What do you do when the Munchies strike?!

[try2golightly]

I've never really watched my calories as such in the past but its about time I did! What strategies have you used to avoid getting the munchies and succumbing to untimely and unhealthy snacking?!

[Caz28]

I just don't have it in the house! With the exception of 2 finger kit kats which I have as a rare treat. If I want to snack I have sunbites whole grain popcorn or a few nuts or melba toast and low fat Philadelphia. Having said that I'm finding my meals really filling, I have lots of veg 😊

[try2golightly in reply to Caz28]

Yes avoiding buying in the first place is a the best bet. Thanks for the advice I will have to stock up on non naughty snacks hehe and of course lots of lovely veg for steaming x

[Traceywarks44]

I have chopped up carrots in fridge also celery i have satsumas and if all else fails a packet of quavers .

Or a Alpen light bar

[try2golightly in reply to Traceywarks44]

I do have celery in the fridge! Will have a good old munch on that instead but its so tempting to reach for sweeter options sometimes so I will pick up some satumas on my next shop thanks! Xx

[radioactiveblue]

Evenings were the time I was most likely to snack, so I don't eat anything at all after 6pm.

[MariaWeightlossNHS in reply to radioactiveblue]

I find evenings the hardest. If you don't mind me asking, What would you normally do on an evening to keep yourself distracted?

[radioactiveblue in reply to MariaWeightlossNHS]

I just have the rule that I don't eat after 6pm. If I want to eat, I can't if it's after 6pm. I don't have to think about it or try to talk myself in or out of it.

[try2golightly in reply to radioactiveblue]

Thanks, It's definitely something I will work towards adopting as routine too. On days when I'm more active in the evening it seems easier, I've had a hearty meal at five today so definitely won't be eating anything else tonight!

[castiggy in reply to radioactiveblue]

That is such a good idea. I will have to persuade my other half to have his supper out of the sitting room from now on. I'm ok if it's not around, but if he's eating it does tend to make me want something too.

[Hidden]

Like Caz28 we don't keep anything (**cheese**) in the house that you could call an unhealthy snack. I have an optional piece of fruit in the afternoon if I get hungry - more likely to have that on the days I don't run. I keep a small bottle of water to hand and sip on that - if I'm still hungry I'll have a Wasa. Air popped popcorn is a good healthy snack and only 100 cal for 3 cups mind I'd have to have the munchies pretty bad to go get the machine out of the cupboard and make popcorn. I've cut sugar to zero, stopped drinking diet coke and have very few processed carbs and to be honest I've never felt less like snacking in my life.

[try2golightly in reply to Hidden]

You guys really do run a tight ship at home! Very disciplined indeed I'm hoping to be as disciplined as you and your partner one day. Finding it difficult at the moment with teenage kids at home always sneaking things in the shopping trolley! But I will persevere and try to avoid the temptation x thanks for the great tips

[Hidden]

Wierd one, Boiled Eggs ... eggs keep you full and only one or two and you really dont want to eat much else plus a medium egg is only around 80kcal

[try2golightly in reply to Hidden]

Ah yes, the protein in eggs will help keep you fuller, thanks for the calorie info I'm just in the early stages of translating food into numbers to help me keep track x

[Hidden in reply to try2golightly]

Enjoy the days haha I dont think I can eat anything without guessing the kcal to the nearest 50 anymore 🙈

[Hidden in reply to try2golightly]

On a serious note my fitness pal is an excellent app for logging food

[LinaLamont 3lbs]

If i fancy chocolate, I have a low calorie hot chocolate drink

[try2golightly in reply to LinaLamont]

Yummy x

[miamia]

ummm....yes I do get days when I just have the munchies.......stand and look in the fridge and food cupboard....looking for inspiration........shows we are human....

[LoriMS61]

I try to keep my hands busy. Or if the cravings are really bad I have a piece of chewing gum.

Lori

[elliebath Maintainer]

I lost my weight over a year ago and have kept it off. I often had a soft boiled egg for breakfast and would also cook one hard boiled to go in the fridge as a standby snack. Very filling and you can always dress it up a bit, sliced on a ryvita with a tomato and just a smear of low cal mayo. I also kept small, dark kit kats, which I relied on for my occasional chocolate urge ( although not very filling!) During my year of weightloss I logged everything on myfitnesspal and always tried to keep 100 or so calories back for an "emergency snack". I am now in my second year of maintenance and still rely on eggs quite a lot for filling protein.

[try2golightly in reply to elliebath]

Thanks for the tips and congrats on your journey! lots of shopping and snack ideas, brilliant! Lots of people utilising Apps so that will be one avenue I can use to help me x

[muffintop67]

Hi I too have 2 teenagers in the house so it is hard to not have naughty treats around. Plus my daughter loves baking and keeps cooking cookies and muffins I have just trained myself over the last 5/6 months not to eat it. It wasn't easy at first but now I just think I will enjoy it for say 30 seconds and then beat myself up as I have gone over my calories. I have tried to replace stuff with lower calorie alternatives and have found Snack a Jacks Caramel Rice cakes. Not everyones cup of tea but I really like them and am very happy to have one with tea instead of say a chocolate chip digestive which is a lot more calories. Also I have sugar free mints around and if I feel like munching pop in a mint and then I don't want to eat anyway as I have a minty taste in my mouth. Also sugar free chewing gum does the same trick. I have a friend that brushes her teeth if she feels like munching too. I did find after the first few weeks that the munchie feeling did stop happening so often once you retrain your body. Best of luck to you

[try2golightly in reply to muffintop67]

Thanks, yes it won't be easy changing old habits but got to remain optimistic. Love your tips with the mints, and who would have thought brushing teeth would help! Brilliant lol

[HealthyTanja]

Hi try2golightly

Great thread, I bet many people are wondering the same!

