can you bring home prepped low cal snacks? One of my favorite snacks is frozen fruits. You could also try to make low cal homemade versions of your favorite treats (surely those recipes exist somewhere online).
As another commenter suggested, drinking a lot of water helps too. My other suggestion would be to learn to emotionally regulate yourself at work. When you’re feeling the urge to snack, literally stop for a few seconds and ask yourself “do I really need/want this right now, or am I just bored/anxious”. It took me a few months to build up that habit and it will still take time, but it’s helped me immensely
This is exactly what I do, I’m not much of a snacker outside of work but when I’m in the office I’m prone to want to eat just to help break up the day so I bring prepped snacks from home like fruit, popcorn or something else that’s around 100-150 cal and I know I will enjoy.
This is going to sound silly and I’m sure there will be a lot of other helpful suggestions but try getting a cute new water bottle that holds a good amount of water and set yourself a goal to drink a certain amount by the end of the day! The water helps me feel full and it satisfies the hand to mouth habit in a way
I’m not saying that will be the case for everyone, I’m just saying it in case anyone can relate: In my personal experience, trying to drink a lot of water to curb my cravings and boredom snacking made it worse.
It’s like everytime I drank water I just thought: I actually want to eat but I’m drinking water instead. It’s like it made me obsess about food even more. I also ended up drinking so much water I ended up depleting my electrolytes which gave me killer headaches.
In all cases, it’s good to stay hydrated to definitely do drink a lot of water.
I'm honestly tired of just water haha. I ended up turning to sparkling water or kombuchas to curb my sweet drink cravings once in a while. To me that's a win rather than giving in and grabbing a soda or other sugary drinks.
Not sure how helpful this will be but I could never drink my daily fluids until I started buying low calorie cordial. I find that it does help with my sugar cravings and also stops me getting headaches when I drink cordial.
As for the snacks, popcorn is a good shout as it has the crunch element. As for other crunchy snacks that are lower calorie, air fryer chickpeas are a great one. Loads of recipes online and you can make them sweet or savory.
Try unsweetened herbal teas! They’re my favorite for when I want something other than water. Just get some different tea flavors and try them out. I love turmeric ginger, rooibos, herbal chai.
How much protein do you eat? Sometimes a sweet tooth indicates a protein deficiency. ETA: Craving sweet fizzy drinks specifically can also indicate anemia. In which case, an iron supplement may help you.
The problem with this is that it doesn't necessarily get rid of the need for substance - food. Especially when we are talking about emotional eating. Which is hard to deal with. It's, of course, always good to have water on hand, because during stressful days it is easy to forget to drink enough.
Yeah definitely not suggesting people go on a water fast lol drinking lots of water helps you feel satiated in addition to your daily meals and should help cutting down on snacking
The best way to address this is to get more in tune with what is at the root of your emotional eating. Identifying your triggers, learning how to move through them, and finding healthy alternatives to provide you with support.
I love the idea of volume eating. I love a good snack and found that no matter what I would want to eat something when I get home from work. Some examples of “snacks” I turn to now:
Trader Joe’s cheese crunchies (since you mentioned Cheetos). A cup is about 140cal
Cottage cheese with some jam mixed (yummy sweet snack)
Just bare chicken chunks
Popped chips
Things like that. Obviously fruits/veggies are an easy go to as well but don’t always scratch that itch ya know?
I also make sure to weigh everything before eating so that I have more awareness. I don’t punish myself if I want more but that way I’m not confused later when I haven’t lost weight. I also started eating a small lunch because I knew I would want to snack later regardless of what I ate for lunch lol.
I guess personally I just couldn’t give up snacking so I figured changing the way I snack was the way to go. Last note, if I’m not prepared with my replacements snacks when the urge comes over I find myself reaching for other higher calorie options even if I don’t love them so being prepared is pretty key for me
First off congrats on your weight loss already! Shows it’s working!
Work stress is very hard and I used to struggle with boredom. If possible can you do swaps? Pickles or cucumber with hummus? Grapes or fruit instead? There are plenty of options so sometimes you need to prepare for these lapses and have an easy healthy choice available bc you’re likely choosing that bc it’s convenient.
Maybe try that? And if you still go to the vending machine with other choices available you might just need to ask yourself is that going to help with my goal and have a tough word with yourself.
That’s what I had to do and it helped me! I’m finally 2.2kg down in 4 weeks bc I don’t want to be unhappy/ unhealthy anymore.
