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Smart Snacking & Weight Loss

In my personal training sessions I like to check in with clients to see where they stand with their fitness goals. If I notice that a client isn't making progress with his or her weight loss, I'll often review their strength and cardio programs, along with their eating habits. Even if a client is consistent with his or her exercise regimen, I'll discover that mindless snacking can undo the hard work and time commitment that goes on in the gym.

We've all been there at one point or another-you come home from a stressful day at work, pick the phone up to vent to a friend, and dip your hand several times into a box of crackers. Before you know it you're off the phone only to be mortified at having reached the bottom of the cracker box. Before you mindlessly dive into your next box of whatever your favorite snack is consider the following tips:

1. Eat smaller, balanced meals throughout the day

Many times a snack attack is the result of skipping meals or not eating enough throughout the day. If you go to work without breakfast and grab a quick unsatisfying lunch by the time you get home, you'll reach for whatever you can get your hands on, without giving thought to its nutritional value.

A healthier eating day consists of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with two healthy snacks in between meals. If you're eating properly throughout the day, you're less likely to blow your daily calorie intake on a single snack attack.

2. Favorite Snack Suggestions

You'll want to eat two snacks in between meals. A healthy portion consists of about 160-180 calories, depending on the amount of activity your doing and what you're weight loss goals are.

When choosing snacks you'll want to make sure to meet your nutritional needs in the areas of protein and complex carbohydrates. I've drawn up a list for you of my favorite snack ideas:

1 slice of whole wheat bread with low sugar peanut butter
2 String Cheeses with a few slices of tomato
2% cottage cheese with your favorite fruit (I like blueberries)
Low sugar yogurt such as Dannon's Light & Fit Carb & Sugar Control, mixed
with a cup of bran flakes
Garden salad with carrots, tomatoes, and a dash of olive oil and vinegar
Protein Bars-Make sure to look at the sugar content. Try and stay below
10g. of sugar.
Ants on a log: Celery with low sugar peanut butter and raisins.
Protein smoothies: Add your favorite fruit, dried oatmeal, and low sugar
peanut butter to a scoop of protein powder.
Garden burgers with egg beaters-Use Pam spray when cooking
Turkey bacon-2 slices
Hard boiled eggs-Boil at least ten eggs and put them in the fridge in a
ziplock bag. Peel open and add a dash of salt and pepper. You can also
make egg salad with light mayonaisse. Try adding egg whites to you
salads for extra protein.

3. Portion Control

If you must have wine every night after a long day or indulge in chocolate daily, then be smart about it. Wheat thins and trail mix are among my favorite snack choices, however they are calorie dense food choices. Instead of eating large handfuls of peanuts and raisins, I've found it helpful to pre-bag a single serving size portion of the food I like to snack on, to ensure that I'm mindful of my eating choices.

Reaching your fitness goals involves a commitment to being accountable for the food choices you make on a daily basis. When you make thoughtful choices about what you are snacking on, you can begin to achieve the results you long for.

Learn more about this author, Danielle Demarco.
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