Losing weight in a house full of snacks
GlamGoals66
Posts: 8 Member
I have 2 kids (3 if you count my husband) who all have various sugary, high calorie snacks laying around the house, from fruit snacks to lunchables, cookies, poptarts, etc... How do you avoid temptation when eating healthy takes more time, more effort, and has zero flavor payoff compared to sweet treats?
I have NO self control. Any tips on restraint?
I have NO self control. Any tips on restraint?
10
Replies
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First, in order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. You can still eat fruit snacks, poptarts etc., as long as they fit within your calorie limit.
If they are a problem, start slowly replacing those things with better choices ... fruit snacks might be replaced with fruit. Just buy enough cookies for one each each day for the family.11 -
First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.28 -
2 tricks did it for me:
1. It's not mine and I'm not a thief.
2. Pictured the dog slobbering all over it if 1 didn't cut it.
Same with the office snack. Just pictures the guy who never washed his hands after the bathroom. He also had the annoying habit of rifling through all the snacks. Not eating that :sick:23 -
Some suggestions that may help:
1. Put all the snacks in 1 location that is away from your normal activities. Maybe they get moved from the kitchen to a spare bedroom. Basically, remove the constant reminder.
2. Allow yourself to have these snacks in moderation. Pre- portion to fit into your calories.
3. Start slow, substitute one snack per day or week with a more nutritious alternative
4. Talk to your family about your goals and see if they are willing to make accommodations.
5. Keep quick sweet snacks that fit your goals ready for you when you want one. 6.Consider lower calorie ice cream or yogurt, sugar free jello, splenda sweetened desserts. Experiment to find treats you really like that better fit within your goals.10 -
First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?3 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
I'm going to ask a question that may seem obvious, or that you may not want to answer, but you might want to think on. Do you *need* to snack? What if you had a proper lunch with your at-home kids instead? Could you say to them, "We're all going to sit and have lunchtime now?"
What would happen if you had more well-rounded meals instead, that fit your calorie deficit?15 -
Nutritious, inexpensive, quick snacks:
1. Hard boiled eggs.
2. Popcorn (we use an airpopper made by Cuisinart for the microwave that costs $12 with a little oil sprayed on and some flavored salts such as garlic salt).
3. Hummus with veggie sticks. You can make your own hummus limiting the calorific add-ins in just a few minutes. If you want, your younger kids can 'help' using a hand masher while you use a blender or food processor. Remember, having your kids help engages them in a useful learning activity and is likely to increase their interest in snacking on healthier options. (for this reason, growing herbs and vegetables helps with their eating choices as well).
4. Fruit. Here's a fun one if your bananas are a bit underripe, sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon and bake in the toaster oven for a few minutes. They'll sweeten as they soften. If they're overripe, freeze for a creamy frozen treat.
Fruit can be expensive, but it's easy to find something seasonal on sale.
Again, if you have older kids (particularly late grade school or middle school) you can engage them in researching snack and meal ideas. Great way to get them to learn about nutrition.5 -
Low cal-snacks include raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, tangerines, cucumber, celery, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, small apples, cottage cheese, grape or cherry tomatoes, half an avocado, small yogurts, applesauce.
It's worth examining why you are binging. Are you eating out of boredom? Habit? Distraction? Actual hunger? If it's hunger, then get some snacks with fiber and protein (like the above). If it's boredom or habit, find something that distracts you - like looking up in MyFitnessPal how many calories that snack is and then deciding if it's worth it.
