Most of you know I lost a ton of weight over the winter. If not, you can read about that here. Keeping the weight off is a lifelong commitment, and since Grace is now in kindergarten, not eating everything in sight has become increasingly difficult. My sweet tooth fights for control every day.The house is quieter, I miss her, I get bored. Yes, I know I should be writing. And I am. When I'm writing, I fall into a zone and forget to eat. But at other times, I still feel as though something is missing, and if I'm not careful, I'll turn to food. Ramping up my exercise has helped, but it's so easy to fall into the mindset that exercise means more calories to eat. I gain weight just looking at most foods, so that's not good for me.
But every day I win the battle. I look at the before picture and remind myself of all the awesome new clothes I've bought. I've also taken to looking for new recipes that aren't loaded with carbs and fat. Eating Well has some great ones.
What do you do to fight the munchies? What kinds of snacks do you reach for that satisfy without putting on the flab?
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18 comments:
Congratulations on your weight loss! That is wonderful. I have to honestly say I don't really get the munchies. I tend to just eat when I'm hungry and that is every couple of hours. If I let myself get too hungry, I get the shakes. I am not necessarily the most healthy eater, but I think I do ok and I allow myself pretty much whatever I want. Since I 'graze' I never really get so hungry that I overeat. So maybe your "munchies" area good thing? Eating every few hours is actually healthier, so "they' say!
I find I don't miss sweets once I'm off them for a week or so. Same with soft drinks. But I indulge my sweet tooth by eating Weight Watchers desserts. I can't eat chocolate, but their latte bar tastes just like coffee ice cream, which I love. I also eat ice pops. Or I eat lots of raw veggies.
I switched to double churned ice cream (because ice cream is my weakness). It has half the fat of regular ice cream. I also run five days a week, which really helps.
I've struggled a lot with turning to fast food with gluten in it for comfort food. Weight isn't a problem for me, but destroying my intestines is. I recently quit (again). I haven't really found any substitutes for when I have cravings, though the longer I go without, the less often those cravings happen.
Good luck, Stacy! You've worked so hard; stay strong! =)
Having to keep track of carbohydrates and protein and take the right amount of insulin tend to keep me on track--but I still have to fight weight gain.
Michael Ann
Thanks so much. That's true, eating every few hours is healthier. The trick is what you eat. I tend to crave sweets and unhealthy stuff. I try to fill up on protein and then stick to fruits for my sweets, but it's never easy.
Themalz
I wish I could say that. Even on my strictest point on my diet, I still missed the sweets. Weight Watchers would be a good option when I'm wanting something good and different. Thanks!
Kelly
Really? I didn't know that. I will have to check the double churned out. Yes, running helps tremendously, as does biking. That's what I'm hoping, anyway. Thanks!
Angela
Thanks! Yes, anything fast food is very bad for you. I'm glad that going without helps the cravings go down. Good luck!
Sue Ann
Yes, that will keep you on track as long as you stick to what you're supposed to eat. That would be the toughest part of being diabetic to me.
Thanks!
Something I've used: psyllium husks and daffodil root. You'll buy these in the nutritional supplements section of the grocery. Drink a biiig glass of water and take either your psyllium husks or your daffodil root. Then eat a big apple. You'll feel full for a while.
I am so not qualified to write anything here as I have a sweet tooth and love to bake, plus I get the shakes if I don't eat often enough (hypoglycaemia). The fact I am the size of a house is besides the point! In the past I lost 40 lbs. numerous times but then gained it all back, which is also really bad for you, so when I hit 50 I said: "that's it" and simply try to make better choices, eat more protein, veg., fruit etc. and less yummies!
Thanks, Catie! I've never heard of those before. Will definitely check them out. I do eat a lot of apples - they help with my sweet tooth. Sometimes, lo
Elizabeth
That's rough. I yo-yo-ed for a long time too, which is why I went on the ideal protein diet. It's the only thing that got me straightened out. Good luck on sticking to your healthy eating.
Thanks for commenting, ladies!
Congrats on your weight loss! Maintenance definitely IS a struggle - one I share with you : ). My issue has always been more of a "salt" craving than a sweet tooth - I can push away the cookies, candy and cake but show me some french fries and I'll drool. I find going for less fattening bursts of flavor like a pickle, a peppercini or a handful of olives helps me fight the urge to dive into nachos or chips and dip. At least, most of the time : ).
Thanks, Pam! It's good to know I'm not the only one out there. I'm glad you've found something that helps keep your cravings at bay. Sometimes I can have bits and pieces of sweets and do fine. But other times it's a big struggle.
Congrats on your weight loss success, Stacy! Your munchies, my refrigerator grazings . . . Here's what I try to do: The first step is awareness, i.e. What am I doing?! The second step is to stop and assess, i.e. Am I really hungry or just passing time? The third step is to find a replacement for the grazings/munchies, i.e. time for some exercise, call a friend, do some gardening - anything that will break the pattern.
Continued good luck!
You have great willpower! Meanwhile, I bought a package of Dove chocolates at Wal-Mart the other day, and I'm eating them like Lays potato chips. It's sad. I do better, however, when I make a fruit & vanilla yogurt smoothie some time during the day. It's tasty, reasonably filling, and has some good nutrition to boot. Good luck, Stacy!
Debbie--congrats on the weight loss. I've been a yoyo-er all my life. Gaining and losing, telling myself I won't gain it back, then gaining more than I lost. Now, I'm on my way back down, and can honestly say I won't come back up again. At 32, my metabolism slowed to a crawl and it's tougher than ever to lose weight. But diabetes and avoiding it are my number one reason for getting healthy and in shape this year. It's good to hear someone has made it.
AS for the snacks, I used to munch on celery or sugar snap peas. I'm not sure if you can have the second. Another thing I would chew on would be raw broccoli. It has negative calories, since the body has to work so hard to digest it...
Nancy
I love your checklist. I know part of my issue is just passing time and wanting something rather than being hungry. Thanks so much for the advice!
Julie
Thanks! I could NEVER have those chocolates in the house. Chocolate is a huge weakness of mine. They'd be gone in a day. My dietician says smoothies are a great sweet resource, and that berries are the best kind of fruit. Thanks!
Jennifer
Same here with the metabolism. I starting losing when I was 33, turned 34 in the middle of it. It was a now or never type thing, and that's why I'm so paranoid about gaining it. Thanks!
Stacy, I just commented on your initial post about losing weight (congrats again). Whilst reading through the comments now, it seems you may need to look into the Candida diet I mentioned -as cravings for sugar (carbs/fruits/sweets, etc) are one of the signs of a possible yeast infection (as you know sugar feeds yeast; they need to be controlled). It’s been newly recognised by some doctors/medics –but not all.
When I feel peckish, I try to munch on seeds and nuts (a handful keeps my energy levels up), or natural yoghurt with chopped tomatoes or blueberries -they're all yummy and keeps you full -a bowl of salad is a good option too :)
Yikici
Thank you! Wow, that's really interesting. I'm not sure I need something like that - my issue is more mental than anything.
Yogurt is a great way to get protein (Greek yogurt) and frozen yogurt is good as well. Thanks!
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