Snacker

I am finishing up my clearances in able to get approval for surgery. But I started to think about life after surgery. I am a bored snacker. When I get bored, I grab food of any kind.

Anyone out there have this kind of problem and how did you get past it?

My job is a desk job and right now it is VERY slow. There are days when I don't have anything to do. Any advice?

Get a hobby!!  Seriously, anything you can use to keep your hands busy.  Even if it's just solitaire!

You should also probably read about mindful eating....it has helped me quite a bit.  There are tons of books out there on the subject. 

Mindless snacking is something you will have to decide to stop, and then work on it every day.

Sara in Maui

I made a feeding schedule for myself, and I made a list of 25 things to do besides eat.

I ate according to my schedule (a meal or a snack were ever more than 3 hours apart) and in between, I drank calorie-free liquids and I did something on that list.

My band would let me eat all day long, if I did not have a strategy like that ----- it fills up and dims my hunger, but it also empties and I could eat again every 30 minutes or so if I wanted to -- especially snack-type foods.

You are going to be able to 'over snack' most WLS (I think that DS lets you eat all day long and lose all your weight -- but it has it own side-effects that you should research) if you don't have a way to deal with the excessive snacking.

Hi! i'm battling this right now actually! 6 weeks post op, feeling marvelous (as in I want to eat again) and this week I have wanted to "snack".  On healthy things... but non the less...snack.  I gave in for a few days, and felt horrible about myself as I re-read my food log for the day... waaay more calories than I was getting before, just from adding a few crackers here, few bites of that there... so I pleged to myself, if I want a snack (I'm not hungry, just old habits die hard) I grab a bottle of water and find something to do, play some music, get on the computer... anything. It's hard. I cried when I had my little epipanhy the other day... my husband was like what the..... I told him... it's like quitting smoking. It'll come easier with time... but right now.... I want to eat, something. anything. So you really have to be prepared to battle your demons, it's not easy, but seeing the weightloss results already gives me more will power to get through this part :-)

In all honesty, I snack. But I snack on PROTEIN, not carbs. As a DSer, I need to get a minimum of 100 grams of protein a day (personally, I shoot for around 125-150), and if I didn't snack on protein, I'd never get it all in.

I am a mindless snacker too.

I keep a bag of Spitz sunflower seeds next to me when I'm reading or driving the car long distances.

They aren't as salty as other brands of seeds and I don't eat other stuff I shouldn't be eating.  I do alot of reading daily.

I know a lot of this is going to be me trying to control my mind and force myself not to snack. But it will be hard. I sit at my desk all day at work only getting up for bathroom breaks and lunch. I like the idea of the nuts. You know I even found myself looking for food while making jewelry. I have to be fully active or I will really have a battle of the mind on snacking.