Ask:
Ok this has got to be the hardest part of the day for me!!! Even though I space out meals and snacks ( I eat about 5 times per day), I STILL get the munchies really bad, anywhere from 3pm until dinner time! Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm drinking plenty of water, I usually eat a protein/vegetable or protein/fruit for my snacks, so that should tell my brain I'm full, but my hands just want to shove stuff in! I haven't caved in yet today, but I'm tempted to!!! Help!!
Answer:
That is the worst time for me too! I have learned to eat a few nuts, or an apple or something. And you're right, drink lots of water!! I wonder what it is about that time of day? I am not the only one who gets cravings at that time.
Answer:
I agree add more nuts, and even fiber to your diet throughout the day.
Or eat half your lunch with your kids at lunch and save the other half for the afternoon while they nap or when you struggle. That is what I do. When my boys sit down for lunch I have my yogurt and berries then, with water, my granola bar (and nutella) and save my sandwich or wrap for later. It works for me and it may work for you too. But you are doing the right thing by drinking water. Continue to do that and more so with lunch.
Answer:
I would add in an extra snack at that time...maybe a granola bar, or some nuts would be the best bet to make you feel fuller. Good job with the water, but I do know what you mean, I can drink a full bottle of water at 4PM and while I'm drinking it be thinking "This isn't going to do it for me, I want a snack".
Good luck!
Answer:
This is the time of day when I have some protein and fiber. I eat a big bowl of edamame (soybeans in the pod that you pop out into your mouth - I put some sea salt on them and they take a long time to eat and are very satisfying) or I have a cup of chickpeas, or some hummus and triscuits, or triscuits with a slice of cheese cut into little tiny pieces (you get the flavor of cheese and crackers but not as much fat if you spread the cheese really thin on the crackers). Or I pop a big bowl of popcorn and eat it with the kids.
Answer:
These are all great suggestions! I may try adding a small snack in. I just bought individual sized servings of almonds that are 100 calories per bag. I know that if I buy a whole can of almonds, I will just keep digging in and defeating the purpose. But this helps to put a limit on it. Maybe a handful of those around 3:30 will do the trick! Or maybe that's when I can do a lot of cleaning and extras to get my mind off it, and keep my hands busy!