What do you do when you're stuck at home and you feel like snacking and grazing all day?

stegeem · January 18

Did not make good food choices today. If there had been junkfood around, I would have eaten it. Would be surprised if I had a deficit today.

yirara · January 18

If it's just one day then accept it. One day isn't worth being angry over. For the future, try not to have too many snacks around, and try to find something you enjoy doing to keep yourself busy. Personally, I also find that if I have a mug of tea next to me I grab it instead of getting up and getting snacks.

Sett2023 · January 18

I'm always stuck at home, because I work from home. So, first I try drinking (water and/or coffee with very little sugar) and then, when it's a no-day, I simply give up and graze.
First of all, I have always a great part of next meal ready (I meal prep in the weekend, so in the morning I have only to take out from freezer the next two family's meals, and at the moment I have only to add the latest touch as fresh salads etc), so I began eating it, a fork here and a spoon there: at the end of the day, my calories are the same, only differently spread in the hours.
Then, if I'm still looking for other food, I move to snacks. Some are however in my day's budget, so not a problem for having them... but sometimes I go further and eat too much. But I "pre-contain" the damage since from starting: I've got ridden of all bad snacks, so even when I eat too much (as yesterday), at least my food choices are healthy and nutritious (parmesan, fruits, soya yogurt, some - very few - nuts, a square - only one - of dark chocolate. That is, my usual snacks, simply too many of them).

Lietchi · January 18

It's a mental discipline thing, but try to fix certain meals/mealtimes in your head and stick to them.
That's what I had to do when Covid hit and I was suddenly at home am the time with 'unlimited' food at my disposal.

Perhaps (also) try to enforce a rule of only eating at the table?

Sett2023 · January 18

For me, it works at the opposite: if I know that I prefer/want/would be better eat only at fixed hours, I suddenly desire to eat no stop. On the contrary, if I know that when I want I can graze a little, then I suddenly stop having craves :-D But perhaps that's because, as I said, I've always been at home, since from more than 20 years (that is, I finally reached this job, that is my dreams' job, at about 33 and it's my job also now).
(That said, there are some things that prevent too-eating, for me, such as having a carbs breakfast - mais porridge, oatmeal, croissant, bread etc - and, as I discovered only in this last year, the "plate diet". Both those things are so nourishing to me that not only I've no hunger out of meals' hours, but I really have to make en effort to eat more. In fact, I usually snack only because with only the three meals I'd be under calories... or for stress/boredom from work as yesterday, and here is where I developed the above mentioned strategies.)

sollyn23l2 · January 18

Sett2023 wrote: »

For me, it works at the opposite: if I know that I prefer/want/would be better eat only at fixed hours, I suddenly desire to eat no stop. On the contrary, if I know that when I want I can graze a little, then I suddenly stop having craves :-D But perhaps that's because, as I said, I've always been at home, since from more than 20 years (that is, I finally reached this job, that is my dreams' job, at about 33 and it's my job also now).
(That said, there are some things that prevent too-eating, for me, such as having a carbs breakfast - mais porridge, oatmeal, croissant, bread etc - and, as I discovered only in this last year, the "plate diet". Both those things are so nourishing to me that not only I've no hunger out of meals' hours, but I really have to make en effort to eat more. In fact, I usually snack only because with only the three meals I'd be under calories... or for stress/boredom from work as yesterday, and here is where I developed the above mentioned strategies.)

Then it sounds like you've got it under control and don't have an issue. If grazing all day works for you and you're sticking to your calories, that's fine. What kind of advice are you wanting?

sollyn23l2 · January 18

stegeem wrote: »

Did not make good food choices today. If there had been junkfood around, I would have eaten it. Would be surprised if I had a deficit today.

I would agree that if you're grazing too much all day, then create fixed mealtimes. No more grazing. That's what I had to do. Your body will fall into the routine if you stick to it. Also, get any junk food out of the house. Don't buy it, don't bring it home.

Sett2023 · January 18

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

Then it sounds like you've got it under control and don't have an issue. If grazing all day works for you and you're sticking to your calories, that's fine. What kind of advice are you wanting?

It wasn't me the poster, I was one of the answerers offering my humble ideas

pnehra731 · January 18

When I get “snacky” I drink extra water and find out if I need to eat a meal of snacks aren’t satisfying me. You may want to journal how you’re feeling that you may be trying to soothe with food.

Retroguy2000 · January 18

This happens to me too often, and I need to break the habit.

I find it easier to want to be sensible with food choices if my working out schedule is maintained. There have been studies about this, and it's a thing. Are you regularly exercising?

I put the "worst" stuff like my stash of Xmas shortbread in a box and out of eye line in the pantry, and "better" stuff like protein bars and granola bars at the front, so I'm more likely to reach for those first, and hopefully they are satiating.

An extra coffee helps distract.

It's a small thing but the choice of room to hang out in helps a lot. The proximity to the pantry can be a lure. If it's just me in the house, and I'm downstairs in the living room which is next to the kitchen, it's easy to keep being lured. If I'm upstairs in the den area, much less likely.

If you can't control it that day, accept it before it gets worse. Better to eat 500 over maintenance with reasonably good quality stuff which will fill you up more, have an extra meal even, than go 2,000 over with an uncontrolled binge of cookies and chocolate etc. Log it all.

HoneyBadger302 · January 19

I struggle with "the nibbles" big time, and it is often the downfall of my progress...generally I "feel" like I'm hungry, but nibbling on junk, as it is designed, leads to eating more junk as none of it REALLY gives your body what it needs (and it's literally designed to be addicting).
My first battle is to not have it available to nibble on. I'll keep some dried/freeze dried fruit, some extra dark chocolate, some no-sugar/dairy 'sorbet' around for the times I am really feeling the need.
Eating better overall though helps curb the desire to nibble overall. If I start down that rabbit hole though, it can turn into a free fall (like I did this fall/early winter) leading to downright embarrassing weight gain, which lowers my desire and enjoyment of working out/exercising/doing physical things, which doubles down on the eating junk.....
Ultimately, tracking is the best thing I can do - it gets tiresome and burdensome, but that is really the thing that will hit the pause button if I'm sitting there weighing/measuring and entering what I plan to shove down my pie hole....that puts a BIG pause on downing half a bag of chips LOL.

What do you do when you're stuck at home and you feel like snacking and grazing all day?

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