kind and degree of hungry makes you hungry for real, nutritious food. You will get picky, but in a good way: Almost any good meal/food will be appetizing.
- Getting in a habit of eating real, nutritious food, makes you well nourished and you'll want real, nutritious food because that makes you feel good. When you are well nourished, you can easily wait a few hours without panicking. Hunger will come in the form of a gentle reminder to eat, not a screaming desire that needs to be met now. Over time, a good eating pattern makes you relax and trust that you will be fed regularly and well. This is a state of mind where compulsion to overeat has no place.
- Having just a few meals per day will make you appreciate them more. You're more likely to make an effort to compose good, balanced meals, and you'll look forward to them - to sit down, enjoy, pay attention, and afterwards feel that you've eaten - and when you have something nice to look forward to, and you never get ravenous, and you already have a mindset that says that you are a person who eats only when it's time/appetite for a meal, it's easier to wait; in fact, not doing so would just feel not right.
Losing and maintaining weight takes an effort. But you can make that effort easier, and eating regular meals is one strategy that I find very effective.
I personally find the reasoning of the book "bad science", but it does sell books. "Just don't eat all the time, you greedy pig" doesn't really make you want to make a purchase
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ivygirl1937 wrote: »I'm a big snacker so I skip breakfast (not ever hungry in the am) and have a tiny lunch. The bulk of my calories are eaten post-6pm
I'm usually this way too or at least I have been for the past few months but then I tended to make bad decisions in the evening because "I have so many calories left!" or because I was starving.
Now I do something similar - I still do a really light breakfast late in the morning (not until 10 or 11 at the earliest) of some cottage cheese or Skyr, then a decent lunch somewhere between 1 and 3 depending on when I have time, then normal dinner around 6:30-8 or so and a nighttime snack around 8-11 and it seems to work pretty well for me. I do bring an extra light snack to work in case I need something to get me from lunch to dinner if there is a long span of time between them but if I have a decent enough lunch, I find I often don't need it. After dinner is my prime snack time and I thoroughly enjoy it because I make sure to leave the calories for it so I don't have to feel guilty about having some popcorn or some chocolate after dinner.
Before that I tried doing the lots of little meals thing and that didn't work for me at all, I was always a little hungry and wanting another snack, I need that full feeling from eating a decent meal.
I pre-log so that in the evening I get home and I know all the things I'm going to "snack" on. I literally have a protein bar at lunch and the rest I eat at night. I find pre-logging helps
Wow - that's awesome that you stick to it, you are much more disciplined than I am - I do pre-log as well but then if I am too hungry then it all goes out the window for me and I eat all the things. Or if I'm not in the mood for what I pre-logged, I'll change it but then it doesn't necessarily hit my goals the same way as what I originally logged does. I'm still working on that, among other things. 2
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