How to stop snacking

The current set up of quarantine is staggering the odds against us. In many households the scale is going up.

Obviously, my job as health coach is that you don’t gain weight in the first place. Hence all the lifestyle tips in my book: Stay sane in quarantine.

Despite all effort, I swear, even my fridge asks when repeatedly opened: What do you want now?!

I know you are probably sitting there on the sofa, scrolling through social media, while watching TV, reaching into that bag of chips. And it tastes so good.

I am sure you know, that you are not supposed to eat that kind of junk food.

You know it doesn’t do anything to boost your immune system nor your mood.

And you know when that bag of chips is empty, you will feel as empty as that bag.

43% of people eat to enhance their mood.

Even though we know no chips or ice cream will fix us on the long run, we repeat that action day after day. In good faith that tomorrow we will give up on the bad snacking habits. Most of the time we snack because its comfortable and soothing. Exactly what we need right now.

But is it really?

How can we stop bad snacking habits in quarantine?

It is about forming habits. Quarantine might even be the chance to lay off that habit for good.

Lucky you have a health coach like me, who is dedicated to help you.

We rarely snack because we are hungry. We might be peckish at best. Here are 3 reasons why we feel like we need to eat:

1) Boredom

If you snack because you are bored, try distraction. Drink water or tea instead.

Go for a walk and see how you feel afterwards.

2) Emotional eating

Identify the why. Deconstruct that craving.

We snack to still our emotional hunger. But that inner void can never be filled with food.

The moment you realise that, you are set up to make better choices.

3) Deficiency

Being deficient in nutrients can cause all kinds of cravings.

Follow my guidelines of crowding out and nutritional upgrading of your meals in order to avoid food cravings.

Simple lifehacks to beat snacking:

-Don’t buy junk food. If you don’t have it in the house you can’t eat it.

-Don’t shop when hungry, that is the only time you can’t trust your gut.

-Eat only when hungry.

-Eat with intention not on the run.

-Chose quality over quantity in regards to nutritional upgrading.

-Eat real food

-Don’t skip meals throughout day.

-If you full fill 100% of your nutrition throughout the day then you are less likely to crave snacks.

-Don’t depend solely on salad, you will need complex carbohydrates and proteins to feel full.

- Do something that nourishes you on a mental level such as journal or practicing gratitude.

- Reach out to a loved one, do that phone call. Making that new connection can a very rewarding distraction.

If you decide to snack then eat this instead:

Eat fruit and vegetable in all colours of the rainbow.

Real mood enhancers are:

water

grapes

bananas

almonds

berries

spinach

nuts

raw

honey

avocado

asparagus

In small amounts also: chocolate, yoghurt, green tea.

Last but not least, the most underrated tool in beating food cravings:Sleep.

If your inner body clock, your circadian rhythm, is disturbed it will cause sugar cravings that are impossible to control.

It is all about creating habits, check out my book if you want a routine that keeps you sane in quarantine. Click here

For individualized consultation on how to create lasting routine to control your snacking habits, please contact me in private.