I do all the grocery shopping in my house and I don't buy high-sugar or high-cal snacks. My husband recently asked for Froot Loops, which I did as an exception (thankfully I did not have any), but I went right back to Cheerios the week after. I also package my snacks every night when I pack my lunch, weigh them all, and put them in the next day's log so I can see how many calories I'm eating. It doesn't take very long to do this, maybe 10-15 minutes at most if something is complicated.3 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
Is it possible you're not eating enough at meals, so you're snacking because you're hungry? A lot of Lean Cuisines are under 300 calories which is a very small meal if you're even a little active. Maybe on the weekends (when your husband's there to keep kids occupied) you could prepare and portion out some easy breakfasts and lunches for yourself and the kids to eat during the week. There's no reason to make different meals for every age group. For me, high protein is the key to not being hungry so when I meal prep I keep that in mind. It really does make things easier when all you have to do is grab something you already made out of the fridge and heat.5 -
Just because the house is full of snacks doesn't mean you need to eat em
My motto is: out of sight, out of mind - so if seeing them means you want them, get them put out of the way.3 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
If everyone else is eating healthy balanced meals, is there a reason you aren't just eating what they're eating?15 -
I know exactly what you mean! You should SEE what the table in my kitchen looks like. You walk in, and BAM, there's candy, sugary cereals, donuts, cake, chips, chocolate milk in the fridge...you name it! (no kids, I live with adult roommates). I have to walk through the kitchen to get anywhere else in the house too, darn it. But if something is particularly tempting, I have some. I learned a long time ago that saying "NO, you absolutely will not eat this", results in me eating way too much of that item. It's all about portion control. Are those poptarts calling your name? Well there's your breakfast!5
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GlamGoals66 wrote: »I have 2 kids (3 if you count my husband) who all have various sugary, high calorie snacks laying around the house, from fruit snacks to lunchables, cookies, poptarts, etc... How do you avoid temptation when eating healthy takes more time, more effort, and has zero flavor payoff compared to sweet treats?
I have NO self control. Any tips on restraint?
Why would you feed your own kids junk food in such amounts? If something is not good for your diet, it most certainly is not good for the kids either. One thing to have a treat here and there, another to stock junkfood. Why not lead by example and teach the kids that a perfect snach can be a fruit, a yoghurt, some nuts, cheese and so on?
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GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
If the kids are eating super balanced healthy meals, why aren't you eating with them? And if they get proper nutrition from healthy balanced meals, why would you keep the house full of sugary treats?11 -
Ultimately, you just have to decide not to eat them OR figure out how to make them fit into your calories if those snacks are important to you. Once I learned to prioritize food based on my calorie goal, it was a lot easier to resist those temptations.0
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It's like this at my house: I made it clear we were getting healthier. If they wanted snacks that weren't, they had to keep them in a shoe box hidden from me. The cupboards only keep healthy foods. My philosophy is if it's not in the house, I can't eat it.3
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GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
My go-tos are Fiber One bars, individually-wrapped ice cream treats (like frozen Greek yogurt pops. Or, just discovered mini Rollo ice cream treats), roasted chickpeas, dry cereal, string cheese, veggie dogs, and Skinny Pop popcorn. Occasionally other stuff too.1 -
Having all that junk food in the house can be hard to deal with when needing to losing weight. I had the same problem as you. My solution was to not bring most of it into the home anymore. Ice cream? Nope, not in my freezer; the kids can go with dad to DQ for a special ice cream treat. Brownies? Nope; unless someone wants it for their birthday treat, I don't buy it for home.
At first, the family balked. In the past, this is where I'd give up and give in. But this time, I really thought about what I was doing here. Junk food is not going to build up my children's bodies. It is not going to further their health. I should not feel bad for wanting the best for my children. Unhealthy eating has been linked with physical and mental degradation in children.
It's been over a month, and they're managing with healthier foods. I wish I had done this a long time ago, instead of normalizing bad eating habits.6 -
Why would you feed your own kids junk food in such amounts? If something is not good for your diet, it most certainly is not good for the kids either. One thing to have a treat here and there, another to stock junkfood. Why not lead by example and teach the kids that a perfect snach can be a fruit, a yoghurt, some nuts, cheese and so on?
