need help avoiding mid-day snacks!!

xSophia19
xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
edited November 10 in Motivation and Support
its always around 2pm ish, when my brain decides to tell me im really hungry! no matter what ive had for lunch!! I could have a big roast dinner and ill be 'hungry' again an hour later!!

between 2-4pm i can eat anything from 50 calories - 700 ish!!

how the heck do i avoid this?! i try and keep myself busy - i go out the house and go down to friend houses for a few hours and i still feel the need to eat! ill walk past a shop and walk in grab a chocolate bar and think to myself 'ooh it wont do me any harm' but it flippin does! the scales dont like it on sunday morning!!

i try to drink as much water as i possibly can to help fill me up, but it feels like a need to chew something constantly?!

are there any tablets out there that make you feel full?! haha! cos if there is, let me know!

thanks in advanced x

Replies

  • jadesign19
    jadesign19 Posts: 512 Member
    I am truly a 2-5pm food addict. I am so relating to this topic. I started working while my kids are at school but lately I've been getting home by 2:00. I started bringing a huge water bottle to work so I drink at least 5 to 8 cups while I'm there. That's helped. Then I recently started taking the dog for a walk./run around 2-3 p.m. Believe it or not that's helped. On days when I'm starving (or sad) I try to drink hot liquids - tea or even hot water. I'm struggling every day. So I appreciate this post.
    I also gave in and will eat my dinner (I preplan my meals) at that time and just eat a salad or veggies with the family.
    It's a work in progress.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    Advice I was given and need to heed is to eat smaller, more frequent meals. It is supposed to help regulate your blood sugars and that means I typically eat 4-5 meals in a day, with several other snacks. It helps me, that's for sure, and it's easier to over-eat if I eat less meals in a day.

    If you need to chew, try a piece of gum.

    If you're actually hungry, it's best to eat something. Chocolate bars won't make the hunger go away, in my vast experience. Try 10 almonds as a snack instead of a chocolate bar. Or even a healthier energy bar or granola bar.
  • Givemewings
    Givemewings Posts: 864 Member
    I think it's just habit. It's going to be painful for the first week or two then your body will get used to it. Or, you could try snacking on something healthy like an apple , a handful of almonds or edamame beans.
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
    mhhhm, thanks all.. i will snack on more fruit, rather than unhealthy calorific foods! i just feel the need to munch on chocolate all the time :( this needs to stop! and it is going to stop today! or else i will never be at my goal weight =/. thankyou all for your help :)
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
    Obviously, your body needs food at this time, so eat! Just plan it into your calories for the day. I always carry fruit and almonds.
  • newfieborn
    newfieborn Posts: 85
    You should be eating small balanced meals every 2 - 3 hrs. This will keep your system working properly. Eating fruit alone as a snack will not help because there are no proyein. The carb will give you a short sugar high but you will soon crash. I eat at least 6 meals a day but they have to be balanced.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    What's wrong with afternoon snacks?

    I eat a series of small 150-300 calorie meals from the time I get up until dinner time (usually around 6 pm or so). I think you may want to consider spreading your meals out so that you're more consistently full (and your sugar levels are more even) instead of risking starving yourself and then binging on whatever is in front of you.

    Stock your pantry/drawer at work with healthy, go-to snacks like nuts, dried fruit, protein bars, etc. Or pack yourself a yogurt, fruit, veggies, whatever you like.
  • TonyL68
    TonyL68 Posts: 133 Member
    Obviously, your body needs food at this time, so eat! Just plan it into your calories for the day. I always carry fruit and almonds.

    Agree. I don't eat three meals anymore. Unfortunately, the diary doesn't show what time you eat, but here's my typical breakdown:

    6:00 am
    Oatmeal
    2 hard boiled egg whits
    banana

    8:00 am
    yogurt or other fruit

    10:00 am
    tangerine

    11:30 Lunch
    (A wrap or leftover dinner)

    12:30
    raw veggies

    2:00
    apple

    4:00
    sliced cucumber with fresh salsa

    6:00
    dinner

    8:00
    snack: can of tunafish with chopped pickle, WW ice cream bar, egg white fritatta, hummus and veggies, or anything small and healthy that's in my goal calories.

