Evening snacking and leaving home...

 Hi Guys and Gurls:

Have you ever wondered why you can be so good with preparing your snacks for the day at work but the minute you get home, it is like all heck breaks loose and you gotta get something to eat?  Were you not satisified doing the day?  Why do we all look for some activity away from home?  Do we need to treat the refrigerator and pantry like it belongs to someone else?  Maybe we need to pack a snack box for the afternoon and evening to see us through the night.  I know when I come home in the afternoon, I have a quick protein snack and hit the door running to go walk and get out of the house.  Why can't I just chill?  What makes us look into the pantry and see what is there, lick our lips as we peruse the refrigerator.  We really are not hungry or are we?  Just some "food" for thought.  How do you handle your time at home?  What would be beneficial to you?  Let's put our heads together and see what is working for everyone or not working?

 Hi Tess,

I work from home.  ARG!  I find (and I don't have kids) if I don't keep junk in the house when those mood**** I reach for an apple instead of junk. I also, plan a work out of some kind to get me moving and then I won't eat that cookie.

The one thing I noticed that helped the BEST, was bumping up my protein during the day and eating more often.  For me, if I ate small meals more often during the day and with protein I was not hungry at night.   Now, head hunger is a different monster.

Good luck to you and come here and vent instead of chewing...

Take care,
Kathy

 Thanks Kathy:

I do well most of the time, but sometimes I think I could eat the paint off the walls.  I constantly look at the websites looking for lower carbs snacks and I buy them, but then I am afraid to eat them wondering if I will get more cravings from them.  I think I could safely bump my calories up some but I am so paranoid to do so.  What I am doing now works for me so I really don't won't to rock the boat but I do get hungry sometimes.....

I know for me when I get bored I just want to eat none stop. When I am tired it is this way also. I try to have cheese and nuts around for snacking.  But on days when I am over tired it is hard to stop eating even if I am full.
Not sure when I got in the habit of eating when ever I had nothing else to do with my hands. I find myself going to the kitchen just to look for something for now real reason.
Why is it hard to just sit back and relax?

I'm the same way.  I start feeling "restless" and don't know what to do with myself. 

Tired and bored are definitely triggers for me.  I try to do a cross stitch project or read to relax.  If I am fighting the evening snack attack, I get a cup of decaf coffee, sometimes adding flavored creamer for a treat.

I love to nosh at night when I'm on the computer, like right now it's 9:20 thursday night and I be lookin'..............

I think it's because food has such a strong effect in our brain; it releases serotonin which is a strong soother.

I definitely try to keep a hobby handy which keeps my hands and mind engaged, and when that doesn't work I make sure my snacks are protein-heavy. Even then you have to be sure you stay within your daily intake quota!