Hey everyone!
Just wondering what your advice is to keep myself from snacking while I'm at home. I don't do it when I'm out of the house (I won't let myself spend money), but I'm still finding it really hard not to snack when I'm at home: if I don't leave early enough in the morning, or I come home too early I find myself eating waaay more than I need! How can I stop doing this?

I can think of two approaches:

1) Find some activity that you enjoy to occupy yourself to prevent snacking.
Read a book? Do needlepoint? Exercise? (Double benefit, even just stretching before work.)

and/or

2) Substitute healthful snack options.
Herbal tea? Large glass of water with lemon? Baby carrots? Sliced cucumber with a squeeze of lemon juice?

Good luck!

I dont buy snack items for the house unless they are healthy. Fruits, especially grapes which I like to freeze. I also buy melons and use my little scooper and make all sorts of melon balls and keep them in a container in the refrigerator.

Its helped me.

Good suggestions from Kim and JustJuneBug.

I would definitely get some good snacks into the house. It's okay to snack, as long as you're eating the right things.
Get yourself some pre-cut veggies (or cut them up yourself) and a healthy dip. Some mini-yogurts (low fat/sugar). Pre-cut fruit, etc.
Don't deprive yourself if you really need some food... you could set yourself up for a "bad food binge".

I drink a lot of herbal tea! Stash makes this wonderful blueberry herbal tea which has a natural sweetness. It really helps defuse snack cravings.

I've found another good way to curb snackiness is to brush my teeth - I hate eating with that fresh, minty taste in my mouth.

Of course, this is what I use to cope with idle/boredom snacking, if I'm really hungry - I eat. I don't have any junk in the house, just healthy foods. I like to eat baked apples with walnuts or a single serve of Microwave kettle corn or a frozen fruit, cut up veggies, yogurt, string cheese, etc etc.

I just go to my sewing machine and sew most nights. Works for me. Wendy

Chew gum. Or eat a mint. I find if I chew a piece of gum or eat a couple of mints, I don't feel like eating food. I tend to be a nibbler, especially when I'm preparing meals, so if I know that I definitely can't afford the "nibble calories", I'll stick a mint or a piece of gum in my mouth before I start cooking and it keeps me from munching through the entire preparation process.

Also, try brushing your teeth. Many people have said this works for them because once they brush their teeth, they can't eat any food for a while. This has never worked for me, though, lol. If I want that munchie, I don't care if I'd just brushed my teeth or not. Which is why gum, for me, is better.

A sliced apple and a cup of tea does it for me. I am crazy about apple cinnamon tea.

I sprinkle a little salt on my apple slices too.

Awesome, thanks for the ideas! I keep forgetting that I have tea... I'm going to put it right on the counter for the next time I'm craving!

Learn how to crochet. With a hook and yarn in your hands, you'll be too caught up to stop for food. Heck, I have to count on my toddlers to remind me when it's time for meals!

you better off having a snack in the after noon and night so you wont out later. glen

I eat really small all day long so that I'm not hungry enough to binge.

A single serving of yogurt (personally doesn't fill me up, but I don't drink milk)
frozen grapes (portion them in baggies)
2-4 big strawberries
Ready to eat Sugar Snap Peas
Raw Carrots
Baby size can of lima beans
can of asparagus
Luna bar
1 serving of sunflower seeds (eaten slowly) (if you are bored, eat the shelled kind, takes a long time to deshell it) (NOT LOW CAL, but good for you)
1 boiled egg
1 orange
1 pkg of oatmeal
For sweets I eat ONE Quakers breafast cookie

I find a list of nutrient dense foods and every week I buy several things from it and I switch them up. I use the very low calorie things to fill in for snacking.

GREAT Advice! I know that it helps me. Choose wisely


All of the advice in this thread is wonderful, thanks for everyones input!