How can you keep snacking from derailing your healthy eating program, not to mention weight control? Try these tips.
Don't skip meals. Skipping
meals may seem like a good way to cut calories, but in fact this just
makes you so hungry later in the day that you're vulnerable to devouring
mega-portions of snack food in order to supply your body with easily
digested sugars.
Keep junk food out of the house.
There's a lot of truth to the old joke about the "see-food diet" — you
see food and you eat it. The opposite is also true. If you don't have
junk food lying around, the sight of it won't tempt you, so don't even
bring it home. After all, you can't eat what isn't there. Or, if someone
in your household tends to have chips or other unhealthful snacks, put
them out of sight.
Snack mindfully. Have you ever
watched a show on television with a bag of chips or pint of ice cream
in hand, only to find that it was all gone before you knew it? This type
of mindless eating can pack on a lot of unwanted calories. The solution
is simple. Try not to snack while doing something else like surfing the
Web, watching TV, or working at your desk. Instead, stop what you're
doing for a few minutes and pay attention to your snack.
Savoring a piece of fine chocolate can be more satisfying than gobbling
down a whole chocolate bar.
Remember, you can take it with you.
Think ahead and carry a small bag of healthful snacks in your purse or
the glove compartment of your car. If you have a healthy snack handy —
preferably, one you really like — you won't turn in desperation to the
calorie-laden cookies at the coffee counter or the candy.
Zero in on hunger. Before you
snack, ask yourself, "Am I truly hungry?" Many of us mistake emotions,
such as stress and fatigue, for hunger. If the answer is yes (your
stomach feels hollow, your head is achy), make sure you're not confusing
hunger with thirst. Drink an 8-ounce glass of water, then wait 10 to 15
minutes. If you're still hungry, have a healthful snack.
Know your cravings. If you
want a snack, but you're not hungry, attack cravings from a
psychological level. Ask yourself how you're feeling. Lonely? Bored?
Stressed? Then, ask yourself the bigger question: Will food fix this
problem? The answer is always no. Eating a cookie, for example, won't
address a problem at work that you're worried about. Go for a walk
around the block, do a few stretches, put on some music, or choose
another simple
activity that might distract you or boost your mood. Then if you still
want the food, fine. Ask yourself what food you really want. Then eat
only a small amount, and make it good. If you're craving chocolate, for
example, eat one small square and savor it. It's important that you
snack on what you're craving rather than deny the craving. Eating around
a craving may only cause you to eat more because the craving isn't
satisfied.-(Source-Harvard Medical School)
