Stay at home moms... Boredom snacking?

Boredom snacking... I have a two year old and  newborn so I do not do a lot during the day. Basically nap when I can!!! I am not hungry so I do not have to snack but I do. At first I will eat healthy an apple, but then as the day goes on I'm still "hungry" and I get into the little Debbie's or candy my bf insists on keeping in the house!!! What do you do to stay away from boredom snacking?

It's really tough being at home with small children. I found counting every calorie really helps - because I often can't be bothered to weigh and log every tiny snack - so I don't bother.

I also go out as much as I can (admitedly I don't have a newborn - I have 2 year old twins) but I find the best thing is to do things, go to the park, play in the garden, read stories, go for a walk - just to keep myself (and them) occupied.

Try allowing yourself 2 or 3 low cal snacks in the day - and ones that take a while to eat, like an apple chopped into small pieces or popcorn with a small amount of maple syrup. I plan my snacks in advance so I know I have something to look forward to later in the day.

I'm not a stay-at-home mom but I sure am a snacker with a sweet tooth! I keep a big box of 90 calorie Quaker granola bars (combo pack w/oatmeal raisin, peanut butter and cherry dark chocolate) in the house because they're REALLY sweet (but have only 7g sugar), full of oats (which can increase breast milke supply!) and seem to satisfy my urge to snack on sweets. I try to remind myself that candy is NOT a snack and is just empty calories. However, I do NOT deprive myself of what I want. If I want chocolate candy, I eat ONE Hershey's Kiss. I have a hard time with self control but my motivation to lose weight is greater than my candy urge.

You SHOULD snack just on the right things. Some snacks that I absolutely LOVE that aren't too horrible for you:

Wheat toast with organic peanut butter and apple butter

Bowl of cereal with soy milk/regular milk (I like Kashi Cinnamon Harvest or Quaker Oat Squares)

Wheat thins with Laughing Cow Light French Onion cheese

Apple with (full-fat) cream cheese or organic peanut butter

I find that combining a carb (mostly fiber) with a protein keeps me full longer. I also keep the sweets on a shelf in the pantry that I need a step-stool to reach. The hassle isn't worth it.

Best of luck!

My only trick is that I don't let myself snack. Period. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner (sometimes dessert) but I don't start the snacking because it is alwasy mindless eating (for me).

Bier had a ton of great tips for snacks, especially pairing protein with fiber.

Also, I do have a few things that are sweeter (such as granola bars) for my son, but I avoid them like the plague because they don't do anything for my hunger and I feel like it is a waste to eat them :)

Original Post by kelleigh:

Also, I do have a few things that are sweeter (such as granola bars) for my son, but I avoid them like the plague because they don't do anything for my hunger and I feel like it is a waste to eat them :)

 Alone, the granola bars don't do much for my hunger. My trick is that I drink a ton of water with them. It's like the oats expand in my stomach and fill me up!

i'm so busy and don't eat that much during the day so when I come home I"m famished and have found that lately i have been eating JELLY BEANS -  i've gained 4 pounds in one week from eating way too much pasta and candy!  And yes-  I buy it and no one eats it in the house except for me.  Yikes!!  and wherever they are in the house; i WILL get to them LOL.  I really have to stop it now!

Looking over your post, I noticed you said your bf insists on keeping snacks in the house. You have 2 young children to think of. Do you want them growing up eating junk? If your bf wants snacks, ask him to keep them in his car (and preferable eat them when the kids aren't watching!). When my kids were young I would have 1 or 2 treats in the house. They would always ask and I would dole out a small amount. To this day (24 and 26) they aren't big junk food snackers! My husband is another thing. If I buy a bag of candy for the holiday, he eats them all in a week before I have even eaten one! If I buy some ice cream for dessert when we have company over, he eats the rest of the carton in 2-3 days! (I guess this is better than me eating any of it!) My suggestion, don't keep it in the house and eat lots of high fiber, low calorie food so you are too full to even boredom eat. Good luck.

At the moment my life is pretty busy...but I still cannot resist checking my fridge over and over and over again :( lol.

I completely understand where you are coming from! I have a 5 and 3 year old...and when the last one was born, I totally fell into the bordom snacking habit. I was sooo tired and I had a c-section so I was a little sore too, really limiting my activity. I couldn't stop snacking, so I tried to think about what I was snacking on.....Instead of Doritos (my fav!) I would eat Lime tortilla chips with cherry tomatos, And I would save any "bad snacks" for when my husband came home. It seemed like eating in front of him made me think about how much I was actually consuming!

Also, I kept Shape Magazines around....when I felt like drinking a Coke, I would pick it up and read it instead. Now I have learned to drink tea first and then snack. I like  Oolong tea or Green Tea. Sweeten it with Honey or some Truvia and you have a sweet snack! It also helps to hang pictures of your goals on you food pantry and fridge...right there in your face so you have to stare them down before you eat something....hope it helps! Good luck (and congratulations!)

Original Post by carolann5111:

Looking over your post, I noticed you said your bf insists on keeping snacks in the house. You have 2 young children to think of. Do you want them growing up eating junk?

 I do not let my two year old eat like my bf. He has an apple, a granola bar, or string cheese for a snack. He only has treats once in a while so no I do not think he will grow up eating junk!!

I love to snack, especially while I'm making meals. As I'm rummaging through cupboards I grab a little of this and a little of that.

I've found that for me it's most helpful to plan out what I'm going to be snacking on ahead of time. I usually log my menu for the day into CC in the morning or the night before. Then I fill a little baggy or tupperware full of the food I will be allowed to snack on that day and since I can see it right in front of me I know that's all I'll get and I have to make it last. Tomorrow I'm going to be making 1/2 cup of fiber one be my crunchy lunch making snack and I'll have it all ready to go ahead of time.

Also, when I'm not really hungry I just want to put something in my mouth I usually make a cup of green tea. I like the fruity varieties for that time because it FEELS like I'm consuming something sweet (I add a ittle splenda) and satisfying and it doesn't damage my diet at all.