[Tenoreo90]

I used to follow the 'five mini-meals' but had no success and found it very hard to stick to my calorie budget. I also found it made me feel hungrier, for some reason. What have you all experienced in snacking between meals?

[Dreamer2012]

I used to snack on junk all the time between meals. Now, I try to snack with fruit. I will have my lunch and bring an apple with me to college. The apple is the food I will eat on the way home (2 hour commute) before my dinner. It can be hard not to go into the shop in the train station and get something but I do it! There are some days where I just want a packet of crisps or some chocolate and will have some. Nowadays, these types of foods are every once and a while so if I want it, I allow myself it. But when it comes to snacks everyday, I do try and stick to fruit.

[Misti in Seattle]

I eat three meals a day and, if I snack, it is fruit or veggies... also, no night eating. Now that I have been on this plan for six months I hardly ever even think about snacking.

[Angihas2]

I have 3 meals, 300-400 calories and 2 100-200 calorie snacks. I always balance my fruits in the morning, otherwise I have sugar issues in the evenings. So, like today, I'll have strawberries with breakfast, and my snack is 1 laughing cow light triangle, 2 flatbread crackers and an orange. I try to balance the sweet/sugar with a fat. Though, I make sure to have a fat with every meal. It really does help with those cravings and the protien makes sure I don't deal with cravings as much. Are you making sure you've got a good fat/protien/carbs ratio throughout the day so blood sugars don't dip and spike and so you feel satiated during the day? Are you getting enough water throughout the day so you know you're hydrated and not mistaking thirst cues for hunger cues?

I also 'close' my kitchen after dinner, by putting food away, washing the dishes, counters, table and sweeping/mopping the floor. That was the signal when I was growing up for everyone to stay out of the kitchen, and it's still in my head. I also don't eat anything after 8 pm except water and hot tea.

[sontaikle]

I graze throughout the day, so I'm not sure if I should call it snacking or eating lots of mini meals. It really depends on my mood, how much time I have, and what kind of exercise I'm doing (lifting days get more calories than non-lifting days).

I know a lot of "experts" say GRAZING IS BAD, but can they argue with my success? it works for me, so I keep doing it.

[April Snow]

I'm not opposed to snacking, if I'm truly hungry. I define that by wanting to eat something healthy and on plan. If I want something that isn't on plan, then I realize it's about wanting to eat for other reasons.

At this point, on a very low carb diet, I don't eat many snacks, because I don't get that hungry. I make sure to keep on plan snacks around, just in case - I don't want to have that one time I am legitimately hungry and not having something I can comfortably have.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do this. Some people graze all day, some people do intermittent fasting and have one meal a day and that's it, and most people fall somewhere in between those. If you are staying on track, losing weight, feeling good, then you are doing what is right for you, and that's what matters.

[berryblondeboys]

I'm finding that I think about food less and manage hunger better if I eat a big breakfast, a huge lunch and a small dinner (as that's how my hunger goes - I'm not hungry at night usually).

So, I don't need to snack if I actually eat bigger meals which is better for blood sugar levels anyway.

When I was eating a small breakfast, I was trying to resist the snack inbetween breakfast and lunch as much as possible. Same with between lunch and dinner. I gave up that fight and just ate more at the other two meals and voila - I'm satisfied and not thinking about food as much.

These meals are high protein, lower carb meals (can have fruits and non starchy vegetables - but no rice, bread, grains, etc as I'm very carb sensitive).

I still have like 100 net carbs a day, but I try to make them healthier carbs - beans, lentils, etc.

[lunarsongbird]

No snacking here. I too am doing higher protein and veggies. Looks like it might be the carbs that trigger the snacking for most people.

[Garnet2727]

I work snacks into my daily eating. My usual snacks are apple, banana, yogurt, string cheese, steamed broccoli or steamed cauliflower.

[betsy2013]

I still snack, but now it's on 1 oz of cheese, or a little yogurt or carrot sticks.

[SarahFairhope]

My playing SAHM right now to an almost 2&4 yr old. When they have a snack, I allow myself one bite off what they are having that is not a "treat" (ie, a cookie). Its my freebie that I don't log. If I'm actually hungry after that bite, I grab a fiber-y whole fruit, like an apple. I tend to "pad" my calories up, so the one bite rule doesn't impact my calorie budget and seems to work really well for me, so far.

Im not sure intentionally putting in a snack would work that well for me, right now. Anytime Ive had set meals, I tended to get hungry in anticipation on the food on the agenda. I'm kind of enjoying this bit of a disconnect I have right now between me and food. I think it may be the first times I can recall not caring about what/when/how I'm going to eat. I've always been all about food during every waking hour, the set snacks played right into that for me.

[hayem]

I keep almonds on hand I have become addicted to those smokhouse almonds, ( Mmmm) and for my 3 :O'clock cravings i eat an apple at work, that seems to really help my cravings alot.

[XLMuffnTop]

I'm usually not a very strict person and am laid back with most things in my life so there's not a rule regarding snacking. If my tummy is growling, I'll have some water. If it continues I'll try to grab something high in protein, turkey pepperoni, cheese, Greek yogurt, etc. because I find it lasts longer for me.

Somedays I don't need snacks and don't even think about food between meals. I usually make it a point to have something special (another Greek yogurt or skinny cow ice cream) after dinner/exercise.

[angieand2girls]

I don't snack, but like another poster said, it depends on my hunger level on any given day. I'm an IF'er so I eat 2 big meals a day and that's it. I feel great and don't even think about food for the rest of the day. However, sometimes after an intensive heavy lifting day (or some other vigorous exercise), I'll be hungry even after my cut off so I may have a snack then. That's very rare though.

[Mozzy]

I snack occasionally, as long as I stay with my calorie budget.
My snacks range from graham crackers to grapes and everything in between :-)