Avoid artificial sweeteners. The brain thinks it IS sugar and makes you crave sugar, sugar and more sugar. Yep. Diet coke with an Oreo chaser.

Cheese is satisfying and filling.

I usually keep a bowl of hard boiled eggs in the frig. Eat with salt & pepper. Avacados. We have cute little jars with: one with raisins, one with Brazil nuts & one with sunflower seeds for grazing. Right now I have a bowl of fortune cookies on the counter. Eat just one. They're FUN if people come over. I have a bowl of Little Dove chocolates, covered in cute pumpkin foil. Limit yourself to 1. Baby carrots. Peaches in a bowl sitting on the counter....you need to be able to remember you have them...so I display them. :0) I have cans of scented sparkling orange water. Fage unflavored yogurt. Great for dipping fruit in or making salad dressing. Cottage cheese.

For dinner tonight I made meatballs, with a green dinner salad on the side. (no bread, no carbs)

Do you drink soda or sweeten your coffee or tea?

I follow Sweet Peas and Saffron on Facebook and today we had a freezer lunch meal prep. I made 12 freezable lunches. They all have a protein, vegetables and rice, but you could sub the rice with cauliflower rice or just skip it. It's only 1/2 cup of rice and I use brown.

I eat primarily low carb. Snacks i like include cheese(the individually portioned kind are great!) Greek yogurt (Dannon Light and Fit has the fewest carbs), Olives, Low carb veggies with ranch (i like cucumber and broccoli) Deli meats to eat with the cheese,nuts, sugar free jello,chicken stock to heat up and sip and peanut butter. Whisps is a brand of chip things that are made of 100% cheese if you want something crunchy, and they sell them in boxes of individual snack packs like chips.

My go to is definitely cheese. That being said, i don't snack as often as i did when i started the low carb thing. I have evolved into turning my second "meal" into just a snack graze. It will be a string cheese and some pepperoni, or an Atkins shake with a Jif 2 go cup,or a couple hard boiled eggs. or some veggies with ranch and whisps on the side. I also like the whisps in my salad. They replace cheese AND croutons!!!!!!

https://www.whisps.com/

I buy them at walmart.

My snack of choice is sugar free, fat free Greek yogurt with fruit and a dab of honey.

And air roasted no salt nuts.

Exercise helps, too.

And I forgot....my motto is "Use some restraint. "

It works for me.

Another vote here for plain Greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr. I prefer the full-fat kind, since it keeps me full much longer. I put chopped walnuts and blueberries in mine.

My experience has been that as I have aged I need to eat less Of everything. I have taken up walking. I don’t run. I don’t like it. But I could walk for hours. It’s very very beneficial. It’s good for everything without being hard on your joints. Your numbers could improve. Have fruit when you have a craving for something sweet. Mix it with plain yoghurt to fill you up. (I have Greek for the protein.). It’s delicious. And good for you

Do you have a max number carbs you want to consume a day? There are charts on the Internet listing low carbohydrate foods. Low carb diet requires some self education. Basically it is meat, eggs, cheese, veggies. Except root crops, corn, tomatoes, and peas. Limited amounts of nuts, usually good for snacks. Wheat , rice, oats, beans and fruit are out. Dairy varies. Butter and margarine is fine. The richer the milk the better. Heavy cream has less carbs than milk. Also usually anythings labeled sugar free or low fat is higher in carbs than its counterpart.

You have to read labels and compare the carbs to amount. Good luck.

A lot of great ideas here already. Everything in moderation.

I buy the meat and mozzarella cheese roll ups, I eat pepperoni and cheese slices, nuts, fresh coconut, avocado, hard boiled eggs, salad, cucumber slices or a small portion of veggies with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

They say not to drink sugar free drinks. That is one thing I find hard to give up so I drink Zevia which uses Stevia.

I know they are bad for me but i drink diet soda. Right now I am working on a cherry coke zero and I regret NOTHING!

