Snacking

Caprock94 said:

How many of you have a low carb snack in the middle of the afternoon? Is that a bad thing?

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No to both questions.

I think if you are hungry you should eat- if you are hungry a lot then you will not be able to sustain the LCHF way of life. Some suggestions though- first make sure that you have had enough to drink- sometime if you haven't that can feel like hunger. Second- make by have more fat with your meals as that will fill you up for longer. Third there are many low carb snacks- cheese, pork crackling, some nuts (but watch out for portion control), prosciutto or other cold meats. You can also try coffeee with double cream- that helps me.

Good luck.

VashtiB said:

I think if you are hungry you should eat- if you are hungry a lot then you will not be able to sustain the LCHF way of life. Some suggestions though- first make sure that you have had enough to drink- sometime if you haven't that can feel like hunger. Second- make by have more fat with your meals as that will fill you up for longer. Third there are many low carb snacks- cheese, pork crackling, some nuts (but watch out for portion control), prosciutto or other cold meats. You can also try coffeee with double cream- that helps me.

Good luck.

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I find the urge to snack when eating low carb is due to one of the following for me, in no particular order
1) too little fat on my vegetables
2) some sugar in my food
3) stewed meat rather than say grilled or fried
4) too little fat
5) psychological - eg regular person's meal time if only eating once or twice a day, driven by hormones
6) thirst
7) boredom
8) peer pressure
9) too few vegetables
The biggest out of these for me are 3 & 9 with 2 & 7 close behind. I second pork scratchings and coffee with cream as gotos.

Caprock94 said:

Thanks for the input and ideas. Cheddar cheese makes a good snack. Better with crackers......but oh well!

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All kinds of cheese out there to try, nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pork rinds which are a fave of mine. Maybe a hot chocolate drink with some cream added could be an option. I'd suggest measuring out portions, rather then just eating straight from the bag as that can be hard to stop once you start.

Ideally it’s best to eat enough at each meal to carry you through to the next one. Reason being that each time you eat an insulin response is triggered. For type 2s, an important part of managing the condition is to increase insulin sensitivity and eating less often (as well as reducing carbs) is a great way to do this.

In the real world that’s not always possible so having some decent snack options that don’t trouble your blood glucose is a good idea.

For me personally I prefer not to carry them around with me as they tend to get eaten when not strictly necessary. I also find that the fewer carbs I eat, the less the need for snacking. Trick is to find the balance that works for you.

This is a great thread. Full of supportive ideas, both physical and psychological. I too recognise the need to gently move from Stage1 to Stage2 and then Stage3 and so on. Moving from old, dangerous behaviours via regimens that ease me into another way of “being”. I'm also recognising the need to extend fasting periods and to augment this with measured snacking.

My Endocrine System is an amazing, delicate Swiss Watch. It has the ability to adapt, change and influence my whole body. Fortunately, some of us T2s, we have the ability to influence its workings by diet, moderate medication and exercise. For me, crucially right at the centre of this is the intel gathering made possible by using a Glucose Meter. From Sept19 to now I’ve collected nearly 600 data point taken from at four or six daily intervals . This has meant I’ve been able to monitor and adjust my diet to allow me to adjust my Endocrine System to affect my HBA1C from a scary 89 down to hopeful 64. I’m due for my next HbA1c test at the end of January. If I've achieved, coming below 50, I’ll be very happy.

This is a Marathon and not a Sprint and whilst travelling through this land, I’m meeting some great, supportive Human Beings.

Goonergal said:

For me personally I prefer not to carry them around with me as they tend to get eaten when not strictly necessary. I also find that the fewer carbs I eat, the less the need for snacking. Trick is to find the balance that works for you.

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That’s a real Gem! Thanks for writing this down.

I would strongly agree with @Goonergal. I find I am much more likely to eat more frequently on weekends because food is much more available. On weekdays I have my lunch packed. I get to work early (before 7.30 am) and so don't have breakfast at all Some days I'm so busy I don't have lunch but if I do it is what I have packed I don't have any other food that I can eat. I did have some snacks at work but I'm better off without them. I sometime use sugar free gum to have that chewing feeling- but be sure to test if you use that and not too much. I also have sugar fee jelly sometimes and that can also help.

Eat enough so you don't feel hungry- you need to find something that will work for you.

Good luck.

Caprock94 said:

It seems that most suggest no snacks between meals. Intermittent fasting is also becoming more popular. Problem is I get hungry. How many of you have a low carb snack in the middle of the afternoon? Is that a bad thing?

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When at work I often have a snack in the morning - usually mini rice cakes or afternoon - usually Aldi Nut Bar. Occasionally I have nuts as well or even a cake if it’s somebody’s birthday etc I don’t consider it to be bad but that’s just my perspective others will obviously have a different opinion.

I tend to snack on nuts or cheese, in between meals. Often this can be because the main meal hasn’t filled me up.