Today I’m linking up with my friends Courtney, Mar and Cynthia for a fun Friday Five! Be sure to head over to the link up and check out all the great bloggers!

I have a serious eating problem in the fall. I don’t know what it is, but the minute the temp drops below 65 degrees, I am instantly drawn to eating all the things, all the time. My hunger is insatiable and I’m especially drawn to carbs. The simpler the better.

So the wine isn’t exactly a great calorie choice but the popcorn IS! And who else is depressed that Scandal is over until January? BOO!

And I realize that NONE of this is good for me. Well, some of it is OK (I’m a girl who believes in moderation in all things), but to roam my home like a bear getting ready to hibernate, snacking and gobbling and devouring, is a terrible way to head into the holiday season!

I’ve developed a few strategies – go to things – that help me stay full. Turns out, we all get a little hungrier when it starts getting cold (see this very scholarly article for more on that) so it’s not just me.

So what to do?? I’m going to give you my 5 go to foods that fill me up and satisfy me and don’t use up my entire calorie allowance in one sitting. Ready??

1. Popcorn. No, not cooked in oil, and no, not drowned in butter. I still have the hot air popper we were given as a wedding gift and it still works great. I spray it with canola Oil cooking spray, add salt, and munch away. I can eat a huge bowl of this stuff and at only 31 calories per cup, it’s a GREAT way to beat the munchies.
2. Avocados. These are filling and filled with great fats and make me feel full and satisfied. Love them. Yes, they may become more expensive as the winter descends, but here in TX I can still get them 10/$10 on sale and Costco seems to have them year round (although beware – the Costco bags are all the same amount of ripeness so you have to be ready to eat a lot of avocados;).
3. Cereal. I’m a fan of Life and I know it’s not calorie free by any means, but a bowl of cereal with milk really fills me up, especially late at night when I’m tempted to devour things like Christmas cookies.
4. Almonds. I’ll splurge this time of year and buy the salted ones. I just love them. And yes, they’re high in fat and calories but you don’t need to eat a ton and they’re so good for you! Bonus, as a vegetarian, I need my protein. These fit the bill.
5. Hot tea with milk and Stevia (the milk comes from having travelled to the UK frequently as a kid). Having something warm in my belly (especially something creamy and sweetened) really stops my cravings and makes me feel happy. I have a large stock currently of different teas for my Keurig and love them all to pieces.

What DOESN’T work for me is total deprivation. Then all I do is obsess over what I can’t have. So when the apple pie comes around on Thursday, I will absolutely be having a slice. And I’ll enjoy every bite of my creamy mashed potatoes. But when the feast day is over, I’ll scale back and use my strategies to keep from eating myself out of house and home. Did I mention that 25th anniversary trip to Mexico coming up in February??

Happy Running and Eating!!

Jen