Losing weight in a house full of snacks

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:

This made me chuckle
Sounds like my place of employment as well.

@GlamGoals66 I also have two kids so I can understand the struggle.
It's been said many times already, but the best option to help yourself (and the fam), is not to buy as much junk. Start slow and just buy less each time. No need to cut it out completely though.
Also, food shopping after you have eaten will help impulse purchases. I buy lots of crap when I shop hungry.
Then make yourself accountable. Log every cracker or cookie you eat.
Try foods that are low glycemic, or fiber rich, to help you feel fuller longer.

happytree923 wrote: »

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.

I totally agree! On my first day back I wrote a big rant about how I felt like a failure and that I didn't deserve to choose better circumstances for myself. Immediately I told myself, wait what?? I'm talking like someone that will fail. So I deleted that whole text and re-wrote one that acknowledged those thoughts as past behaviors I was chosing to kick to the curb because I deserve only the best, I know who I am and what I want and I am done making excuses. I know what I need to do and will do everything to achieve it! Etc.

I think it's time that you have a sit down with yourself and put all your excuses on the table to examine them. I'm not saying your situation isn't hard, but you need to come up with solutions that you can execute. You need a plan! And you surely need to change that negative self-talk if you do want to develop good habits. I know, I've done it!! I have three kids under four and a very needy husband (when he's there, and he's often not as he works late and works weekends often, so I often juggle everything and when he is there he barely gets up for anything) that eat all sorts of junky food, often in front of me too! I divided the pantry in baskets, and there is a basket for my hubby's treat and one for the kid's treats. It mentally works as a barrier, like those don't belong to me and I won't reach for them.

I also used to graze on the kids junk all day, while preparing them healthy meals. My solution was to stop snacking altogether. My problem was that I used to be snacking all day long on less than nutritive things. I needed balanced meals! So now I eat three meals a day, that I pre-log at the beginning of the day to ensure I meet my calorie goal. I make sure to include plenty of veggies and focus on real food that will fill me up and keep me from obsessing about the snacks in the pantry.

For breakfast I've been eating lately is a quick veggie loaded egg wrap in the morning (whole grain tortilla, two eggs fried with onions and peppers, cut up spinach, tomatoes, with mayo, hot sauce and a tiny bit of shredded cheese) which takes about 5 minutes to make. I also used to make a huge frittata in the oven on the weekend that would last all week, so that's another option if you want to prep ahead!

Lunch is usually a huge caesar salad because I just love it lately! I have a few chicken breasts that I baked ahead of time and chopped, as well as bacon bits (I cook the bacon on a pan lined with foil in the oven, clean up is minimal!). I add creamy caesar dressing, cheese and croutons. It all fits in my calories, is delicious and very filling! Takes less than 5 minutes to prepare! I also plan on trying a taco salad soon, which has ground beef with a ton of veggies and tacos seasonning and tortillas in pieces on top! YUM! Otherwise I also have leftovers from dinner with a salad or frozen broccoli that I can reheat in the microwave in 3 minutes.

And for dinner I usually eat whatever I serve the family, but a small portion with a huge salad on the side.

I also cut out pop and juice and drink plenty of water, from my water pitcher filtration system I got from the store. Loving that thing sooooo much. Makes drinking water much more enjoyable to me!

Whether you chose to go for hard-boiled egg and instant oatmeal/overnight oats for breakfast, a greek yogurt parfait or salad for lunch and whatever for dinner. Just figure out ahead what you're going to do, and it will be much more manageable once you get in the midst of the chaos that is running a household!

Hope these tips help! Feel free to add me if you want to connect and support each other!!

Good luck oxoxox

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?

My tips that have helped me with restraint:
Visualize why you want to avoid/limit these foods. Is it for weight loss? Healthier living?
Put a sticky note on it that says - my glam goals (your name!) are more important then my immediate satisfaction.

When you want those snacks- ask yourself- why do I need this right now?

Focus on why you want to make this change. For whatever reason you are choosing to limit snacks or omit them...make the reason more important.

Remember why this goal is important for you and tell yourself you are important enough to commit.

I have a hard time moderating amounts of pizza, chips, candy. I omitted them all to banish the craving for them. I can’t eat 1 chip. I can’t eat 10 fries. So I decided to switch up my diet to foods I could control and would be more filling. Now 6 months later- those foods aren’t calling out to me anymore.

Wish you well glamgal! No worries - you got this!


🤗
M

I was an impulse eater as well and still am if I have not prepared in advance. I set aside a total of 2-3 hours a week (usually 15-30 minutes a day after my son goes to bed) to prepare healthy snacks/breakfasts/lunches throughout the week. I buy large bags of raw nuts, weigh them, and bag them as single servings while catching up on a TV show. I make sure when I shop to buy a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, grapes, avocado, etc. I rinse and individually bag the grapes. I carry a knife, fork, and spoon in my purse to cut apples and avocados on the fly if I need to. I sometimes pre-log my food at the beginning of the day and use it as a checklist to make sure I don't over indulge. If someone throws something like a chance to eat a cupcake my way, I don't eat it unless I have unbudgeted calories left or can get some exercise in to offset the cupcake. Someone else has already said it...you need to make sure to eat fulfilling meals at almost the same time daily to ensure you do not go hungry. I keep Lara Bars in my purse and car glove compartment. I binge when I am too hungry because I have not planned well. I eat 2 large eggs, either hard boiled or scrambled almost every morning and a small avocado on the side. If I eat this, I am typically not hungry until lunch, but am always sure to have a premeasured bag of nuts or a piece of fruit at hand in case I do get hungry. Find a go to meal or two that you can count on to keep you fuller longer. The big thing is you need to look at your calories like your paycheck. You have to convince yourself that you cannot live beyond your means. If you have $200 and want to buy a purse that is $220, you need to work some overtime; when it comes to weight loss, exercise is your overtime. Increase your bank of overtime and you can snack more if you need to, but prepare and you should not need the extra calories.

