How to stop snacking while on a diet?

Unconscious “sins” flowing into ultimate body mass

Usually we erase snacking from memory, because we do not attach special importance to it. Unfortunately, all the foods that we eat between scheduled meals negatively affect insulin spikes. Food and drinks (except water, black coffee and sugar-free teas) will cause it to eject, and the lack of interval between meals will not allow it to decrease properly. This behavior affects the dysregulation of the feeling of hunger and satiety, and this, unfortunately, makes it difficult to maintain normal body weight. Fortunately, there are a few simple rules that can help combat reaching for snacks.

• Confusing hunger with cravings. Physical hunger usually increases gradually and is associated with rumping/abdominal pain. It is nullified by eating any food. Meanwhile, the craving appears suddenly and is associated with a specific product or group of products, for example, the craving for chocolate! In this case, eating an apple will not make the chocolate craving pass. So it's easy to tell when you're really hungry and when you're just hungry.
• I see — I eat. Even if we do not feel hungry, we involuntarily reach for products that are within our sight. Therefore, avoid keeping snacks at your fingertips, and preferably do not have them at home at all. Sometimes only the awareness of the presence of chocolate in the cupboard makes you want it. Getting rid of such traps is one of the simplest actions that you can do even at this moment?
• Poorly balanced diet. Entering too many caloric restrictions or skipping meals can cause hunger attacks or difficulty achieving satiety. A similar effect can be brought by the elimination of too many products. The low palatability of the diet and the feeling of restriction can also affect the desire to eat. In addition, the lack of the right number of kilocalories makes the body want to use every opportunity to quickly receive energy in the form of food.
• Unloading emotions. Eating stress, and in principle eating under its influence, which is supposed to bring a discharge of emotions, is also not uncommon. Unfortunately, the brain quickly gets used to dealing with emotions in a certain way. If we reach for food in moments of stress or a drop in mood, then the repeated pattern will create neural connections in the brain that will associate such situations with the need to provide food. Often this is a deep-rooted habit that requires us to be attentive and patient to change. Instead of eating, it is worth going for a walk, running or calling a friend to distract and distract from food.
• Habit. Eating can also be a habit in itself. Often we accustom the body to constantly chewing, the sound of crunching or holding hands with something. In addition, we teach the brain to reach for snacks during various activities that are supposed to be relaxing, such as when watching a movie. Creating a combination of relaxation with food, we teach the body to relax under the influence of food intake. As a result, food itself can be associated with something positive.
• Irregular meals. Skipping meals or eating on the run makes you feel hungry more often and it is more difficult to get a feeling of satiety. Moreover, practicing such a mode of nutrition, we have the impression that we eat little and after returning home we make up for a whole day of “not eating”. To avoid increased appetite and snacking, it is worth planning at least 3 meals during the day, for which we will always find time.
• Feeling bored. Boredom is one of the main reasons for reaching for food. When we get bored, we start planning the next meals and suddenly we get hungry, we find that we would have something to snack on. However, not this way! If you have recently eaten a meal and feel insatiable again, find yourself something to do.

Self-awareness is the basis

Finding your own reason for snacking is already the first step to success. Being aware of the situation in which it occurs that we eat, despite the absence of hunger, will allow better control and elimination of this habit. Snacking makes it significantly more difficult to stick to a reduction diet and, in addition, does not promote health by constantly stimulating insulin secretion, which can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance.

Bibliography:

1. Hall K.D., Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018; 102 (1) :183-197
2. Nicole M. Avena, Pedro Rada, Bartley G. Hoebel. Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. Volume 32, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 20—39