Function: NO, I don't want to count anything. The only time "counting" was easy was when I did weight watchers....counting points, not too bad. For me, it's just going to have to be cutting back and adding in better, healthier choices. I don't drink soda or juices. I don't like artificial sweeteners or diet, low fat items...so that stuff wont be hard to stay away from. Sushi asked if I drink coffee, yes, only one cup in the morning with sugar and powdered cremora or milk or half n half, won't be giving that up though. It's only one cup. LOL I was thinking of a food diary also. I can graze on donuts brought in the office during the day, pop in a couple or four mini peanut butter cups when I get home before dinner and ask DD if she wants to get dessert in the evening. I don't even THINK of what I have eaten earlier during the day...it's a bad habit of "oh, that sounds good, lets eat it"....If we have spaghetti I get that big French loaf at the grocery store, I will probably tear a piece off in the car, have a few more pinches while I cook the dinner...of course, a slice or two with dinner and then easily pinch off a few pieces later...See, just poor habits. And I'm probably not even hungry at that point, it just tastes good. I know, bad, bad, bad.

I recently took a food sensitivity test. According to that the foods I should avoid are all milk products including cheeses, butter, etc. and all breads. Bummer. I like almond milk and there is a yogurt. Really miss cheese.

I have a few go-to snacks, though I avoid snacking. Green apples, baby carrots, full fat plain Greek yogurt, raw almonds, dark chocolate squares.

I never bought into the six small meals routine. I know people who are good with small meals, I am not one of them.

Always1stepbehind, the good news is cutting back even by half will probably have an impact on your numbers, as you already suspect. Food habits are difficult to change, but this one, especially, is important to focus on. Research is finding out so many bad health effects from sugar and refined carbs. Good luck!

I just had to stop buying bread and crackers; it seemed like an addiction - after the first bite I just wanted more and more. Since I did that, I find that I don't crave pasta so much either. The pasta I do get is the veggie type or the ancient grains. I also eat minimal rice - mix it with veggies also. If I have a fried egg for breakfast, I'll have a small sweet potato instead of toast (yes it is carbs, but more fiber and nutrition). Adding lots more vegetables to my diet has helped a lot with the desire for snacks. The same with avoiding sugar and sugar substitutes (plus that reduces my hot flashes).

I have also found that Hummus with carrot or celery or broccoli is satisfying - the crunch helps, and I am getting more fiber and vegetables. I think that Bush Hummus Made Easy is pretty good, and less costly than buying it premade.

Lowfat string cheese, peanut butter, hardboiled eggs, walnuts, almonds, cottage cheese with some fruit,

Drink lots more water, and start walking or riding a bike. Movement will help a lot to get the bad numbers down.

For a satisfying, low carb dessert, whipped cream over sliced strawberries is hard to beat. Top with toasted sliced almonds for a little crunch. There are just 20 calories in two Tbspns of canned whipped cream - if you don't overdue it, it's a nice guilt free dessert. Strawberries (most berries actually) are a low calorie, low carb fruit and loaded with nutrients making them a good choice for those trying to watch what they eat.

overdo, not overdue.

Instead of having to go to the internet for a meal plan, ask your doctor to refer you to a dietician within the health care network.

Most offer classes, meal planning and weekly follow-ups to help you keep on track. Your health insurance plan should cover it.

I will add,as an encouragement, that after a couple weeks you likely will not crave the carbs and sugar. It's just those first weeks that you have to really be strict and suck it up and resist. After that, it gets easier because the cravings are pretty much gone. That's MY experience anyway. Carby stuff makes me feel sluggish and icky. So that helps too.

And i add my vote to include exercise.

Sounds to me you already know what you're doing that's causing the issue. You've gotten some good suggestions, but let me add vegetables.

Vegetables are great as they are so full of nutrition and so low in calories. Keep carrots and celery sticks as snacks or even cuke slices and I like radish slices too as they're spicy, add hummus if you want a dip for flavor. Eat a large salad every day as they are very filling and keep you going. Look to zoodles (noodles made with zucchini...you can make your own or buy them frozen) to replace pasta. I haven't tried them yet, but they are now making crackers out of cauliflower...I have tried the pizzas made with cauliflower crusts and they aren't bad.

For a chocolate dessert, look to chocolate hummus...tastes a lot like brownie batter and is a healthier way to get a chocolate fix. I spread some on a graham cracker and top with some reddi whip (my processed food indulgence) and it tastes like a chocolate cream pie for a lot less calories.

Be mindful of what you're eating. If you grab that hunk of bread and eat it in the car, are you really enjoying it? Or is it just being consumed without thought? I suspect that if you sat down with the bread and ate it with intention, you'd get far more appreciation out of it...and you'd be satisfied with much less.

