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I eat fairly decent and healthy meals. I exercise multiple times a week (generally). My weight is fairly constant.
But daaaaamn, i find it hard not to snack, over snack or on the very odd occasion, just gorge.
Sitting in front of the TV of an evening, i will go and get a fair size bag of crisps and if i dont pour half into a bowlm as some sort of portion control, i will eat the lot.
If someone in work brings in biscuits or cakes, i wont have one, i'll have multiple.
Whilst its not having an adverse affect on my health, it certainly isnt the healthiest choice and probably counter acts any weight loss achieved by exercise (and i wouldnt mind lose a kg or two).
Add into that I feel guilty that I have filled my body with junk.
So is this something that I need to break the cycle with, which will stop me? or is it a deeper routed phycological issue?
Do i just replace the crisps with carrot sticks and hummus?
Have you been in this situation? And what did you do?
Any advice or insight is appreciated!
This is what i do. But no hummus. Carrot sticks, celery, maybe a tomato or two.Do i just replace the crisps with carrot sticks and hummus?
This is the mental battle every dieter has yo face sorry, I am the same, but I have developed enough will to not buy them any more
Maybe take up smoking, give yourself a different distraction?
Just don't buy unhealthy snacks, then you can't eat them.
If you must, then yes fruit and veg snacks, boiled eggs.
But... Why are you feeling the need to snack?
Eat
I eat fairly decent and healthy meals
Examples please.
I'll happily bleat on about intermittent fasting and more than anything it cuts out the snacking windows, makes you eat sensibly/properly and gets you used to the fact its OK to feel hungry.
Cut out carbs completely. Move to a diet of animal fats and ruminant meat. Eat as much of them as you can until you’re comfortably full. Then go about your day and realise that you do not feel hungry at all. Hunger pangs are the release of grehlin. Fat and meat suppress the release of grehlin and give you instead a sense of satiety.
But daaaaamn, i find it hard not to snack, over snack or on the very odd occasion, just gorge.
Sitting in front of the TV of an evening, i will go and get a fair size bag of crisps and if i dont pour half into a bowlm as some sort of portion control, i will eat the lot.
If someone in work brings in biscuits or cakes, i wont have one, i'll have multiple.
Whilst its not having an adverse affect on my health, it certainly isnt the healthiest choice and probably counter acts any weight loss achieved by exercise (and i wouldnt mind lose a kg or two).
Add into that I feel guilty that I have filled my body with junk.
This is not an unfair description of me; if there's food around/out/leftover, I'll eat it. I know I don't need it, but I know it'll taste nice and it's a kind of compulsion
Folks are bound to offer advice like 'substitute for healthy snacks', 'make sure you eat properly at meal times' and there will doubtless loads of talk of GI/fasting/keto/protein/thisorthatdiet blah blah blah, but the main bit of it is, I'm afraid, is as simple as this - you just need to not. You're in control of the stuff you put in your gob. MrsIHN will give me a look and say "do you need that?". The answer is, obviously, no. So, that's what I try to say to myself and what you should do too.
Cut out carbs completely. Move to a diet of animal fats and ruminant meat
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I am currently facing up to this after failing the cholesterol test on my over 50s MOT. Buying fewer, smaller snacks as a start. Having fruit and veg in to nibble on instead helps - I can't be bothered to chop up a carrot of an evening but if there's a preprepped bag if carrot sticks I'll nibble on them, maybe a salsa dip. Drinking more water will hopefully sort the thirst/hunger signals.
Evenings are my worst time, so being "busy" helps. Take myself out for a walk round the village or a YouTube yoga session dulls the snacking urge
It doesn't always work, but this year I'm trying to raid the kitchen for healthier snacks in the evenings, such as a single scrambled egg sandwich.
I resemble these remarks. We just had removals guys shifting some furniture. MrsJ bought them biscuits (following advice on these pages). They ate 2. I ate the rest of the packet. In a day. WTF is wrong with me?
Simple, boring answer. Don't have food in the house you can eat without having to cook/prepare it first. Plenty of times I'd kill for a snack, but if there's nowt to eat, then I can't...
They ate 2. I ate the rest of the packet. In a day.
