[AmbieP]

Ok so last Wed I started a life style change. I am trying to eat around 1250 calories per day with one meal that I splurge per week. This next week I will also add in working out. So the first couple of days I thought I would die. Now I am doing better. I am excited to get on the scale tomorrow and see how I have done. I just need some advice or help with one thing. How do you keep yourself from munching when you aren't hungry? I quit smoking a year ago and now I find myself munching to keep me occupied. I sit at a desk all day for work and it's hard not to snack. Any suggestions?

[NotTheCheat]

First question – how did you decide on 1250 calories? That is really low for someone your size. I started off at 2000 and lost really well there. You might just be really hungry.

I don’t have a munching at work issue – mine is usually at home later in the evening. One great munchie is popcorn – I get the 100 calorie packs and they fill me up and are easy to portion control. Some people find chewing gum really helps (I don’t care for gum myself). That smoking thing of ‘what do I do with my mouth and hands’ is a tough one (I smoked for years and quit some time ago). I think the only real thing for it is to find a way to completely break the habit. Maybe it is that you decide that you will never eat at your desk and have all meals and snacks in the break room. Hopefully other people will have some good ideas.

[AmbieP]

The doctor I used to work for said to try that calorie amount and if I could not do it just adjust up from there. The whole thing is I am not hungry when I want to munch. It is just something I think to take the place of smoking. Unfortunantly I cannot quit eating like I quit smoking!

[LittleMissMotivation]

People have a natural instinct to chew.. I second the gum, or even though it's not chewing, you could drink water.

The thing with gum though, is the chewing and saliva stimulate the stomach, so it can actually make you more hungry.

[texarkgal]

My doctor also has me on a calorie count of 1200 - 1300 calories a day & I try to average about 1250 a day, without experiencing any real hunger. But I also daily have to fight the battle to eat even though I am not hungry. You might try taking a break from your desk and just getting up and walking around for a few minutes. I find if I do that it takes my focus off munchies. I think Nancy's suggestion of not eating at your desk is excellent. Also, sometimes when the munchies hit me I will have a sugar free hard candy. I quit smoking about 11 years ago with relative ease & have always wondered/wished that losing weight could come that easily to me, still trying to figure out how I could do one easily and not the other

[AmbieP]

Thanks for all the advice. Everyone's support here is so helpful. It always nice to log on and know I am not the only battling my weight!

[azcyn]

When I tried calorie counting before they put me on 1300 calories. I found this did not work for me..so I went up to 1700. I sit at a computer all day and notice that that makes me want to eat. Soooo I try and snack on healthy things I am drinking more water.

[jtammy]

Wow! 1250 calories per day!!! I would want to munch too! I personally think you are dropping your calories far far too low, but you didn't ask us about that.

Drink lots of water, keep a full cup at your desk.
Chew sugar free gum.
Maybe brush your teeth after lunch. I find that I don't want to eat if I've just brushed my teeth.
Sugar free jello (10 calories per cup)
Hot cup of tea

Again, I feel like it would be remiss of me to not say that you could definitely lose weight eating at a higher calorie level. 1250 calories is hard to sustain for long and why do it if you don't have to? IMO, and YMMV, I would have been setting myself up for failure to have started so low. I couldn't have kept it up for more than a week or two (probably much less); I would have given up after that because it would have felt like punishment to me. I hope it works for you, but remember there are lots of other options. And many doctors don't have a lot of specific training in nutrition. 1200 calories is the magic number lots of doctors give out because that is the bare minimum number of calories that we need to be able to get all of the nutrients. But you don't have to start there. Save that for when you need to lose your last 5 lbs.

Good luck!

[jillybean720]

I know gum has been mentioned, and brushing your teeth has been mentioned--along those lines, I'd also keep handy some sugar free breath mints (I don't have any mints at my desk, but I have a big box of mini peppermint candy canes that are only 15 calories each and take a while to finish). I find a lot of things taste funky if my mouth is minty fresh

Also, maybe you could keep some things around that are okay to munch on? Like raw veggie sticks (cucumbers, celery, whatever you like) since they are crunchy and can be eaten slowly for minimal calories.

When I need to stop munching at my desk, I find the best way to do so is to not havy any munchable food on hand. I get rid of all food from my workspace, and I don't keep ANY cash or change in my purse (so I can't get anything from the vending machines--I keep change in my car only for emergencies, like when I take a trip and forget about a toll!).


Oh, and of course I'll chime in with the others that 1250 is VERY low. Unfortunately, most doctors are not very knowledgable when it comes to weight loss. They often prescribe the same plan to those needing to lose 5 pounds as those needing to lose 205 pounds even though those 2 people have VERY different nutritional and caloric requirements.

[AmbieP]

I really appreciate everyones advice! Everyone has been so helpful. Yesterday I brought a bunch of celery sticks with me to work and munched them in the afternoon when I needed to munch. I love celery so it worked for me. I ate 1211 calories yesterday and rode my bike for 20 minutes. I felt really good last night and I feel good today. I am going to see how I do until next Wed. If I am struggling with the 1250 calories by then then I think I will adjust up and see how I do. Everyone is so helpful here and so friendly. I really appreciate everything everyone has helped me with. I know it's not thin to people but I would love to just get to a size 16/18. I would be so happy at that. With my height and bone structure I would be thrilled with that.

[jtammy]

Great! We want you to succeed! And we know you can do it!

I'm glad you are leaving the option to up your calories open. I may be very wrong, but I can't think of anyone, on the board or in real life, who has (at least openly) lost a large amount of weight long term eating calories that low for the entire length of their weight loss. At least not without surgery of using a medically supervised liquid diet.

Good luck!