Ever since I started back on Weight Watchers, one thing that’s plagued me is the late afternoon Snack Monster. Just like the Cookie Monster, the Snack Monster rears his ugly head at the worst times. When I need to be chowin’ down on carrots or an apple, he wants a cookie or chips. In the beginning, he was especially hard to fight, but I think I’ve finally got him beat!
One thing I’ve realized is when I eat a more filling breakfast, and then wait until later to eat lunch, say at least 12:00 or 1:00, then I stay more full throughout the afternoon longer. This allows me to eat veggies and fruit for snacks and not crave carbs as much. I also know that a few Hershey Kisses will satisfy a chocolate craving (most times!) and I don’t need a giant cookie or cupcake.
Here’s some snack staples that I’ve tried to have at work lately:
baby carrots
pineapple (one of my favorite fruits!)
apples (I’ve been bored with apples lately, but I’m trying!)
yogurt with a small serving of granola
Usually these snacks will take me through until dinnertime, where I’ve been trying to eat a smaller meal and follow that with a Weight Watchers ice cream treat of some sort. While the weekends are still difficult for me — I tend to indulge in too many Flex Points on the weekends — I’ve got the weekdays down pretty well right now. I just need to spread that willpower around to a full seven days a week!
What do you bring to work for a snack? Do you eat bigger meals earlier in the day?
Afternoon munchies are tough. I try to have a combination of a carb and a protein, something graham cracker with a little peanut butter. Satisfying and meets cravings
Protein is a good idea! It does keep me full a lot longer.
Have you thought about moving your evening weight watchers treat to the afternoon in a way to satisfy the craving? You might want to check out this article in Oprah magazine called Could the Breakfast of Weight Loss Champions be Dessert? I do sometimes now move my sweet craving to earlier in day and watch portion. For me having a portion-controlled sweet treat (e.g., Hershey Kisses) instead of trying to deny it has been a behavior I can adopt. Hope that helps.
That is a good idea! I could eat fruit after dinner instead. I may try that!
Have you tried breaking your day down into mini-meals? I try to eat planned “meals” 5 times a day, breakfast, morning snack at 10am, lunch, afternoon snack at 3pm, and dinner.
My go-to snacks:
- spreading apple slices with peanut or almond nut butter and drizzling with honey
- homemade hummus with carrots and celery
- fat-free popcorn (little butter or whatever the healthiest you can find, air popped is best but I don’t have time for that at work)
- homemade trail mix – unsalted roasted peanuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, raisins
- yogurt parfait – 0% fat Greek yogurt, EarthFare organic granola with 7g sugar, berries
- whole wheat english muffins with peanut butter and honey and half a banana
- Instant oatmeal with a little bit of brown sugar (from home instead of the packets so you can control your sugar intake/toppings)
- rice cakes
- small salad
- beans! I swear I keep a can of beans in my desk because they’re high in fiber and other vitamins, fill you up, and delicious. Just rinse them well to get rid of extra sodium
- chick peas
- edamame – bring a frozen bag and microwave them
- my salad I bring to picnics – brown rice, corn, black beans, kidney beans, homemade vinaigrette
My desk and purse are like a kitchen – I always have something healthy to grab when I get hungry!
Because I am constantly training and am a human vacuum, my real “meals” (breakfast, lunch, dinner) are still large. Technically they should be scaled down (no big dinner before bed!) and the midday meals help control your hunger.
These are GREAT snack suggestions! I do try to break down my meals like that, too. But I always need something sweet at night. I try to bounce between a WW ice cream bar and fruit, but oftentimes a cupcake or real ice cream calls to me like a siren song! Luckily I’m getting the hang of turning those down and concentrating on what satisfies my cravings without giving in to every single temptation!
I hear you on that – Zack eats his ice cream every night! Instead I do again Greek yogurt, berries, and some fresh mint when I grow it. And you can mix in unsweetened coco powder too!
I’m a huge fan of edamame too. I throw it in a pan and sautee it a bit so that it has a bit more taste to it. My go to breakfast and snack of choice lately is cottage cheese with strawberries and a little bit of Kashi Go Lean cereal. I’m not sure how this would stack up point wise, but the cottage cheese has a lot of protein and keeps me full for a long time.