Snack to Lose Weight
If you are trying to lose weight, a common misconception is to stop snacking. Try the inverse if you want the truth. Healthy snacking is an important part of any successful diet and can help you lose weight.
When you go to your personal trainer or your next-door neighbor for workout advice you were told to use the largest muscles to burn the most calories, right? The same can be said for using the largest system in the body to burn the most calories. Your digestive system is enormous. The more you exercise it the more calories you burn.
By eating small portions of nutrient-dense foods throughout the day, you will let your digestive system function to its fullest. Unlike your muscles, digestion does not get tired and stop working. If that happened you would no longer be worried about your weight.Proper, healthy snacking can actually boost your metabolism. Eat often and healthy, balanced meals and snacks to keep the body's furnace burning. This will also stop those pesky hunger pangs. Those will lead to overeating and craving junk.
OK, so we now know that snacking can help. Here is the punch line: use snacks to balance the day's healthy eating requirements! How many servings of veggies does your normal diet contain? How many servings of fruit? How much fiber do you get normally? Is it enough?
Use your snacks wisely. Keep a food journal if you like (and you should). Total the suggested requirements for each food group. Wherever you are short a serving or two use your snacks to balance the day.
So now we know that we NEED to snack. All you have to do is focus on the types of snacks you eat. You don't want extra empty calories, fat, salt, or sugar in your snacks. You also do want protein and fiber in your snacks.
Snacks are supposed to feed both the body and spirit. Pay attention and this will pay off for you.
