How to say no to junk food?

I feel like I need to eat a treat between dinnertime and bedtime. So I always plan one into my day and account for the calories. Just need to manage the portion control.

Why say no when you can just plan for a certain number of calories to be enjoyed in the form of something sweet after dinner? Nothing wrong with "junk" food in moderation.

Also don't keep the really high cal treats in your house in large amounts. I love cheesecake but when I want some I go out and buy one slice instead of a whole cake. Dark chocolate is not too hard for me and I do keep some semi sweet mini chocolate chips around. 10 grams of those is only 50 calories and added to some plain low fat yogurt is a very nice treat.

As other have said, either plan and moderate it and make it fit your day, or don't have it available.

The answer is simple. But simple doesn't necessarily mean easy. But it comes down to you and your will power and you prioritising what you want and sticking with it.

I went cold turkey - quit it all for a short challenge. Now I'm learning moderation. It takes time and patience.

Moxie42 wrote: »

I'm the same way in the sense that after dinner but before bed, I crave something sweet. What works for me is having individually packaged low-cal sweets handy (such as a 100-cal dark chocolate bar, Skinny Cow ice cream cones, or trail mix that has chocolate in it). It's become part of my routine so during the day I'm able to tell myself "No, not now. You have something sweet to look forward to at home tonight." Having them individually packaged helps me not over-eat.

Different things work for different people though. Some people won't keep treats in the house at all and instead will occasionally just go buy a little something. Personally, that doesn't work for me (I end up choosing something large and high-cal). Maybe try one method and see if it helps. If not, try something else.

me too. I can't go to bed if I'm hungry. have to have a snack. keeping the snack reasonable is the challenge.

You have to remove the food from your house. There are lots of good ideas here, but if you identify the root cause of the cravings you'll be more successful at finding a solution.

For me, I just have to cut sugar out almost entirely. I am so addicted to it I end up yo-yoing and going off my program. I might have something with added sugar once a week tops, and everything else is stevia or monk fruit or occasionally Splenda based.

For chocolate, try the lakanto chocolate bars. For sauces/syrups, Walden farms caramel and chocolate sauce are decent enough. Chips are a little harder, try making kale chips. Cookies can be made with quest multipurpose flower, a mix of stevia brown sugar blend and molasses, and most anything else you want (I add a little fiber and coconut oil to make them more filling). Ice cream Halo top with Walden farms on top does the trick.

And like others said, work it into your day. Plan on 250 calories for dessert and practice making things and finding what you like. Good luck!