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IF is the way to go.

Also PP with the ice, I also love chewing ice and have had 3 fillings replaced as a result of cracks 😬

The only thing that worked to break the habit was to track my food religiously. This was years ago and I used my fitness pal. I always felt like I was dieting because I was trying to eat healthy, small meals, but I was constantly eating a small handful of chips or half a cookie here and there. It really adds up! Now I only eat three meals a day, or if I’m actually hungry, I get out a real plate and eat a real, balanced snack, not just whatever random food is in the pantry.

My DH has gained a ton of weight during Covid for the same reason as you. He wanders into the kitchen for more coffee or water 10x a day and can’t seem to walk out without eating something!

Anonymous wrote:one other tiny hack, I chew ice now. It's actually quite fun! I have water in my mug so the ice is smaller and less hard. And then I drink the water. Strangely satisfying!

Word of warning, this can do real damage to aging teeth. I developed an ice chewing habit briefly in my early 40s and ended up with small chips that my dentist had to buff down for me and he warned me that my enamel would not hold up against an ice chewing habit forever.

one other tiny hack, I chew ice now. It's actually quite fun! I have water in my mug so the ice is smaller and less hard. And then I drink the water. Strangely satisfying!

Plan out what you eat or have set food options.

Allow yourself one pre-planned snack.

I find drinking carbonated water when I think I feel hungry helps.

I agree with the following:

1) Intermittent fasting: I eat two main meals a day, I don't have my first meal till the afternoon

2) I try to have lots of vegetables and proteins

3) I allow myself a treat for dessert once in a while

4) If I am hungry and outside my meal window, I have a cough drop or tea

DH had this problem and he did 4 things.

1. Limited the amount of snacks he liked that were bought. Goldfish became our pretty much number 1 snack food for awhile because he hates them while DS and I love them.

2. Tracking his food BEFORE he ate it. Easy to change your mind about eating something when you see how many calories it is

3. Putting things into ziploc bags of their appropriate serving size. If he had chips or something, he would grab one of those bags and bring that back up to his office instead of filling up a bowl (2-3 servings) or bringing up the bag

4. Finding healthy substitutions.

He worked from home before Covid but packed on about 20 pounds during Covid. Now he's at a point where he can have regular snack food in the house and eats an appropriate serving size

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, absolutely yes. I used to do a modified IF when I worked from the office - because I just didn't bring food with me to the office. I drank tea & coffee with milk, but that's it until I left the office around 3. So now that I'm home 100% of the time - there is food available all the time. I KNOW I need to stop nibbling but it is so hard.

I recently started doing IF again, and limiting my food intake (except tea/coffee with milk) until afternoon. But even then, more snacking than i'd like. So I need to kind of get myself under control. The Covid 10-15 pounds are real, and unwanted!

Try to eliminate the milk from your coffee and tea (to make it a clean fast). This might make a big difference for you!

+1 it might ... ! Worth a try, perhaps.

That is so, so true, but I just have never been able to avoid the one stevia and splash of heavy cream to the coffee!

Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing that helps is to have a bare bones kitchen. One or two snacks that you think will satiate you but that you won't gorge on--we do nuts or dried fruit. Pretty much everything else in our kitchen needs to be cooked or prepared (with the exception of some kids snacks that really aren't that tempting), and I'm typically not going to put in that effort for a snack. If it's been prepared already it's set aside for a meal, so I'm not really tempted to eat it knowing I'll have to figure out lunch/dinner later if I do.

Also, do something else when you want to eat. Take a walk. Fold a load of laundry. Clean the sink. Anything to distract you from food.

I wish I could do a barebones kitchen. But DH likes to snack and doesn't seem to mind being fat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, absolutely yes. I used to do a modified IF when I worked from the office - because I just didn't bring food with me to the office. I drank tea & coffee with milk, but that's it until I left the office around 3. So now that I'm home 100% of the time - there is food available all the time. I KNOW I need to stop nibbling but it is so hard.

I recently started doing IF again, and limiting my food intake (except tea/coffee with milk) until afternoon. But even then, more snacking than i'd like. So I need to kind of get myself under control. The Covid 10-15 pounds are real, and unwanted!

Try to eliminate the milk from your coffee and tea (to make it a clean fast). This might make a big difference for you!

+1 it might ... ! Worth a try, perhaps.

Anonymous wrote:I went to back to work in person and loss 5lbs in 2 months AND I work out less. I guess I was also snacking too much!

Stay out of the pantry FFS! Nice job!!

I went to back to work in person and loss 5lbs in 2 months AND I work out less. I guess I was also snacking too much!

Anonymous wrote:I have the same problem. What worked best for me was the intermittent fasting thing - no going into the kitchen for food before 4pm, and then having some healthy things ready to snack on-carrot sticks, celery etc.

+1 - you gotta cut the window of stuffing your face everyday to just a few hours. Give your body a break.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the same problem. What worked best for me was the intermittent fasting thing - no going into the kitchen for food before 4pm, and then having some healthy things ready to snack on-carrot sticks, celery etc.
The other thing that was good was green tea - over ice in summer, hot in winter. Often you just want a break/are bored rather than hungry. Another alternative is to take a walk rather than head to the kitchen.

So you eat nothing before 4 pm, and then just carrots and celery? This doesn't seem sustainable or healthy.

No, I just break my fast with some celery and carrots. I have a normal dinner in the evening with my family.