Snack Attack
 

I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with my late afternoon and evening snack attacks! I do well all day long, I exercise, I've been losing weight consistently but lately my snacking is just getting tougher to deal with, especially at night. I just want something to munch on, and I end up eating a couple hundred calories of snacky foods that I probably should avoid (like my kids' goldfish crackers or a snack pack of cookies with low nutriton). It's not bad enough to interfere with weight loss, but I am fighting myself to not snack into an over-eating situation. Particularly after doing so well all day long.

Some strategies I've tried are drinking diet hot cocoa or tea with Splenda in the evenings, eating air-popped popcorn, eating 100 calories of almonds or walnuts in the late afternoon in hopes it will fill me up until dinner. I find the nuts really yummy, but it never seems like enough for me (even though I know it's the right portion). Any ideas guys??? What helps you??

My favorite snacks are:
veggies and salsa
Special K crackers and laughing cow cheese
non-fat yougurt with half a granola bar mixed in
Hard boiled eggs

And a lot of water or tea.

depends on if it's the munchies or a real craving.

I get the munchies. IN that instance. Iceberg lettuce with a little salt sprinkled on it, is my best friend. i CAN eat a whole head of lettuce though..in one sitting.

If it is a craving, definitely a protein/carb combo. something light though. like a spoonful of cottage cheese and a few pieces of fruit. everything has calories though. Well, the iceberg lettuce, really isn't going to do anything to your weight loss...it's really a volume food.

I have major cravings for food at night because I'm so tired but not ready to go to sleep. I chew gum, munch on celery (I feel like it's naturally salty) and I sometimes just eat salsa which is fresh from the health food store. I jokingly call it Salsa Soup because I could eat quite a bit of it. I always try to have frozen grapes in the freezer. One cup (which I measure) is only 60 calories and it tastes AMAZING to me! If I really want actual food, I'll eat some portion measured organic turkey cold cuts, which are fairly low in calories. Hope the feeling goes away. I think it usually does. Oh, and if you want something and it's calling your name...just tell yourself you can always have it tomorrow. Sometimes, that just works too. :)

If I'm genuinely hungry I eat a small amount of protein, usually grilled seeds or soya beans and if I'm just craving a 'busy mouth' I have sugar-free jelly (jello?) made up with whole psyllium husks and a large glass of water.

First I drink water to see if that gets rid of the hunger.

If I'm hungry in the afternoon before dinner, I'll have a cheese stick (Sargento light-50 cals a piece), or one or two clementines (apple, etc--depends on the season) or if I'm really hungry, I'll have a FiberOne bar.

If I'm at home, I'll make myself a little salad (no lettuce, just cucumber, tomato, red pepper, celery), and that is always the most filling, but not convient for if I'm not in the house.

Many people on the Low Carb diet feel very satisfied and rarely are hungry/getting the munchies.

This can apply for snacking on its own though. If you eat some peanutbutter on a light ricecake or peanut butter on a piece of celery with some nuts or raisins on top, this is one of my favourites. The good ol' ants on a log! :)

Or you could go for a pot of yogurt, handful of cheerios etc.. :)

Here are my favorites --

-- sliced banana + nectarine or peach yogurt (source lf & ls)
-- apple chunks + any yogurt like strawberry or raspberry
-- sometimes I add a tbl of walnuts on top of yogurt too
-- natural peanut butter & thick baby carrot sticks; they match well
-- cheese boats: celery with lite or lowfat cheese in them
-- a babybell cheese round (from 60-80 cals); different kinds
-- cucumber slices + baby carrots + celery sticks + lite ranch dressing
-- 6 almonds + 2 dried apricots (chew them well)
-- always have a large hot tea each evening or diet hot chocolate
-- a nice big juicy pear or peach or nectarine
-- one ounce of cheddar cheese (size of your thumb)
-- a salad with lite dressing (romaine lettuce or chunky coleslaw)
-- ww crackers & cheese or peanut butter
-- low-fat yogurt ice cream or low-cal one (1/2 cup in dish or a cone)
-- low-fat granola cereal with skim milk & sweetener
-- wg toast with peanut butter, if all else fails

the best most satisfying snacks are usually a combo of nutrient i.e. a carb & protien. as you have seen the most popular are protien & fruit. Personally I like protien & grains. This combo will release the sugars form the carbs fast enough to sqaush our craving, and the protien & fiber will keep you full til dinner.

The afternoons are the hardest for me too. That is my danger zone. I do like to have a snack but try not to overdo it. Some of my favorites are: a slice of swiss cheese or string cheese, a handful of almonds, an apple, a sliced tomato (in season) with truvia sprinkled on top (don't knock it until you try it). Sometimes I'm actually thirsty, not hungry, and have a big bottle of water instead. And sometimes I make myself wait 10 minutes before I eat because it might just be a craving and not real hunger. I have a hard time discerning hunger from cravings sometimes...:(