My kids only get junk food at snack times. One in the morning, one in the afternoon for the toddler, and only one in the afternoon for the big kid. And it's mostly not cookies and brownies, (treats like that are more for rewards, bust still in the house) it's more goldfish crackers and cheerios with the occassional oreo. Just generally very carby/caloric foods that are fine as a snack, but not so much to fill my entire diet. (And the toddler loves cheese, but hasn't figured out the spoon just yet to manage yogurt without coating the entire kitchen in a layer, but hates me feeding her because "I'm big and can do it myself!"
I basically just can't stop once I start eating, and have no time to eat more than finger foods. Impulse control is my biggest issue. I see those crackers, tell myself one or 2 is fine, then end up eating the whole pack.4 -
I'm the issue here with my impulse eating and grazing on snack habits, so any suggestions for that instead of robbing the kids of their treats? They eat just fine, fruits, veggies, protein, I promise. Let's focus on my lack of control instead?5
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ladyreva78 wrote: »2 tricks did it for me:
1. It's not mine and I'm not a thief.
2. Pictured the dog slobbering all over it if 1 didn't cut it.
Same with the office snack. Just pictures the guy who never washed his hands after the bathroom. He also had the annoying habit of rifling through all the snacks. Not eating that :sick:
The office snack visualization works all the time for me! Especially since I work in a lab, and you know, urine samples
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GlamGoals66 wrote: »Why would you feed your own kids junk food in such amounts? If something is not good for your diet, it most certainly is not good for the kids either. One thing to have a treat here and there, another to stock junkfood. Why not lead by example and teach the kids that a perfect snach can be a fruit, a yoghurt, some nuts, cheese and so on?
My kids only get junk food at snack times. One in the morning, one in the afternoon for the toddler, and only one in the afternoon for the big kid. And it's not cookies and brownies, it's more goldfish crackers and cheerios with the occassional oreo. Just generally very carby/caloric foods that are fine as a snack, but not so much to fill my entire diet. (And the toddler loves cheese, but hasn't figured out the spoon just yet to manage yogurt without coating the entire kitchen in a layer, but hates me feeding her because "I'm big and can do it myself!"
I basically just can't stop once I start eating, and have no time to eat more than finger foods. Impulse control is my biggest issue. I see those crackers, tell myself one or 2 is fine, then end up eating the whole pack.
It sounds like meal prepping after the kids are in bed/are napping would be better, then -- prep finger foods that constitute a whole meal together. Cut-up apples, cheese sticks, deli meat rolls, etc. Get some Rubbermaid/Tupperware, and pack out a week's worth of meals. Then, when you're hungry, open and eat. You only get to move on to the other snacks when you finish your prepped lunch.
There's nothing *wrong* with cheerios and goldfish crackers, but you're right -- you can't let them crowd out protein and better sources of fiber, etc. So try prepping whole meals based on finger foods, and tell yourself that you only get to gravitate to the cheerios and goldfish after you've eaten *those*.5 -
Check out Tasty. They have a YouTube channel that shows how to do healthy meal and snack prep for kids (and grown ups).1
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estherdragonbat wrote: »GlamGoals66 wrote: »First off: If you think that eating healthy tastes boring, then you're eating the wrong things! There's loads of really delicious "healthy" foods out there.
2nd: Weigh loss doesn't require you to eat a certain way. You don't have to cut out a bunch of food that you used to eat. All you have to do is eat less of it. Most of us on here don't abstain from certain foods just because they're calorie dense, we just eat less of them. Some find that certain foods are "trigger foods" and those are the ones that you keep out of your house, but other than that, there is nothing wrong with eating calorie dense food in moderation.
3rd: Just because you have children, does not mean you have to have loads of sweet snacks in the house. Excuse me as I make a possibly completely unfair assumption here, but if you do the shopping/cooking in your house, you just don't buy those things that you don't want to eat. Replace them with something else or reduce the amount you buy. Try making sweet snacks an exception, not the norm.
