The Word on Weightloss

I’m a perpetual snacker. I love to nibble on crunchy, salty and sweet foods all day long. There’s a big problem with my snacking habit, however: it doesn’t really fit into my weight loss plan, unless, of course, I’m snacking on the right types of foods.

The cold hard truth is that you can’t eat all day long and lose weight (unless you’re eating only celery, which is probably not the case). Like cravings, some people just like to snack because it’s comforting; it gets your mind off a problem or your just plain bored. No matter the reason, you have to curb your bad habit in order to meet that weight loss goal.

Here are a few ideas to help curb your bad snacking habits:

1.  Address the problem, head on.

As you’re walking into the pantry, kitchen or past the candy bowl, ask yourself “Am I really hungry?” When you’re in the mood to snack it’s easy to say yes even if you really aren’t hungry because sometimes you just want to eat something crunchy.

Address the problem, even if it’s hard to do. Are you snacking because you’re waiting for a call and you want to fill up the time? Are you stressed about a test you’re studying for? More often than not there are mental triggers that push you to snack when you’re not hungry.

• Ask yourself these questions:

• When did I eat last and what was it?
• What’s on my mind?
• Do I need to eat that?
• What could I eat instead (that’s healthier)?

2. Healthy foods in the house only!

Do you ever open up the refrigerator, pantry or your snack drawer just to look? What are you looking for? Are you waiting to be inspired by something crunchy or sweet to take your mind off of something else? If so – what’s in your go to snack location? Chances are if you load your kitchen with super foods, vegetables, fruits and whole grains you’ll snack healthier and stick to your weight loss plan.

• Here are a few healthy snacks to add to your refrigerator:

• Ready-to-eat fruit: apples or orange wedges, melon cubes, pineapple, berries, etc
• Ready-to-eat, pre washed and cut vegetables: baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber sticks, sweet peppers and green onions
• Soy or Fat free milk
• Greek Yogurt
• Lowfat cheese sticks or cubes to serve with fresh fruit, lean meat, or whole wheat crackers
• Ready-to-eat, pre washed and chopped fruits: pineapple, cantaloupe, or easy to eat smaller fruits like grapes, raspberries or blueberries.

3. Are you hydrated?

How much water did you drink today so far? If it’s past noon and you haven’t had at least 32 oz of water – you haven’t had enough! Ditch the crunchy, salty snack and replace it with a tall glass of cold, refreshing water. If you don't enjoy the taste, add a lemon wedge to spike the flavor.