3 Meals a day.

redmel

Dreamer
Hi

I was just wondering how many people stick to 3 meals a day and don't snack etc...

My main weight problems are down to constant snacking and mindless eating...I was supposed to try and only eat my main meals today, but alas, I have succumbed to the biscuits:cry: I am so annoyed with
myself...problem is I am not really a fan of fruit so find it hard to find snacks to eat, so end up dipping into the goody cupboard!! I have cut right back on how many 'treat' foods I buy, but with 4 kids...3 of them hungry boys, i can't not buy any at all:rolleyes:

How many of you don't snack at all....

xx
 
Daft question alert...

are you on EE and does EE say you have to stick to three meals a day?

I ask this as in the past I have been successful with SW and used to snack all the time..... finding something syn free to snack on helps. And back then the only plan that you were supposed to stick to three meals a day was Mix2Max and even this can be done with syn free snacks....

some people have HE's as snacks.

some people have six or five little meals. They say little and often keeps them from getting over hungry.

Its whatever works for you....

Judith
 
I eat about 6 times a day! I have my brekkie, then mid-morning I usually have a Fibre Plus bar, have lunch, fruit in the afternoon (grapes are a good thing to nibble on) dinner, then something about 9 in the evening.

If you're sticking to 3 meals a day, what are you using your syns on? I have 15 syns more or less every day and I've lost more weight on SW than I have with any weight-loss attempt in the past!

If, like me, you're used to eating several times a day then you're bound to feel hungry if you stop snacking. Make sure you've got plenty of SW-friendly snacks in eat them instead of the biccies!!
 
No rules at all about not being able to snack - you can snack on free foods throughout

Fruit is probably best, but if you dont like it, how about raw veg (carrots, cauli, broccoli, peppers etc).

Loads of free snacking options - fat free yoghurts, veg crudites and homemade dips.

On green and EE - mug shots, make up some pasta/rice/couscous and keep in fridge to snack on

On red and EE - cold cuts of free meat etc

I'm sure there's loads more - check back in your book on what your free and superfree options are and snack on those.

The other thing is checking if you are really hungry - sometimes just drinking some water can keep the hunger at bay. ALternatively, when you find the urge to snack - find something else to do to keep you busy and take your mind off it - go for a walk, call up a friend/your mum for a chat - even take a shower/bath (definitely cant be eating while your are in the shower - maybe get away with it in the bath though!)
 
I think you should just eat when you are hungry. They say little and often is the way!
 
I think you should just eat when you are hungry. They say little and often is the way!

This is the bit I struggle with...this is why I was wondering how many people eat just 3 meals a day, I am trying to assess if I should try and cut out snacks altogether as can't seem to restrain myself.

Thank You everyone for your replies, seems as though you are all having great losses whilst eating regularly throughout the day. I will have to go through the whole list of free/superfree foods and pick out things I like and make sure I stock up on them.....times are hard atm and being skint doesn't help matters!!

Thanks again for you thoughts on it.

xx
 
This is the bit I struggle with...this is why I was wondering how many people eat just 3 meals a day, I am trying to assess if I should try and cut out snacks altogether as can't seem to restrain myself.

Thank You everyone for your replies, seems as though you are all having great losses whilst eating regularly throughout the day. I will have to go through the whole list of free/superfree foods and pick out things I like and make sure I stock up on them.....times are hard atm and being skint doesn't help matters!!

Thanks again for you thoughts on it.

xx

I am quite greedy at the weekends. Rather than eating little and often I eat big meals. At work luckily I am always too busy to overeat so what I have started doing is only taking my lunch and 1/2 pieces of fruit to work, sometimes a Hi-Fi if I don't have any other HEX Bs planned for the day.

Before I was taking a lot more stuff in like yoghurt and huge tubs of melon, grapefruit etc. Now I take less in and I've not been any hungrier at all! Could you try that if you have a busy job? And not take any spending money in so you can't buy any other snacks?
 
I did used to find it easier when I was working, but I am at home with the little ones now, so unfortunately all day access to the fridge/kitchen all day, and I am in and out all day sorting bottles, and lunches and then snacks and dinner when the older two come home!! i feel like I live in the flaming kitchen. I pretty much make all our food from scratch, and we also make our own bread/rolls/pizza dough etc So as you can see I am in their a lot, which isn't great for trying to avoid food...I tend to just absent-mindidly grab stuff out the cupboards and I am not even hungry!

Tiredness isn't helping either, one of both of the little ones wake in the night, either for a feed, or due to teething or illness!! I often feel like I need to eat just for energy, I am also an emotional eater and tend to scoff food when I get stressed... Again I was wondering If I get strict with myself and don't allow any snacks I might behave myself haha x
 
It is a shame you do not like fruit as the fibre keeps you feeling fuller for longer than sugary snacks. You sure you don't like any fruit? They are all quite different.

I tend to just absent-mindidly grab stuff out the cupboards and I am not even hungry!
Maybe if you keep a food diary in the kitchen and update it whenever you eat, it will make you more mindful of what and why you are eating.

I think healthy snacking throughout the day is a good thing. It stops dips in blood sugar levels which can lead to cravings. Good luck Redmel :)
 
I eat loads, I have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, tea, snack:D

However, there is a girl at group who only eats at meal times & doesn't snack inbetween, the reason is she doesn't want to get into bad habits & gain the weight she has lost, it works for her. She uses her syns in her food.

