Snacks How they fit into your weight loss plan

Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement your weight-loss plan. Here are creative and healthy ways to satisfy your hunger.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your stomach is growling, but lunch is hours away. You could indulge yourself with a snack, but you think its best to grit your teeth and wait for lunch. Not so, if weight loss is your goal.

Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks arent necessarily bad. In fact, well-planned weight-loss diets, allow for snacks to help manage hunger and reduce bingeing. Eating a healthy snack of a piece of fruit or some raw veggies can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal. The key to incorporating snacks into your weight-loss plan is to keep moderation and balance in mind.

Choose healthy snacks

Select foods that satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Opt for snacks of 100 calories or less to stay within your daily calorie goal. You can eat more of foods with low energy density, such as carrots, grapes and air-popped popcorn, for your 100 calories. Choose snacks from these food groups:

§  Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with little to no fat and only a small number of calories. Fruits and vegetables also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

§  Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.

§  Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They can be high in fat, but its mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so dont eat them in large quantities.

§  Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for low-calorie or "light" varieties.

What does a 100-calorie snack look like?

Although snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, they can also be a source of excess calories if you arent careful. For example, a small handful of almonds (about 14 nuts) contains 100 calories. But eat a cup of almonds, and the calorie count jumps to over 800 calories.

So what are some smart choices? Here are several suggestions for 100-calorie snacks:

§  1 cup sliced bananas and fresh raspberries

§  2 cups of carrots

§  3 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn

§  5 melba toast crackers, rye or pumpernickel

§  2 tablespoons of peanuts

§  2 domino-sized slices of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese

§  1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup

When a snack fills in for a meal

With todays busy world, healthy meals often lose out to busy schedules. A grab-and-go snack could be the difference between some nourishment and none at all. Youll find it easier to choose good-for-you snacks if you stock your refrigerator and shelves with foods that are fast — not fussy. These ideas for healthy snacks minimize fat and calories and maximize whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Theyre all around 200 calories.

§  Toast one-half of a whole-wheat English muffin. Top with one slice Canadian bacon, a tomato slice and one slice low-fat American cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts.

§  Spread 1 tablespoon part-skim ricotta cheese over one-half of a small cinnamon-raisin bagel. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and top with a thinly sliced apple.

§  Top a small baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

§  Layer a 6-inch soft corn or flour tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts. Slice into bite-sized pie shapes. Dip into some salsa if desired.

§  Mix 1/4 cup cold leftover chicken or convenience-type chunk chicken with sliced seedless grapes, 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt or fat-free mayonnaise, and a dash of curry powder. Stuff into half of a whole-wheat pita pocket.

Heed your hunger pangs, but forget the guilt. With planning and a little preparation, you can have healthy foods on hand so that youre ready when temptation strikes.

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How to Stop Eating When Bored

What determines your hunger signals? Boredom? Indulgent cravings? Habit?
What should determine your hunger signals?
Hunger.

Heres how to make it so.

InstructionsThings Youll Need: Just a little will power

1.RECOGNIZE IT BEFORE ACTING - When I feel the urge to eat a snack or meal, I ask myself where this urge is coming from.
Good questions to Ive asked myself to stop overeating:
Am I busy when the urge came on?
Do I feel as though I could eat a lot or a little?
What am I hungry for?
All of these small questions help me evaluate my desire for food, to see if it is genuine hunger or my mind playing a trick on me. Self-awareness is the most important thing.

2.DO SOMETHING ELSE - After Ive concluded that I want to eat purely because I am bored, I DO SOMETHING, and that helps me be productive too ;).
Laundry
Re-writing a resume
Starting a blog
Playing a game
Catching up with a friend...

I dont need to list daily activities you can do to live your life instead of eat it!

3. WHEN GIVING IN, GIVE IN MINIMALLY - Complete self-denial should never be what were after, because that only spawns self resentment and ultimate failure. If you really want a snack after sincerely trying to cure your boredom, eat one! But this is the pivotal moment to exercise your moderation skills. Heres why...
When youre eating and not hungry, youre more likely to overeat. This is because your stomach is already stretched and ready for more food, plus, and perhaps more importantly, your MENTAL HUNGER comes with NO biological indicators to make you feel full. So if its mental hunger youre feeding, you could eat forever. Yikes.

Good minimal "giving-in" snacks:

·        Fruits

·        A cup of warm milk

·        Slices of cheese

·        Handful of nuts
·        Bottle of water
·        Cup of Yogurt

These are all good things!