    Hope that helps.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Don't avoid them.

    LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

    SUPPORT YOUR NEEDS.

    http://www.snack-girl.com/
  • LoriBarefoot
    LoriBarefoot Posts: 218 Member
    Don't avoid it! Snack away!.. Spread your calories out. My snacks tend to take up the majority of my calories. Feel free to add me and look at my diary. I have mid morning snack, mid afternoon snacks, after dinner snacks.. and STILL usually stay under my calories!
  • ErrataCorrige
    ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
    I ave this same problem. Thta is the time of day my body wants to eat a lot. So I let it. I have a small snack around lunch time, then make my main meal of the day at 2:00. then I have a smallish dinner.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Snack. Just choose healthy stuff!
  • soymilkcoffee
    soymilkcoffee Posts: 171
    Nothing wrong with a mid-day snack, but you just need to plan for it. I usually have a little snack before dinner to hold me over. A yogurt cup, an orange, an apple with peanut butter, or some almonds might do the trick.
    Also some good advice someone gave me: eat before you feel hungry! Plan out times you're going to eat something, because when you feel ravenous, you're most likely to keep eating and eating!
  • charitycase77
    charitycase77 Posts: 8
    Listen to your body, the thing with restricting food is that most people think they have to restrict everything. As long as your snack is healthy then you should eat it. My advise is browse other peoples food diaries and see what snacks they eat. Almost all my MFP pals eat snacks thru out the day and still stay under their calorie intake. Also if you open your diary to others they might be able to help you formulate your eating plans and fine tune them.

    For me, i eat an apple and skinny cow cheese. Total is under 90 calories and it's yummy. If you want you can friend me and view my diary to see some examples.
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
    mhhhm, thanks all.. i will snack on more fruit, rather than unhealthy calorific foods! i just feel the need to munch on chocolate all the time :( this needs to stop! and it is going to stop today! or else i will never be at my goal weight =/. thankyou all for your help :)

    If you really crave chocolate, try eating dark chocolate if you don't already. I eat 4 squares of Dove 70% dark chocolate, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, and it's 110 calories. I find that dark chocolate helps curb my sugar cravings, but milk chocolate just makes them worse. Just my experience though. I also eat 4-5 smaller meals a day to spread out my calories.
  • _Ren
    _Ren Posts: 89 Member
    I suggest eating celery. It has very little calories and is pretty filling.

    Things I eat throughout the work day as snacks: banana, celery, grapes, strawberries. And if I go for a speed walk, when I get back I have 7 honey roasted peanuts (because they can be so high in calories). And a lot of water.
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
    Have a a snack just plan for it. If you don't plan for it that's when it will get ugly. Protein will keep you feeling full for the longest amount of time then whole grain snacks like whole grain crackers or oatmeal. The healthiest snacks would be some fruit. Some snack ideas http://keepyourdietreal.com/food/news/20-quick-and-healthy-snacks/ Also avoiding carbs in the morning will help you not crave them all day. I'm a chocolate lover but If I don't eat carbs in the morning it is easier to avoid the carbs and cocolate in teh afternoon.
  • charitycase77
    charitycase77 Posts: 8
    A trick for the chocolate craving. Allow yourself a low cal desert in the evenings. When you crave chocolate, remember that you have a desert waiting for you at home. A person only has so much will power, so if you know your going to eat that desert later, it's a lot easier to have the will power to deny the afternoon chocolate craving. For your cravings i suggest for desert, sugar free, fat free choc pudding, or fudgicles no sugar added. (40 cals a pop)
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    The old addage is, if you're not hungry enough to eat vegetables you're not really hungry. it's just a craving.

    By all means snack if you are hungry! Just make healthy choices.
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