We all blame our willpower when it comes to caving in the face of the temptation to snack. But it's really a lot more complex than that - most of the time, it comes down to either biology or a lack of planning. So, here are my top 5 tips to avoid those unplanned snacks.
Tip #1: Take Back Control
You control your environment, not the other way around. You can choose what foods to have in your house and what cafes and restaurants to go to. Ok, there will be the odd occasion when you don’t have control of the venue choice, but it’s not what we do 10% of the time that impacts our weight - it’s what we do 90% of the time that counts! So, control your environment 90% of the time and you’ll be doing very well.
Tip #2: Be Intentional
Being intentional about our food means planning ahead and when we plan ahead, we avoid that impulsive decision-making that often results in the wrong choice which we later regret! This doesn’t mean we have to meal prep (I rarely meal prep!) but it does mean we need to plan our meals in advance (this is where the meal planner in the fit positive app comes in) and this includes eating out. When eating out, we would simply check the menu of the restaurant/cafe online in advance, intentionally choosing our meal when we are not distracted or influenced by anyone else. Another way to be intentional is to pre-log your meals (also possible in the fitpositive app) and this vastly increases the likelihood of staying on track.
Tip #3: Eat satiating foods
This is huge. When planning meals, we should aim for foods that are:
high in protein - because protein takes time and energy (calories) to break down and digest, and this keeps our blood sugars stable, keeping us fuller for longer and avoiding blood sugar dips which ultimately lead to those uncontrollable cravings!
high in fibre - fibre is a complex carbohydrate, which means it requires energy (yep, calories!) and time to break down and digest. So like protein, fibre keeps us fuller for longer.
high in volume - while something like a smoothie is a super healthy breakfast option, because it’s not high in volume, it might not be as satiating as something like eggs, even if it does have the same number of calories. The same goes for wine or beer which are essentially empty calories!
Tip #4: Drink LOTS of water!
I know we all know this but do we do it? Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger so it’s super important to drink as close to 2 litres of water per day as you can get.
Tip #5: Find a new comfort blanket
There's a reason the term "comfort food" gets thrown around - many people find just that from their meals, comfort. Leaning on food as a coping mechanism to deal with stress can really disrupt progress and become a bad habit. But it really can be easier than you think to replace that with a new habit that you can lean on in times of stress. The choice is specific to the individual as it needs to be comforting to them - I know for me, a warming comforting turmeric latte and a good book can work wonders for me. Other options might include a long walk with a podcast, a hot bath or meditation.
So that's it for the top 5 tips to avoid mindless snacking! Let me know if you try these and if you find them useful. And remember, it's not your fault and usually, it has VERY little to do with willpower and MUCH more to do with biology!
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