stressfreemom

I have a confession to make. I’m a notorious afternoon snacker. Around 3:00, I find I am thinking about food; and, whether I’m hungry or not, I go hunting for something to eat. Now I know many diets will tell you to eat six small meals a day. The only trouble with that is I’ve found that my meals are pretty much the same size as always, so now I’m just adding extra snacks throughout the day. I’ve been trying some new techniques for doing without the afternoon snack. Here are some tips that have worked for me.

Write down whatever you eat. This always works for me through lunch, but I tend to abandon it as the day progresses. However, when I do stick with it, I find that I am much more aware of what I eat, and I make better choices all day and for the next day or two as well.

Keep busy. Plan out your day so that you don’t have much time for snacking. Instead of munching when you get a break during the day, straighten a messy drawer or write a note to a friend.

Get out and move. As a writer who works at home, I do a lot of nervous eating when I’m trying to find the right words for an article. If I get out and walk around the block, it helps me to focus my thoughts and burn a few extra calories.

Finish off lunch with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I’ve only recently started doing this, and it really helps. Because peanut butter is full of protein, and protein stays with you longer, you are less hungry and less likely to want something to eat before dinnertime.

Lastly, pay attention to why you eat. Stop before you grab that snack and ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if there is another reason for your snack attack. Learning why we eat the way we do is the first step to making permanent changes in our eating habits.

Learn some tips on not snacking with your spouse.