Beat Mindless Snacking

Have you ever been sitting on the couch with a bag of chips, only to realize as the ads come on that you've already devoured the entire bag!? If you have, don't worry, you're not alone.

Snacking mindlessly gets the best of us...when we've had a hard day, or are hungry but are too tiered to cook a meal, we end up eating way too much, and it is usually junk food. Yup, chips, pop, pizza, chocolate, if it is bad for us, it is usually the first thing we go for.

If you are nodding your head as you read this, you can stop snacking mindlessly, here are some tips on how to do it!

First, never skip a meal. We need to eat every 2-4 hours to keep up our energy levels, and when we skip a meal, we usually end up bingeing later and overeating because we are so ravenous. If you are busy, pack snacks with you to keep you satisfied. Some great portable snack ideas are cut up vegetables and/or fruit, yogurt, nuts and raisins or dried fruit.

The next thing you need to do is figure out what triggers your mindless snacking. Does it happen when you are stressed or tiered? Does it happen when you are working at the office, or in front of the TV? Once you've discovered where it happens you can make a mental note to not overeat when in those situations.

Another trick you can do when you feel a junk-food craving coming on is wait. Give it 10 minutes, and you will most often find that you do not need junk-food, you need food! We often crave carbohydrates and sugar when we are hungry, so make sure to take the time and if you are still hungry after that 10 minutes, find yourself a healthy snack or meal instead.

We also tend to crave salty or sweet snacks when we are dehydrated. Make sure to drink water throughout your day, and make it easily accessible by bringing a water bottle with you when you are out of the house. You should aim to drink about 8 glasses of water a day, and yes, water! Drinking other liquids like coffee, tea, juice or pop can actually make you even thirstier, so there are no substitutes!

If you are sitting in front of the TV or are working away on your computer and just need...something...try chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum. It will occupy your mouth and keep you from over-indulging in unhealthy treats.

By taking these steps you can stop mindless snacking today!

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