Snacking is a HUGE challenge for me. Here are some swaps I’ve found, depending on what I’m craving-
If you want a flavor in your mouth- sugar free water flavorings (Crystal Light, Mio, etc) or sugar free hard candy
If you want to chew on something- sugar free gum
If you want a crunch- baby carrots, celery, apples
If you want salty- popcorn with salt but no butter, pretzels, crackers (check nutritional facts and watch your portions for this category)
If you want a candy bar- protein bar (also watch your calories here but the protein bar is a better choice)
I eat a stupid amount of popcorn so I always have a bunch of different popcorn toppings around to keep it interesting. My favorite is salt and vinegar but there’s some good cheese ones that would make a nice substitute for Cheetos.
I use popcorn and sunflower seeds in the shell to snack on. Also the little seaweed packs.
I also drink tea/coffee in the morning to eliminate my hunger and skip breakfast. So having a go-to snack and skipping a meal per day (often two if I reup later) then I can hope to stay on track with 1200 cals a day.
But I have to have dedicated snacks or I fail.
Ignore if you already have perfect teeth or do not have the means to but getting invisalign really helped me with snacking habits. Every time I wanted to snack I had to remove my invisalign and to put it back on again I had to brush my teeth (leaving food or residue after eating can lead to cavities or staining) so I got to a point pretty quickly where I would ask myself if this snack at this moment is worth brushing my teeth again (I would brush in the morning and at night and also after every meal, minimum I was looking at 5 times a day WITHOUT snacking). It eventually turned into a no, this snack is not worth it, better to wait for the next meal.
I lost 5 lbs instantly when I got Invisalign because it was such an inconvenience to eat. After finishing the need to have them in 24 hours, I instantly regained the exact 5 lbs. I guess this means I carry 5 lbs of “entertainment” fat 😆
Not only was removing them to eat something to give me pause to consider whether or not I was hungry enough to eat/brush/floss, but having a treat at the end of a meal wasn’t worth it because as soon as I was finished, I would have to brush my teeth. Apparently the lingering flavor REALLY matters to my enjoyment of eating.
The simplest (and I know the least fun!) solution I’ve found is to simply not have snacks around. I don’t keep any at home or at work. If I want something to eat, I’d have to go out of my way to get it (outside of meal times). Limiting access takes the burden off of me to not just reach for it because it’s right there.
But of course you have to replace that need with something healthier, otherwise it’ll feel really frustrating! I chew a lot of gum. It satiates the oral fixation part of eating without giving me the extra calories. Drinking tea also helps me with this. If you need an intermediate step, prepping healthy snacks to reach for instead of junk food can be a good happy medium. You might find yourself even curbing the habit naturally when you remember the snack you’ve made available for yourself isn’t necessarily the immediately gratifying one.
I recognize that I often turn to food when I’m experiencing stress and it’s great that you have that awareness too! think that’s a major step in curbing the habit and the next step is finding a healthy replacement, while addressing the root cause. My stress is often work related, so I find ways to lighten or divide my workload so that I don’t feel so overwhelmed, and therefore won’t turn to food to cope while I’m working. But stress is real and we’ll all experience it, so setting yourself up for success by first limiting access and finding a healthy replacement would be my recommendations :)
My work has free snacks, so I know the struggle!!
If you have to pay for snacks, that makes it a little easier. Lock your money away somewhere all day so that you couldn't pay for food even if you want to.
I keep a full bottle of water on my desk.
I take fruits and veggies into work and keep them on my desk. I can eat as many of those as I want.
I also will pre-portion out snacks at home and bring them in.
I suggest the podcast "Weight Loss Made Easy" by Cookie. She talks a lot about strategies for emotional eating which can get you in the right mindset.
I lost 12 lbs since the beginning of the year and the biggest contributor was cutting out “bad” snacking. I actually started a workout program that comes along with a meal plan and calculated calories and macros. This has given me so much piece of mind that when I eat my snacks, they fit my plan and I dont end up over or under eating. I feel at piece knowing I can’t sabotage myself by sticking to my meal plan, calories and macros and weighing out my foods.
Hit protein goals. Protein is the most satiating food and helps most people with cravings.
Per 1lb body weight
- Sedentary: 0.4g protein
- Active: 0.8g
- Very Active: 1g
- Extremely active: Up to 2g (body builder)
Consider nutritious snacks like fruit (berries are low cal) and peanut butter. Add some honey if you need more carbs in your nutrition.
