Sneaky strategies
Replies
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Tea -- I have to have something to sip on at night and plain water just doesn't do it. I used to drink a glass of wine a night, but now most nights I drink this delicious cinnamon and blackberry tea from Bigelow and save the wine for the weekends.
Not surprisingly, the more hydrated I am the better choices I make, too. I think I must like doing things with my mouth, whether that's eating or drinking something, during the times of day when I'm least active. I have much more energy and my weigh ins are better overall.
Actually... I find that having a biro, pen lid or cable tie that's particularly comfortable to chew on does reduce the amount I want to snack...3 -
Something sneaky I do now at dinner parties is put food in my plate and eat very slowly and talk a lot. I ‘pretend’ to go for seconds but I sneakily just put a bit more salad and rearranged my plate to make it look like I’m going for seconds like everyone else. Also I was at a birthday party and my cousin wanted everyone to have a slice of cake. I just passed my slice along to my sister after tasting it and pretended that I had it. She never checked if I ate it so it was fine. Also when I was at my grandmas house then I told her I had a sore throat so I couldn’t eat too much and she told me not to eat a lot because it was hard to swallow. I probably saved a 1000 calories there!5
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Nothing sneaky here but I do have bread with peanut butter every day. Now instead of having a sandwich with 2 slices of styrofoam tasting lite wheat bread I'll indulge and have 1 slice of my preferred Italian bread with 1 T. of p.b. It better fits my taste buds so I'm more fulfilled.
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When I buy stored-baked bread, I have them slice it thinner than standard. Still get my 2 slices per sandwich, but saves on the calories without me missing out on anything.6
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Oooh, just thought of another one.
I used to take 3 (yes, three!) teaspoons of sugar in my coffee back in the day. Gradually replaced the sugar with stevia, but was not fond of the aftertaste and couldn't get around it. So I figured out that 1 stevia packet plus 1/2 teaspoon of real sugar is the perfect combo for me. The sugar takes the edge off of the stevia, and I'm still saving 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per mug. 12 -
I was hungry in a bottomless pit kind of way so I took NyQuil at 4:30pm and knocked myself out.
In my defense I did have a cold but I know in my heart of hearts I did it so I would stop eating.9 -
I'm very good with my calorie intake during the day, but evenings are my downfall.
If I get the urge to snack (but I'm not genuinely hungry/have reached my calorie allowance) I'll go and brush my teeth instead. Then, even if I'm tempted to eat something, it tastes rank so I put it down after one bite.6 -
Hmm... I'm not very sneaky. I plan out what snacks I'm going to eat for the week that fit into my calories well, and I only buy those. Last night I was a little hungry before bed and was searching through the fridge and pantry but we didn't have anything that looked good so I didn't eat. I guess it worked.4
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I don't know how sneaky it was, but when I first started I made it a point to do my exercise over the lunch hour. Lunch and going out with everyone was kind of a thing and lots of peer pressure to go out. Obviously if I'm exercising I can't go out. Initially people would ask why I couldn't just go after work, but I also had the very valid excuse of having a 2 year old and new born at home at the time.
That was 7 years ago...nobody really says anything these days and I brown bag my lunch most days. I'm also not really part of the social scene at work anymore since I'm in an executive position and fraternizing with staff is not really advisable.7 -
Nothing sneaky here but I do have bread with peanut butter every day. Now instead of having a sandwich with 2 slices of styrofoam tasting lite wheat bread I'll indulge and have 1 slice of my preferred Italian bread with 1 T. of p.b. It better fits my taste buds so I'm more fulfilled.
Love peanut butter! Everyday on a toasted half of an Arnold’s thin sandwich!
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ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »When I want a frozen custard, I walk down to the custard stand to get it. (It's a lovely walk past a park with ponds and wildlife and lots of neat stuff to investigate for both my dogs and my child.) Small custard is 400(ish) calories. The round trip walk is 5 miles. Net calories for the trip and the treat is in the negatives.
Yep. Craving McDonald's? Only way to get there is by bike.5 -
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I have stopped bringing my card to work as the canteen is card-only; they don't have the facilities to take cash.
The food for staff is actually good BUT it is only free if you do a duty. Playground duty? At secondary? In a boy-heavy school? In the pissing rain? You know, I'm suddenly not so keen on that free food all of a sudden. Given I don't take my card to work, I guess I'm stuck with the food I brought with me.7 -
Just thought of another 'sneaky' thing I do that goes with the thinner slices of bread that I mentioned upthread.