And be sure to drink water...lots of water. Water is so good for your body in so many ways. I'm amazed at how often I'm looking for something to eat when it's really that I'm thirsty. Far better to drink that glass of water, wait 10-15 min, and then if I'm still hungry, then go look for something to eat.

I like nuts, string cheese, avocado and full fat plain yogurt (with cinnamon and nuts, maybe a few berries).

You might also look into intermittent fasting. I love it!

My doctor is on board with low carb, even keto, and recently told me that many dieticians/nutritionists are behind the times on low carb eating. She said that they’re still recommending too many carbs for diabetics, just for example, so she recommends to her patients that if they want nutritionist assistance. they find one who subscribes to low carb eating. Just one doctor's opinion....

Be sure to get a good protein at your meals. It will help give you that full feeling so that you are not hungry for snacks.

I keep nuts, cheese sticks, fruit cups (natural juices) and Unsweetened Ice tea on hand for snacks.

I did pretty good at the store last night, but I forgot almonds and some dark chocolate. Thank you for all the helpful suggestions. That chocolate hummus sounds interesting Annie. I'm going to have to look for that.

Normally I'm not a Starbucks blended coffee drinker. I find a lot of them overly sweet...and that's coming from a sweet tooth. But I made the mistake of trying their new Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew....I tried their pumpkin spice latte last year for the first time...wanted to see what all the hoopla was all about. Took one drink and literally handed it back to the girl. No thanks. I didn't expect to like the cold brew but I did...I really, really did!! LOL Thank God its seasonal. Maybe one a week ;-)

I'm amazed at how often I'm looking for something to eat when it's really that I'm thirsty.

I'm prone to this too. I've lost 12 pounds this summer, I think a lot due to drinking lots more plain water ( 3+ quarts/day - especially on our hotter than usual weeks) and getting back into the exercise groove (I realized that I had become quite sedentary in the past year, although I used to run/bike/walk several times a week.) Hoping that my habits permanently change enough to keep it up over the winter - so that next spring my annual will have better lipid panel numbers also.

I will suggest that you can still have bread, pasta, and rice....in moderation......if you make different choices. It's possible to find high fiber, whole grain breads; I buy no carb pasta all the time, and have only eaten brown rice for many years.

Every fast food restaurant knows what a low carb burger is and will serve you a burger without the bun. Order a side salad instead of fries.

White potatoes are fine, in moderation; sweet potatoes are healthy as long as you eschew the sweet toppings so many think they need to add.

As far as sweets go......I'd avoid them entirely until you can get over the cravings. If you can eliminate them from your home, all the better.

Do you like to cook?

Rhizo: that was my initial thought/plan, cut back and make different choices. This weekend I had In n Out protein style. No fries, no drink or shake, just the burger. Maybe next time, get two patties though ;-) As far as cooking, I won't say I like to cook, I cook because I have too when I do. I can cook and I know there are things I can cook to have at home or to bring in to work to have here during the day..which I will need to do.

My dietician told me I could eat six almonds between meals as a snack. I sometimes add a dark chocolate square, like Zalco. I buy low salt or unsalted almonds. My downfall is chocolate covered almonds.

I'm always so surprised that people eat at fast food joints. I stopped eating there probably 20 years ago. Now the only time we stop in is for a cup of coffee and a potty break when we're on the road.

Lars, counting 6 almonds from the bag and calling them a snack, to me, is no way to live.

Lars - You're better at that than I am. I count 10 almonds and a couple of chocolate covered cranberries. That;s usually my evening dessert.

7 almonds. Or 9. Rarely 5 or 11. It must be an odd number. That's one of my quirks, lol.

I know whole wheat pasta is healthier than regular pasta. If you add ground flax seed (or other fiber) to regular pasta (say in the lasagna sauce), does it make it as healthy as whole wheat pasta?

I have watched my carbs intake for years. Mostly because just about all carbs except for rye and whole grain rice and whole grain whole wheat bring on my migraines.

I have to run like the Dickens for weight to stay off of me. Diet alone does absolutely nothing for me. It's because of my hypoglycemia.

I have been eating a lot in the last few weeks and not really sure what the trigger is but I've also been having more migraines than in years. Not sure what's going on?

DH and I have started running and weightlifting regularly again so hopefully I'll keep some of the excess from gathering on my body.

I can't eat almonds but cheat sometimes. They are one of my migraine triggers :-(. For some reason eggs has become a trigger too again. Boo hoo. I miss those low-cal tummy fillers.