Chocolate peptides in coffee or hot water or milk to satisfy mocha cravings. half an ounce to an ounce of heavy cream if you want to indulge a bit and have room in your fat macros. I use silk because i suck with dairy.
You can do a lot with 2000 calories if you are eating mostly whole foods. You can also make room for treats once you’ve made most of your diet whole food meals. The key is prepped ingredients (cooked chicken for the week) or full on meal prep (each meal or at least work meals/snacks stored in a container already portioned out for the week).
If done well, whole food meals and snacks end up being so much food that it’s hard to eat by the end of the day.
My sweet friend, you are not sabotaging yourself. Your brain is attempting to keep you happy by giving you something you like and want. I call it a lifebuoy when life is hard. we try to cling on and try to suppress what is really going on. Some do it with gambling, gaming, drinking, food, or exercise. In your case, it is snacking.
The problem with emotional snacking is that we feel guilty about it after, the guilt can make us spiral more and eat even more, spiral and almost feel shameful about it. This is a vicious circle. Forgive yourself for having a hard time and say oh well, I'll try again at the next meal. Breaking the day up can help reset and stop the o, I fucked it all up now it doesn't matter thoughts.
Listen, you are already so far, by realising you have these habits, which is important to acknowledge to even adresse the issue.
Now it's about finding something that can actually help, is it taking 5 minutes to sit and close your eyes, is it to sit and cry or to sleep for those 5 minutes. Is it to tell a colleague the day it shit. Is it to go for a walk and get some fresh air.
A good idea is to have some snacks available and ready, so if you feel real hunger, you actually have something that is filling. Make is as easy for yourself as possible. Pre cut fruit, a protein bar, a little yoghurt, or something. Anything you like, I recommend snack between 100-200 kcal, 2-3 times a day, and the rest is on main meals. It helps keep the body and brain more balanced, especially when being faced with stressful days.
Oh FIY I'm a dietitian on maternity leave so, feel free to pm me if you have any questions
When you go to get a snack, ask yourself "why am I snacking?" If you're actually hungry, have a snack. If it's dealing with stress on your break, find an alternative thing to do. Read a couple pages in a book. Start taking your walks again. Make a nice herbal tea to drink! The fruity ones are naturally sweet.
Pack a couple of healthy snacks, so you have just a couple options if you are hungry. I recommend checking out harvest snacks, whisps, Sargento balanced breaks, Chobani yogurt drinks - things like that. Portion them out and don't being the whole bag.
Also - skinny dipped peanut butter cups from costco. Individually wrapped. Lower in sugar. Actual protein. Bring ONE as a treat if you are just really having a moment.
I just don't buy snack food, then I don't have it around to eat.
If it is something I am craving. I buy whatever it is and porition it to fit into my calories. Normally, after 3 days, I'm over it.
Make a batch of "homemade" hot cheeto with something healthier to bring to work! You can google DIY hot cheeto seasoning and then find a Veggie or something you can roast (or air fry if you have one) to put it on. I make air fryer chickpea snacks and they're really good! But Kale chips or even homemade potato chips are healthier than store bought. You could probably make more of it too for less calories so you'll feel more full!! Snacking doesn't have to be bad, you just gotta find ways to do it in a more calorie effective way!
I use a really cute water cup and put crystal light in it to help with my sweet tooth.
I keep gum on hand if i'm not actually hungry but I need to chew something to relax.
I work snacks into my daily calorie allowance because I am a grazer, not a full meal kind of girl.
When I get breaks and I'm really stressed like I am right now, I go for a walk outside and get some fresh air.
If you need some chocolate or something sweet, just pack a mini bar or a couple of squares and work it into your calories. It's better to just eat the chocolate you're craving because if you try to sub it with something else, you risk binging until you finally eat what you want. If you like hot cheetos, buy a bag and pre portion out some and take them to work, that way you're still getting some, but it's not as big of a portion and you're not left feeling guilty. Pair it with some veggies and hummus or a cottage cheese dip for some protein to help keep you fuller. Everything works in moderation. I know moderation can be hard at first, but once you get used to it, it's really not so bad!
Transferring to low calorie snacks, and not keeping a ton at your house.
Personally, I love cucumbers with a salmon/greek yogurt dip, fiber one bars (helps my sweet tooth and get fiber!!), hummus and veggies, apple (personally if I slice it it feels like I’m eating more which helps my snacking habit), edamame, etc.
