Is Snacking Really a Diet Trap?

I’ve been spending a few weeks visiting my brother outside of Dallas, Texas and to my surprise, my pants are feeling a bit looser (yay!).  But when I say it’s a surprise, I really mean it.

I’m one of those people that need to ‘schedule’ my eating, or I’ll get ravenous.  Just ask anyone…when I’m hungry watch out!  My blood sugar drops and I get a bit (or a lot) cranky.  So I always have a snack with me, especially when I know I’m going to be out all day and may not be able to eat at my regularly scheduled time.

So being away from home, my schedule is totally off, including my eating times.  I like to eat three square-meals a day.  I’m not a big fan of snacking, but I do so when I feel my tummy getting hungry so I’ll grab something (preferably healthy & with some protein) to hold me over (so I don’t pig out when dinner time rolls around!).

And though I’ve eaten more than my far share of beef these last few weeks (hey, I’m in Texas….they know their beef!), not to mention the hamburgers, chicken tortilla’s, and frozen chocolate bars, my stomach feels lighter.

So what the heck is going on?

I know for a lot of my clients, they’ve heard over and over again that snacking is good for you.  And sure, snacking CAN be a good thing.  But all too often, these ‘snacks’ become as big as regular meals.  And I find too many people eat all day long (but in their head they’re just ‘snacking.’)

We’ve literally become trained to snack all the time.  And we can eat, or drink, almost anywhere, any time of day, and purchase food (even prepared foods) everywhere we turn.

We’ve also become trained NOT to feel our hunger.  We’ve been told over and over again by experts, the media, and food company that we need to snack.

Back to my story — I’ve realized that although I’ve been eating a bit more ‘forbidden’ foods these last few weeks.  I have NOT been snacking.   AND…I’ve been eating when I’m hungry, and yes, stopping when I’m full.  When my body says, “Okay Dinneen, it’s time to fill me up with some food so I can have energy and feel better,” I sit down and eat a real meal.  I’m not picking all day at food.   I’ve been listening, really listening, to my hunger signals.

Here are some other tidbits I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that will help YOU not to fall into the snack-trap that can unknowingly pack on some unwanted extra pounds:

1)  Eat Enough Protein.  After just a few weeks working with my clients, I often find they’re not eating enough.  Yup, that’s right….they’re not eating enough.  When trying to lose weight, this can surprisingly be an issue.   Sure it’s great to cut-down on the chips, soda, ice cream, and apple pie a la mode when trying to shed some pounds.  But what dieters do is fill up mostly on veggies, fruits, and so-called ‘diet’ foods.  Now at face value that might seem okay.

But what often happens is you’re eating too many fruits & vegetables, and not enough protein….and not leaving room for some special treats from time to time.  So our bodies use up the fruits and veggies pretty quickly — especially as we often kick our exercise up-a-notch when losing weight — and our bodies get depleted.  We also need to remember to get enough protein.  Sure, healthy protein is better, but even eating beef can really do your body good.  I’ve been getting my fair share of protein lately, but squaring it off with enough vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Now before you freak out, I’m not advocating the Atkins diet — but I do often find that we (especially Americans) eat too little protein, or not the right kind.  So be sure you’re meals have a good portion of healthy protein.

And for you vegetarians, vegans, or raw foodies out there — yes, eating lots of fruits and vegetables IS a good thing.  But we also need to be sure to get enough protein, even if it’s in the form of whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds or other non-meat sources.

2)  Filler Up by eating Three Square Meals.  Don’t go skipping breakfast or not eating lunch simply because you want to save calories.  Yes, you do need to make sure you’re not eating too many calories, but don’t get caught in the feast or famine thinking.

In addition, it’s been recently shown that trying to spread out your calories for the day — rather than sitting down to regular meals — may throw off your body’s internal clock.  Which just makes it more difficult for your body to recognize hunger and satiety cues — to the point that you no longer ‘feel’ or understand what it’s like to be hungry, but you also never feel quite full. (More on that on tip #4).

3)  Have a Purpose.  aka, keep busy.  Don’t you ever notice when you’re bored, or not really enjoying what you’re doing, all you want to do is eat?  Sure, you might think you’re hungry, but many times it’s just because the food ‘is there’ or we’re bored…so we eat.  While I’ve been in Texas I’ve had a purpose: helping take care of my brother.  This has included doing errands, driving him to doctor appointments, physical therapy, or to the supermarket.  I’ve been busy.  But not just busy as in ‘things to take up my time’…I’ve been busy doing things that make me feel useful, and give me a sense of purpose.

