I started a 30 Day Challenge for myself on May 19. You can read about my motivation in my Confessions of a Late Night Snacker post. My week 4 wasn’t too bad! It could have been better, but it was definitely better than the previous weeks!
CHALLENGE DETAILS:
- Only one PLANNED snack after dinner
- No eating in front of the TV
- Journal daily (privately or in FaceBook group) about feelings related to snacking
I haven’t been doing great with meeting the goals of the challenge. I haven’t made them enough of a priority. However, I have been doing better with being mindful about my snacking and posting to the FaceBook group when I’m struggling.
WEEK 4 RECAP:
DAY 1 – JUNE 9
I gained weight at my weigh in tonight. I was expecting it. I was not even looking forward to the meeting, but I am so glad I went. It completely changed my attitude. I came home uplifted and in such a good mood that I was thinking “I got this. Why was I even struggling?” I was really not even feeling tempted. We ate dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen, and had my decaf coffee and mini bar snack around 8:45. No problem. I did end up having an apple before bed because I felt slightly hungry. I probably could have lived without it, but it’s an apple not a cheesecake. I’m not beating myself up over that.
DAY 2 – JUNE 10
Today could have been better, but it wasn’t horrible. I had way more fruit than I should have. I was cutting up watermelon and cantaloupe, so I ended up having a big bowl of each. I also had a single serving of popped chips and a WW ice cream bar. I totally didn’t need the chips or the ice cream, but I wanted it. I tracked it and moved on. I’m not going to dwell on it or freak out. I was working in the kitchen when I didn’t really want to, and I was really tired. Both of those things could be triggers that led me to want to snack. I should have been chewing gum so I couldn’t!
DAY 3 – JUNE 11
I had a bowl of watermelon after dinner. No big deal right? Except I was totally not hungry and I was sitting there thinking about how tired I was and thinking about all the things I should do but didn’t feel like doing…
I could just feel myself thinking about eating myself silly, so I stopped and jumped on the treadmill. I figured that 20 minutes of walking was better than nothing and I was hoping it would boost my energy and help me not want to eat! It seemed to help for the majority of the night!
I stayed up to watch the Cavs game. I did really well not snacking until about 11pm. My hubby had a snack which tempted me, but I also was truly hungry because I was up later than normal. I ended up having a mini bag of popcorn along with an apple and a piece of string cheese, but I still felt in control.
DAY 4 – JUNE 12
We didn’t get home until after 9pm, and I had already had my planned snack at my Aunt’s house. I should have gone straight to bed, but I didn’t. I only used 4 points, so it wasn’t horrible. I was eating mindfully and made sure to track it before I ate it, so that’s a positive! I just want to break the habit of feeling like I need a snack before bed. I am also very aware that being tired makes me want to eat, so I need to continue to focus on getting proper rest AND going to bed instead of eating if I’m really tired!
DAY 5 – JUNE 13
I woke up with a headache and just felt blah all day on Saturday! I ate pretty well all day but then overdid it on the snacks at night. I had popcorn and grapes (more than a serving) and then later on spent 9 points on totally unnecessary munching. I was tired and jealous that my hubs was snacking so I gave in. I’m glad that I tracked it, but I was definitely not hungry…I should have just gone to bed.
DAY 6 – JUNE 14
I ran 6 miles this morning. It was super humid and it left me really tired. I found myself wanting to snack much of the day simply because I was tired. I ended up taking a nap for a couple hours to try to fight off the sleepy munchies.
I totally didn’t feel like cooking dinner and absolutely would have given in and ordered pizza that I didn’t have the points for, but my hubby offered to cook something so I didn’t go totally off course. I’m so grateful because that saved the day in terms of my points!
I finally had a boost of energy around 8:30-9pm. After doing dishes and packing my lunch, I watched the end of the Cavs game. I had a 2 point serving of pistachios followed by some frozen mango. Not too shabby considering I would have spent 20-25 if we had ordered pizza!
DAY 7 – JUNE 15
Tonight was pretty great in terms of snacking. I was so tired that I layed down on the couch for an hour after work. We didn’t end up eating dinner until 7:30, so I had less time to worry about snacking before bed. I also had some work to do in the kitchen, so I wasn’t sitting in front of the TV. That makes a big difference in terms of my cravings. I spent 5 points on snacks, but it was controlled and thought out. I had planned on spending 4 points (on my weekly meal plan), so I was okay using just one extra.
REVIEW:
My week 4 was pretty great compared to weeks 2 and 3! I could still be doing better, but my state of mind was much different this week. Having a week of feeling in control is a successful week to me, even if I’m not perfect with sticking to my planned points. I admit that my Weight Watchers meeting last week played a huge part in getting my head straight. That just goes to show how much I still get from the meetings, even after all this time. I need to be at the meetings every week even when I don’t feel like it!
While I did not stick to my challenge goals perfectly, just having the challenge in place helped me to be more mindful and to reach out for help in the Facebook group when I needed it. I plan to keep up with the Facebook group even now that the challenge is officially over. Maybe I’ll start a new challenge for us in July!
Who’s with me? Do you struggle with mindless snacking too? Challenge yourself to improve!! Join our private Facebook Group where we can share our struggles and successes privately with each other!