Smarter Snacking for Fat Loss

You’ve probably heard that snacking is good for the metabolism…but many people take it too far.

In other words, excessive snacking kills fitness results.

Let’s face it, there are only so many extra calories that the body can take before it adds those on as unwanted fat.😱

Even if you’re eating perfectly healthy meals and being consistent with your workouts, if your snacking is out of control then your results will be lagging.

Here’s what you need to know to snack for fat loss:

1. Calories Count. Even when you’re snacking on “healthy” food, track how many calories you’re taking in. Almonds are healthy, but if you down an 800 extra calories, you’ll gain weight.

2. Fill Up on Protein & a little bit of Fat. Some people are still afraid of fat. They think that if their snack is high in fat then it will end up on their body as fat. This is simply not true. Healthy fat, such as avocado or almonds, is a wonderful thing to snack on as a little bit fills you up and keeps you full longer.

3. Avoid Sugar and Empty Calories. Refined sugar can be a catalyst for fat storage, so avoid snacks that are high in sugar. Remember that eating sugar will satiate your hunger for a very short period of time, and then you’ll quickly be hungry again.

4. Don’t Be Fooled By 100-Calorie Packs. A popular marketing technique is to package junk food into 100-calorie packs. These could be crackers, cookies, chips…basically any guilty snack food you could think of. The premise is that since you’re only eating 100 calories, the snack is healthy. Unfortunately, eating 100 calories of junk food is still junk food. You are better off avoiding the junk completely and eating something wholesome.

5. Use The ‘Is It Real’ Test. As a rule of thumb, use the “Is it real?” test when deciding if a snack is worth eating. The test goes like this: If your snack can go bad, then it’s good for you. If your snack can’t go bad, then it’s bad for you.

The idea is to eat fresh, real foods that are unprocessed and wholesome. These real foods are naturally filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals and will assist you in achieving your fitness goals.

6. Avoid Refined Carbohydrates. Processed and refined carbohydrates make up the bulk of popular snack foods. Take a look around the snack aisle at the grocery store and you will see that most packaged snacks are made with processed/refined grains. When your goal is to lose body fat and increase lean muscle, eating refined grains works against you. Making this single change could very well recharge your weight loss.

Now you know how to snack in a healthy way that will assist your fitness goals.

Remember that proper exercise plays a huge part in getting in shape and losing weight.

Call or email me today to get started on a results-driven exercise program.