I need to lose weight!!

I am a 45 yr old constant snacker, emotional eater who needs to loose about 20lbs.  I work in an office and am on the go every week and weekend.  Any tips on on the go calorie crunching would be greatly appreciated. 

I don't have any advice for you unfortunately, but I wish you well and welcome to the web site!

always have pre-portioned snacks with you wherever you are because you never know when you might need one or when you might accidentally underestimate the amount of time a meeting will take or a doctor's appointment, so it's better to have a snack on hand to prevent binging later. 

Also, plan your meals in advance. This saves a lot of time and prevents mindless eating.

Check the menus of your favorite fast food places and have go to items from each place so that you know which choice is the best when on the go. That way you don't have to make an impulsive decision only to find out later that you ate 800 calories when you thought it was 300-400.

Hope this helps!! 

I've only been doing this food logging for a couple days.. but I think that is key.  The feedback I get from a bad food grade works well for me.  I love Yoplait Fiber One and it gets an A.   I love salted butter and it gets an F.    :(

I think I'm finding that calories are not the enemy, bad calories are.  I'm just trying to make good choices for each meal and for each snack.  If I eat good calories I can eat enough that I have the energy I need.

Good luck!!

Buy some sandwich baggies, and pre-portion out things like carrot sticks, fruit pieces, etc., so they are easy to grab as you walk out the door.

You can portion out things like cottage cheese (an awesome, low calorie, high protein snack) in the reuse or toss cups as well.  Tape a spoon to the top, so you don't have to go searching for one in the morning.  If you don't already have one, buy an insulated lunch bag and a couple of freezer packs, and then you can pack it and put it in the fridge, only having to add a freezer pack when you head out the door.

Light microwave popcorn is pretty good, too.

It takes some planning and inventiveness, but you can do it!

Oh, and as a constant, emotional snacker myself, I can suggest you find something you can do that curbs the cravings.  Go for a short walk, do some jumping jacks in the bathroom, etc.  Exchange a bad habit for a good one.  Doesn't always work for me, but it helps.

Remember that the goal isn't to eat less food, it's to eat less calories while eating healthier foods.

Vegetables are the key.  They are very low in calories, you can take them and snack on them without problems.   Find some vegetables that you enjoy and make sure you have some with you.   I really enjoy celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, etc.

One thing you'll likely find is that when you break the sugar addiction, your appetite will naturally decrease.  You wont be constantly craving sugary foods once you commit to eating healthier. 

Of course the best way to avoid eating sugary foods is to not have them around.  Do not make the mistake of thinking that you'll just have cookie or a small slice of cake or only a few chips.  It's much easier when those foods simply arent there. 

Good luck and let us know how you are doing :)

Hi there! I noticed that you said you are always on the go which can be really tough for a healthy diet. Here are a few things that I do when forced to eat out:

-I always ask the person I'm with if they would prefer to split a plate. Most restaurants are very accommodating and will do it for you before they bring it out. Plus, the portions are typically way too much anyway. It ends up being an ideal amount of food.

- I also make sure to order vegetables of some sort. Albeit, I am a vegetarian but surprisingly it is easy to avoid vegetables when eating out if you're not mindful.

- Eat the healthiest thing on your plate first.

- Have a mental gauge of your caloric intake. A little trick I picked up is to heavily salt your plate once you've reached your max. It can be hard to stop eating yummy food when you're out but once it's salted you're not going to have a problem. haha.

- Of course, order your dressing for salads on the side and only dip your fork in it for just enough of the taste to come through.

- Watch your condiments, the calories add up. I opt for mustard and salsa only.

With regard to day to day eating, being a constant snacker is not necessarily a bad thing... just depends on the foods. :)

I agree with everyone before me to pre-pack carrots, sliced cucumbers, apple, pear, a few almonds... etc. I always keep a piece of fruit in my purse for those times when my blood sugar is low and I'm craving the worst foods. I'm embarrassed to say that on more than one occasion I've found a dried clementine or two in my handbag. haha.

I tend to be an emotional eater myself and this may not be the healthiest option, but when I feel like snacking when I'm not particularly hungry I will opt for a pickle. It curbs my appetite and there are minimal calories.

Also, I will eat mint gum or Altoid. Mint is a natural appetite suppressant.

Make sure you're hydrated also! Many times when you think you are hungry, your body actually wants water.

Personally, I've lost 100 lbs without surgery and these are a few things I do to cut calories.

Good luck to you!!!!

Great ideas!  Thank you.  I am on it.