Snack Attack: How to Fight Back
Snack Attack: How to Fight Back
With stay-at-home orders in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many have reached out with concerns about old, unwanted behaviors slipping back into place, like the relentless urge to snack.
As we all know, when it comes to snacks, they can certainly make or break our diet. Snack smart and you’ll keep hunger at bay, keep blood sugars balanced and give your body the fuel it needs. Snack without intention and you can take in hundreds of calories without even blinking.
Learning how to keep your snacking and BLT’s (bites, licks, tastes) in check can help you forgo, potentially, hundreds of calories a day. That being said, snacks can be an important part of the diet for a weight loss surgery patient as these eating opportunities can be key to meeting specific nutrient targets each day.
Tips for smart snacking after weight loss surgery:
1. Practice portion control
When we’re in snack mode, it’s easy to ignore standard eating practices, like portion control- instead we might grab a handful of crackers or eat chips out of the family-sized bag. Without conscious acknowledgment about what we’re consuming, it can ultimately lead to overeating. Instead, take a few seconds to portion out a snack onto a small plate or bowl, put away the rest and find a comfortable place to enjoy your snack with intention.
2. Outta sight, outta mind
It’s much easier to avoid temptation than to resist it. This may seem obvious, but if you can’t resist the urge to eat those tasty snacks stop buying them! Otherwise, store them out of sight in hard-to-reach places or in “single-serve” sizes. No matter what, be sure to avoid leaving them on the counter or at eye-level in the pantry. While there’s no need to deprive yourself of all of your favorite foods, make the changes to your behaviors to keep yourself in check.
3. Smart snacks
It’s 3 pm and you are hungry, you have the option of cutting up raw veggies and slicing cheese or grabbing a granola bar, which is more likely? For most people, it’s the quick, go-to option. If snacks are an important way for you to reach your nutrition goals, be sure to have healthy options prepped and ready to eat.
Snack examples include:
Greek yogurt + berries + walnuts
Beef jerky + mandarin orange
Hard-boiled egg + almonds
Whole-grain crackers + cheese + meat
Tuna salad with celery or pickle slices
Mini-peppers and laughing cow cheese
Veggies and hummus
Cucumbers and tzatziki dip
Protein bar or shake
Steamed edamame with sea salt
Cottage cheese with fruit
Apple slices and peanut butter
4. Sip, sip, hooray!
Sometimes the desire to snack is actually due to our body being dehydrated and craving water. Aim for at least 48-64 ounces of water per day, or at least 2 cups between each meal or snack. If you’re tired of plain water, try water infused with sliced fruit or herbs (i.e. mint, basil, etc.), iced tea, herbal tea (peppermint, raspberry, ginger, or chamomile), or other low-calorie beverages.
5. Aim for balanced meals
Eating balanced meals and snacks will help to keep you fueled longer between meals, balance your blood sugars and nourish your body. Avoid the “bottomless” pit feeling by eating meals that include protein, fiber-filled carbohydrates and healthy fats. Practice eating protein first to ensure it gets “priority seating” in your stomach to help meet your protein goals. Next up, aim for fiber-filled carbs such as greens, vegetables, high-fiber fruit, or whole grains. Lastly, garnish your meal with healthy fats, like those from olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, etc. (Check out more ideas for what to eat after surgery here.)
6. Check your hunger level
Put a number on your hunger level using a scale of 0 (empty/starving) to 10 (sick/stuffed). If you are a 0, be sure to eat, but also consider why you waited so long to fuel yourself- is there a way to get ahead of your hunger? If you’re around a 5, consider when you last ate. If it was within the last hour or so, consider why you might be hungry so soon after eating. It could mean that you didn’t eat enough, or your meal wasn’t balanced with protein and fiber. If you’re a 6 or above, consider other reasons for your desire to eat- maybe there is an emotion or situation you’re in that is driving your desire for food.
7. What do you really need?
Often times we find ourselves mindlessly snacking because of certain emotions or situations. For example, have you ever sat down to start a big project just to get the urge to beeline to the kitchen for a treat? This urge might not be due to hunger as much as it’s due to your desire to procrastinate. Anger, loneliness, sadness, anxiety, fear, or boredom are other examples of emotions that might trigger someone to comfort themselves with food.
Consider other ways to calm or entertain yourself, for example:
Meditate
Call a friend
Practice yoga
Put on a facial mask
Turn on calming or uplifting music
Practice breathing exercises
Go for a short walk to clear your mind
Work on a crossword or sodoku puzzle
Play a game on your phone
Spend 10-15 minutes tidying an area or room of your home
Read a book
8. Schedule snacks
If bariatric surgery has dramatically altered your sensation of hunger, consider scheduling your meal and snack times, rather than falling prey to all-day grazing. Many weight loss surgery patients find that eating 4-6 times per day, or about every 3-4 hours, allows them to reach their protein targets for the day. Consider your daily schedule and plan out possible times for meal and snacks, then set reminders on your phone or as pop-ups on your computer. When your brain knows there is a plan for when to eat, it is more likely to be mindful of food. Then take your routine to the next level by planning not only when, but what you will eat during the day.
9. Sit your butt down
That’s right- find a place to sit, turn off distractions if necessary, and give your food the attention it deserves. Avoid eating while standing at the kitchen counter, lounging on the couch, while driving, etc. Eating when not sitting down increases the likelihood that you’ll eat too fast or more than you intended. Clear off that kitchen or dining room table and make yourself a nice place to eat. Then, tune into your hunger and fullness level, your mood, the flavor of the food, and any other thoughts you have.
10. Savor each bite
Slow eaters tend to eat less, feel fuller, and rate their meals and snacks as more pleasant than fast eaters. Taking your time to eat allows your body time to release hormones that promote feelings of fullness.
Having trouble slowing down? Try using smaller utensils, eating with your non-dominant hand, or using chopsticks instead of a fork to reduce your eating speed.
11. Clean your mouth out
Sometimes those tasty flavors from a meal linger in our mouth. Brush your teeth after eating to leave your mouth feeling minty fresh.
12. Catch some zzz’s
Sleep deprivation negatively affects your hunger and satiety hormones and can have a major impact on your eating behaviors. That hormonal disruption might manifest as reaching for a bag of chips or feeling peckish the next day. Aim for 6-8 hours of restful sleep each night.
Last thoughts…
With all this being said, no one is going to be perfect all of the time. Habits take time to break and build, and none will fall into place overnight. Do the best you can to create the habits that support your goals but be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned. Additionally, be sure to avoid complete deprivation of your favorite foods- just practice intention in regards to when, where, and how often you’re having them. Every food can have a place in the diet.
Have additional comments or questions about snacking? Leave them below in the comment section!
Looking for meal ideas? Download my FREE 7-day meal plan here!
