Eating between meals

[charlottegrace1]

Just wondered how many of you actually plan to have mid morning, mid afternoon and an evening snack, and eat food just because its "free" and you can, without asking yourself if your hungry, and if so what makes you do it? I did up until a couple of weeks ago when I started to just listen to my "hungry stomach" and ignore the "I just want it" one. Having realised that if I eat 3 meals a day, and enough to satisfy me, I can't possibly be "hungry" between meals, I cut them out and I have had weight loss results into the bargain, which had pretty much ground to a halt before. I wondered if it becomes more of a habit, the snacking thing, than actual necessity and how you deal with it. If we only had meat, fish, fruit, veg and dairy to live on, we would survive wouldn't we, so why do we want/need these unhealthy additive filled yummy treats/snacks. Is it just because we can or do our bodies crave more of the same like a drug. Funny how when you have eaten porridge, a chicken salad, egg on toast etc, you don't crave another one do you, yet a chocolate biscuit, and oh dear, only stop when they have all gone, and could still eat more.

Why do diets work into their plans treats? Are they helping to fuel our passions which have helped to make us over weight in the first place. Why cann't we seem to live without the pleasure of sweet foods, we did before they were invented lol. I'm thinking too much now, so suggestions on a postcard please and if you know the answer, bottle it and make your millions lol.

 

[Fallen Angel]

If they didn't factor in 'treats' then no-one would stick to it. Life includes treat and SW is for life not just until you get to target. Plus you need sugar for a balanced diet - but this is why it's 'counted' rather than free.
I personally got out of the habit of 'snacking' while doing Rosemary Conley/calorie counting, but if I do eat something between meals then yes I have it. If I don't, I get over hungry then grab anything & everything in sight, so free food stops me from going back to old habits - again for life.

 

[Smokes]

I try to just have fruit between meals and I try to only have it if I'm actually hungry but I know I do sometimes have it just because!
I generally don't use all my syns up each day and don't see the point of using them up just because. Ok if I'm hungry or it's a certain occaision I'll use them but if I'm not hungry there's no point eating for the hell of it!

 

[ilovelife]

i have slipped up once again by eating at least 12 yogurts a day for no reason a bad habit that got out ofhand - learned my lesson and sticking two meals a day one average portion and a smaller one for the evening generally as it works for me as generally due to my nature I am good with structure and rountine (though at times I fall on my arse!)

 

[shrinkingannie]

Hmmm some interesting reading, I eat snacks and too many of them but I am not working atm and I find that does not help - Im going to try snacking only on fruit and only if Im hungry and have something sweet only after dinner - not breakfast and lunch too which I would like lol.
Then some people say you should eat something every 3 hours so your body believes there is an abundence of food and burns it readily - I dont know.

 

[JoJosing]

At my group we have a fantastic girl who has lost over 7 stone. She asked our consultant is there a point at which she should stop eating so much and cut down on snacks etc. Our consultant told her no keep eating to keep loosing. She tested this by reducing the amount she ate - result was no loss. She then went back to 'normal' SW eating and lost again the next week.

I think that you need to forget the word Diet (dare I eat that) and think more allong the lines of eating plan - food when you want it preferably healthy and nutrious. Like a previous poster said so your body thinks their is plenty of food and burns it up properly rather than storing.

 

[Circes]

When I was losing I always included a morning, afternoon and evening snack and still do. I'm a believer in having to stoke the furnace (metabolism) if you want to keep it burning (calories).

 

[tfmd]

I have a mid morning snack of a banana or apple. then mid afternoon I have a fresh fruit salad....I try not to have too many things to eat between meals...
I had a bad problem with binge eating a while ago...
I sometimes find myself eating for the sake of it, or if I go into the kitchen, picking things I shouldn't.
I will never start binge eating again but I can easily see the times where I could.
For me food was an escape and I am always teetering on the edge of using it.
When I am on my own is the hardest time, when I have people round me I am perfectly fine...
My life has totally changed around and I no longer feel the need to escape...
I have to now repair the damage I've done to myself during my dark moments....

 

[ilovelife]

i have snacks but try keep then im moderation, I also can not eat fruit if I can eat something thrity mins as my blood sugar drops quite rapidly and I suffer from acute anxiety!