Beginner skills. I can smash a packet of hobnobs or similar in well under 15 minutes without even knowing I've done it. Open the packet planning to have a couple while I do whatever I'm doing. Go to grab another biscuit a minute or 2 later and realise I'm fumbling in an empty wrapper... Completely mechanical and I've not derived any enjoyment from the process.
i am glad i am not alone!
Eating meats and fats is a no bueno. I have been veggie for many moons, so thats not an option.
I did go through a period of not having lots of crisps and nuts in the house, which clearly helped. Sounds like i need to get back into that mindset.
Its a bit like beer, if its in the house, i will drink it, if it isnt, i am not fussed/dont go and buy some.
And more often than not, i am not eating as i am hungry, which makes it even more frustrating.
Need more will power!!!
The solution in my house is simply not to have snacks in the house. If they're there they get eaten, if they're not they can't be.
If you can stop buying them do that, I've found that sitting staring at the telly all evening was really bad for my snack habit, so how about a hobby? I've gone back to scale modelling after a long break and one of the side benefits is that i'm not sat in the sofa munching my way through packs of sweeties or crisps
Came here to check lambchop joined the thread with his militant rant about carbs and animal fats. Was not disappointed.
If you can stop buying them do that, I've found that sitting staring at the telly all evening was really bad for my snack habit, so how about a hobby? I've gone back to scale modelling after a long break and one of the side benefits is that i'm not sat in the sofa munching my way through packs of sweeties or crisps
Most of my hobbies are exercise based, riding, running, padel. But maybe something in the evening is required to keep my hands busy.
Combine this with no snacks in the house, should help develop my mind, body and soul! 🤣
Forget will power. Relying on that won't work (unless you don't really have a snacking problem in the first place). Plan to not have the temptation to hand. In this house that means no biscuits or crisps in the cupboards (or I'll eat 'em all).
It helps that you need clean hands for modelling, so crisps are right out!
Came here to check lambchop joined the thread
He is consistent if nothing else
@v7fmp haha I ask myself the same question every morning!
I eat a balanced diet, do tons of exercise then go smash the crisps, biscuits, magnums, cheese and whatever else while sitting on the couch in the evening. I'll probably have had breakfast lunch and 2 dinners by that point too. I'm 5'10" 68kg but the 19% body fat needs to come down a bit.
I've asked my Mrs to stop buying snacks but she continues so I'm watching this thread with interest.
So far I find the only thing that stops me snacking is doing something (i.e. not vegging on the couch) but I have a physical day job so the couch time is body rest time. Maybe I need a sedentary hobby that doesn't consume money like cycling does! I like the sound of a yoga session in the eve
OP and others have pretty much described me.
After recent blood tests it was identified that my cholesterol was getting near the limit for intervention.
WFH is a curse, my work around is every time I go for a cuppa have a drink of water first.
While the kettle is boiling have a piece of fruit, if still feeling snacky have another piece of fruit.
Kind off works for me, good luck.
You've answered your own question really.
1) If you don't buy it, you can't eat it.
2) If I'm snacking, I'll decant a portion of whatever it is into a bowl. If I want more then I won't beat myself up about getting more, but it does mean I actually have to go and get it which means my desire for more has to exceed my degree of arsedness to pause a film or schlep downstairs. Plus it has the advantage of not getting my hand all covered in Stuff from rummaging around inside packets.
3) It's OK to be hungry. If you're actually hungry, have food.
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He's got extensive previous form.
In the unlikely event that he doesn't die from a non-HDL cholesterol related heart attack or a stroke first, my bets are on one of digestive tract issues, liver failure, scurvy or rickets.
3) It's OK to be hungry. If you're actually hungry, have food.
This is a good point. People will say stuff like "if I don't have a snack mid-morning I'm starving by lunchtime". Well, you probably should be hungry by lunchtime, that's why you're eating your lunch.
Came here to check lambchop joined the thread with his militant rant about carbs and animal fats. Was not disappointed.
I aim to please
You've answered your own question really.
1) If you don't buy it, you can't eat it.
2) If I'm snacking, I'll decant a portion of whatever it is into a bowl. If I want more then I won't beat myself up about getting more, but it does mean I actually have to go and get it which means my desire for more has to exceed my degree of arsedness to pause a film or schlep downstairs. Plus it has the advantage of not getting my hand all covered in Stuff from rummaging around inside packets.