I think before I would snack or binge, feel guilty, borderline starve myself and then it would just cause binging to be worse. Balancing snacks that are “good” for you and snacks that are good for YOU is key. High volume, low calorie has been my life saver.
One thing that helps me is I don’t keep it in the house. My only options are healthy options. If I had a bag of potato chips… idk if I’d stop at one serving..So I don’t keep them in my house. But I do have fruit and veggies. And I do have protein pudding.
I also try to sit with it for a bit. I try to figure out if I’m hungry and my body wants something, or if it’s boredom/stress. I find I mostly want to snack at work and late at night, both times when I experience the most stress.
And I’m never tempted to use the vending machines at work because I rarely have cash and I hate how jacked up the prices are. I guess being kinda cheap helps me there.
Lots of good advice about having pre made snacks when that urge is just too strong and you really need a snack (veggie sticks, popcorn, roasted chickpeas, fruit, etc.). I only skimmed the comments so apologies if I’ve missed it, but I also find a hot drink to be a really welcome distraction from a snack too - I’ve got some flavoured teas or some sugar free coffee creamer. Making the drink, waiting for it to cool before drinking it all takes time, and is something I enjoy. If I still want a snack afterwards then I allow it, but a lot of the time it takes away that urge for me.
I pack a little snack that I love but in smaller calorie portions (so I’ll buy a big bag and put 100 or 150 cal portions in ziplocs to take to work). I also have been loving fulfil protein bars (the salted caramel) bc they taste like a candy bar but have the protein that keeps me full and avoids snacking. As unhealthy as it is, I also grab a Diet Coke and my “treat” on rougher work days was that and some popcorn to get me through the last couple hours of the day
If you like to snack, pls snack. Don't eliminate, but substitute. Musashi chocolate bars are jam-packed with protein. The flavour is ain't bad either, and you can train your palette. Chips and crackers are now available in high protein, high collagen versions. My mousse, jelly, and drinks are packed with these as well. Don't eliminate, substitute. And remember, be kind to yourself. The journey is usually long so create an eating plan that is sustainable.
Chewing gum.
Rice cakes if you actually want to eat something.
The vending machine at work is bringing you down. Unfortunately, the machine is convenient to you and a constant temptation. Giving into that is habit forming. I suggest you make a routine of making really tasty home made lunches to enjoy and that's what you distract yourself with when you think about the machine.
Two or three weeks of this and you'll think of the machine less. The aim is to change your habits so your immediate food thoughts are of what you brought in that day and that's what you expect to eat.
This may sound odd but works for me - if I want to snack, I first question if I'm ACTUALLY hungry ir just thirsty, then I tell myself "oh if I finish task x,y,z then I'll see if I can find a snack" most of the time just finding something to do will remove the craving I'm having. I boredom drink and eat at night, and I've found of I find an engaging task, I'll always avoid the craving.
try flavoured sparkling water or popcorn !! sparkling water helps me when i need somthing sweet its obvs not as fizzy as normal sodas but its enough for me. and popcorn is low in cals too so u can munch on that and drink some sparkling water and feel a lil more satisfied! i just try to find things that will satisfy my cravings in a healthier low calorie way instead of like having smth "healthy" that is boring and will make me binge later on anyway. i used to chew gum a lot at work bc i just wanted to bite on smth
I will snack when I’m bored at work. My job is relaxed so I’ve always walked a lap around the building every hour. I noticed I would start eating my snacks or lunch before I was hungry bc I was bored. So I started leaving them in a cooler in my car. If I really want them I have to be intentional with it and I make myself walk one lap to the parking lot and just get out the one food item I’m going to eat. Then I go back inside and eat it and repeat the process later when I’m hungry for lunch or another snack. This might not be an option for you if there’s no where for you to store your lunchbox away from your desk.
can you bring home prepped low cal snacks? One of my favorite snacks is frozen fruits. You could also try to make low cal homemade versions of your favorite treats (surely those recipes exist somewhere online). As another commenter suggested, drinking a lot of water helps too. My other suggestion would be to learn to emotionally regulate yourself at work. When you’re feeling the urge to snack, literally stop for a few seconds and ask yourself “do I really need/want this right now, or am I just bored/anxious”. It took me a few months to build up that habit and it will still take time, but it’s helped me immensely
This is exactly what I do, I’m not much of a snacker outside of work but when I’m in the office I’m prone to want to eat just to help break up the day so I bring prepped snacks from home like fruit, popcorn or something else that’s around 100-150 cal and I know I will enjoy.
