To ask for your healthy snacks to eat of an evening (that actually taste nice but will help lose weight )

[ItsAllBlahBlahBlah]

I'm at a loss. Baby born last year and I've lost no weight thanks to covid. I've basically been trapped inside with a 3 and 1 yo or toddling at 0.5mph. I'm about to return to work and with spring looming I just can't bear the thought of wearing anything that's not joggers and a jumper. I have a monstrous apron (thanks two c sections) and a terrible habit of snacking when the kids go to bed. I've just about got through the christmas food (EVERYONE brought us chocolate, biscuits etc this year) so I'm determined to not buy any myself and make a new start when I return to work (at home) to exercise where I can and stop the terrible snacking.

Any recipes, or ideas to step away from the packet of biscuits and still feel like I'm living (I'm not going to get excited about celery) please.

Olives
Almonds (a few)
Spicy beetroot
Pickles

But essentially not eating is the key to weight loss

Frozen fruit (grapes, cherries, raspberries)
Parma ham
Courgette sticks

10 calorie jelly
Veg and dips (tzaziki)
Brazil nuts / seeds.

Homemade popcorn! Cheap, very quick and relatively healthy.

Afraid snacks dont help you lose weight - as well i know !

I eat chocolate at night so not healthy but happily snack on carrots and tomatoes during the day.

Honestly just stop eating once you've had dinner. After maximum 5 days (but probably more like 3) you won't miss the evening snacks any more and you won't be hungry for them. They're just a habit, a 'heavy habit', and you'll be surprised how quickly you can change a habit.

Can you replace the snacks with a smaller sweet treat? A cup of Highlights Hot Chocolate? Or limit yourself to two biscuits. I 'save' calories for the evening when I know I'll want a bit of a snack as it's habit for me and I enjoy it. I also log everything on My Fitness Pal so I know what I've really eaten that day.

You don't need to exercise to lose weight although it really helps with mindset.

Also, switch to dark chocolate. Tesco does a really nice 75% one and just two pieces of that satisfy my cravings.

@emsyj37

Honestly just stop eating once you've had dinner. After maximum 5 days (but probably more like 3) you won't miss the evening snacks any more and you won't be hungry for them. They're just a habit, a 'heavy habit', and you'll be surprised how quickly you can change a habit.

This, basically.

If you could move your dinner a bit later as well, you wouldn't have to "last" so long until bed.
If you're concerned about being hungry in the evening, add an extra portion of veg to your dinner to bulk it a bit more.

If you eat a decent evening meal you should need to snack in front of the TV, that's just mindless eating out of habit!

shouldn't not should!!

Another vote for dark chocolate.
But overall try to cut out the snacking or replace with some of the better fruits (grapes and bananas are still quite high calorie)
And start building exercise into your day. Contrary to earlier posts it does make a difference.... uses calories, increases metabolic rate, uses time when you could otherwise be sitting snacking, can reduce appetite.

Large jug of fizzy water with slices of lemon, lime and ice. Honestly, I would keep snacks to a Friday and Sat night if you want them.

Yes I agree it is mindless eating. Unfortunately my husband also does this but he's one of those people that doesn't put on an ounce if he eats like a pig day in day out so I find it hard to sit there while he digs in to something while I sip on water. Biology can be so cruel 😂

Ah I could try adding lemon to fizzy water. And I will try to cut back on the nights I cave in to a snack, it's got to go I know. I have one bar of chocloate left, I know I won't stop until its gone but I am also committed to not add anymore to the shopping.

I used to be a terrible evening snacker, but I've weaned myself off. I have a good dinner, leave the table feeling saitiated and then have nothing else until breakfast.

It's not rocket science, but it's been by far the most effective weight loss effort in my 50 years and actually, once you get used to it, it's not difficult. I'm sure a lot of my evening snacks were from habit or boredom more than hunger.

Can you just have a half a bar? It's a start isn't it? You haven't got to eat everything first before you start! :D

Graze! The brownie is so good.

I used to eat chocolate every night in front of the TV. Literally every night. Sometimes a whole 100g bar. Plus intermittent snacks during the daytime. That's getting on for a kilo a week.

I have a big cup of tea now. Occasionally - once or twice a month at most when I'm feeling hormonal - I have a hot chocolate in the evening. Proper milk with grated dark chocolate melted & whisked in, not cheap crap from a tub.

No snacks. You don't need them, it's habit. Eat more decent quality protein, including some healthy fats, & have less carbohydrates, especially the refined type. Eat more vegetables & fruit.

Celery sticks and carrots have a great crunch so you actually feel like you've eaten something rather than something mushy like a yoghurt.

What about a pretty plate of colourful veggies? Instagram has lots of that sort of thing. Some halved cherry tomatoes, carrots with beetroot humous, some olives and almonds? It’s a bit of a faff but if your food looks lovely it can seem like less of a punishment.

If it’s mindless eating (and I think we’ve all been there) then things like crudités really fit the bill. Not exciting but not depressing either.

This sort of thing

sunflower or pumpkin seeds , unhulled. It takes so long to shell them, you hardly eat anything.

Snacks that help weight loss is an oxymoron.

Best to go for as long as you can between meals (intermittent fasting) and don’t snack. It’s a habit more than hunger so find some themes to do with your hands. Crochet is a good hobby to have!