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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 12:16
Baal's Avatar
Baal Baal is offline
New Member
Posts: 19
 
Plan: Atkins /Paleo
Stats: 238/204/176 Male 180cm
BF:
Progress: 55%
Question Dealing with weekends...

I have no problems sticking to LC during the week while working,
however the weekends can be a bit challenging.
It is not that I am hungry, there is just this tiny constant urge to snack away
even though I'm not hungry.

Do you experience the same thing?
If you do what works for you to make it trough the
weekend?
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 13:04
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
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Hey Baal, I get the urge too, mostly just look in my fridge and go "why am I looking in my fridge?" I have things to snack on now if there is real hunger or just want a treat. I've removed all non-essential food from my house.

If I put something in my mouth outside of planed meal it will usually be, Olives, cheese, bacon, cured meat or 100g of lettuce with blue cheese or olive oil and vinegar. I do not crave sweet but I do crave salty :-)

Work days are easier as I have more structure and lack of alternative options in the office. I eat what I bring and that's about it.
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 13:12
khrussva's Avatar
khrussva khrussva is offline
Say NO to Diabetes!
Posts: 8,671
 
Plan: My own - < 30 net carbs
Stats: 440/228/210 Male 5' 11"
BF:Energy Unleashed
Progress: 92%
Location: Central Virginia - USA
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That was an issue with me - not only on weekends - but in the evenings, too. I spent much of my life grabbing a little bite here and there every time I walked into the kitchen. I was feeding my cravings back then, but those bad eating habits carried over into my new way of eating. And since I'm no longer craving food and I have satiety from the meals that I do it - that's exactly what it was... a bad eating habit.

When I was a kid my family had no problems with raiding the kitchen any time of the day or night. That carried over into my adult life. But when visiting either one of my grandparents houses -- snacking between meals just was not done. They put 3 meals on the table each day and you could eat your fill. But we were not allowed to go rummaging through the pantry any time we felt like it. That was quite a change for just one generation.

Anyway - for me the solution to the snacking problem was to stop snacking. I now eat the way my grandparents did. The 'eat when hungry' thing never worked well for me because eating often made me hungry. I do best with 3 planned meals each day. As I've forced myself into this new habit I tend to get hungry when it is time to eat. It took some work and I didn't always manage to do it -- but eventually I was able to break that bad habit of snacking between meals. That saved me several hundred calories a day and had the positive side effect of building a 12 or 13 hour fast into my daily routine (not eating from dinner until breakfast). In fact, that is where I started... not eating after 9:00pm, then not after 8:00pm, then eventually not after dinner at all. After that, I worked on eliminating any snacking between meals. I'd be lying if I said that I NEVER have a bite between meals -- but these days it really is something rare. I've formed a better habit and my body and mind have adjusted to it just fine. On the weekends, I try to eat at the same times that I eat on the weekdays. That seems to work better for me. The scale keeps moving in the right direction - and that works for me, too .

To add one more thing... this all came much later in my journey - after I was very well established with my new WOE. Rule number 1 for me as I got started was to stick with on-plan foods no matter what. 100% OP food - even if it meant eating too much food in a given day and even if it meant snacking at any time of the day or night. Doing this 100% on plan food thing got me past the food boredom period that I always got on a low carb diet. Once I was past that - the pull to eat the carby junk diminished greatly and I started enjoying what I was eating more and more. When my LC foods started to become my new favorite foods, that is when I finally felt that I had the upper hand with my eating. I'd say this took me about 6 months to accomplish. When I was finally free from the constant pull of those addictive carbs, it became possible for me to work on the bad habits (like too much snacking) that were slowing down my rate of weight loss.

Last edited by khrussva : Mon, Dec-14-15 at 14:13.
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 14:16
Kristine's Avatar
Kristine Kristine is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,581
 
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/146/150 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 119%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
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Hi Baal. What kinds of things do you do on the weekends? Are you busy shuttling kids around to sports and such? Do you watch sports all day? Sit in front of the computer?

My tricks for resisting the non-hunger-related snack urge:
- Laziness. I don't keep any snacks around that are too easy. If I really do want a small meal, I'd have to dirty several dishes and spend a little time. I'd have to be hungry enough to do it, and that's rare.
- Being a bit of a kitchen 'neat freak.' I clean the kitchen after cooking dinner, and that's it. The kitchen is tiny and I have no dishwasher, so there's nowhere to stash dirty dishes. I guess it's a little psychological reinforcement that I don't need anything after dinner. Again, if I was genuinely hungry, I'd just go ahead and have something, but I do hate coming downstairs in the morning to dirty dishes.
- Brushing my teeth.
- Coffee, tea and SF hot cocoa (not the pre-packaged stuff) are freebies and always will be.
- One of my other 'neat freak' rules was no food or drinks near the computer ever, but I've kinda broken that one. That helped.\
- Take up a hobby with your hands. I've learned knitting. Cut back on movies and TV in favour of reading, where you're less inclined to nosh on food the entire time. TV was very strongly linked to overeating for me when I was young; I gave it up and I don't regret it.

