A snack strategy

Sometimes, I think the best way to help yourself learn to stay on track is to help your child do the same thing. We have switched around husband and son's eating plans to something that is higher protein and lower starch carbs in an attempt to help them get their weight loss kicked back into high gear again. My son kind of grumbled for about 30 seconds till he realized he would be snacking on things like nuts, fat free cheese and veggies. He has come to really love them, as well as realizing that high carby things, even if whole grain, tend to make him very hungry if he goes past a certain level. So, new eating plan with foods that you really like, and it's a happy day. His physical hunger is much more satiated, but due to his Autism he is very much a creature of habit. If it's 5 am you must get up, 6 am breakfast and so forth. He has finally gotten to the place where he can handle variations without slipping into a really dark place, but as a rule consistancy is a must. He has 3 snacks a day, and he really adores each one. We eat dinner early and he has his last snack at 6 pm- this gives his body enough time to digest before sleep and it does not convert to fat. Well, some nights through no fault of our own, dinner is late and so it winds up dinner and then snack right after because he can't break out of the habit so to speak. Last night was one of those, and i have to say normally he is very good about eating the snack and then being totally done for the day no matter how late he is up. Last night, however, was different. About 11 pm he came to me and said he was starving and really needed a snack. I give him tons of credit for coming to me instead of just rading the kitchen ! I had fallen asleep about 9, so my brain was not totally engaged. I had to flip on that mom brain and remeber how many points he had consumed that day ( he still had more), what allowances he had, what he could use, what will give him the most bang for the buck and all that good stuff. I giggled because it seems to be something that a lot of adult weight watchers struggle with on their own. I wound up giving him a fat free cheese stick, a sugar free jello and an orange- kind of high carb but satisfying.All was well. But then it dawned on me that if i had been in the same state, I don't know if I would have done so well. I think in future, when i come to a physical hunger need a snack place, I should try to treat myself like my daughter and lead her through to wise choices.



Breakfast-
Veg omlette with salsa
nonfat yogert with cocoa and sugar
apple
water, coffee





Lunch-
California grilled chicken salad (romaine, avocado, seed mix, grilled chic breast,balsamic vinegar)
apple, fat free cheese stick
Sierra Mist




Dinner-
Pork cubes in marinara over whole wheat couscous
salad
Diet Squirt




Snacks
17 almonds
green tea
sugar free pudding, sugr free jello
100 cal pack almonds
apple, sugar free pudding,TLC Bar

exercise- 90 min
Wii Fit 15 min ( strength 15 min)
abwork 15 min
walk 60 min

water 14 (196)

Fruits 3
veg 8
lean protien 2
dairy 2
healthy fats 1