Eye opening

[lurchermummy]

I've been using MyFitnessPal to track calories, and it's been very eye-opening. I realise that I eat a lot more than I think especially in snacks, all healthy things like fruit, nuts, oatcakes, avocado but obviously very high in calories. I do find that I get very hungry though. What do other people do to stave off the hunger pangs between meals? I know I probably need to eat more protein. Any other tips? I haven't really done calorie counting before but menopause means I must! Thanks.

I concentrate on protein but am about 50 days in on MFP and have mostly got used to it now. I usually have a herbal tea if I need to stave off the hunger for a bit, or do an extra walk.

Thanks yes I think I partly need to train myself not to snack so often.

Diet drinks I've always found useful for hunger pangs.

When I'm WFH, I try to stick to crudités, water and herbal tea. Not because I'm a teeny-tiny but because I'm a bit of a pig and I can't afford the extra snacking hours if I stick to my usual.

Hard boiled eggs are good for a protein hit. Around 60 calories

0% Greek yoghurt

Child size Apple or banana

Half a child size apple With peanut butter

Celery, cucumber cherry tomatoes

I find nutracheck Better thank MFP but you have to pay for it- well worth it though.

Thanks yes crudites are a good idea, I'm definitely a bit of a picker/nibbler. I'll have a look at Nutracheck thanks.

I find a low fat cup of soup helps in the nibbling hour while wfh. Also more protein and wholemeal rice.

"the nibbling hour" - love it! My danger zones are around 11 and then again around 4 -if I can get through those times I'm usually okay. Miso soup is quite satisfying I find, I'll have to buy some of that.

Sparkling water with a wedge of lemon.
Drink a 2 Litre bottle every day.

Focus on protein at every meal/snack

Lots of veg to give volume to meals

Protein bar if desperate for a sweet snack, very filling

Sugar free jelly also good for volume but low cals

I have a bowl of sugar snap peas. The sweetness and crunch satisfy my snacking urges.
Also MFP way overestimates calories burned through exercise so id ignore that or only eat back half the calories it says you've used.
The 'success stories' in the forum are motivational if you feel yourself wobbling.

40g of porridge oats, skimmed milk and sweetner if I'm hungry

I scoffed a packet of fancy shortbread biscuits a few weeks ago. I was home alone with only the dog to keep me on track. The I looked at the info on packet 😱

Focus on making your meals high in protein and high in volume first. Then decide if you are actually hungry or not at those danger times. Break the cycle by going for a quick five minute walk, or replace a snack with a diet soda or herbal tea.

If you eat protein and fat together, without carbs, you will likely forget about food for hours and hours, especially if you keep busy. Have some meat and cheese in the morning, without touching any carbs, and then see when you get hungry.