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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 1:24:00 GMT
I have been trying to eat better, exercise more etc. There is still one time I really struggle to watch what and how much I eat, when I have to do a lot of computer work. I am doing that right now and all I can think about is getting a snack and I just ate supper.
Thursday and Friday are going to be the same way at work. I try to have quality snacks like fresh fruit (sweet) and a set amount of trail mix (salty). I like something I can take a bite of when I want just to munch.
I am open to suggestions to get through this or other snack options. I seriously want to munch on chips right now, good thing there are none in the house.
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 16:57:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 1:26:09 GMT
Come over. I have rice chex and Cheerios with butterscotch chips melted over.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 17, 2016 1:27:12 GMT
Work drives me crazy because everyone is always snacking all the time Just this morning I had to listen to one person eating carrots, someone else eating nuts and another eating an apple and we have a box of Valentine's day candy. Then this afternoon we had three different people with chips <sigh> So, you are not alone in your computer snack time
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 1:30:46 GMT
Come over. I have rice chex and Cheerios with butterscotch chips melted over. You are not helping me.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 1:35:39 GMT
Work drives me crazy because everyone is always snacking all the time Just this morning I had to listen to one person eating carrots, someone else eating nuts and another eating an apple and we have a box of Valentine's day candy. Then this afternoon we had three different people with chips <sigh> So, you are not alone in your computer snack time
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Post by pjaye on Feb 17, 2016 1:36:18 GMT
You just need to get out of the habit. When I started a job where I was at a desk for most of the day I decided rule #1 for me would be no eating at the desk, ever. I could see how that could snowball really fast. I have drinks...a big bottle of cold water, and coffee or herbal tea and I'd take a drink when I needed a bit of distraction, but I never took food to my desk. Walking to the break room/kitchen and then walking to the toilet would be my 'time out' breaks and if I really wanted to eat something, I'd eat it in the break room. You can shovel in a lot of calories without even noticing if you eat while working and you do not need to be constantly snacking. You can go 3 or 4 hours without food easily. Don't look for new snack ideas...just stop snacking. You're just eating for the habit of it. Get a glass of water and remind yourself you've just eaten.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 1:52:19 GMT
You just need to get out of the habit. When I started a job where I was at a desk for most of the day I decided rule #1 for me would be no eating at the desk, ever. I could see how that could snowball really fast. I have drinks...a big bottle of cold water, and coffee or herbal tea and I'd take a drink when I needed a bit of distraction, but I never took food to my desk. Walking to the break room/kitchen and then walking to the toilet would be my 'time out' breaks and if I really wanted to eat something, I'd eat it in the break room. You can shovel in a lot of calories without even noticing if you eat while working and you do not need to be constantly snacking. You can go 3 or 4 hours without food easily. Don't look for new snack ideas...just stop snacking. You're just eating for the habit of it. Get a glass of water and remind yourself you've just eaten. I know I need to just not snack, I am not even hungry right now. I don't have a break room, it is my desk and the classroom. I have also found that I focus better with a snack. I will keep working on it, always working on it.
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Post by pjaye on Feb 17, 2016 2:14:17 GMT
I have also found that I focus better with a snack. That's called 'magical thinking'. You've convinced yourself of this, but there's no basis to it. I doubt you have ever been so hungry and so low on energy that you've lost focus. You need to stop the irrational thought processes or you'll never make any headway. You said in the OP that you "need to eat better and exercise more" so I'll assume by those comments and your desire to stop snaking that you are overweight and trying to change this. Telling yourself you focus better when you eat, really isn't going to help. If you want to lose weight, then work on breaking the habits that keep you from doing so and stop making up reasons to keep eating. Plus if you are going to snack (healthy or otherwise) then make it a deliberate thing and stop and enjoy it. Focus on eating it, don't do anything else and then get back to work. What's the point in eating something if it's mindless and you don't even enjoy or notice it? That's an even bigger waste of calories.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Feb 17, 2016 2:21:42 GMT
If something is in the house I will grange. I once ate a custard pie, by myself in 24 hours. I once ate a box of 24 ice cream sandwiches in a very short period of time. BUT, I have since trained myself to eat a small square of Trader Joe's dark chocolate after dinner and nothing before breakfast the next morning. Brush your teeth right after dinner or suck on a mint if that helps. You have to learn the difference between being hungry and your taste buds wanting to be fed. Good luck! ETA: I think the word I wanted was graze, not grange.
