Has anyone else completely given up snacking?

[Mallinky]

I know my extra weight has crept on due to the crappy snacks I indulge in (crisps, biscuits, cake, choc, crisps and more crisps. I think I'm an addict)
I think I could lose lots of weight is I give up snacking and have 3 proper meals a day and 1 small organised healthy snack mid afternoon.

I want to feel hunger and look forward to my healthy tasty meal.

Has anyone doen this? How did it go?
Does anone want to do this?

Its not enough Sparklingbrook. You need to be strict with your diet.
I love walking and exercise in general. I run, do dvds, do circuit training and spinning (not as regularly as I should but I am fairly fit) and I see no weight loss unless I address the diet.

That is true Mallinky, if I could do both for any length of time it would be great.

I gave up snacking in Jan. I don't have any crap in the house apart from the stuff I don't like and wouldn't eat if I was desperate. I don't need snacks its comfort to me which isn't a good thing .

Sparkling Get your arse back to our thread! We will help you!

I definitely can't have stuff in the house. But I don't want my kids eating crappy snacks either. They have fruit for a snack once a day and homemade cake for the other snack each day. I make the cakes but find I can resist them. Biscuits would be impossible for me to resist. And crisps. We never have those in the house.

I will Sparky but not til Monday,

I've read this thread with interest as I decided yesterday that all snacking had to stop. I'm 5 ft 4, and weigh just under 10 stone. I have 2 kids under 4 and a really active job 2 days per week which keeps me on my feet for 10/12 hour shifts. But I just CANNOT STOP EATING.

Just before Christmas I just ate whatever I felt like and really tubbed up. I managed through exercise to shift the extra lb's, but the constant hand-to-mouth, walking around chewing, standing at the open fridge, picking picking picking is really doing my head in now. It feels like an addiction! I'm 39 next week and I feel a proper middle aged spread has begun.

I eat really well, I'm quite fussy generally, for example I don't eat take-aways or fried stuff, and I only drink tea, coffee and water. But like a poster above says, I eat little and often and 3 square meals a day.

If there is anything sweet in the house, I have to eat ALL OF IT before I go to sleep. Biscuits last a couple of days at most. I know the majority of it is through boredom, as I feel far more disciplined at work.

I've posted tonight because today and yesterday ate absolutely nothing between my 3 meals...yet just now I had some toast and marmite and 3 (count'em) chocolate tea cakes. I now feel quite queasy and wonder why I have managed to last less than two days before stuffing something in post-dinner!

I just really want to know that this cycle can be stopped, and an insight into why I'm doing it? It's not hunger thats for sure.

YEs, that's one thing that I've found (and enjoyed), Diamonds is that when I do occasionally eat/pick/snack in the way I used to, I really don't enjoy it - almost like the feeling of being really full is now unpleasant.

I think boredom, lack of control, PMT, tiredness etc can all lead to my snacking between meals. I so clearly remember a time I'd had a standoff with my then 4yr old DD and I came downstairs and immediately ate a chocolate bar - it felt so obvious then, the link between stress and instant gratification. Quite a lot of it for me was just habit - I'd like to say it was a habit I formed during pregnancies where hunger = sickness, but I think I've probably been like this since I was a teenager, when I got my own pocket money and enjoyed buying treats that I wasn't ever allowed at home.
Also definitely harder for me when I'm at home - almost like when I"m busy/working the distractions keep me from nibbling.
I went in to my 'no snacking' thing saying that it wasn't actually about the weight, but more about taking control of my body and honouring my body by what I put into it. So I've really enjoyed the weight loss, but definitely the sense of freedom at not having to eat has been the biggest benefit.

It's only been three months though, so I recognise that I need to keep my finger on the pulse - I don't think it would be that difficult for bad habits to form again.....

Diamonds you have almost the exact same habits as me. Apart from needing to eat all of something before bed, I recognise myself in everything else you've said. I snack a lot and if I'm honest, I don't even enjoy it. I almost do it on an unconscious level.
I stayed at my mums for a couple of days and she doesn't snack generally so I didn't either. It makes meal times so much more enjoyable and satisfying. In fact, I think all the slim people I know don't snack often but will have whatever they fancy at meal times.

I didn't snack yesterday either until the evening when I shared some cinnamon pretzels with dh for no other reason than it was Saturday

I'm sure I can carry on doing this!

Lovely to read that people really empathise with me regarding the constant hand to mouth
habits! Am pleased with my progress actually. Stuck to 3 meals yesterday and no
snackattacks in between. I didn't feel hungry either. I notice that trying to hold off my breakfast a bit longer helps too.
What are people doing about hot drinks? I am a mammoth coffee person but am now
regulating to a cup at breakfast, MAYBE a cup after lunch food and possibly the last around 3pm...am supping now in fact!
I think it could be good to keep this thread alive..I felt quite low after "teacakegate" on Friday and if I fell off the wagon and binged I would really want to post about it!

Apols for paragraphing am on mobile!