Any chance you can give me healthier snack ideas? I normally just munch throughout the day on whatever I got for the kids, because everyone is on a different nap/school/playtime/bedtime schedule (tried to rearrange them to match better, but the toddler and big kid have VERY different needs)
The kids end up eating super balanced and healthy meals (minus snack times) but I hardly have time to even microwave a Lean Cuisine while trying to manage everyone else. Husband helps when he can, but he often has to work from home AFTER an 8hr day already at work.
Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?
My go-tos are Fiber One bars, individually-wrapped ice cream treats (like frozen Greek yogurt pops. Or, just discovered mini Rollo ice cream treats), roasted chickpeas, dry cereal, string cheese, veggie dogs, and Skinny Pop popcorn. Occasionally other stuff too.
My husband found me the Weight Watchers peanut butter caramel ice cream candy bars - like an ice cream Snickers bar but 80 calories a pop. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when he brought those home!1 -
LeGypsyRov wrote: »It's like this at my house: I made it clear we were getting healthier. If they wanted snacks that weren't, they had to keep them in a shoe box hidden from me. The cupboards only keep healthy foods. My philosophy is if it's not in the house, I can't eat it.
I would love to do this! Can't until they're older though. We did stop getting ice cream and I'm trying to get them healthier more "natural" snacks like the strawberry newtons.1 -
OP, I'm noticing that you're using a lot of absolute statements- I don't have time to eat, I don't have any self control, etc. I'm saying this because I have a major issue with this too, thinking 'it's too difficult for my specific circumstances' will drag you down. When I start thinking like this I find it helpful to go into the success stories section and look for people who were successful with circumstances similar to mine.
As far as your self control, I would bet that your perceived lack of self control is just straight hunger. You're active looking after young children and from what it sounds like, not eating full meals at all during the day. You can create meals out of snacks as people have suggested above, combining cheese sticks, fruit, etc. into a single meal. Look up ideas for bento lunches, some of them will be full recipes but a lot are just combinations of different things that only need to be cut up.10 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »LeGypsyRov wrote: »It's like this at my house: I made it clear we were getting healthier. If they wanted snacks that weren't, they had to keep them in a shoe box hidden from me. The cupboards only keep healthy foods. My philosophy is if it's not in the house, I can't eat it.
I would love to do this! Can't until they're older though. We did stop getting ice cream and I'm trying to get them healthier more "natural" snacks like the strawberry newtons.
No time like the present to get the kids eating healthier. If they balk at some healthier snack foods they will eat them when hungry enough.
Good luck.7 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »Why would you feed your own kids junk food in such amounts? If something is not good for your diet, it most certainly is not good for the kids either. One thing to have a treat here and there, another to stock junkfood. Why not lead by example and teach the kids that a perfect snach can be a fruit, a yoghurt, some nuts, cheese and so on?
My kids only get junk food at snack times. One in the morning, one in the afternoon for the toddler, and only one in the afternoon for the big kid. And it's mostly not cookies and brownies, (treats like that are more for rewards, bust still in the house) it's more goldfish crackers and cheerios with the occassional oreo. Just generally very carby/caloric foods that are fine as a snack, but not so much to fill my entire diet. (And the toddler loves cheese, but hasn't figured out the spoon just yet to manage yogurt without coating the entire kitchen in a layer, but hates me feeding her because "I'm big and can do it myself!"
I basically just can't stop once I start eating, and have no time to eat more than finger foods. Impulse control is my biggest issue. I see those crackers, tell myself one or 2 is fine, then end up eating the whole pack.
As a working mother to 3 kids, sorry, in the kindest possible way: excuses. While you are feeding your kids this super healthy super balanced meal, add a serving for yourself. You are sitting there anyway, the food is already prepared, and kids love to eat what their parents eat, so you are also making lunch and dinner more pleasant for everyone.
