Snacking has been an important aspect of my weight loss.Answering the question, "What do you eat?" and attempting to provide some guidance to those asking for assistance, it is necessary to restate:
-My success was achieved with approximately 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day with moderate exercise.
-My snacks were usually kept between 100-150 calories so that total snack calories were approximately 300 daily for my three snacks
-Three snacks a day seem to be the choice of many of us who have experienced long-term success.
Here are a few things you may find helpful-
Snacks are as important as the meals we eat; sometimes even more so. Snacks keep our metabolism activated and working to burn calories. They help maintain a "full" feeling, which is beneficial when instituting a successful eating plan and aids in reducing any hunger we may begin to feel prior to our afternoon or evening meal. This additional time allows us to thoughtfully, consciously and healthily prepare our meals without grabbing an unhealthy food, stopping at a fast food restaurant or convenience store on the way home and helps us refrain from tasting many small bites of your afternoon or evening meal as you are preparing it. Remember, those calories add up as well.
Again, these are just samples; pick up packages, read the labels and make your own choices. This is how you will learn to not only broaden your food exposure to new possibilities but you are learning how to change your lifestyle!
* Eat slowly and purposefully
*Enjoy the flavor and the experience of the food you are eating
*Chew your food thoroughly 10-20 times, not 2-3; it takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to realize your stomach is full. In addition, the saliva aids in digestion and helps you feel full.
* Remember, snacks are not meals; they must be limited but they are necessary and crucial to our success.
One of my favorites: Pop a 100 calorie bag of Kettle Korn, open it carefully and drop in 1-2 TBSP of grated parmesan cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Close the bag, shake and then enjoy. I eat each kernel individually and it is a flavorful snack. I eat this when I am craving something crunchy after my final meal as my end of the day snack.
Please be sure to journal everything; it is the only true way to know the total calories you are consuming. It is also important to make an entry as to how you are feeling, i.e. happy, sad, lonely, angry ~ in time, you should be able to see a pattern between your emotions and your eating habits. This then gives us a place to start to address a plan of action to make corrections. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! Thank you for allowing us to share in your adventure! Now, go make it your reality!!!
Snack Ideas-
Egg, boiled 1 large egg 92Calories
Toast, whole grain, 100% whole wheat 1 slice 100Calories
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray Topping 5 sprays 0Calories
Peanut butter OR 1 1/2 tsp 50Calories
Blackberry Jelly 1 1/2 tsp 25Calories
Bacon, Ready to Serve, Oscar Mayer 3 slices 70Calories
Coffee1 cup 0Calories
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate 1 TBSP 30Calories
Oatmeal, regular, quick or instant, cooked 1/3 cup 104Calories
Milk, Cow, Fat-Free, Skim 1/2 cup 45Calories
Tea (bag, loose, instant), brewed 1 cup 2Calories
Splenda, sugar substitute 1 packet 2Calories
Propel, Mandarin Orange (Various Flavors) 1 bottle (18.9 fl ox) 20Calories
Walnuts, English 1/2 oz 90Calories
Cashews, dry roasted, no salt added try curried cashews, they're Great~especially combined with dried mangos) 1 TBSP 49Calories
Pumpkin Seeds (and Squash Seeds), dry roasted, no salt 1 ounce148Calories
Sunflower Nuts, dry roasted, no salt 1 TBSP 47Calories
Soy Nuts, Herbalife 1 package 130Calories
McDonald's Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, without granola 1 serving 130Calories
McDonald's Side Salad 1 serving 20Calories
McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 1 serving 40Calories
Espresso Hot, Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Starbucks,with sugar free syrup and non-fat milk, no whipped cream 1 tall (12 oz) 96Calories
Hot coffee, Northern Lite Latte, Caribou Coffee, with sugar free syrup and skim milk, no whipped topping 1 med (1 pint, 4 oz) 123Calories
Cereal, Cheerios, Original OR 1 cup 100Calories
Mini Delights, Cinnamon Streusel, Multigrain Cakes, Quaker 1 individual package 90Calories
Mini Delights, Peanut Butter, Multigrain Cakes, Quaker 1 individual package 90Calories
Popcorn, Kettle Korn, Pop Secret 1 individual package 100Calories
Popcorn, Butter Flavor, Pop Secret 1 individual package 100Calories
Rice Cakes, Caramel Corn, Quaker 1 cake 50Calories
Sour Cream and Onion Toasted Chips, Baked, Ritz 14 chips 130Calories
Banana, fresh 1 small (less than 6" long) 72Calories
Blueberries, fresh 50 berries (2.4 oz) 39Calories
Apple, fresh 1 medium (2 3/4" diameter) 72Calories
Mango, fresh 1 cup 107Calories
Pear, fresh, average all varieties 1 medium 96Calories
Grapes, green or red 10 grapes 34Calories
Watermelon, fresh 1 cup 46Calories
Cantaloupe, fresh 1 cup 54Calories
Peach, fresh 1 medium (2 1/2" diameter) 38Calories
Orange, fresh, average all varieties 1 medium (2 5/8" diameter) 62Calories
Tangerine or Mandarin Orange, fresh 1 medium (2 3/8' diameter) 45Calories
Raisins, dried fruit 50 raisins 78Calories
Mango, dried fruit, unsweetened 1 ounce 21Calories
Creamy Chicken Soup Mix, Protein based, Herbalife (16 g protein, 1 carb) 1 packet 80Calories
Carrots 1 medium (6 1/2" long) 25Calories
Celery 1 medium stalk (7 1/2' long) 6Calories
Tomato 1 medium (2 3/5" diameter) 22Calories
Yogurts, fruit flavored, fat-free 1 container (4.4 oz) 118Calories
High Protein Breakfast Bar, South Beach, Cereal, Chocolate 1 Bar (10 gram protein) 140Calories
High Protein Bar, Herbalife, Deluxe Chocolate Peanut 1 Bar (10 gram protein) 140Calories
Coffee 1 cup 0Calories
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate 1 TBSP 30Calories
Baby Greens, Salad, fresh 3 cups 10Calories
Green onions 2 TBSP 4Calories
Tomatoes 1 thin slice (5 oz) 3Calories
Mushrooms 2 oz 2Calories
Green peppers 1 TBSP 2Calories
Pepper Jack Cheese, 2%, Singles, Kraft 1 Slice 50Calories
Parmesan Cheese, Grated Fresh, Kraft 2 TBSP 20Calories
Swiss Cheese, No Fat, Singles, Kraft 1Slice 35Calories
Beef Jerky, Jack Link's Original 1 18 oz package 140Calories
Fudgesickles, Blue Bunny, Sweet Freedom 1 Fudgesickle 35Calories
Popsickles, Sugar-Free, Popsickle Brand 1 Popsickle Stick 15Calories
Jello, Flavored, Fat-Free, Sugar-Free 1/2 cup 10Calories
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