Want to snack

[Babsie95]

I am on day 20 and am fighting the mental desire to snack. I don't know how to starve it. I know how to starve the sugar dragon....but not the snack dragon. I am not hungry and not craving anything specific. I just want to snack, so I'm not quite sure how to break it.

[CoffeeBean]

Ah, I could list a hundred things (or link you to the hundreds I've read) but at the end of the day you have to craft your own path.  My issue would be boredom.  Classic case of "been confined by the same walls too long" & "having trouble tackling the task at hand" would lead me down to a snack break.  Sometimes a change of scenery (like a brief walk) really does the trick.  Other times, telling myself that stillness is acceptable, and I don't need the excuse of snacking to take a break works.  & other times just plain saying, "no, I'm not hungry & eating for the wrong reason will cause more problems than whatever I'm dealing with now" is necessary.

Occasionally I still snack, but way less than ever before.  Once you find what works, stick with it to reinforce good habits.  Eventually you'll need to carve new outlets or recycle old tricks.

If I can do it, so can you!  Best of luck

[ShannonM816]

First, figure out for sure if you're truly hungry or if this really is just a desire to snack. I know in your meal log, you weren't feeling great for a while and weren't eating much. Nutrition is cumulative, so you may truly be hungrier than normal and need more food than normal as you try to get back on track, and that is absolutely okay. If you would happily eat something bland and unexciting -- the usual test is steamed fish and broccoli, just plain, no sauces or anything -- then fix yourself a meal or a mini meal and eat.

Also be sure that you're drinking plenty of water every day, as sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger/wanting to eat.

If you're really not hungry, and you're not thirsty, and it's just a habit or a reaction to stress/anger/sadness/other emotion, then you could try to distract yourself. Clean or organize something around the house, go for a walk, meditate, exercise, read a book, call a friend, do your nails, work on a hobby. Or if it's an emotional thing, it may be helpful to journal about it, or just sit and let yourself feel those emotions rather than trying to block them out.