How Snacking Is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts
Hey Angels and Alphas,
Nobody can deny the sweet goodness of a stellar snack. At their best, these snacks can be the ideal pre-workout fuel, or a way to keep your blood sugar levels steady and stable until your next meal.
But snacking isn’t automatically a good decision. More often than not, snacking could be the culprit for diminishing your healthy weight loss progress.
When it comes to macros, snacking can often be the downfall of even the most diligent dieter. macros are the three key nutrients that make up the calories in the food we eat: protein, carbohydrates and fat. In order to lose weight, we must create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories than we burn. However, when we snack between meals, we are often taking in additional calories that can quickly add up and sabotage our weight loss efforts.
One way to avoid this problem is to be more mindful about the most common snacking mistakes that gym-goers and athletes are probably making. Today, you’re going to learn all about them… as well as how to fix them.
#1 – SKIPPING SNACKS.
People who are trying to lose weight or gain muscle are often told to avoid snacking. The thinking is that by eating fewer meals, they will consume fewer calories and see better results. However, this advice is misguided. In reality, snacking can actually help you reach your fitness goals.
When you go long periods of time without eating, your blood sugar levels drop and your body starts to break down muscle for energy. This can lead to hunger cravings and overeating later on. Snacking helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevents your body from going into “starvation mode.”
Moreover, frequent meals throughout the day can actually help to increase your metabolism. When you eat small meals more frequently, your body has to work harder to digest the food, which means you burn more calories.
The best way to approach this? Instead of snacking on low-calorie meals, add a spoon of peanut butter or hummus to your carrot sticks, and you’ll make them much more nutritious and satiating.
#2 – SNACKING WHEN YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY.
If you find yourself snacking more often than you’d like, it may be helpful to do a “hunger check.” Ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale of 1 to 10. If you’re not actually hungry, then the snack is probably more for pleasure than for fuel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s worth being aware of. If you are hungry, then consider what kinds of macros you’re looking for in a snack.
Maybe you need some protein and fat to tide you over until your next meal, or maybe you’re looking for a quick burst of energy in the form of carbs. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’ll be easier to make a decision about what to eat. And if you’re still unsure, remember that there’s no shame in grabbing a piece of fruit or veggie instead of something processed.
#3 – NOT CONSUMING ENOUGH FRUIT!
Some people forget about fruit, and some people even think natural sugars are obstacles to weight loss. But in the process of foregoing fruit, you’re reducing your intake of fiber and many other healthy micronutrients. Fiber provides you with satiety and can prevent overeating. If you’re going to snack, always make sure you’re incorporating some type of fiber-rich fruit in your snacks.
So, if you’re looking to snack on something satisfying, always make sure you’re incorporating some type of fiber-rich fruit into your snacks. In addition to promoting weight loss, eating fruit can also help to improve digestion and prevent constipation. So, don’t forget about fruit the next time you’re looking to make a healthy change to your diet!
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