3) It's OK to be hungry. If you're actually hungry, have food.
Username checks out
He's got extensive previous form.
In the unlikely event that he doesn't die from a non-HDL cholesterol related heart attack or a stroke first, my bets are on one of digestive tract issues, liver failure, scurvy or rickets.
We shall see sweety. 54 here and fit as a butchers dog. Carnivore for 20 months, no scurvy or teeth falling out yet.
Trying drinking more water
This is a great point. Before you snack, have a glass of water. See if you still feel the need to snack 30mins later.
(The brain can confuse thirst for hunger)
Cut out carbs completely. Move to a diet of animal fats and ruminant meat. Eat as much of them as you can until you’re comfortably full. Then go about your day and realise that you do not feel hungry at all. Hunger pangs are the release of grehlin. Fat and meat suppress the release of grehlin and give you instead a sense of satiety.
I have done this and it does work, although obviously extreme. Completely re-set my palate, though, so was a very worthwhile exercise. I eat carbs now because it's not healthy in the long term.
Best advice it just don't have snack material in the house. There will be a moment of weakness at some point (usually after a long ride) and it will be eaten. Just don't buy it in the first place. Next best advice is to eat proper meals - plenty of fat and protein. If you eat a lamp chop (Barnsley) for lunch then you're not gonna need to eat for 4 or 5 hours afterwards. Some piddly little sandwich in a Tesco meal deal just isn't gonna do it.
So is this something that I need to break the cycle with, which will stop me? or is it a deeper routed phycological issue?
Do i just replace the crisps with carrot sticks and hummus?
Have you been in this situation? And what did you do?
Any advice or insight is appreciated!
I'm of the 'don't buy it, don't eat it' persuasion. The other pro of this is that if you don't munch on sweet, sugary rubbish regularly, your body stops craving it ime.
We just don't buy biscuits, cake etc and if I do eat something along those lines, it just tastes horribly, sickly sweet, so when you find yourself offered the stuff outside of home, it has really limited appeal. It took long covid to teach me this, same with booze, but the only sugary stuff I eat now on a regular basis is fresh fruit and the odd cereal/granola/flapjack type bar on longer bike rides.
We have a cheap smoothie maker. If I want a snack, I'll make a smoothie instead. It takes a while so by the time I've made it , drunk it, cleaned up, I'll probably have forgotten I'd come in for a biscuit. I'm not good at eating fruit in its original form but if I can blend it, I'll eat it!
Step 1) develop an intolerance to gluten. I tried a GF Jaffa cake once, I binned the rest of the packet.
I joke, but I do snack less simply because there are fewer options out there, there are still enough to keep me heavy though. 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies for example, they don't hang around long. I don't have anything helpful to offer by the way, I just like snacks.
a bit of "dont buy it, its not there, you cant eat it"
a bit of habit breaking/changing - in that it sounds like snacking in the evening has become a habit, you could try to keep the pattern but aim for something healthier, or you could try to avoid that habit outright
a bit of "eat healthy meals" but i will add to that, if you are prone to snacking in the evening, try to bulk out your evening meal with calorie sparse foods?
and to the poster above who commented they are too lazy to cut a carrot, but would eat pre-cut carrot sticks...... take carrot from fridge, bite top off, spit into bin, eat rest. surely doesnt get easier, quicker, less mess than that?
i am glad i am not alone!
Eating meats and fats is a no bueno. I have been veggie for many moons, so thats not an option.
I did go through a period of not having lots of crisps and nuts in the house, which clearly helped. Sounds like i need to get back into that mindset.
Its a bit like beer, if its in the house, i will drink it, if it isnt, i am not fussed/dont go and buy some.
And more often than not, i am not eating as i am hungry, which makes it even more frustrating.
Need more will power!!!
I am there with you.
Putting crisps in a bowl for example... Just means i am having two bowls of chrisps.
We have a cheap smoothie maker. If I want a snack, I'll make a smoothie instead. It takes a while so by the time I've made it , drunk it, cleaned up, I'll probably have forgotten I'd come in for a biscuit. I'm not good at eating fruit in its original form but if I can blend it, I'll eat it!
Making a fruit smoothy works by making you think you have been healthy whilst you have actually taken on a massive hit of sugar.
