No more snacking - who's with me?

[BsshBossh]

Now I know many people prefer to graze and eat small meals throughout the day but I am not this person. I love three good meals a day and it suits my family/work routine.

My problem is that I give in to snacking between meals and then cannot savour, enjoy, appreciate my main meals (especially dinner which DH tends to cook and he cooks delicious, inventive meals that I don't truly enjoy because I've killed my hunger with a bowl of mixed nuts or some dark chocolate or a bag of crisps...

I am quite fit (swim and do cardio several times a week) and have successfully lost several stones first using Paul McKenna then monitoring calories via MyFitnessPal. I'm not into low-calorie eating as I love food and have managed to lose and keep off weight on 1800 to 2000 cals a day (am 5ft 4).

I have another stone to lose (maybe more, but one more stone will be fine with me in terms of how I look and feel). I think stopping the snacking will help enormously.

Anyone in a similar situation and wants to join me in holding myself accountable to myself and to Mumsnet?

Today I over-snacked on wasabi peas, a Snickers bar... actually I wasn't too bad today as I was more conscious. But DH is making tonkatsu and I've already taken a huge edge off my hunger! But I want to eat it as I know it will be delicious!

Or maybe I just need to get back on the McKenna thread!

[GoldenGreen]

thanks for the encouragement! Yes, the kids don't really snack and DP likes different snack foods to me so I can definitely reduce what there is in the house.

I must admit I am much better than I used to be before I lost weight - then I would eat stuff without even tasting it - at least I enjoy everything I eat now. Just have to work on waiting till I'm properly hungry. Here's to healthier habits tomorrow!

[Wickaninnish]

Thats quite inspirational bssh.

I have been good all day until I got to 9.30pm. End of difficult phone conversation coincided with me attacking a bar of G&B Almond.

Perhaps, I need to reread 'Fat is a Feminist issue'

[Wickaninnish]

Actually forget the quite, that is very inspirational bssh

[BsshBossh]

Thank you. I think what's helping me is that I'm not excluding any food so am not feeling deprived: I'm still having chocolate and crisps, for example, but I'm having them as part of my meal eg a few squares of chocolate immediately after my dinner or a handful of crisps with my soup and sandwich. Because I am eating them with or just after my main meal I am eating less of the snacky food as I'm already pretty much satiated by the "real" food.

So today, for example, I ate:

Breakfast - porridge with sprinkle of muesli & a slice of buttered toast
Lunch - ham sandwich, tomato soup, handful of kettle crisps & a fruit yoghurt
Dinner - dal, vegetable curry & rice, followed by tangerine & 4 squares of dark chocolate

All delicious food that left me satisfied, full enough that I didn't need to snack (not even with a 45 minute strenuous swim today) and yet not stuffed (I still like Paul McKenna's eating principles).

[catclarks]

Good for you bssh. I think exercising really encourages you to want to eat more healthily too. I need to bite the bullet and stop being so pathetic about not wanting to run in the rain, snow, ice, wind.......guess that cuts out most of the year then

After doing so well for the last few days, I have been making tablet tonight for presents and obviously had to test it. However eating my entire body weight in tablet wasn't part of the plan. But as you say, tomorrow is a new day!

[Wickaninnish]

cat . I use the same no 'ice, snow, rain and fog' excuse for not walking. Pathetic really since I live in rural Yorkshire and that is all we seem to get!!

[Ephiny]

I love that Nutrition Diva link, that makes a lot of sense to me. 'Feeling hungry is not a medical emergency' :)

[BsshBossh]

Well I've snacked today - just a handful of smoked almonds (delicious!) and some black grapes at 7.30pm but I count Friday evening as the beginning of the weekend and I'm going to be more relaxed about snacking on weekends and special days eg Christmas so.... The big thing is I didn't over do it and am still looking forward to dinner in an hour:

A tomato stew with eggs then some ice cream.

[Wickaninnish]

Saved by this thread again. Just back from Carol Concert. Made medicinal hot lemon & honey and decided on a slice of cake. Then picked up this thread.

So impressed by the virtue being shown towards snacks here, that the cake went back in the tin and the lid got firmly slammed into place !!