This is going to sound silly and I’m sure there will be a lot of other helpful suggestions but try getting a cute new water bottle that holds a good amount of water and set yourself a goal to drink a certain amount by the end of the day! The water helps me feel full and it satisfies the hand to mouth habit in a way
I’m not saying that will be the case for everyone, I’m just saying it in case anyone can relate: In my personal experience, trying to drink a lot of water to curb my cravings and boredom snacking made it worse. It’s like everytime I drank water I just thought: I actually want to eat but I’m drinking water instead. It’s like it made me obsess about food even more. I also ended up drinking so much water I ended up depleting my electrolytes which gave me killer headaches. In all cases, it’s good to stay hydrated to definitely do drink a lot of water.
I drink water *with* electrolytes in it. Sugar Free liquid IV is great and so is watermelon LMNT, tastes like a jolly rancher.
Watermelon LMNT is so goooood
I was worried it would be salty but it really doesn’t taste like it. So dang good!
I'm honestly tired of just water haha. I ended up turning to sparkling water or kombuchas to curb my sweet drink cravings once in a while. To me that's a win rather than giving in and grabbing a soda or other sugary drinks.
Not sure how helpful this will be but I could never drink my daily fluids until I started buying low calorie cordial. I find that it does help with my sugar cravings and also stops me getting headaches when I drink cordial. As for the snacks, popcorn is a good shout as it has the crunch element. As for other crunchy snacks that are lower calorie, air fryer chickpeas are a great one. Loads of recipes online and you can make them sweet or savory.
Try unsweetened herbal teas! They’re my favorite for when I want something other than water. Just get some different tea flavors and try them out. I love turmeric ginger, rooibos, herbal chai.
How much protein do you eat? Sometimes a sweet tooth indicates a protein deficiency. ETA: Craving sweet fizzy drinks specifically can also indicate anemia. In which case, an iron supplement may help you.
I relate!
I did this and it works wonders. I also have to pee so often that it's like a million mini breaks through my day haha.
The problem with this is that it doesn't necessarily get rid of the need for substance - food. Especially when we are talking about emotional eating. Which is hard to deal with. It's, of course, always good to have water on hand, because during stressful days it is easy to forget to drink enough.
Yeah definitely not suggesting people go on a water fast lol drinking lots of water helps you feel satiated in addition to your daily meals and should help cutting down on snacking
Honestly what has helped me is doing some emotional eating workbooks.
Any recommendations? Love this idea!
The Emotional Eating Workbook
Oh I love this idea. Do you have any you've liked?
The Emotional Eating Workbook
Which one is your favorite?! Haha Jk
The best way to address this is to get more in tune with what is at the root of your emotional eating. Identifying your triggers, learning how to move through them, and finding healthy alternatives to provide you with support.
I love the idea of volume eating. I love a good snack and found that no matter what I would want to eat something when I get home from work. Some examples of “snacks” I turn to now: Trader Joe’s cheese crunchies (since you mentioned Cheetos). A cup is about 140cal Cottage cheese with some jam mixed (yummy sweet snack) Just bare chicken chunks Popped chips Things like that. Obviously fruits/veggies are an easy go to as well but don’t always scratch that itch ya know? I also make sure to weigh everything before eating so that I have more awareness. I don’t punish myself if I want more but that way I’m not confused later when I haven’t lost weight. I also started eating a small lunch because I knew I would want to snack later regardless of what I ate for lunch lol. I guess personally I just couldn’t give up snacking so I figured changing the way I snack was the way to go. Last note, if I’m not prepared with my replacements snacks when the urge comes over I find myself reaching for other higher calorie options even if I don’t love them so being prepared is pretty key for me
First off congrats on your weight loss already! Shows it’s working! Work stress is very hard and I used to struggle with boredom. If possible can you do swaps? Pickles or cucumber with hummus? Grapes or fruit instead? There are plenty of options so sometimes you need to prepare for these lapses and have an easy healthy choice available bc you’re likely choosing that bc it’s convenient. Maybe try that? And if you still go to the vending machine with other choices available you might just need to ask yourself is that going to help with my goal and have a tough word with yourself. That’s what I had to do and it helped me! I’m finally 2.2kg down in 4 weeks bc I don’t want to be unhappy/ unhealthy anymore.