You do what ever is best for you.
 
I never seem to manage breakfast although some mornings I shove an alpen light in my pocket and munch it on the school run.
I stick to two meals a day usually and fit my HE's in around or within them.Luckily I'm usually too busy to think about snacking but at night the wine really calls me which is my main problem :p
 
I'm not overly enamoured with fruit either - after all, there's no comparison between an apple and a bag of cheese and onion crisps, or a couple of satsumas and a couple of Jacobs cream Crackers with cheese is there?

I want this so much it hurts! - I have to commit fully - 100% or not at all. Therefore my "goody cupboard" if full of goodies. Crisps, sausage rolls, pies, biscuits, crackers, cakes (you get the picture) are NOT goodies - in fact they are baddies!;)

Baddies, because they and their contents got me obese in the first place. So while fruit may seem dull, collecting my 2st shiny after 9 weeks makes me feel immensely proud of my choices and you know what? - I even enjoy and look forward to my fruit.

3 good meals per day, and snacking with free fruit (or any free foods) use your HEX's and always between 5-15 syns per day.

Sounds easy, and in truth it is, but you have to stick to plan. I'm not keen on Flora Light (but Lurpak is out) not the greatest fan of wholemeal bread (Warburtons white toastie thick was my enemy) Sugar (sweetener) Cream in cofee (s/skimmed milk) - hell even good old chips were replaced by the healthier version done in a Tefal Actifry (and just as tasty).

Sorry to go on, but I'm quite high after my latest loss so feel whatever i am doing is working well for me and the initial sacrifices are now forgotten! - well amost lol

Steve
 
I only eat 3 times a day and don't snack at all because I'm literally never hungry as I drink 2 liters of water between breakfast and lunch and then another 2 liters between lunch and dinner.. It has worked for me so far, 22 lbs in 9 weeks but I honestly think it's up to the individual.
 
I'm very sensitive to the natural sugars in fruit, eating fruit makes me hungrier so I never snack on it. I snack on hard boiled eggs or cold SW quiche, chicken drumstick, ham, crabsticks. I make scan bran cakes and snack on those, also egg custard, vegetable soup, mini babybels.
It's a mixture of free foods, Heb's and syns. If I don't snack I get too hungry and that's dangerous.
 
I am another snack-er and it is hard.

I do like fruit so that makes it easier for me but my lifesaver is Options. I love the orange one . It kills my appetite dead.

I agree about the hard boiled eggs, chicken etc. They too make you feel you are snacking on "normal" food.

The greatest incentive for me to stick with it has been reaching target.

Go for it........................
 
I've never been able to just stick to 3 meals a day. Sometimes you find on some days that your energy dips and you need to have something.

Maybe go through the lists of free/superfree food and make your own list of what you like off it. Then stick your list on the cupboard so you can see what to buy when shopping.

I used to hardboil a box of eggs every week and leave them in the fridge for instant snacks. It's obviously helpful to snack on superfree but if you eat a lot of veggies with your meals, there's no reason why you can't snack on some cold cooked chicken or some egg and ham.

Maybe make a batch of pasta salad and leave it in the fridge? Pasta, chopped onion, red pepper, maybe some lettuce/spinach, sweetcorn if you fancy, all mixed with some fat free salad dressing. Very good for picking and a bit more filling to keep you going.

If you must have crisps and biscuits in the house, go for the low syn ones. French fries are about 4.5syns a pack, Aldi own make quavers are only 3 syns (I think). Kitkats are 5.5syns for a 2 finger one. Maybe have a hot drink instead, as has been suggested spending 2 syns on a hot chocolate might be better than 6+ on whatever you get your hands on first.

I find it hard at weekends and when I'm home too (only work Weds - Fri, spend Mon/Tues looking after my toddler!) and it is all too easy to go in the kitchen, especially if he plays up - I find I shove in a biscuit rather than a banana if I'm getting wound up!

There's some good advice on here. Maybe try to have a glass of water first, and then if you feel hungry after about 30mins, eat something. This 30mins will also give you time to think about what you want to eat and you may surprise yourself by preferring something a bit healthier than just grabbing a biscuit out the cupboard.

Good luck!
 
I don't tend to snack but have big meals to keep me going. Don't know whether that's better or worse than little and often but it works for me and i save syns for a little evening treat or weekend blowout!
 
It's different for everyone though. I find it easier to graze throughout the day although I have breakfast and a 'real' evening meal. However, someone I work with has no snacks in the day. I only ever see her eat lunch and she always says no when cakes/sweets are doing the rounds.

Some people can eat enough at a meal time (or enough of the right thing) to keep them going from one meal to the next. Others need something in the middle to give us an extra boost.

Just try and find what works for you. Never feel hungry though. The joy of this plan is that any stomach pangs can be easily and non-guiltily sated! It's hunger that can make us fall off the wagon!
 
I tend not to snack - mainly because I don't need to as my meals fill me up.
However, I sometimes have a bit of fruit mid morning, depending on how busy I am and if I am hungry. I never eat between lunch and dinner as I don't need it.
I do have supper though, always! I save a B choice for this and have some ryvita or a cereal bar.
 
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