Weight loss snacking

Snacking has most often been seen as the sole cause of weight gain, but in recent years dieticians and health experts have come to believe otherwise due. Why? Recent studies prove that snacking every three to four hours keeps the metabolism high thus burning fat at a quicker rate. Good news, right?

If you want have your snack and still lose weight, follow these tips:

Plan smaller meals to accommodate snacks:

The only problem with snacking is that it can cause weight gain if it’s not done right. Snacking should be planned as part of your daily food allotment and not an addition to your three meals. If you want your snacks to be a part of your weight loss plan and not weight gain, plan with the idea of smaller meals to accommodate healthy snacks.

Make it healthy:

A healthy snack is also one that will enhance your efforts to lose weight through being natural as possible. Most store bought snacks are higher in salt, sugar, and fat—all of which do not contribute to healthy weight. Healthy snacks should be seen as healthy mini-meals that contain a bit of protein, carbohydrate, and plenty of fibre so that you can feel full for longer.

Plan ahead and take it “to go”:

The fat building snacks are often the chips and sodas we buy when on the verge of starvation. Another tip to health snacking is the plan ahead. Don’t wait for that moment when you are too hungry to prepare a healthy snack and give in to sugar rich delights. If you’re following the Slim Fast diet, keep shakes, bars, and powders on hand, even when traveling. That way you can snack healthy and still stick to your weight standards. Apples, almonds, whole grain crackers, and non-fat cheese sticks are also great carry-around-snacks that will help keep your weight down.

Keep it a “snack” amount:

Most individuals find it hard to keep a snack to a “snack”. If it’s meant to be half a sandwich, it usually becomes both halves and a drink to wash it down. While that may be a great meal plan, it’s not the best snack plan. Make sure your snacks are “snack” sized, which generally means make it a little less than half the size of a normal meal.

Count the ‘food’ in your drink:

Black coffee is a calorie-free drink that need not be counted as a bona-fide snack, but a mocha latte on the other hand can certainly pass as one because of the milk and sugar contained therein.