Tips & Warnings
• Make small changes each day
• Never think there is "nothing" you can do!
• Imagine how your life would be different if you ate a little bit more consciously
• Keep "giving-in" snacks on handBy: Laura Catella, eHow Member

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Dieting To Lose Fat Does Not Work Here Is The Solution

What does "dieting" mean?
For just about all people, the term "dieting" means not eating the foods they love, eating smaller portions, and worst of all skipping meals. I hope we all know by now that dieting is hard and does not work for the long-term fat loss we all want.
Lets take a closer look at the 3 methods of dieting, the side effects, and the proper way to deal with your diet.

Not Eating The Foods You Love To Lose Fat
You probably love the same foods as me and most Americans, over- processed, high in fat and sugar, and oversized portions. We need those over sized portions because the food we are eating is not the nutrition our bodies need. They are just empty calories that our body stores as fat.

If you are trying to change your whole diet at once, that can be just as hard as quitting smoking. I tried and the side effects of cutting all sugar were quite painful. I lasted 3 weeks. The key here is to add a couple healthy things to your diet and cut back on the unhealthy stuff. An example would be to add fruit as a snack during the day instead of doughnuts but only every other day. Then add one more day of fruit a week with an occasional doughnut.

Whatever you do, do not call it cheating. You can only cheat while dieting, and that is not what you are doing. You are changing your diet to have better health, a lighter, thinner body, more energy, higher self-esteem, and the knowledge you are doing what is best for you and your family.

Eating Smaller Portions To Lose Fat
Leaving the table hungry is not the way to go. This is one of the things that make dieting very difficult. It will put you in a bad mood because you feel like you are punishing yourself for doing what you love, eating. After a few days of being hungry and weak, you rebel against yourself and eat a whole pizza by yourself. This leads to guilt and resentment and low self-esteem.

When changing your diet to nutritious foods, it is better to eat more often with smaller portions. There is a whole list of foods you can find that are healthy, low calorie and full of the nutrients your body needs. The more your body gets used to getting those nutrients, the less hungry you will feel. Personally, my favorite snack that keeps me away from the vending machine is cocktail peanuts.

I eat a handful about every hour and this event helps to eat a smaller lunch. That may be more than is recommended but I do have a labor intensive job that burns a lot of calories. I do still eat fast food on occasion, but it will just be one small sandwich off the value menu, such as a chicken sandwich.

Never get the fries!
So eating smaller portions of great tasting healthy foods will keep your metabolism going and the fat burning.

Skipping Meals To Lose Fat
Skipping meals is the worst dieting method you can do to lose fat. Eating food actually boosts the metabolism and keeps your body burning calories. This also gives you energy to do more with your day and burn more fat. When you skip meals bad things happen to your body. Your metabolism, the fat burning mechanism, slows down to conserve energy to keep your organs working. If you only eat once a day, your body will store just about the whole meal to keep your body going during the times of no new fuel. It stores this as fat.

For breakfast, I either drink a whey protein drink, about 170 calories, or eat a spinach salad, about 230 calories, but both give me a lot of energy, healthy unsaturated fats, vitamins and micro-nutrients for healthy body function.

Give yourself this one boost in the morning and you will see a difference.
If you find that you only like eating pastries or doughnuts for breakfast, try switching them out a couple days a week to start.

It will take time for your taste buds to adjust to your new diet. That is what the protein drink is for. My sweet chocolate fix for the day! Just remember that to lose fat, you want less carbs and more protein.

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How to Speed Up Your Metabolism Without Exercise

There are a few things that are proven to boost the metabolism without working out. I will go over a few of the most popular ones.

 1. Intermittent fasting - This is an eating schedule where you eat all of your meals in a short period of time and fast during the rest of the day.
I have my clients finish eating dinner at 6pm and drink water for the remainder of the evening. They wake up and drink cold water and skip breakfast.

The eating phase begins at lunch time. It takes a while to get used to this, but you will see great results such as fat loss without working out.

2. Water - speeds up digestion and burns calories. Drinking cold water is even better because your body has to burn calories to heat it up.

3. Green tea - speeds up resting metabolic rate, is calorie-free, and packed with antioxidants. There is an added bonus of fighting cancer cells that makes green tea a no-brainer.

4. Coffee - Caffeine has been shown to boost short-term metabolism and fat burning in your body. Drink coffees that are highest in chlorogenic acid for the added benefit of blood sugar control. This can ultimately lead to weight loss and body fat reduction.

