Losing weight by taking snacks

STARVING oneself is not the way to have a lean body.

In fact, taking snacks may help one lose weight, compared to sticking to just the three square meals a day, but only if one does not snack on sugary, high-calorie food, said Self magazine.

Snacking will help keep a person’s weight down and his metabolism high if he follows these rules on taking snacks.

Stay within the range. If a person is dieting, he should consume just 100 calories per snack. He can take 200 calories if he is just trying to maintain his weight.

The trick is to choose snacks that have complex carbohydrates, which offer quick
energy; and protein and some healthy fat, which the body digests slowly, keeping one feeling full longer.

Time the snacking. People should not wait till they are starving to take snacks. The reason is that going too long without food, defined as five hours or more, will result in the metabolism slowing, causing the body to burn less fat than usual.

People are, therefore, advised to have a snack three hours after breakfast, and three hours after lunch.

Get a good mix. Use snack time as the opportunity to fill any gaps in the diet. This means fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts or low-fat dairy products that most people don’t eat enough of on a daily basis.

Studies show that those who snack regularly eat more fiber and nutrients than those who don’t take snacks. These types of snacks give the body what it needs to stay healthy.

Hide food. The more we see food, the more we want to eat it. So food that is not very healthy, such as candy, should be placed in opaque rather than clear jars. This will help us forget that such food exists. On the other hand, clear jars should be filled with healthy options, like fruit, vegetables and other types of healthy snacks to encourage snacking.

Treat yourself. Adolescents know this: if you tell them no, they will only want it more. Translated to food, depriving oneself of what one wants will only have his body screaming for it more. So once or twice a week, one should indulge himself.

Those who can’t keep a snack to less than 200 calories can do some balancing. For instance, keeping the morning snack at 100 calories can give one leeway to indulge in sinful snacks of 250 to 300 calories in the afternoon. And if one really can’t resist the chips and other sinful snacks, splitting the snack in two will allow one to enjoy a beloved treat without too much guilt. For instance, one can have 100 calories of something he really loves, like potato chips, then leave the rest of the 100 or so calories for healthful food items like nuts or fruit.