3pm munchies!😱

[Justkoko]

When I look at my day and try to work out where the issues are I would definitely have to say 3 or 4pm. The most dangerous time of the day for diet.
I can miss breakfast, eat a healthy lunch but when I get back through the door after work I suddenly become absolutely ravenous. Every bit of willpower goes out of the window and I reach for the biscuit barrel or the bread bin.
What's going on? I've just come home and had -very- buttered toast and cookies with a brew. I'm fine again now, will eat a normal dinner later.

It's so impulsive and instantaneous, almost like my body is doing it before my mind can think. All the books that say think before you eat etc, I can't seem to do it!

If I do this and then some nights have wine, I can see where the problem is.
I need to lose quite a lot before summer and I really need to get to the bottom of tackling this.

Can anyone help with strategies for coping with this impulsive moment in my day, it's not going away!

Reduce your carb intake at lunchtime, that's often what causes the afternoon hunger pangs. If you do need to eat, then go for protein

I find that opposite
decent lunch - today I had large salad of mackerel and pile of rice and greens, followed by huge pile of blueberries

and not even remotely hungry

At lunch I had a big bowl of chicken soup with veggies plus a couple of hard boiled eggs. It was filling stuff honestly.

i have dinner at 6pm sharp with the children
Single parent

Sounds great
maybe some berries and Greek yoghurt to follow?

When you say quite a lot to lose
what we talking?

And if you’re absolutely honest with yourself
How often and how much wine?

I'm the same! I only work 9:30-2:30 so I don't get a break...this means I have a decent breakfast before I go, but then nothing else until I finish. This means by the time I'm home at 3pm I'm like a starving wolf and I have a binge - and then immediately regret it. Then I still eat my dinner with the family at 5-5:30! Little piggy lol since starting this job I've gained nearly a stone because of it!! I'm usually a grazer through the day and that's always worked well x

I got terrible 3pm munchies. I bought myself a mini trampoline and bounce to my favourite music for ten minutes as soon as I feel them coming on. It has helped so much! Really good workout in as little as ten minutes and the munchies are banished until tea-time. I’ve put the trampette in my kitchen so I can see and grab it quickly. I’m sure my family think I’m nuts but it’s really working for me.

Perhaps you are simply ravenously hungry. Have a small protein packed meal as the bridge.

Well the wine is more at the weekend really, it just doesn't help with calories.
Berries and yoghurt might go a long way to helping actually, I struggle to like it though which is the problem. Are there any healthy greek yogurts available which already have fruit in but not lots of sugar? Something I could maybe grab at the shops? Or is the best choice ultimately plain Greek yoghurt. (I always forget to eat it up then it and the berries might go off - I start with great plans but literally forget).

Sounds like you need to plan a healthy and nutritious snack to keep you going till tea time. As the saying goes, fail to plan then plan to fail. Or something like that.

And/Or try eating a good breakfast. A smoothy, porriage, fruit with oats and yoghurt, avocado and tomato on sourdough etc. If I don't have that I definitely notice later in the day I'm hungry and struggling to get to tea time. Good for your gut health and getting nutrients into you too.

Those activia fat free yoghurts and an apple work for me as a mid afternoon snack that's relatively low calorie.

Bumping for the evening crowd,this time of day really is my downfall and if I could beat it, I could probably manage fast800!

Have your 3pm munchies if you want- but don’t eat a normal dinner. if you want buttered toast and a biscuit then, have it.

but you need to consider that your meal. Not a snack or ‘munchies’. If you are having a meal at 3/4, dinner should be soup then, or a couple of boiled eggs and crudités for supper.

Do not hang about in the kitchen. Get a glass of water take it upstairs and drink it, then distract yourself. Get changed, do some washing whatever, the urge to eat will pass.

I also think it is due to an element of stress. Or stress relief. Its all done so fast and mindlessly I think it must be some sort of stress relief. It's just as soon as I walk in.

Also perhaps the relief of being home. I am an introvert at heart and spending all day in an office, while it can be very enjoyable, really drains me. I can be perfectly in control of my impulses in the office then can't control it when I get home.

I would try a combination of pushing lunch half an hour later, having slightly more for lunch, pre-planning a mid afternoon snack and/or bringing dinner forward half an hour-whichever combination works best for you.

There's a really nice zero Greek yoghurt with a layer of fruit on top. No added sugar. I buy it from aldi but think it's a brand name.

Hard boiled eggs
Cottage cheese
Apple compote
Sliced ham
Apple
Banana
Greek yoghurt
Crackers with tuna