Cut out carbs completely. Move to a diet of animal fats and ruminant meat. Eat as much of them as you can until you’re comfortably full. Then go about your day and realise that you do not feel hungry at all. Hunger pangs are the release of grehlin. Fat and meat suppress the release of grehlin and give you instead a sense of satiety.
I have done this and it does work, although obviously extreme. Completely re-set my palate, though, so was a very worthwhile exercise. I eat carbs now because it's not healthy in the long term.
Why is it unhealthy in the long term but okay in the short term?
So is this something that I need to break the cycle with, which will stop me? or is it a deeper routed phycological issue?
On that front, one theory is that we evolved as opportunist omnivores, so when we come across high carb, super sweet food, our instincts are to eat loads of it as in theory we don't know when we'll next be able to top up. Obviously this makes sense if you're a wandering hunter and find, say, a bee's nest brimming with honey every few months, but it's somewhat less useful if you have constant access to an endlessly accessible supply of biscuits, cake chocolate and other sweet stuff.
Who knows if there's any truth to that, but if you'd like some sort of explanation that isn't simply that you're a weak-willed sugar addict or have been brainwashed by Big Food, there it it is. We have sugar cravings because they were useful to our wandering ancestors 🙂
Just imagine what Captain Caveman would have given for a packet of chocolate HobNobs
Carnivore for 20 months, no scurvy or teeth falling out yet.
Let me get this right, you have been on this meat only diet that you keep banging on about for just 20 months?
Are you not aware that the damage caused by a poor diet takes years before it becomes obvious and/or kills you?
We shall see sweety. 54 here and fit as a butchers dog. Carnivore for 20 months, no scurvy or teeth falling out yet.
20 months? 🤣 You could live off water for that long. You talk like it's been 20 years.
Good for you Lambchops that you have found a diet that clearly works for you!
As far as I understand the likes of Tim Noakes and Ben Bikman are actively researching this and agree with the benefits of this type of diet.
However humans are complicated and the biology is complex so it is likely a high meat high fat diet won't suit everyone.
As someone who doesn't like meat or fat I would struggle to make it work for me but I'm keeping an open mind and am curious to see where the science regarding this will take us in the coming years. After all Inuit people have been living on a similar diet for ages.
Why is it unhealthy in the long term but okay in the short term?
Apparently, there aren't many long-term trials of carnivore diets ... What is the ‘carnivore diet’ and is it a bad idea?
"evidence from large and long-term observational studies tells us diets high in red meat and processed meats increase our risk of heart disease and many cancers.
While one person may be able to sustain a carnivore diet for months, or even years, without any health complications, that’s certainly not going to be the case for everyone."
I think diet requirements vary between individuals due to genetic makeup and gut bacteria.
I'm 5'10" 68kg but the 19% body fat needs to come down a bit.
That's a surprising body fat figure!
Why is it unhealthy in the long term but okay in the short term?
Apparently, there aren't many long-term trials of carnivore diets ... What is the ‘carnivore diet’ and is it a bad idea?
"evidence from large and long-term observational studies tells us diets high in red meat and processed meats increase our risk of heart disease and many cancers.
While one person may be able to sustain a carnivore diet for months, or even years, without any health complications, that’s certainly not going to be the case for everyone."
I think diet requirements vary between individuals due to genetic makeup and gut bacteria.
I'm 5'10" 68kg but the 19% body fat needs to come down a bit.
That's a surprising body fat figure!
As for long term studies, well it’s almost impossible to do any controlled long term studies on humans. However there are many, many examples of carnivores who have been eating this way for years including a lady cattle farmer Maggie (rancher maggie), who in her 80’s looks like a 40 year old and could beat any one of us in an arm wrestle. Dr Shaun Baker, who wrote the book ‘The Carnivore Diet’ is in his 60’s, looks like Jack Reacher and could probably invade a small country single handed. Dr Sean O’Mara, in his 60’s, nearly died at 47 from obesity related issues is now super fit and has minimal visceral fat around his vital organs. He should know as he is at the forefront of pioneering body scanning to show visceral fat deposits in the human body. I could go on.
I see you lumped in processed meats into your list of unhealthies, well you’re right they aren’t great because of added nasties. However grass fed ruminant meat is as far from unprocessed as you can get. So these should not be lumped in with processed or ultra processed ‘meat’.