Diamondsonthefloor.....try herbal teas instead of so much coffee. I a a coffee fiend....grind my own beans and everything. But I limit it to to a day. I you had said herbal tea to me in the past, I would have spit on you! But I have come to love them. Teapigs in particular. Licorice and peppermint. Very sweet naturally. Pukka teas are also nice.

I have herbal teas too. I've got a vanilla one which is lovely and I like any of the berry ones. I also love coffee and have two in the morning. Dh bought a lovely Italian vanilla syrup to add to fresh coffee grrrr because its so good!

I can identify with the smacking habit. It is definable my downfall. I am going to join you and give up the snacks. You have inspired me.

Just spotted my spelling error! Ha ha.

I'd like to give up smacking too trollop

How is everyone getting on ? Anyone giving anything up for lent ?

Didn't have any tea on Sunday and then about 9pm my DH went and got a bag of chips for us to share . Can't decide whether it's okay to do that sort of thing once in a while, or whether I should be more strict with myself until I have developed better habits...think it's okay - surely what we're aiming for isn't that we give up treats all together, but that we stop mindlessly eating ?

Am really chuffed that I still seem to be losing weight - almost like the extra empty calories I was eating with snacking tipped the balance into gradual weight gain. I've lost 18lbs since november ! sounds so much, and really hasn't been much effort (although have deffo upped the exercise levels dramatically). Feeling good !

If it was just a case of not smacking, I'd be as thin as a rake.

I'm doing ok with controlling the snacking. Im having fruit mid afternoon as I really do need to eat something then otherwise I end up having a binge.

I might try to give up wheat. I read another thread here that was saying how wheat is processed and modified and is likely a factor in weight gain and obesity.
All my favourite foods are wheat based. If I could follow a healthy diet that involved toast or sandwiches at every meal time, I could easily stick to that diet.
I think I'm addicted to wheat.

Can I join you lot?
I am so aware, each evening after tea, that I am just eating to fill a void of mental boredom,kids are all sorted and in bed,it's my relaxing time and I have always been in the habit of hand to mouth.
If I have friends round food does not even enter my mind so I know it's boredom/loneliness.
Tonight is my first night,I have set my rules;I have to eat tea at the table in the kitchen so I am not eating in front of the t.v.
I can have one of my Options hot chocolates for afters,then,THAT'S IT. No more food must pass my lips.
I hope,hope,hope I can pull this off as every morning I feel so disappointed with myself,and I think that keeps me on the negative cycle.
How is everybody doing?

I've given up. Haven't had a snack since 2nd Jan.

I'm a low carber though and after the first 2 weeks, my appetite disappears, so I don't feel hungry. Also, biscuity / sweet type snacks are off limits & a Pepparami just doesn't cut it!!!!!

To get me through the first 2 weeks (of knuckle grinding hell), I found lots of hot drinks helped. I'd have a hot drink each time I felt the craving & would then feel smug & virtuous for not snacking.

How did you do IQuiteLike?

I have managed to give up the snacking in the evening. Once you get used to it, it really no longer becomes an issue.

I am hving lots of hot herbal drinks and water. And fruit if I really genuinely get hungry.

I've mostly given up snacking. It's amazing how much of the 'hunger' and 'need' for snacks is really just habit. I used to feel absolutely starving at about 10:30am every day because my body was expecting a sweet snack - but now I really just don't miss it at all.

I think if you eat proper meals, you shouldn't need to snack in between.

I don't think that you have to give ups snacks to lose weight. I have lost 4 stone, with a low carb diet and I snack on nuts, small pieces of cheese (mini babybel) and mini peperami. Crisps, chocs, biscuits and cakes are all high carb and packed with sugar.

If I have a really strong chocolate craving I eat a thin scrape of Nutella on a dark rye ryvita and pretend that it is Ferrero Rocher!

So far so good! I have forced myself to eat in the dining room,no tv,no computer and I am not yet tempted to break the rule...it's not so appealing to eat looking at a wall :)

Good plan IQuiteLike

I've done quite well today. I need to find the time and energy to start some exercise.

Morning! Well I did have a sandwich late last night but I'm not too worried,I reckon I did well apart from that,one thing at a time :)
I started doing bodypump classes in October mallinky , best thing I ever did!
Absolutely love them,I was doing some cardio in the gym a few times a week but seem to have dwindled off,must get back on it.
I do have the luxury, though, of being at home with the baby so it's easy enough to find the time. What do you reckon you'll do for exercise?

I am actually a member of a gym which I haven't been to at all this year!
Its so bad. When I get into it, I can go 3 times a week and get annoyed if I can't get to a session and when I stop, I just can't be bothered.

I can easily do one session when dh is at home on the weekends, I can do one session on Wed mornings when in laws are happy to have ds2 for a while and I can try one evening if dh can get home before 8 (not always possible)

I also have dvds at home and work part time so no excuse really except my laziness.

I weighed myself this morning and was shocked at the scales. 159lbs!
Its really given me a kick up the arse and I'm more determined than ever!!
I will be Slinky Mallinky very soon!