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As a weight loss mentor it
never ceases to amaze me how people inadvertently set
themselves up for a huge snack attack mid afternoon. For
many, the set up is so complete that it is almost
impossible to control! The result is that people think
they are weak-willed and lacking in discipline. Often the
answer has little to do with character or determination.
More often the reason for the mid afternoon carbohydrate
cravings is due to gaps in understanding how our body
works and responds to diferent types of food. Read on to
see what you can do to control those mid afternoon
cravings.
Trigger foods
If you want to control
those cravings there are a few principles you must be
aware of. The first is concerning trigger foods.
Nutritional research has documented, carbohydrates trigger
the brain to crave more carbohydrates, leading to a cycle
of carbohydrate eating that becomes hard to control.
Trigger foods keep you fat. The goal is to have control
over these foods rather than allowing them to have control
over you.
What do trigger foods look
like? Well, they vary from person to person, but typically
look like soft drinks, potato chips, corn chips, peanuts,
french fries, cheese, pizza, chocolate chip cookies,
pretzel, apple pie, candy bar and so on. These are the
foods that for many, "once we pop, we can't
stop!".
Isn't it amazing that all
these types of foods are available from take-away places?
They are so readily available and have crept into our
daily routine without us even planning it to happen. We
get hungry, we are busy, we are distracted, and one serve
leads to another; and we don't realise just how much we
are eating as the triggering effect takes place in our
brains. By eating a small portion of any of the above you
can easily consume anywhere from 350 to 1000 calories. Two
serves could be 700 to 2000 calories! Most women on a
weight loss program are aiming for between 1200-1400
calories a day, so you can see that one snack can
seriously sabotage your plans. Does this sound like you? I
can hear the deep sighs of regret and frustration! Don't
worry, there are answers for you.
You can be empowered to
take control when you know how to avoid the nutritional
set up that will drive you towards trigger foods.
Here are a few simple
principles that will deal a wounding blow to the late
afternoon "snack monster".
Five steps to avoid
carbohydrate cravings:
1. Incorporate protein in
to your breakfast AND lunch. Protein is key to controlling
carbohydrate cravings. The RDA of protein for women is 60
grams a day. For women wanting to lose weight, health
professionals recommend approximately 100 grams of protein
daily. Why? One of the principle advantages of protein is
that it creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in
the body that makes overeating much less likely. Source
your protein from ultra lean sources so you don't pick up
unwanted calories and saturated fats.
Even better, than providing
a sense of sustained fullness, protein can block the
triggering effect that carbohydrates can have on the
brain. If you eat protein with a carbohydrate it will
reduce the cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate.
2. Never skip meals.
Research has shown that people who skip meals are more
prone to obesity than those who regularly eat 3 meals a
day. In fact, people who space their daily food
requirements by making appropriate use of healthy snacks
do even better. Why is this? When you skip meals you are
more likely to get hungry and fill up on easily obtained
fast foods which are often trigger foods.
3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of
water throughout the day. For some people sugar laden soft
drinks are a trigger food. Make sure you don't get thirsty
in the first place. Water creates a sense of fullness and
has a host of other health benefits.
4. Plan the timing of your
meals so that you don't get hungry. Despite having three
healthy meals a day, sometimes your work schedule can mean
the spacing of those meals still does not guard against
the carbohydrate cravings. If you have a long gap between
meals, make sure you carry healthy snacks to cover the
distance, otherwise hunger will set in
5. Plan your snacks. Plan
out your weekly snack schedule with some delicious,
healthy snacks. Purchase these with your weekly shopping
so that you are fully prepared. If you need to, get up a
few minutes earlier in the morning so you have time to
prepare and take your snacks to work. Remember, healthy
snacks don't live in a vending machine! You are less
likely to get hungry when you have a ready supply of
healthy snacks.
6. Carry emergency supplies
of nutritional protein bars in your handbag or brief case.
When you feel a carbohydrate craving, eat the protein bar
instead and wait 30 minutes before acting on the craving.
More often than not the craving will pass and you will be
in control again. This truly works!
Incorporate these
principles into your daily routine and you could be well
underway to change your life and be able to take control
over the mid afternoon 'snack attacks'.
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