[BsshBossh]

Well done Wickan.

One word that sums up my eating today: CAKE

Wel, it is Christmas and I'm trying to practice moderation... Let's see...

[BsshBossh]

Disaster day. My TOM started today and I have been inhaling food in all sorts of weird combinations - slices of stollen with garlic sausage anyone? I'm always like this on the first day so fingers crossed all returns to normal tomorrow.

[Wickaninnish]

Similarly bad day Bssh I ate the rest of the cake.

No excuse apart from miserable cold and all alone today. Watched Christmas movies and felt sorry for myself !!

[GoldenGreen]

I am doing really well in the day times but as soon as it gets to about 8.30 I feel compelled to snack. If I could break that habit I would be so much slimmer in a few weeks!

[Ephiny]

Golden, would it help if you ate later in the evening? We usually have dinner at about 8pm, which means I don't tend to get hungry again before bedtime. (maybe not so practical if you have young children and like to eat together, I know.)

I also have a strict rule of not eating again after I've had my evening meal, absolutely nothing at all (because once you start nibbling and picking, you know what happens) If I feel like I want to snack I have a cup of herbal tea instead.

[crisisofidentity]

I would like to join you. I am fine when I am at work, but snack on way home and when I go to supermarket (too often). And instead of meals a lot. I have recently begun to put on weight that I associate with the peri menopause, I know I eat healthy meals but have a sweet tooth and indulge in sweets, biscuits and junk far too often. I have always previously been able to eat anything.

[Tistheseasontobedramatic]

Can I join in the NY please? I have a stone to lose but crisps and chocolate us stopping me

[GoldenGreen]

Ephiny, it does indeed help when I eat later but with all being at home with the kids at the moment it is so nice to have an evening meal together about 6pm.

But frankly I'm just making excuses for myself - I need to have a strict not eating outside of meal times rule and stick to it.

I have been told not to have tea and coffee at mealtimes so that's quite good - I can have those in between meals and it feels like a treat!

This time last year I was managing just fine - I would plan a small treat for straight after dinner and I stuck to it. I listened to my body and knew I wasn't hungry and therefore shouldn't eat. There are lots of reasons - or excuses - for why I'm not managing so well recently - have had lots of stress in the family and I always overeat when stressed. Also, many of my friends and family are overweight and not really bothered by it, so it's always tempting for me to just forget it and just eat whatever the hell I want.

I can feel my motivation coming back by being on this thread though :-)

[BsshBossh]

Much better day today. I haven't snacked all day until now and even then just some crisps and chocolate. Am happy with this as I'm not stuffing myself and also it's the weekend (where I've told myself I can snack as per the No S Diet mentioned up-thread).

Welcome newbies.

[crisisofidentity]

Yesterday was good, I started to feel hungry, properly, for the first time in ages, At DMs yesterday so had lunch and dinner there and no snacking.

[BsshBossh]

It's wonderful feeling truly hungry for a meal and then truly enjoying every mouthful, isn't it crisis? Proper meals (in our house at least) taste so much better than crisps even Kettle crisps!

[BsshBossh]

I've lost 2 lbs this week by the way.

[Vagaceratops]

Count me in - I am a big snacker, especially when I am studying

[crisisofidentity]

Snacked today because I missed lunch. Met a friend by chance and took her for Coffee and pecan pie just as I was on my way home with last bit of christmas shopping. It's made me realise how much I have been existing on cake. Then had tea and mince pie when I got home to keep me going until dinner. Not good.
Well done for losing already Bssh! I am not going to weigh in for a few more days I think.
the no snack diet, is what I am going to try and follow,
The "no seconds" also rings true, my ds talks a lot at mealtimes and I'm left with an empty plate, and will often take seconds when I don't need to.
Today only seconds of salad.

[GoldenGreen]

Ok have done well the last two days. I now really want to hit the Pringles but I am posting here instead!

Fab meals to look forward to in the next three days :-)

[BsshBossh]

Snacking a bit difficult to resist during Christmas week and a house full of guests but I am trying to snack moderately and only a little so I am still hungry for a main meal.