Last edited by Kristine : Mon, Dec-14-15 at 14:24.
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 14:39
esw's Avatar
esw esw is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 683
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 175/166/147 Female 5ft 5ins
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by khrussva


To add one more thing... this all came much later in my journey - after I was very well established with my new WOE. Rule number 1 for me as I got started was to stick with on-plan foods no matter what. 100% OP food - even if it meant eating too much food in a given day and even if it meant snacking at any time of the day or night. Doing this 100% on plan food thing got me past the food boredom period that I always got on a low carb diet. Once I was past that - the pull to eat the carby junk diminished greatly and I started enjoying what I was eating more and more. When my LC foods started to become my new favorite foods, that is when I finally felt that I had the upper hand with my eating. I'd say this took me about 6 months to accomplish. When I was finally free from the constant pull of those addictive carbs, it became possible for me to work on the bad habits (like too much snacking) that were slowing down my rate of weight loss.


^^^^^^^^^^^

Yep that is how it has been for me as well! It took me around 9 months to get to much the same place as khrussva. I plan delicious meals and look forward to being hungry because then I truly enjoy and appreciate them. I do have a snack between meals usually a small piece of cheese or other fatty delight. I used to hate the "try a glass of water" theory. However if I have had my snack, and know I've had a good lunch and will be having a good dinner then 100% that feeling of hunger is either habit or thirst. The habit part I am slowly acknowledging and accepting, that is what it is, habit. The thirst, well it probably is thirst so now I have that darned glass of water and it works. I try to remember I am very well fed and really don't need another thing. Of course the most important part of this-NOT to eat the carby foods that increase hunger and desire for sweet treats.
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Dec-14-15, 16:59
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
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Well written and thoughtful responses. Thank you Ken, Kristine and esw.

Baal, these guys mention HABIT and that's what's happening to me when I "look in the fridge" I've always done that it seems. For me it's important that I've recognized it's a habit, accepted that I do it without much forethought, and now, ultimately, change my habit. Perhaps with a new one like re-arrange the forks in the drawer

Thanks guys, this was very helpful.
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Dec-15-15, 00:03
Baal's Avatar
Baal Baal is offline
New Member
Posts: 19
 
Plan: Atkins /Paleo
Stats: 238/204/176 Male 180cm
BF:
Progress: 55%
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Thank you everyone for the well written, excellent replies.

I made it through the weekend without giving in to my bad
carb habits but ate much more meat, bacon, cheese, etc.

It is indeed bad habits and not craving that I am facing.
I read a book about habits a wile ago (don't remember the title or
author). The main message was that habits take at least six weeks to
form. And longer to get them deeply establish.

Unfortunately I face more challenges than just the habit of eating.
My wife is not very supportive of my LC efforts, our place is loaded with chips,
candy, ice cream, the whole nine yards.
It is not easy watching someone indulge on the above and not
getting tempted.

The nature of my work, and schedule is also not helping me establish
proper eating regime. Regular meal times are just a distant dream for me.

Considering all this i still managed to do it before. And I will do it
again.

Thank you again for your support.
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  #8   ^
Old Tue, Dec-15-15, 05:42
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,368
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
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The wife not on board and "accidentally" leaving junk food around has come up before..here is a good thread with advice how different ways to handle it.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...57&page=1&pp=15

My new favorite writer on habits is Gretchen Rubin. Her view is that there are four personality tendencies and different approaches will work for different people. On her website under resources you can find a handout "Eating Better than Before" are you an Abstainer or a moderator? Maybe a clean slate opportunity would help you? (You Clean out and rearrange cupboards...all junk food must go in one and only your wife touches it ) Convenience/Inconvenience, Etc. http://www.gretchenrubin.com/wp-con...ng_onesheet.pdf. (Also a .pdf on exercising)

More on her habits book and how she personally eats LowCarb: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=468195

Last edited by JEY100 : Tue, Dec-15-15 at 05:54.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Dec-15-15, 11:38
Baal's Avatar
Baal Baal is offline
New Member
Posts: 19
 
Plan: Atkins /Paleo
Stats: 238/204/176 Male 180cm
BF:
Progress: 55%
Default

Thank you Jey,

As usual you gave me quite a bit to read.
It will keep me busy for a while.
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