Studying munchies!
 

So I have a big paper for grad school due wednesday and ive been working really hard! yesterday i did really well having carrots out to munch on, but tonight was harder, i kept it for low point snacks, 100 cal things cereal etc but eating is my mini break from studying.... or writing in this case! does anyone else have this problem? i know the solutions, stock healthier snacks etc which i am capable of doing, but ugh!!!

I get muchies too! hmmm, I have them now.

I always just chew gum when I study. I think it helps me memorize stuff but mostly it keeps me from getting up 100 times to go get snacks!!! =)

I second the gum! I also drink lots of tea and try to keep food as far away from me as possible, because I know I will just eat mindlessly. But, because it is kind of impossible to not eat while studying for extended periods of time, I make sure that everything is pre-measured and before I even start working, that way I won't start eating and then realize I've had way more than I planned.

Im the same way. i try not to have too much snacks in my house, b/c when I get the urge to eat just b/c I'm bored, so i really have to make everything. lol.

You can have tea,, drink that or juice. that helps me. or you could study in a library. we'll be far away from food then!! :p

Study or any sort of work that involves concentration often sets off the munchies. The brain uses up more energy than many other organs in your body and you experience a blood sugar drop. One of the reasons (besides stress) that people pick up weight in college is that study makes you hungry. It's not a fake thing as many people believe. It's real.

Knowing this means you should plan to consume some calories in response to this need. It's not only about keeping your mouth busy, but about filling a biological need. I'd recommend planning in a two to three hundred calories a day for this if you're studying every day. Personally, I'd plan in some cottage cheese and baked tortilla chips (Guiltless Gourmet mucho nacho chips are my favorite, and they taste great dipped in cottage cheese) or pretzels and cheese in portions that space out at hourly or 90-minute intervals in my study sessions.

Carrots are good, of course, but they're probably just orally satisfying and not going to deal with the fact that your brain really wants more energy to help it keep going.

What about taking a break that doesn't involve food? Study for 45 minutes and then run the vacuum cleaner, fold a basket of laundry, scrub the bathroom. I find that doing something mindless for 15 minutes helps me formulate and write better papers or concentrate longer. Plus, it keeps you away from snacking!

I know how you are feeling! The last time I stayed up late to study for a midterm, I was snacking every few hours. I try to keep it healthy though. Light babybel and my new favorite thing, those guilt free pumpkin muffins. I also like beef jerky and honey wheat pretzels from Trader Joe's. Sometimes a handful of almonds does the trick. It's encouraging to learn that some of our munchies are burned off by studying though :) I feel guilty drinking coffee, even if I want to drink some to keep me awake b/c of the calories...so I try to drink green tea or lipton.

Whenever I'm doing school work, I plan to have 6-8 very small meals during the day. These meals usually involve carrots, veggie burgers, etc, but they're all very very small. I just need a break to step away from what I'm doing, and I really do get hungrier as I study. As screaming said, you are using more energy, even if it is just brain energy.

I also keep these low-fat Trader Joe's cookies around. They're cats, and they come in chocolate or ginger. I think its like 1 point for 15 cookies, so what I do is just get up, have 2 cookies, an hour later, I maybe have 1 more, something like that. That and 100 calorie bags of popcorn are the only "snack foods" that I have in my house.

I actually took a break from the paper and went for a walk on the treadmill! but its a long paper that i have to write, then put down and go back to, etc. so it is a lengthy process!

I study on the treadmill though, i just walk and repeat i am a memorizing kind of person and the treadmill makes me focus!

I like doing notecards while on the treadmill and stationary bike. It helps pass time you know, when people are watching dumb shows on the TVs and whatnot. Mostly I like doing interactive exercises though as treadmills and stationary bikes indoors bore me.

I like to have some carrots with a little bit of low calorie honey mustard dressing on the side. Usually does me well! The carrots don't seem to fill me up on their own but with the help of the mustard it's amazing.

I was the same way when I was in college. My friends and I would bring out work to a diner at midnight and order fries, or we'd go out to the convenience store and get hoagies as a "study break." Good grief, it's no wonder I got so heavy!

I've given this advice before, but the biggest thing that keeps me from snacking is Crest Whitestrips. It's pathetic, but when I get munchies, the only thing that keeps me from snacking is to cover my teeth in sticky peroxide-covered strips!

For snacks that are good during a study break, try tea, low-cal hot chocolate, sugar free pudding/jello, low-fat string cheese, or fruit. Definitely don't go to the diner and order fries like I did!

Pretzel sticks always did it for me. I'm too cheap to buy the 100 calorie packs, so yes, I sat there and counted out 50 pretzels for 100 calories, but then I tried to eat them slow and drink lots of water with them. Always worked for my studying / paper writing nights.

Hey good for you! The only 100 calorie packs I'll buy are the popcorn - and that's mostly because I'm the only one around anyway, so the rest of the popcorn will just go to waste.

I always try to fill up on water. Usually this backfires though and I end up having to pee every 15 minutes and then I can hardly get any work done.
Have you tried hard candy? Like peppermints? My mouth just wants to be occupied while my mind is, so sometimes I'll get sugar free mints and eat tons and tons of those.

last day of this paper i am on the home strech! anyone want to write my last two parts?

motivation sucks right now, but i filled up on chili for dinner, leaving myself with enough points for popcorn later... hopefully i wont need it?!

PiedPiper- TOTALLY know what you mean! I'm trying to be good and drink lots of water but it sure backfires.

I have a new love...korean sweet potatoes (i think they're actually yams) are really delicious!

I really get these "study munchies" bad. As I have only been dieting on the start of my break I really haven't tried any methods to prevent them. My issue is I need to eat before I study, or all I can think about is food, and then after studying I get hungry again ! I'm going to try veggies in yogurt dip, protein shakes, popcorn, and studying right after the bigger meals so that I don't start thinking too much about snacking !

I love those korean sweet potatoes. Are you talking about the miniature cut ones that come in the packs next to the chestnuts? hehe

healthy munchies are a good call, but not always realistic. I have a problem with the chocolate cravings and my sweet tooth... sometimes i just want something sweet!! I find sugar free or no sugar added fudgsicles totally hit the spot. Only 40 calories!!! And they are permitted on the south beach diet (which is what i generally try to follow), even on phase 1, the strictest phase!!

hahaha i LOVE this thread. this is SO me! when i was in undergrad i never understood why it was called studying your butt off. i would always gain like 10 lbs at finals. it should be called studying your butt on.

by the time grad school came around, i realized i didn't want to take the chance with re-fluffifying my butt, so i went with the gum and water route. i would chew gum for most of the time, always getting a new piece or switching flavors when the taste was gone, since really, that's what i wanted. i also would let myself have one snack every hour (i'd go with half a 100 calorie thing) and be sure i took a break every 20 minutes or hour depending on the paper and do a short exercise video (2-3 minutes) from exercisetv.tv to get a boost of energy before i dove back into the work. not only did it keep me from gaining weight but it kept me focused too.

SO TRUE!!! Every finals I gain 10 lbs, too !! This is some kind of curse. Thanks for your wonderful tips, I really think thats a good idea. :D

I remember gaining 5-10 pounds when ever Finals time came around! I had to switch to tea....English Breakfast with a bit a FF milk and half a splenda.

hahah i love that... studying your butt on!!! I def did that. I gained all my weight in college, but now i'm graduated and losing it!!!

Actually, I bought the fresh one and just steamed them in the microwave. But if they have them in packs I should give it a try. I like the chestnuts too!