When I get fresh-cut deli meat, I get it sliced thinly, too. Like one thickness up from shaved. A sandwich looks more generous when I have multiple thin slices piled on, rather than just the equivalent amount in one or two thicker slices.5 -
I didn't think I did anything sneaky but I guess keeping just my license in the car and leaving my wallet at home keeps me from stopping for coffee before or after my workout. I've been dying to try Dutch Brothers coffee and no longer get blender coffee drinks but have been making cold brew at home to save calories/money. I'll try it one of these days, it must be good with such long lines!2
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quiksylver296 wrote: »I'm trying to think of sneaky strategies, and I'm not sure my strategies are sneaky, per se.
My best stay-on-track strategies are:
Packing breakfast and lunch the night before to take to work
Laying out gym clothes and packing work clothes the night before
Pre-logging my entire day before breakfast
Walking on my morning, lunch and afternoon breaks
Allowing myself treats every day, in moderation
How about this one? I only buy the types of chips I don't like, for the family.
Love the last one!!1 -
1. At social functions where there are tons of appetizers and I've had just a taste or don't want any more calories, I will put a few drops of peppermint extract on my tongue. I breath in through my mouth two breaths and it feels like I brushed my teeth signaling to my body that kitchen is closed and tastebuds are disrupted for anymore tastes. I don't do gum or mints because for me, sugar just makes me more hungry and crave more.
2. I stopped filling my coffee cup in the office because there are always offerings of sweet treats next to the coffee pot so instead I make my own coffee away from where I know temptation lies.
3. I don't keep trigger foods at home but don't restrict myself from trigger foods. I tell myself I can have it but I need to eat something healthy first and if I still want it, I have to make a special trip to go buy it.
4. I know I stress eat and I used to run to the cafeteria to inhale comfort food. Now, I keep "stress balls" for my mouth in the form of dry roasted almonds one at a time or jerky. I know, weird but it's working for me!
I have my last ten pounds to go! Philippians 4:136 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I don't know how sneaky it was, but when I first started I made it a point to do my exercise over the lunch hour. Lunch and going out with everyone was kind of a thing and lots of peer pressure to go out. Obviously if I'm exercising I can't go out. Initially people would ask why I couldn't just go after work, but I also had the very valid excuse of having a 2 year old and new born at home at the time.
That was 7 years ago...nobody really says anything these days and I brown bag my lunch most days. I'm also not really part of the social scene at work anymore since I'm in an executive position and fraternizing with staff is not really advisable.
I used to go for a walk every lunchtime iny old job. Haven't been able to do that in my new one. Though this job is a LOT more active than my old one1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I don't know how sneaky it was, but when I first started I made it a point to do my exercise over the lunch hour. Lunch and going out with everyone was kind of a thing and lots of peer pressure to go out. Obviously if I'm exercising I can't go out. Initially people would ask why I couldn't just go after work, but I also had the very valid excuse of having a 2 year old and new born at home at the time.
That was 7 years ago...nobody really says anything these days and I brown bag my lunch most days. I'm also not really part of the social scene at work anymore since I'm in an executive position and fraternizing with staff is not really advisable.
I used to go for a walk every lunchtime iny old job. Haven't been able to do that in my new one. Though this job is a LOT more active than my old one
I work 12s (0900 to 2130) with an unpaid 30 minute lunch break. I don't eat breakfast. Not eating on my break is not an option as we can't really eat (other than snack stuff sometimes) at the desk. So I spend 15 minutes eating and 15 minutes walking. 800+bed hospital with catwalks to other buildings so it's not hard to get an indoor walk in in the heat or cold or rain. If it's between 55 and 75 I go ahead and walk outside, but I am not getting all sweaty and going back to work, lol2 -
I do back-to-back bunco nights once a month. Ladies, you know what pigfests those things are, and they absolutely kill me every time.
I read someone’s suggestion about brushing your teeth, that it kills appetite. Well, Altoids taste like toothpaste to me. I loath them.
A few timely Altoids effectively killed my appetite, and I made it out of both nights with minimal damage done.
Bleccccch, though.......
And in the plus side, we are going to my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. I’ve pored over the menu and discovered a grilled chicken and mango salsa salad. Even if I factor in a half a bowl of chips, that’s doable!!!! Wish it was those fab fajitas, but it still sounds yummy. Would do the fajitas but I know I will dive into the chips without even thinking about it, and can’t have it both ways.
