Happy Monday!!!!! I hope you all had a great weekend, now it is back to the weekday grind.
Something I really struggle with is eating only when I am hungry. Most often for me it’s dinner; dinnertime will roll around and for some reason or other i am not hungry, whether it’s because i ate a late lunch, I have already consumed enough calories, I ate something bad that has caused me to bloat…..whatever the reason if dinner rolls around and i am not hungry i tend to still make myself eat something. I know, that sounds so counterproductive to weight loss, but i get inside my head and tell myself it’s unhealthy not to eat, instead i need to remind myself, “if you are not hungry there is probably a reason why”.
Also like most people i am guilty of bored, mindless eating. When i am doing something like watching TV that doesn’t engage my brain or something to that extant, i tend to snack more. I know i am not hungry but i am bored so i decided i am hungry for a snack.
This motivational photo seemed perfect to convey this since it is our mental strength is what will help with this.
How do you keep yourself from needlessly snacking?
Trailing the blonde 
Hi Ariana
I am an expert in this stuff but only from my own considerable experience with what I used to do, which was diet. ((I don’t diet anymore.)
The one time in my life that I got to a normal weight (having been morbidly obese for a good portion of my life) was by adhering to three meals a day (I weighed and measured) with nothing in between except zero calorie beverages and/or gum (no sugarless candy or fruit). That worked for me. I lost 145 lbs. in about a year. That was my food plan. And I planned my food every day.
Even the experts say not to skip meals. For me, by skipping meals it’s too easy to justify extra eating, whether that comes later in the evening or even the next day.
Some folks eat six smaller “meals” a day because it keeps their blood sugar on a more even keel. Whatever you decide works for you, I would suggest to stick with that plan but not to skip meals. For me, it leads to too much “lag-dee-dah-ing” with my food and diminishing clarity about the food I’ve consumed. I need that planned, committed clarity.
There was considerable more to this food plan that succeeded for me. I joined a 12-step group for people who needed a more disciplined approach to food because of the support and STRUCTURE therein. I stopped eating all white sugar, honey, etc. and only ate whole-grains (defined by the program, not by the food corporations). I committed to making four phone calls per day and three meetings per week. I wrote about and read from AA literature every day. I had a sponsor to whom I placed one of my four daily phone calls to and committed my food for the day to her. After meeting certain program commitments I sponsored people in order to give back what I’d been given.
Most people don’t need to go to that structured a route but, because of my miserable history of battling with food and because i truly felt hopeless it worked well for me.
When I walked away from the program (stopped working it) I paid a terrible price, health-wise. I’m working my way back, though because it’s the only thing that has ever worked at length for me.
Having written all this, I would only urge you to find a structured food plan (foods included, number of meals per day, etc.) and then commit to it. Make it something you can live with on a daily basis. You may have to make small corrections/adjustments as you go but I would hasten you not to make those adjustments lightly or without discussing them with someone supportive and who has some knowledge of what you are trying to do, i.e., a nutritionist or your doctor.
But, bottom line, don’t skip any meals. In my world, it’s a sure-fire set-up for disappointment and frustration.
I hope I’ve been helpful. I’m rooting for you!
When I said “no fruit” above I meant I didn’t eat any fruit between meals. I included fruit in my meals, of course, along with proteins, fats, veggies and the whole-grains I mentioned.