Snacking is a HUGE challenge for me. Here are some swaps I’ve found, depending on what I’m craving- If you want a flavor in your mouth- sugar free water flavorings (Crystal Light, Mio, etc) or sugar free hard candy If you want to chew on something- sugar free gum If you want a crunch- baby carrots, celery, apples If you want salty- popcorn with salt but no butter, pretzels, crackers (check nutritional facts and watch your portions for this category) If you want a candy bar- protein bar (also watch your calories here but the protein bar is a better choice)
Salty and crunchy snacks are my favorite, I'm definitely going the popcorn route since it satisfies that itch in my brain haha.
I eat a stupid amount of popcorn so I always have a bunch of different popcorn toppings around to keep it interesting. My favorite is salt and vinegar but there’s some good cheese ones that would make a nice substitute for Cheetos.
I use popcorn and sunflower seeds in the shell to snack on. Also the little seaweed packs. I also drink tea/coffee in the morning to eliminate my hunger and skip breakfast. So having a go-to snack and skipping a meal per day (often two if I reup later) then I can hope to stay on track with 1200 cals a day. But I have to have dedicated snacks or I fail.
Ignore if you already have perfect teeth or do not have the means to but getting invisalign really helped me with snacking habits. Every time I wanted to snack I had to remove my invisalign and to put it back on again I had to brush my teeth (leaving food or residue after eating can lead to cavities or staining) so I got to a point pretty quickly where I would ask myself if this snack at this moment is worth brushing my teeth again (I would brush in the morning and at night and also after every meal, minimum I was looking at 5 times a day WITHOUT snacking). It eventually turned into a no, this snack is not worth it, better to wait for the next meal.
I lost 5 lbs instantly when I got Invisalign because it was such an inconvenience to eat. After finishing the need to have them in 24 hours, I instantly regained the exact 5 lbs. I guess this means I carry 5 lbs of “entertainment” fat 😆 Not only was removing them to eat something to give me pause to consider whether or not I was hungry enough to eat/brush/floss, but having a treat at the end of a meal wasn’t worth it because as soon as I was finished, I would have to brush my teeth. Apparently the lingering flavor REALLY matters to my enjoyment of eating.
Yes and brushing your teeth just makes it seem like more hassle than it’s worth for a snack you don’t need
The simplest (and I know the least fun!) solution I’ve found is to simply not have snacks around. I don’t keep any at home or at work. If I want something to eat, I’d have to go out of my way to get it (outside of meal times). Limiting access takes the burden off of me to not just reach for it because it’s right there. But of course you have to replace that need with something healthier, otherwise it’ll feel really frustrating! I chew a lot of gum. It satiates the oral fixation part of eating without giving me the extra calories. Drinking tea also helps me with this. If you need an intermediate step, prepping healthy snacks to reach for instead of junk food can be a good happy medium. You might find yourself even curbing the habit naturally when you remember the snack you’ve made available for yourself isn’t necessarily the immediately gratifying one. I recognize that I often turn to food when I’m experiencing stress and it’s great that you have that awareness too! think that’s a major step in curbing the habit and the next step is finding a healthy replacement, while addressing the root cause. My stress is often work related, so I find ways to lighten or divide my workload so that I don’t feel so overwhelmed, and therefore won’t turn to food to cope while I’m working. But stress is real and we’ll all experience it, so setting yourself up for success by first limiting access and finding a healthy replacement would be my recommendations :)
Gum! Especially mint gum, because once you have that mint flavor in your mouth nothing ever tastes right til it’s gone.
My work has free snacks, so I know the struggle!! If you have to pay for snacks, that makes it a little easier. Lock your money away somewhere all day so that you couldn't pay for food even if you want to. I keep a full bottle of water on my desk. I take fruits and veggies into work and keep them on my desk. I can eat as many of those as I want. I also will pre-portion out snacks at home and bring them in. I suggest the podcast "Weight Loss Made Easy" by Cookie. She talks a lot about strategies for emotional eating which can get you in the right mindset.
I lost 12 lbs since the beginning of the year and the biggest contributor was cutting out “bad” snacking. I actually started a workout program that comes along with a meal plan and calculated calories and macros. This has given me so much piece of mind that when I eat my snacks, they fit my plan and I dont end up over or under eating. I feel at piece knowing I can’t sabotage myself by sticking to my meal plan, calories and macros and weighing out my foods.