5. Pepper - The active ingredient called capsaicin is scientifically proven to boost your metabolism. Experiment with the different types of peppers in your food for added flavor.

6. Celery - It takes more calories to digest celery than it contains. For example, a stalk of celery contains 6 calories, but takes 7 calories in order for your body to process it. Therefore, it is a negative calorie food.

7. Protein - The building blocks of muscle also boosts your metabolism. Some great tasting options are whey protein, free-range eggs, free-range chicken, and grass-fed beef.

8. Sleep - Research shows that sleep deprivation causes your body to store fat and slows down your metabolism. This makes getting a good nights rest invaluable. Try adding an extra hour of sleep and night by going to bed an hour earlier or waking up an hour later. You will feel the difference in less than a week.

9. Minimize chronic stress - Chronic stress has been shown to slow down digestion, put your body in fat-storing mode, and slows down your metabolism. Manage your stress levels with self-affirmations, yoga, therapy, running, weight training, etc.

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Lose Your Weight For a Happy Life

No one likes to be fat or carry around a bulging stomach. It is the dream of every fat person to be slim and look attractive again. However, they all believe that such a feat is unachievable and it might require extreme amounts of work and energy to be expended in order to achieve such a state which they feel is not in them.

What these people dont realize is that by following a series of simple steps and being patient, they can easily reduce their body weight and get toned, slim bodies.
The first thing to remember if you are fat is that this is not how you are. It is the right of every person to look beautiful, and if you feel your excessive weight is undermining your personality, it is time you set things right. There are a series of basic steps that you can follow to reduce your fatness and it is not at all hard to follow them.

The most important thing to remember is that you should refrain yourself from junk foods as much as possible. Do not eat out as often as you did, and try to abstain from oily foods as well. Oily foods cause a direct increase in your weight and if you are following a lazy lifestyle without proper running or jogging, it is important that you stop yourself from indulging in too many oily foods. Oily foods contain lots of fatty acids which result in excessive fat being built all over your body, and your arms and legs seem to grow in size.

The most notable warning that tells you that you are eating too much oily foods is that when your stomach begins to bulge out. Eat less oil, and work out more. Your diet must not contain any kind of oily or junk foods in it and it should consist of proteins and carbohydrates as much as possible. Lessen down on fried food, and go for vegetables as much as possible.

Another thing to remember is that you must also change your style of living. If you spend too much time in front of the Television or computer, lessen it down. Spend as much time walking or jogging as possible. Utilize yourself in the most efficient way possible.

Another important thing to remember if you want to lose weight is that you must exercise and burn as much calories as possible if you wish to stand any chance of losing your weight quickly. Exercising results in quicker weight loss because your body enhances its capacity to do more work with much lesser intake of food, resulting in more work and less loss of energy.

This results in your body making use of the excessive fat that has stored up and lessens your weight considerably. Losing weight is not as hard as people think it is, and it just requires some hard work in the starting but soon becomes routine for us to follow as your body adjusts to the changes and starts to show.

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Get In Shape With 90 Second Fat Loss Solutions

The desire to lose fat and improve mood is something that every person has attempted to accomplish through taking on difficult diets in the past. However, people typically fail because of the fact that they look to control their food choices to the point where they are missing out on foods that have been a part of their routines for such a long period of time.

 When you have to stick to these rules, your body would begin to crave the foods and this would lead to a crash down the road that is going to make you feel like you have failed with your desire to change.

Going cold turkey on a long list of foods may not seem very difficult at first, but it would begin to weigh on your mind over time. As a result, it gets more difficult as time increases between when you start and your measurement of success.

The best way for you to avoid having to go through this on a regular basis would be to use the 90 second fat loss solution that helps you to be more effective in the way that you approach attempting to meet your fitness goals.

When you turn to the 90 second fat loss program, you would find that you are never going to have to deal with not being able to eat the foods that you enjoy. Since you have the option to be able to enjoy more of the things you already love, making this change to your diet would be much less difficult than many of the other programs that have caused you to fall short of your goals in the past. When you find a solution to your fitness needs that is easy to work into your life, you will be pleased with the results.

This is what you get with the 90 second fat loss fitness approach.

The most common reason why people do not exercise is the time investment that it requires. Getting fit is something that you could attempt to work at hours each day without seeing the dramatic results that you may be expecting. If this happens, you will quickly get to the point of deciding that exercising and staying fit is no longer something that fits into your life.

The 90 second fat loss approach is designed to offer fitness without the time investment in order to help you get in shape.

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