First of all, I agree with radioactiveblue Setting a cut off time for eating has saved me many a times over the past few month. The trick is to make it a habit because once it is simply what you do, temptation will fade because you are taking out the decision making process out of each situation. Make sure you choose a time that is actually doable for you and then grit your teeth in the beginning until it becomes natural. I fast from 8pm to 7am (although it's more like 9am most mornings) and use a great app called "Goal Tracker" to keep a streak going. Works very well for me.

I also agree with everyone who said not to have stuff in the house because 1 you can't mindlessly snack out of boredom and 2 if you really do end up having something at least you need to leave the house to get it! Ideally the effort will be off putting enough not to do it or you could walk to the shop and burn extra calories along the way

Also, as Hidden said, eggs are great. I used to snack on fruit throughout the day but all the fructose made me more peckish and added up the calories. Having an egg instead stops all the cravings. Yoghurt helps, too. There are some great low fat, low sugar ones that really keep the afternoon munchies at bay.

What also helps for me is exercise and brushing my teeth. Furthermore, I drink fresh lemon water throughout the day (on average 3.6 liter) and that keeps my taste buds occupied so that I can't "taste" all the bad snacks my minds is suggesting to me.

If all of this fails however, I have it. If I really must have something, I have it because sometimes denying myself sweets and chocolate is the wrong answer and will lead to a ginormous binge. Luckily I can now tell the different types of cravings and know when to give in and when not to. It comes with time, I suppose. Just as knowing that what I now call a ginormous binge used to be my normal evening entertainment. Instead, I now make sure to have something special. Not the everyday, run of the mill chocolate or sweets but something extra nice, a new kind of ice cream, a more expensive bar of chocolate or a pack of sweets I haven't tried before. Also, I make sure to always burn off more calories than I binge and to not eat after 8pm!

I find as I get healthier and fitter if becomes easier to hear my body and fell it's needs. Thus it becomes easier to act on that knowledge rather than comfort cravings or boredom.

You see, I have a lot to say about the topic of munchies. Consuming a copious amount of food especially chocolate and sweets used to be my downfall, my comfort for sadness, boredom, anxiety, you name it. On some days it still is, but I have found ways to cope, to trick my brain and reprogram my responses. Apps like, "myfitnesspal" and "Goal Tracker" have really helped but the most important thing was to get to know my triggers. This might be interest to you MariaWeightlossNHS as you were asking about how to cope with evenings. One of my huge triggers was TV/ the internet. Getting sucked into tv shows went hand in hand with binging and wasting time and it made me feel good so I did more and more of it until it spilled late into the night and consumed all my days off. I cancelled the internet and for a year I didn't have broadband at home. Knowing what comes before a bad habit or what brings on your munchies, knowing your triggers can not only safe you calories and help you stay on track but help you change your responses to what at the moment feels overwhelming. Change your habits, change your life!

Happy going everyone and good luck on your journeys to health

Tanja

[try2golightly in reply to HealthyTanja]

Hi Tanja, thanks for your in depth reply, you've given me lots to think about! You've acquired a wealth of knowledge on your journey like many others and its wonderful your sharing it. I will be having a good old nosy on your posts too when I get a chance

[HealthyTanja in reply to try2golightly]

What's the point of knowledge if it is not shared 😊 I haven't posted too much but reply here and there, when I feel like having something helpful to say...

[NannaBee]

Appetite suppresants

😃😉

[gman1961 Restart April 2024]

Hi

My strategy is not to buy stuff that you would get the munchies on .good luck .

[rammsteinqueen]

I just hold off until I can't stand it any longer. Have an apple and if that doesn't hit the spot and I need sugar I have a piece of chocolate. Not a whole bar or even half a bar - just enough to get a nice taste for it and then I am done with it. Just tell myself sugar is the devil and tell myself how bad I feel afterwards

[try2golightly in reply to rammsteinqueen]

Thanks! Yesterday I stuck with two little squares of chocolate so it can be done!

[rammsteinqueen in reply to try2golightly]

It's tough. My boyfriend bought a load of Hotel Chocolat goodies back from his job yesterday and it is TORTURE! But I said to myself I will have one choc when I am desperate for one. He will probably have scoffed the lot by the time I want one anyway

[Pamed]

Try2golightly

Hi

I find if I want to ear anything naughty it is normally of an evening ,so I have created little target jobs for me to do , filing cleaning out cupboards or if I want to watch the tv I knit for charity just some dolls clothes or baby blankets .

May not be everyone's cup of tea but it helps me

Hope this is useful

X