Other than this, edible treats as a reward is a terrible system, setting up kids for an unhealthy relationship with food, dividing foods into "bad" everyday food served at meal, "good" treats they get as reward. Work the occasional treat into their daily meals, reward them with playing with them a board game, getting them to the playground, reading them a story, letting them choose a movie for family movie night.25 -
GlamGoals66 wrote: »I have 2 kids (3 if you count my husband) who all have various sugary, high calorie snacks laying around the house, from fruit snacks to lunchables, cookies, poptarts, etc... How do you avoid temptation when eating healthy takes more time, more effort, and has zero flavor payoff compared to sweet treats?
I have NO self control. Any tips on restraint?
1.Buy less of the foods you have trouble moderating.
Buy small containers.
Let each person choose one of those kinds of snacks for the week and that is theirs. You need to choose something you like for yourself too. Something like dark chocolate, wasabi peas, etc might make a smaller amount more satisfying.
Divide foods into baggies or bins with each person's name on theirs. When you finish your portion you are done. If you eat it all in one day or space it out that is up to you I guess.
2. Put food away out of sight. It makes an enormous difference to me if the food in on the counter or in a cabinet or on a shelf.
3. Get out of the kitchen. Get out of the house. Can't eat it if you are busy somewhere else.
4. Don't eat out of containers while standing. Put a portion in a dish. Sit at the table.
5. Plan your day. Have a set schedule for meals and snacks. Have a plan for meals even if you eat the same 3-4 things in rotation. Cook enough when you feed your kids so you can eat the same food together. Make them wait while you eat. They can learn that they will live if you spend a few minutes caring for yourself. Protein, fats and fiber tend to be more filling.
6. Stock your kitchen with low to no prep foods that fit your goals better. It takes minutes to make a sandwich and grab a piece of fruit. Yogurt, cheese, fresh vegetables, cottage cheese, lunchmeat, a frozen meal, canned soup, whatever can fit your calorie goal and lifestyle.
7. Log what you consume. If you have eating an adequate amount of calories then maybe drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes for the urge to snack to pass. If you have a lot of trouble sticking to your goal examine if your goal is reasonable. You might need to go for a slower rate of loss.3 -
You need to find stuff you like, that's easy to grab and go, and can also satisfy your cravings. I also find my cravings change over time. Water is a big help. I have tried to drink a cup of water before giving into cravings. Doesn't always help, but can get my mind off it for 5 min in hopes something else can interfere later. As a parent, I'm sure you understand. This helps the just want to munch - late night types of cravings. As for it's been 2-3 days and I can't get my mind off Pecan Pie...then I go to plan B.
At this point I look at MFP and see how many calories I have remaining. Doing this first help me focus as I then go and look at the pantry/fridge and think about all the options I have before I eat. From there I think, am I hungry, or just craving something? Sometimes I can just make a small salad and be ok. Not usually though, so then I think how can I get the most bang for my caloric buck? Ice cream - fresh/frozen fruit with whip cream. Salty chips - veggie chips, peanuts, raw vegs with dip. Cookies/cake - this is probably my hardest to find a good substitute for, so I will limit portion size and/or augment with maybe some P.B (esp on a few nilla waffers is healthier than a bag of oreos, and has helped keep the cookie monster at bay). I also think about other types of healthier or lower calorie sweets (fruit, frozen ice milk or yogurt, Choco milk and a gram cracker, etc). I will also log properly and review my cheats. If I can't stay away from Twinkies, I will find something else to buy/make that replace (angle food cake and cool whip).
It's not just the taste, but also the texture you have to consider, and the reason why you need to look at your typical triggers and see how to handle. Cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream...they are all sweets, but for me each is a different craving. Low cal chocolate covered pretzels or pudding won't help me when I want a piece of apple pie a la mode. Some people like sherbert (i don't) and are ok with this instead of ice cream. Some people like jello (yuck). Once you get an idea is it hunger, a taste of sweet or salty, or a specific item that is tripping you up, you can shop for yourself for substitutes or even better, ingredients make your own. Be careful though, the others in the house might start raiding your homemade stash of goodies.
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