GlamGoals66 wrote: »

Deviette 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.

Why can’t you also eat the healthy, super-balanced meals your kids eat?

Perhaps you know something that may just keep me full longer instead of low calorie? To avoid binging?

Maybe the big kid and the bigger kid (husband) can help more with the food. Or just make what you want to eat, that’s healthy and they’ll adapt or start pitching in.

Find treats you like as healthy substitutes. Personally, I like Quest protein chips. Whenever we have a catered lunch (sandwiches) at work, I bring my own chips. I also love these low calorie/high fiber tortillas. bring them and substitute the bread. Voila! Healthier lunch for me!

I’ve found better pasta alternatives for me (higher protein and fiber without sacrificing taste). And made no-bake healthy snack balls. There are tons on Pinterest. I also like these protein bars I found. To me, they taste like candy bars but with waaay better macros.

I also don’t really eat much snack food. I’ll bring smaller meals as snacks. For me, much more satisfying.

@GlamGoals66 your case I think is typical for most with kids in the house.

Back in Oct 2014 I went Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) trying to manage my joint pain at the age of 63. The son and daughter had just turned 16 bringing in tons of sugar stuff setting on the table, counter and everywhere. For 40 years I had been trying to lose weight only to eat something sweet and wind up eating all of the sweet stuff in sight and where they stashed some of it out of my sight.

Finally I got pissed and left food with added sugars and or any form of any grain. It was a hellish 2 weeks but it has been about 4 years since I have wanted to raid their sweet stuff because my 40 years of carb binging was over mainly in 30 days after going Keto.

I wanted to master a way of eating for pain management and LCHF (keeping total carbs to about 50 grams daily) has been my ticket back to the best health in decades.

The funny thing is how much all three have cut back on processed foods without me saying anything after they saw how I was regaining my ability to walk more that 100 feet without needing to rest and all of my lab work becoming normal for the first time in their lifetime. Swimming in carbs was something I had to deal with because that was my monkey and not theirs.

I do not know what will resolve your craving to bing but you will find your way forward in time. I was old and running out of time but I do not think I would have ever "tapered" off of carbs personally because I had tried for years. The freedom to live these last 4 years has been beyond AWESOME.

Best of success.

GlamGoals66 wrote: »

LKArgh 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!"

What's wrong with serving your kids fruit and veg for snacks? Things like carrot sticks, apple slices, etc.

And as for the rewards, you could consider changing them to doing interesting things like going to the playground, beach, zoo, etc. or things like books, colouring books, etc.

Deviette wrote: »

Kids don't need to snack. You're not depriving them if you aren't constantly feeding them.

And I would back up a lot of the sentiments of others: Why not eat the same as your kids? Kids do not need to exist on "kids food" (a term I abhor). They have just as complex pallets as their parents, so introduce them to foods that you like so you get a chance to eat with each other (and you actually get to eat)

+1

Once my brother and I got onto solid foods, my mother made one meal, at each meal time, and we all ate it.

The only time we were allowed choice was at breakfast. We could choose from one of several different cereals.

Something I started doing is keeping a little notebook. If I really want something, I write it down, write the calories, write what I had instead, and write how many calories I saved by doing that. It helps me really visualize how much I would have been eating I'd I had whatever I wanted

melnthom1 wrote: »

The big thing is you need to look at your calories like your paycheck. You have to convince yourself that you cannot live beyond your means. If you have $200 and want to buy a purse that is $220, you need to work some overtime; when it comes to weight loss, exercise is your overtime. Increase your bank of overtime and you can snack more if you need to, but prepare and you should not need the extra calories.

I like this!
It's sort of how I look at it. Gotta pay for what you want otherwise you end up in calorie card debt!

rheddmobile wrote: »

I was gonna say, if I had to subsist on Lean Cuisine I would eat my own arm out of desperation.

Those things make me so sad. I weirdly feel MORE hungry after I've eaten one. They only have so few calories because they are tiny portions served in a sea of watery sauce that makes them look bigger than they are. They are baby food masquerading as an adult meal.

Pootler74 wrote: »

rheddmobile wrote: »

I was gonna say, if I had to subsist on Lean Cuisine I would eat my own arm out of desperation.

Those things make me so sad. I weirdly feel MORE hungry after I've eaten one. They only have so few calories because they are tiny portions served in a sea of watery sauce that makes them look bigger than they are. They are baby food masquerading as an adult meal.

I'm 80% sure Lean Cuisines are a long-running extremely profitable prank. I'm sorry to anyone who likes them but I can't figure out how anyone could eat them as a full meal.

happytree923 wrote: »

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.

I agree that the OP may be hungry, and also not getting enough protein. Lack of protein (and/or sleep, and regular exercise) is a recipe for the munchies for me.

@GlamGoals66 how much weight are you trying to lose and what is your weekly weight loss goal set to?

What is your protein goal, and do you meet it regularly?

for some years it was just me & husband. He eats lots of sweets, I like salty so I just have snacks around that I like & don't even try to have a little bit of his because it might get me started. the last 2 months, my dtr & her 3 kids have been staying with us temporary so there's all the snacks you mentioned. I stay away from their stuff but do make my own sweet snacks I like to have sometimes. Mostly non fat plain greek yogurt with 2-4 Tbl of lite cool whip I eat it plain or add some strawberry jam, or got coco mix. Tastes like a mouse & very filling. I also found low can recipe for chocolate cheese cake bites & am making apple pie with very little sugar. I decided not to eat certain things