Ever notice when you’re really involved in a project that you really enjoy, time just goes by and look at the clock and realize you haven’t eaten in hours?  Or you’ve missed lunch?  (okay, maybe that doesn’t happen to you…).  This is often because we eat when we’re not really physically hungry.  But when you’re involved in something you really like, you don’t have time to get bored.

You stop and realize your stomach is growling or you’re body needs some food for energy.  It’s kind of a way of ‘training’ your body to speak for you….and not your mind.  Because all too often we think we’re hungry and getting signals from our body, when in reality it’s our mind telling us it’s hungry .  Our mind isn’t hungry, it’s that we’re bored, angry, frustrated, or just looking for something to keep it busy.

Which brings me to…

4)  Listen to your BODY.  Do you find yourself eating, simply because the clock says 12 noon, or it’s time for your favorite tv show, or because the kids are home from school so ‘it’s time to eat’?  Now there’s nothing wrong with keeping a regular eating schedule.  I do.  But on days when I just don’t feel hungry at 12 noon, I stop and ask myself “am I really hungry?”, and think about my plans for the next few hours.  If I’m not hungry, and have the time to eat 30 minutes or an hour later, I’ll wait.  However, if I’m at my office and know in an hour I have a call with a client, I’ll have some lunch even if I’m not quite fully hungry.  But I’ll eat accordingly.  I’ll eat just enough to fill me up and keep my body running, and if I need a snack later on I’ll grab one.  But I don’t kid myself that my ‘snack’ is a meal replacement.  It’s not.  It’s merely something small to keep my energy levels up.

5)  Grazing is for animals.  Okay, now there’s nothing wrong with grazing.  But grazing can turn into ‘eating a whole meal’ without even realizing it.

So if you DO snack, yes, it’s okay.  But sit down at a table, even use a small plate, and pay attention to what you’re eating so you’re focused on the food.  Don’t go grab a granola bar and eat it while walking around the house or sitting at your office desk.  Okay, I realize that’s not always feasible.  But back in the day when I worked in the corporate world, when I did have a snack I would sit at my desk, away from my computer, and take 5 minutes to sit and focus on my food.  Even if it’s just an apple.  But really paying attention to that apple (instead of reading emails) can make a big difference.

And like I mentioned earlier, it has been suggested that eating regular meals is better than grazing all day long.  And if you think about many other cultures where the obesity rate is lower than here in the U.S., oftentimes they don’t snack.  Or they only snack from time to time.  It’s not a daily thing.

6)  It’s OKAY to feel hunger.  We’re often afraid to get hungry, thinking that if we do we’ll devour the whole plate of chocolate chip cookies.  But that’s not the case.  Unless you allow yourself to get too hungry or ravenous, those are the times when you want to eat everything in site.  But having some hunger is a good thing.  Yes, it’s a good thing.  It’s your body’s internal cue of when it’s time to eat.   So don’t fear hunger — honor it.  Sure, it can take some time to realize the point when hunger turns to ravenousness, but over time you’ll start to interpret the signals better.  But in order to do that, you need to FEEL hunger.

Now this doesn’t mean you need to be really hungry every time you eat, whether it be a meal or a snack, but give your body enough time to get hungry so you can know what it feels like.   I’ve had many clients admit to me that they’ve never  felt hungry.  They’re so afraid of hunger that they’re constantly eating and snacking all day to ward it off.  So learn to listen to your hunger, honor it, and you’ll learn how to read it’s signals better and better.

So though snacking can be a good thing, just be aware that’s it’s something to hold you over until your next meal.  Eat three square meals a day, eat balanced meals, get enough exercise, have a sense of purpose in life, listen to your body — the ingredients to ANY happy life, whether you want to lose weight or not — and you’ll feel better, look better, and wonder why you didn’t do this all along.

So what are you’re thoughts on Snacking?  Do you do it regularly, sometimes, or never at all?  Do you feel it helps you keep your weight in-check, or do you think it could be a trap allowing you to eat too much and not really feel your hunger signals?