How do I stop snacking?

How do I stop snacking? It's not as simple as...just don't do it. I know snacking is my biggest problem and the source of most of my weight gain. Lack of regular exercise is a contributor, but I really want to curb the snacking.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to stop? It's the behavior I'm looking to stop, I know I can substitute healthier foods for junk.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

~Jennifer

You said it yourself- Just dont do it.

Drink glass of water, go take out the trash, spend 15 minutes working on a hobby of yours, research a new recipe to make sometime during the week or that night, or do anything else that doesnt involve putting food in your mouth.

Then if your still hungry-its probably actual hunger..in which case you can go grab a healthy snack.

Eating an extra apple or stalk of celery is not going to hurt your diet, and if anything it would help by preventing you from eating a handful of chips or cookies.

sometimes we misunderstand thirst for hunger. try this, next time when u fill like taking a snack, take 1 or 2 glass full of water instead...

good luck !

Hello Jennifer - as I life long snacker I understand.  It's easy to say just don't snack but in reality its really tough.  I know that I'm going to snack so I make sure that I have low calorie foods available so that I can guiltlessly snack away!  I air pop popcorn (30 cal's per cup), freeze sugar free pudding cups (45 cals Handisnack), sugar free italian ice (both it ice and pudding cups take a while to eat), eat cut up slices of apple and other fruits....

I also plan my snacking into my calorie count.  Dieting and maintaining requires much self control and self awareness that if I can eliminate anything that makes me feel guilty I do. 

Healthy snacks are a good thing. But if you're snacking on items like chips or cookies, just don't keep them in the house! You always start out believing 100% that the bag of chips will last you forever, that you'll only eat one serving size at a time and "probably have to throw some away because they've gotten stale! ha ha!" And it never fails... the first time you open the bag, they're all gone.

I stuggle with this too.  Lately I have been eating a little bit every 3 hours.  If I'm hungry I try to wait until it's time for the next snack and then eat something with protein and fat in it. 

Also it helps if I start drinking water in the beginning of the day.  If I'm hungry, it's really hard to drink a cup of water or a cup of tea.  But if I start drinking it before I'm really hungry, it doesn't get to the point where I just want food and not water.  Does that make sense?

I'm totally with you though.  Snacking is my downfall.  Even if it's healthful foods, it takes me a while to know I'm full.  So I can eat a lot of calories before I feel satisfied.

I'm not sure what your daily calorie intake is but when I'm eating up to 1600 calories a day I eat 4 small meals each 400 calories...I find that I'm never hungry when I do this, and I can always wait til my next mini-meal.  :)

Otherwise just try to stay busy and keep your mind off of food.  I usually eat when I'm bored!  So to curb the urge to eat when I'm not hungry/snack I:

Do an exercise DVD, clean the house, study, read, go for a walk.  Or I do something cosmetic to make me feel good and pass the time like pluck eyebrows, facial masks, mani/pedi, etc.

And I never feel like eating after I brush my teeth :)

Original Post by missmontana:

And I never feel like eating after I brush my teeth :)

 That's what I was going to say :)

Brush your teeth when you start snacking and you'll be less tempted to eat and ruin that minty fresh breath and those clean teeth.

Snacking is my weakness, as well.  I drink a glass of water or grab a snack that doesn't effect my diet very much (such as celery or carrots).  Chewing a piece of gum is also helpful, especially if you are having a sweets attack.

Keep the snack in the kitchen first of all.

What I do is take a little bit of that snack, go back in my room with a full glass of water and then eat a little bit of the snack, drink alot of water. eat a little more, drink more water. it lasts for awhile and then you fill full :) sorta. ^^;;;

 

Consume some fat while you are eating other stuff because fat keeps you full according to my yoga instructor (eat some healthy fat!)

Original Post by naruelle:

Keep the snack in the kitchen first of all.

agreed. (although I don't so it, I should!! :P )

 

In the evenings I have around 200 calories to snack on. With the very best of intentions, I take the whole bag/box/package of whatever I'm eating with me (usually to the couch while watching tv), with the idea that I'll stop eating when I get to one portions worth. The problem is that as soon as I start, I eat until it's gone even though I'm not really hungry (400-600 calories down the drain). Now instead of doing this, I take those 200 cals and invest it in something that's not a snack but more of a meal, like a bowl of soup. I stay within my cals (because it's only one bowl of soup and I won't go back for seconds), and it fills me up.

Jennifer,

Reading this post, I know exactly where your coming from. I used to snack and snack all day while at work. About two years ago, I decided I would be 'healthy' and put some chocolate special-K bars in my desk. I would eat one for Breakfast, but 30 min's later I'd feel hungry again, and so I'd have another.. and another.. and eat the entire box of bar's in one workday. They were 100 cals each..but after eating 6.. that's 600 cals!

Then I read about how snacks that are high in carbs (even though they are low in fat) are bad to snack on. Aka, my cereal bars. Because the carbs in these foods convert to sugar once eaten and cause your blood sugar to spike. It's when the blood sugar comes back down that you feel hungry again, so you grab another snack.

So here's what you eat to feel satisfied:

Beef Jerky (protien)

Cheese Stick (protien)

Mixxed Nuts (protien and good fat)

Once I started to snack on Beef Jerky and Cheese slices/sticks that I'd put in a zip-lock at work, I wouldn't feel hungry anymore. Plus well.. I really like beef jerky and cheese ;)

Now I've kind of weened myself off the snacking, not by sheer force of will.. it just happened. But, for the longest time even after I stopped remembering to take cheese to work.. I had a jar of nuts at work. If I forgot breakfast, or felt hungry, I'd put pour out some mixxed nuts (about 20) on a napkin at work and put the jar in a drawer so I couldn't see it. Then I'd slowly eat the nuts, one at a time, savoring them. Usually that killed my hunger pretty fast.

Oh, and I also agree with the drink lots of water thing..

Hope this helps!

I figure snacking into my calorie allotment.  Keep healthy snacks around:  carrots and hummus, fruit, celery with no sugar peanut butter, peanuts, popcorn, low fat pudding cups, jello cups,  yogurt, v-8 juice, cheese sticks and hard boiled eggs.  I find if I eat filling meals (good healthy protein and a lot of veggies), I'm not hungry between meals. 

I don't work a full time job due to a disability.  I do work a couple of part-time shifts a week.  I find when I am hungry which is usually about every 4 hours, I eat again.  This eliminates the need for snacking.

You might want to try to eat 5-6 small meals a day. 

Original Post by lonestarteacher:

Snacking is my weakness, as well.  I drink a glass of water or grab a snack that doesn't effect my diet very much (such as celery or carrots).  Chewing a piece of gum is also helpful, especially if you are having a sweets attack.

Chewing gum!! It works so well!  A lot of the time I find I'm just craving a flavor.  Orbit Sweet Mint is my favorite! :)