Can you find more nutritious “treat foods”? And allow yourself one or two a day?
I love sliced apple and nut butter - I slather on 100% peanut or almond nut butter, its probably as calorific but it’s more nutritious and filling than crisps/crackers/cake.
Other favourites:
Banana with peanut butter or chocolate spread or cream
Strawberries or raspberries and cream
Pancakes with blueberries and marscapone/cream/Greek yogurt.
Fruit and Nut mix
Pear or Kiwi and Greek yogurt
Carrot sticks and humous
If I eat anything I try to make sure there’s a fruit or vegetable incorporated. I make sure to get my 5 a day in.
I’ve read that eating too much fruit it bad for you, but surely eating the biscuits/cakes is worse??
Sorry but if I would give up the take always completely, and massively reduce if not stop alcohol. (You’ll save loads of money.)
Not sure how to address this with your family/lifestyle.
I eat when I’m bored. Take up a new hobby? One that keeps your hands busy…. Knitting, gaming. Even better if you can find one that keeps your body busy… cycling, swimming, yoga, squat challenge. I found when I had something I really wanted to do on the Sunday morning, it was easier not to drink on the Saturday night.
Sometimes I do some push ups or leg raises or squats in the evening if I’m bored and that takes your mind off food and makes you focus on your body and how it feels. On the bedroom or living room floor, it would take 5-10 minutes. I’d chat to my partner while doing it if he was around.
I was working specific parts for specific reasons: leg raises to strengthen core after baby, squats for flat mum butt. I focused on one or two problem areas and increased the number I did every time, to a target. Follow a work out or stretch on YouTube if your not sure what to do.
I eat when I feel sad or tired. I indulge in other guilty pleasures…. Gaming, mumsnet, scrolling online shopping (looking, not buying…. Maybe the occasional purchase.)
Make sure you’re drinking enough water.
Make sure you’re getting enough protein.
I try to limit sugar intake more than fat but I might take breaks from having butter/cheese/mayo for a while (I love these, and put loads on my meals so an easy way to cut calories.)
Sometimes I would just let myself be hungry. I may feel peckish at 9/10pm, I’d just ignore it, drink water and go to bed and it would be fine. If I was too hungry to sleep then I’d get up and eat something.
Many years ago I would have a “no carbs after 6pm” rule. Don’t do it now but maybe one or two dinners a week may be no carb or low carb with fruit for dessert.
Find something or a combination of things that work, and stick to it. Avoid extreme or anything too restrictive as it’s more difficult to stick to. Make a small change now. Make another small change. Make another small change.
Perhaps, no sweet treats or crisps this weekend but you have the wine.
If you’ve done well that week, have the take away Friday night, but continue eating “well” and do some exercise at the weekend.
Whatever you do it needs to be sustainable.