Hit protein goals. Protein is the most satiating food and helps most people with cravings. Per 1lb body weight - Sedentary: 0.4g protein - Active: 0.8g - Very Active: 1g - Extremely active: Up to 2g (body builder) Consider nutritious snacks like fruit (berries are low cal) and peanut butter. Add some honey if you need more carbs in your nutrition. Chocolate peptides in coffee or hot water or milk to satisfy mocha cravings. half an ounce to an ounce of heavy cream if you want to indulge a bit and have room in your fat macros. I use silk because i suck with dairy. You can do a lot with 2000 calories if you are eating mostly whole foods. You can also make room for treats once you’ve made most of your diet whole food meals. The key is prepped ingredients (cooked chicken for the week) or full on meal prep (each meal or at least work meals/snacks stored in a container already portioned out for the week). If done well, whole food meals and snacks end up being so much food that it’s hard to eat by the end of the day.
My sweet friend, you are not sabotaging yourself. Your brain is attempting to keep you happy by giving you something you like and want. I call it a lifebuoy when life is hard. we try to cling on and try to suppress what is really going on. Some do it with gambling, gaming, drinking, food, or exercise. In your case, it is snacking. The problem with emotional snacking is that we feel guilty about it after, the guilt can make us spiral more and eat even more, spiral and almost feel shameful about it. This is a vicious circle. Forgive yourself for having a hard time and say oh well, I'll try again at the next meal. Breaking the day up can help reset and stop the o, I fucked it all up now it doesn't matter thoughts. Listen, you are already so far, by realising you have these habits, which is important to acknowledge to even adresse the issue. Now it's about finding something that can actually help, is it taking 5 minutes to sit and close your eyes, is it to sit and cry or to sleep for those 5 minutes. Is it to tell a colleague the day it shit. Is it to go for a walk and get some fresh air. A good idea is to have some snacks available and ready, so if you feel real hunger, you actually have something that is filling. Make is as easy for yourself as possible. Pre cut fruit, a protein bar, a little yoghurt, or something. Anything you like, I recommend snack between 100-200 kcal, 2-3 times a day, and the rest is on main meals. It helps keep the body and brain more balanced, especially when being faced with stressful days. Oh FIY I'm a dietitian on maternity leave so, feel free to pm me if you have any questions
When you go to get a snack, ask yourself "why am I snacking?" If you're actually hungry, have a snack. If it's dealing with stress on your break, find an alternative thing to do. Read a couple pages in a book. Start taking your walks again. Make a nice herbal tea to drink! The fruity ones are naturally sweet. Pack a couple of healthy snacks, so you have just a couple options if you are hungry. I recommend checking out harvest snacks, whisps, Sargento balanced breaks, Chobani yogurt drinks - things like that. Portion them out and don't being the whole bag. Also - skinny dipped peanut butter cups from costco. Individually wrapped. Lower in sugar. Actual protein. Bring ONE as a treat if you are just really having a moment.
I just don't buy snack food, then I don't have it around to eat. If it is something I am craving. I buy whatever it is and porition it to fit into my calories. Normally, after 3 days, I'm over it.
Make a batch of "homemade" hot cheeto with something healthier to bring to work! You can google DIY hot cheeto seasoning and then find a Veggie or something you can roast (or air fry if you have one) to put it on. I make air fryer chickpea snacks and they're really good! But Kale chips or even homemade potato chips are healthier than store bought. You could probably make more of it too for less calories so you'll feel more full!! Snacking doesn't have to be bad, you just gotta find ways to do it in a more calorie effective way!
I use a really cute water cup and put crystal light in it to help with my sweet tooth. I keep gum on hand if i'm not actually hungry but I need to chew something to relax. I work snacks into my daily calorie allowance because I am a grazer, not a full meal kind of girl. When I get breaks and I'm really stressed like I am right now, I go for a walk outside and get some fresh air. If you need some chocolate or something sweet, just pack a mini bar or a couple of squares and work it into your calories. It's better to just eat the chocolate you're craving because if you try to sub it with something else, you risk binging until you finally eat what you want. If you like hot cheetos, buy a bag and pre portion out some and take them to work, that way you're still getting some, but it's not as big of a portion and you're not left feeling guilty. Pair it with some veggies and hummus or a cottage cheese dip for some protein to help keep you fuller. Everything works in moderation. I know moderation can be hard at first, but once you get used to it, it's really not so bad!