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Post by NicL on Feb 17, 2016 2:22:53 GMT
Come over. I have rice chex and Cheerios with butterscotch chips melted over. Is this a salty/sweet thing? I love both individually but never would have thought to put them together. Good luck smalltowngirlie The struggle is real
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Post by jackietex on Feb 17, 2016 2:25:58 GMT
I try to have snacks like Clif bars or other protein bars between 150-250 calories, or sliced fruit. I stay far away from "bite sized" foods, those make mindless eating too easy.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Feb 17, 2016 2:29:42 GMT
Get a huge water bottle and drink water instead.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 2:30:46 GMT
You have to learn the difference between being hungry and your taste buds wanting to be fed. Good luck! I think this is a big part of it. I get in the mood to have a certain flavor and I really struggle to not just keep eating until that is satisfied. When I am working I often want something salty. I can drink all the water I want, but I still want that salty flavor, hence the mindless snacking. I was talking to a friend the other day and her son has a lot of sensory issues. She has figured out that his food needs to have a lot of flavor in it, and he loves spicy. When food is bland he will eat a lot more wanting that flavor, so she will often add some spice or sharp flavor to it so it satisfies his taste buds.
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Post by anniefb on Feb 17, 2016 3:12:16 GMT
I should institute the no eating at the desk tile as well. I eat a lot more at work than I do at home - sigh.
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Post by annabella on Feb 17, 2016 3:22:39 GMT
I started drinking tea and that occupies me because I'm consuming something and then my tummy is full. I also enter all my calories in myfitnesspal so I pre-enter snacks and that stops me from taking a 2nd or 3rd helping.
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ellen
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Post by ellen on Feb 17, 2016 3:27:48 GMT
When I was trying to lose weight I would drink a big mug of tea. Because it was hot it would take a while to drink it and it would make me feel full. I have found that doing things like painting my nails or working on a crochet project keep me from mindless snacking. I used to eat just because I was bored. I broke that bad habit about 10 years ago.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 3:29:46 GMT
I have been trying to eat better, exercise more etc. There is still one time I really struggle to watch what and how much I eat, when I have to do a lot of computer work. I am doing that right now and all I can think about is getting a snack and I just ate supper. Thursday and Friday are going to be the same way at work. I try to have quality snacks like fresh fruit (sweet) and a set amount of trail mix (salty). I like something I can take a bite of when I want just to munch. I am open to suggestions to get through this or other snack options. I seriously want to munch on chips right now, good thing there are none in the house. If you are serious about watching what/how much you eat, you must include the mindless snacking in that. Make eating a MindFUL activity instead of a mindless one. While fruit and trail mix can be "eating good" the reality is it is still a calorie rich item going into your mouth which leads to fat on your hips and belly. If you must munch make it celery and get a good ice crusher for a cup of crushed ice. Retrain yourself to think of eating as a mind full activity that deserves your full attention. And track those calories!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 17, 2016 6:19:59 GMT
Could you possibly try to have a small amount of something salty with/at the end of your meal to get that fix, and then cut yourself off completely after that? I know for myself, I like to end my meal with a taste of something sweet and if I don't allow myself that small indulgence I could easily eat another full meal's worth of calories of other stuff afterward. It's much better for me to have a small piece of chocolate or a piece of licorice after dinner and be done instead of grazing on four ounces of cheese, an apple, a piece of bread, some crackers, whatever--and THEN end up eating the chocolate or licorice anyway that I really wanted in the first place.
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Post by Flowergirl on Feb 17, 2016 6:22:14 GMT
I started drinking tea and that occupies me because I'm consuming something and then my tummy is full. I also enter all my calories in myfitnesspal so I pre-enter snacks and that stops me from taking a 2nd or 3rd helping. I do the same thing with tea. I bought myself lots of good quality teas and enjoy the experience of the cup. I also log in LoseIt BEFORE I eat something. I also found once I added more nutrient dense foods to my meals (high protein combined with fruits/vegetables and minimal refined grains works best for me when I want to lose wt), the snack cravings really subsided. I very seldom get hungry between meals (unless I have PMS because I get very hungry those few days. A nice cup of tea and maybe a babybel light cheese and I'm usually satisfied. Or maybe a dark chocolate square to shut up Aunt Flo's hormone cravings. But it's limited and accounted for so it's mindful consumption.) Evenings used to be the trouble time for me, but I picked up a ball of yarn and hook or needles to keep my mind and hands occupied on a project instead of eating. I also agree with Pjaye about making a mindful choice to break the snacking habit. Apps like LoseIt and MyFitnessPal are great because if you log before you eat something, you are making a conscious decision to consume those calories and it's eye-opening to see how fast you can rack up empty or non-meal calories. I also agree with the poster that said if it's not in the house/office, you can't eat it.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Feb 17, 2016 12:01:43 GMT
Thanks everyone. I really am trying and there are times it is really tough. As I said, if we had had chips in the house I know I would have been munching on them.