 

[charlottegrace1]

If they didn't factor in 'treats' then no-one would stick to it. Life includes treat and SW is for life not just until you get to target. Plus you need sugar for a balanced diet - but this is why it's 'counted' rather than free.
I personally got out of the habit of 'snacking' while doing Rosemary Conley/calorie counting, but if I do eat something between meals then yes I have it. If I don't, I get over hungry then grab anything & everything in sight, so free food stops me from going back to old habits - again for life.

This is exactly what I'm trying to get away from "treats" in the form of what we know, chocolate cakes, crisps etc. I don't think I need them, just been trained to "want" them. I can get all the sugar I need from fruit which being a lower GI food won't give me the highs and lows of the sugar rush. I have definitely found it much easier hunger wise not having them, maybe there is a connection, maybe not, I don't know, but its working so that's good. My treats are now, a magazine or something along those lines. I understand what you are saying about life includes a treat, but maybe, just maybe, that's because we have conditioned ourselves to want the treat to be a food item such as chocolate etc. or have we just become addicted to the high we get from it.

Well done to you for giving up the snacking between meals, just shows we can all change our ways with effort.

Thanks to you all for your comments on this post, its interesting to see other peoples eating habits.

 

[Ceeps]

I am so glad I have seen this thread. I was talking to my C last night at club about it. I am finding that I am eating all the time. It is all free food but it is a lot. Yesterday I had:-
2 bananas, 4 satsunas, 2 apples, half melon, 2 pears, 4 plums, grapes and a mango.
Most of this was eaten between meals or in the evening watching the tv and apart from a banana which is part of my breakfast none of it was because i was hungry. I do think that when that quantity of food is eaten then your body is not learning to eat less. I am going to only eat food this week at meal times and my fruit will be my pudding and see if I can have a loss this week (STS for 2 weeks now even tho been good).
I know free food is there to be eaten but really it should only be if your hungry.

 

[charlottegrace1]

I am so glad I have seen this thread. I was talking to my C last night at club about it. I am finding that I am eating all the time. It is all free food but it is a lot. Yesterday I had:-
2 bananas, 4 satsumas, 2 apples, half melon, 2 pears, 4 plums, grapes and a mango.
Most of this was eaten between meals or in the evening watching the tv and apart from a banana which is part of my breakfast none of it was because i was hungry. I do think that when that quantity of food is eaten then your body is not learning to eat less. I am going to only eat food this week at meal times and my fruit will be my pudding and see if I can have a loss this week (STS for 2 weeks now even tho been good).
I know free food is there to be eaten but really it should only be if your hungry.

This is the method I have adopted this last couple of weeks, eating enough to satisfy me at meals with fruit for pud, and have had good weight loss this last 2 weeks. Educating my stomach to realise its not hungry between meals and that it can't have everything its own way like a naughty child lol.

Hope you have a successful week doing it and would be interested to see if makes a difference to your weight. Good luck.

 

[bobbedazzler]

I tend to snack at odd times in the day - I never have a breakfast before I leave the house but by 10am I'm hungry so usually have fruit and yog (although this morning I had home made mushroom soup) then I'm ok until lunch.

I snack on fruit and yog in an afternoon if the biscuit tin at work comes out, then I can fill myself up with the good stuff and not have room for the 'naughties'.

My danger time is when I get home from work and am waiting for OH to get in so we can eat together (some nights its 7.30pm before he gets home). That's when I'll pick and want snacks of bread, crisps etc. just to 'tide me over' until dinner!

I also snack if I'm at home alone or bored!

Funnily enough I've just been reading about this: Emotional Eating - Bachremedies US - Bach*‎®â€Ž*Original Flower Remedies they sell it in boots so thought I might give it a go for those 'head hunger' rather than 'tummy hunger' moments!

Jo x

 

[Rachella]

I think when you've been doing SW for ages like I have your body does change its desires for snacking... the meals I do it should be satisfying enough that I don't need to eat in between... I used to eat lots of fat-free yogurts and other free snacks but now I've noticed over time that I am eating less and less... just looking back through my food diaries is an indication....