7 Ways to prevent binge snacking at Her Active Life

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7 Ways to prevent binge snacking

Posted May 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Amanda Black

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Weight Control, Workout Fuel

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2004, about one-third of adults in the U.S. are overweight and 32.2 percent are obese (“WIN”). The numbers have been progressively increasing each year in people of all ages, races, genders, ethnic groups, and educational levels (for more information and to check your BMI and risk for obesity, go to the Weight-control Information Network at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm).

Even if you are not technically obese or overweight by government standards, you might have a hard time keeping off those extra ten-pounds. If you are one of these people – who is physically active but still battles the scale – the culprit might be unconscious eating or snacking.

Below are some tips to help prevent you from binge snacking and caving into your midnight munchies.

1) Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. Studies show that breakfast eaters have lower BMI’s (Body mass index) than non-breakfast eaters (“Parenting and Family”). Morning fuel revs up your metabolism, and it stops you from getting ravenous and overeating come lunchtime. Good breakfast options include: whole grain cereal with fiber and skim milk, yogurt with granola (or fruit), whole grain English muffin with peanut butter, oatmeal, or various other healthy options that offer a balance of protein, carbs, and fat to keep you satisfied until lunch.

2) Avoid soda! Two glasses of soda per day pack around 230 calories, which translates into 23 extra pounds in a year. In addition to unwanted pounds, the high sugar content in soda is bad for your teeth. Diet soda is a good substitute, but studies have shown that it makes people hungrier because the body doesn’t receive the calories the brain expects. A better alternative is water. If water is too bland for you try green tea, which contains plenty of beneficial antioxidants.

3) Create an eating journal. Let’s admit it, most of us are “mindless eaters”; we graze or snack without even realizing it. Creating a journal and writing down everything you eat forces you to be conscious of your eating habits, but you have to be honest and make sure that you write everything down (even that late night glass of wine or that mini Hershey kiss contains calories). For an awesome online journal that will help you keep the munchies at bay, check out www.fitday.com (fitday is a completely free online food journal that allows you to track your calories, and set your weight, exercise, and diet goals).

4) Know what foods are healthy and munch in moderation. Unfortunately, many people just assume that everyone knows what’s healthy to eat. Lean-protein, whole grains, and fruits and veggies should be the primary focus of everyone’s diet. However, if you love brownies then eat them, but do it in moderation. If you simply can’t help yourself from over-snacking on the foods you love then keep them out sight or put them into smaller packaging. It’s easy to down an entire bag of chips, so it pays to put your guilty pleasures into mini containers – that way you’re much less likely to binge. Another alternative is using the three-bite-rule: savor three bites of your food and then put it away. However, if you still binge it’s probably best to keep tempting foods out of the house. Most importantly, keep an overall healthy attitude toward food; try not to label less healthy food as “bad,” because avoiding the foods we love often causes us to binge on them.

5) Have the kitchen be off limits. This is a trick my Grandmother taught me. She closed her kitchen every weekday at 8-oclock because she had trouble fending off the midnight munchies. Sure, I guess we all suffered because of her snacking issues, but it taught me a valuable trick. Now, whenever I get home before 6-oclock I don’t allow myself to keep snacking past 10, because that’s when I typically let all of my inhibitions go. One cookie would turn into two and pretty soon a whole row of Oreos would be gone. It’s a tough rule to follow, but if you implement it with your children or housemates it will give you more motivation.

6) Take a look in your fridge and cupboards. This may sound silly, but many people fail to realize that the “junk food” in their house far outweighs the “healthy food.” Make sure that you’re stocked up on healthy options to snack on. Carrot sticks with low-fat dressing, veggies and hummus, Kashi oatmeal cookies, fruit, or various other satisfying low-cal options should be readily available.

7) Bring healthy snacks with you on the go. How many times has this happened to you: you have to stay late at work and the only option available to satisfy your rumbling tummy is the vending machine, which is probably full of high-calorie, unsatisfying options. Sure, that chocolate bar might taste good, but chances are you’ll be hungry again in an hour. This is why you should always have an emergency stash- it will keep you healthily fueled until you can find something more satisfying. I like to keep granola bars, mixed nuts, and fruit either in my car or bag.

Sources:
MSNBC.“10 Ways to Prevent Raising a Fat Kid.” Parenting and Family.
“Statistics Related to overweight and Obesity.” Weight-control Information Network.