I also find I am really hungry after a workout and I have to be really careful then. We usually have supper after working out so at least the food I eat then is very intentional. I am finding my weak times and working on them little by little.
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purplebee
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Post by purplebee on Feb 17, 2016 12:26:41 GMT
Good luck in your journey. As someone above said, the struggle is real! I am a horrible mindless snacker. Sit me down with a diet coke and a bag of salty snacks like pretzels, and the outcome is not good. Trying hard to eliminate most of the sugar from my diet and eat more sensibly, and though I've done pretty well the last week, it is HARD! Just keep after it, and make it a habit. My Fitness Pal really helps me when I log in every day. You are not alone! I see this post gives me the Farewell to The Bucket title. Except in my case, it probably refers to the bucket of junk food! Maybe it's an omen!! ?
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Post by Scrapbrat on Feb 17, 2016 12:29:48 GMT
For me, I think it has something to do with needing to have something in my hands. Have you tried just having a beverage, like maybe a hot cup of tea, while you work? Maybe sipping that can take the place of snacking. If you have to snack, my healthy option when I have to have something crunchy is baby carrots. I cut them in half or in fourths so that they are slender and easy to pick up while I'm doing something else. Good for you and the crunch is very satisfying.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 17, 2016 13:22:16 GMT
Work drives me crazy because everyone is always snacking all the time Just this morning I had to listen to one person eating carrots, someone else eating nuts and another eating an apple and we have a box of Valentine's day candy. Then this afternoon we had three different people with chips <sigh> So, you are not alone in your computer snack time Thank you!!!
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Feb 17, 2016 13:31:06 GMT
If you want to snack,have a cup of Skinny Pop popcorn or one of the low calorie Angie's popcorn flavors. Or raw veggies. Otherwise, just have some water handy and try to break the habit.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Feb 17, 2016 13:33:09 GMT
Omg that would drive me crazy. I seriously don't think I could work somewhere if I had to listen to people eating, crunching, chewing all day.
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Post by giatocj on Feb 17, 2016 14:12:34 GMT
I love dry Chex cereals for snacks. Dry Cheerios are my second favorite, but I also always have sunflower seeds, almonds and fruit chips available.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 17, 2016 16:51:10 GMT
Omg that would drive me crazy. I seriously don't think I could work somewhere if I had to listen to people eating, crunching, chewing all day. I thought it was just me, thank you I try to wear my earbuds as much as possible
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Feb 17, 2016 17:38:04 GMT
I'd bring carrot sticks to work and I'd ask myself, am i hungry enough to snack on the carrots? If the answer was no then i wasn't hungry and therefore did not deserve to go eat cookies. If the answer was yes, i had carrots. Problem solved
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Post by Fidget on Feb 17, 2016 17:58:58 GMT
I chew gum to avoid snacking. YES I'm a gum chewer , I know there have been threads bashing gum chewers, I do keep my gum chewing to when I am sitting at my desk. I get rid of it if I have to go to a meeting. I started "chewing" when I gave up smoking 9 years ago and found that it helps with snacking as well!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 17, 2016 18:07:58 GMT
I was going to suggest chewing gum as well. I also agree with everything pjaye and voltagain have posted; mindless snacking is not helpful to your weight loss efforts or to your mental acuity, it's just a habit. If you DO want to have a snack, make it a mindful activity, and do it away from your desk. Even plan a set time to have a snack, if you must, so you know you're not 'depriving' yourself of a snack to take a break, but don't do it while you're working. if you know it's chips or something crunchy that you want, is it more that you're anxious / distressed / angry about something? I tend to want crunchy things when I'm having anxiety / anger-- the actual crunching activity and sound is somehow a manifestation of my mood. If something like that is the case with you, then you could try to figure out what the actual root cause is for your snacking urge.
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