Sneaky tips: Altoids and preview the menus4 -
I didn't think I did anything sneaky but I guess keeping just my license in the car and leaving my wallet at home keeps me from stopping for coffee before or after my workout. I've been dying to try Dutch Brothers coffee and no longer get blender coffee drinks but have been making cold brew at home to save calories/money. I'll try it one of these days, it must be good with such long lines!
Dutch Bros cold brew with one ounce of cream is only 58 calories. And yummy!1 -
1. At social functions where there are tons of appetizers and I've had just a taste or don't want any more calories, I will put a few drops of peppermint extract on my tongue. I breath in through my mouth two breaths and it feels like I brushed my teeth signaling to my body that kitchen is closed and tastebuds are disrupted for anymore tastes. I don't do gum or mints because for me, sugar just makes me more hungry and crave more.
2. I stopped filling my coffee cup in the office because there are always offerings of sweet treats next to the coffee pot so instead I make my own coffee away from where I know temptation lies.
3. I don't keep trigger foods at home but don't restrict myself from trigger foods. I tell myself I can have it but I need to eat something healthy first and if I still want it, I have to make a special trip to go buy it.
4. I know I stress eat and I used to run to the cafeteria to inhale comfort food. Now, I keep "stress balls" for my mouth in the form of dry roasted almonds one at a time or jerky. I know, weird but it's working for me!
I have my last ten pounds to go! Philippians 4:13
Such an interesting way with peppermint extract, i have to try it!
- i chew gum after lunch to stop from looking around for treats.
- coffee and tea are great distractions, or herbal tea if it's evening and I'm avoiding caffeine.
- i use Altoids too, but unlike @springlering62 i love the taste, so i have to be mindful of the amount of them eaten.
- keeping busy is great, i totally forget about food and hunger.
- my biggest downfall is snacking after dinner. I'm not hungry, but always feel that it's my time to snack, and I've been going to town lately. The fact that I have limitless amount of yummy snacks at home isn't helping and the fact that i can justify coming back for more over and over again is killing me. So I'm trying out a new strategy. Chew some gum after dinner to keep my mouth busy for a bit and then choose one snack/ one portion size and that's it. Then go and brush up and that's all. Normally, after I brush my teeth I'm done, no more cravings. It's to get it done without making a detour with more excuses for more snacks, that's the problem step.
- i try to ride my bike to work as many days as possible, plus nice big rides whenever I have time and on the weekends.
- always try to be the one to walk our dogs, everything helps
- Sometimes i have cravings, usually after lunch, that i can make go avay with chia/ flax mix. And even half a teaspoon is enough.0 -
I didn't even think of Altoids, I pop the cinnamon ones like candy when on trips where my nephews are munching on snacks!0
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I asked for a bowl of bell pepper strips in lieu of corn chips at the Mexican restaurant and dipped them in the salsa. Nice and crunchy and tides me over til the meal came. I figure that saved me about 650 calories, and I spent some of that on upgrading my meal.
Also asked them not to bring me the rice, which is delicious but calorie laden.3 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »I'm trying to think of sneaky strategies, and I'm not sure my strategies are sneaky, per se.
My best stay-on-track strategies are:
Packing breakfast and lunch the night before to take to work
Laying out gym clothes and packing work clothes the night before
Pre-logging my entire day before breakfast
Walking on my morning, lunch and afternoon breaks
Allowing myself treats every day, in moderation
How about this one? I only buy the types of chips I don't like, for the family.
All these. Although the pre-logging can be done in my head (after 4 and a half years of logging). I log later, just to make sure I'm on track, and see that I've done enough activity via my Garmin sync.
I also gave up alcohol, which was has been so nice. No longer swayed by so many ups and downs.
I used to hate the taste of fake sugar, but now I love a huge glass of a mixture of diet/real cordial, juice, diet dry ginger, and sparkling water. I find the 200-300kj of sugar in the drink plus the sweetener hits the spot like alcohol, but without the calories or regrets the next day.2 -
I’m not sure it’s sneaky but I avoid the bread they offfer you at restaurants in the uk before the meal comes as with the amount of butter I can shove on a roll it’s already the calories of a small meal
I’ll share a starter and just have a couple of spoons of my other half’ dessert.
I drink a ton of coffee and sparkling mineral water with lemon. Anything to distract me and fill me up.
Sometimes if I’m feeling hungry in the evenings I’ll go to a group exercise class at the gym. I’ll forget about being hungry. I don’t associate the gym with eating whereas if I stayed at home then the urge to eat and availability of food.... bad combo for me.0
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