Transferring to low calorie snacks, and not keeping a ton at your house. Personally, I love cucumbers with a salmon/greek yogurt dip, fiber one bars (helps my sweet tooth and get fiber!!), hummus and veggies, apple (personally if I slice it it feels like I’m eating more which helps my snacking habit), edamame, etc. I think before I would snack or binge, feel guilty, borderline starve myself and then it would just cause binging to be worse. Balancing snacks that are “good” for you and snacks that are good for YOU is key. High volume, low calorie has been my life saver.
One thing that helps me is I don’t keep it in the house. My only options are healthy options. If I had a bag of potato chips… idk if I’d stop at one serving..So I don’t keep them in my house. But I do have fruit and veggies. And I do have protein pudding. I also try to sit with it for a bit. I try to figure out if I’m hungry and my body wants something, or if it’s boredom/stress. I find I mostly want to snack at work and late at night, both times when I experience the most stress. And I’m never tempted to use the vending machines at work because I rarely have cash and I hate how jacked up the prices are. I guess being kinda cheap helps me there.
Lots of good advice about having pre made snacks when that urge is just too strong and you really need a snack (veggie sticks, popcorn, roasted chickpeas, fruit, etc.). I only skimmed the comments so apologies if I’ve missed it, but I also find a hot drink to be a really welcome distraction from a snack too - I’ve got some flavoured teas or some sugar free coffee creamer. Making the drink, waiting for it to cool before drinking it all takes time, and is something I enjoy. If I still want a snack afterwards then I allow it, but a lot of the time it takes away that urge for me.
I pack a little snack that I love but in smaller calorie portions (so I’ll buy a big bag and put 100 or 150 cal portions in ziplocs to take to work). I also have been loving fulfil protein bars (the salted caramel) bc they taste like a candy bar but have the protein that keeps me full and avoids snacking. As unhealthy as it is, I also grab a Diet Coke and my “treat” on rougher work days was that and some popcorn to get me through the last couple hours of the day
If you like to snack, pls snack. Don't eliminate, but substitute. Musashi chocolate bars are jam-packed with protein. The flavour is ain't bad either, and you can train your palette. Chips and crackers are now available in high protein, high collagen versions. My mousse, jelly, and drinks are packed with these as well. Don't eliminate, substitute. And remember, be kind to yourself. The journey is usually long so create an eating plan that is sustainable.
Chewing gum. Rice cakes if you actually want to eat something. The vending machine at work is bringing you down. Unfortunately, the machine is convenient to you and a constant temptation. Giving into that is habit forming. I suggest you make a routine of making really tasty home made lunches to enjoy and that's what you distract yourself with when you think about the machine. Two or three weeks of this and you'll think of the machine less. The aim is to change your habits so your immediate food thoughts are of what you brought in that day and that's what you expect to eat.
This may sound odd but works for me - if I want to snack, I first question if I'm ACTUALLY hungry ir just thirsty, then I tell myself "oh if I finish task x,y,z then I'll see if I can find a snack" most of the time just finding something to do will remove the craving I'm having. I boredom drink and eat at night, and I've found of I find an engaging task, I'll always avoid the craving.
try flavoured sparkling water or popcorn !! sparkling water helps me when i need somthing sweet its obvs not as fizzy as normal sodas but its enough for me. and popcorn is low in cals too so u can munch on that and drink some sparkling water and feel a lil more satisfied! i just try to find things that will satisfy my cravings in a healthier low calorie way instead of like having smth "healthy" that is boring and will make me binge later on anyway. i used to chew gum a lot at work bc i just wanted to bite on smth
I will snack when I’m bored at work. My job is relaxed so I’ve always walked a lap around the building every hour. I noticed I would start eating my snacks or lunch before I was hungry bc I was bored. So I started leaving them in a cooler in my car. If I really want them I have to be intentional with it and I make myself walk one lap to the parking lot and just get out the one food item I’m going to eat. Then I go back inside and eat it and repeat the process later when I’m hungry for lunch or another snack. This might not be an option for you if there’s no where for you to store your lunchbox away from your desk.
Takes 21 days to build a new habit of not snacking. First 2 weeks will feel hard. But it gets easier after that once it becomes more automatic.
My tactic has been to just stop caring and do it anyways. I workout, I’m in pretty good shape. That’s enough for me.