Those ‘timepass’ snacks might be the culprit for your flab. Identify your ‘snack type’ and take action now
stress snacker
You reach for that crunchy chocolate when a deadline is looming• You crave for sweets and crisps when the kids are driving you mad• In the past you've put on weight if you're struggling in a job or relationship.It’s because when we’re anxious our body releases the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ which upsets our blood sugar levels, making us hungry.Stress-related snacking goes back to childhood. If your parents gave you sugary treats when you were upset, you might now associate food with lifting your mood. However, if you’re regularly stress-snacking, the brief ‘high’ you get is probably quickly replaced by guilt for eating too much.
Instead of turning to food, try deep breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose for eight seconds, then exhale.
social snacker
You say yes to a piece of a colleague’s birthday cake even though you’ve just had a big lunch.• You feel like having salad but order pizza in a restaurant because everybody else is having one.• You’re easily persuaded to have a chocolate bar just because the person you’re with wants one.A recent study suggested that being fat was “socially contagious”. Another study suggests that, in restaurants, the person who orders first orders healthiest because they haven't had a chance to be swayed by other people’s fatty choices. Peer pressure can be a dieter’s downfall.
drunk snacker
As soon as you take a sip of wine, you eye up the crisp selection behind the bar.• You’ve missed a train after you went off-way to get a burger.• You reach home and raid the fridge – and scoff anything vaguely edible.A glass of wine or two can send all our good intentions out of the window, because alcohol is very sugary and sends blood sugar levels soaring. This leads to the 'I have to eat now' feeling. Pub snacks are fattening but if you choose wisely you can limit some of the damage. If you're in a wine bar-style pub, go for some brown bread or olives. If you’re hungry when you get home, make some toast using wheat bread – the slow-release carbs will steady your blood sugar levels and satisfy your hunger.
bored snacker
You can polish off a whole packet of crispy chips while watching TV.• You tend to eat less when you’re very busy.• You go to the hangouts near work for a softy ice-cream, just to make the afternoon go quicker.To avoid mindless munching, try to keep your hands as busy as possible. Call a friend or, even better, paint your nails – you’ll be less likely to eat with clean, manicured fingers! If you’re still feeling peckish, avoid anything that’s easy and quick to eat. That means chips, chocolates or ice-cream! Instead, take an anaar (they're packed with health-boosting antioxidants) and cut it in half. Then tear apart each half, picking out all the juicy seeds and put them into a bowl to eat with a spoon – it’ll take at least 10 minutes. You can also try eating with smaller cutlery. If you often have a bowl of cereal as a snack, eat it with a teaspoon so it takes longer. Mindless snacking is more about boredom than real hunger, so if you know you're doing it, make every bit of food last as long as possible.
routine snacker
Every evening at around 4 is “treat” time, which means your daily bag of those kurmura chips.• The dudes at the café have your latte and muffin ready when you walk through their door.• You can’t have chai without biscuits, even if you’re not hungry.You’re suffering from ‘strawberries and cream syndrome’. You associate one food with the other, when just having one of them would satisfy you. For example, a cup of tea contains few calories and is pretty filling. You don't need a biscuit but reach for one anyway. Tell yourself that you’ll only have a biscuit five minutes after your tea. Chances are you’ll feel full from the tea and won't fancy it so much. A regular 4pm treat is fine if your diet is generally healthy. However, don’t just eat it because its 4pm!
SNACKS NOT TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT...
ALMONDS: Studies show they suppress appetite. They’re also a great source of vitamin A but don’t eat more than eight a day as they are high in calories.
Dahi: A daily dose of calcium helps our bodies burn fat faster. Small pots contain fewer calories and now there are probiotic ones too,
FRUITS: Try to snack on a piece after every meal. Grab an apple (good for digestion), a banana (boosts energy) or a pear (in season at the moment).
stress snacker
You reach for that crunchy chocolate when a deadline is looming• You crave for sweets and crisps when the kids are driving you mad• In the past you've put on weight if you're struggling in a job or relationship.It’s because when we’re anxious our body releases the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ which upsets our blood sugar levels, making us hungry.Stress-related snacking goes back to childhood. If your parents gave you sugary treats when you were upset, you might now associate food with lifting your mood. However, if you’re regularly stress-snacking, the brief ‘high’ you get is probably quickly replaced by guilt for eating too much.
Instead of turning to food, try deep breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose for eight seconds, then exhale.
social snacker
You say yes to a piece of a colleague’s birthday cake even though you’ve just had a big lunch.• You feel like having salad but order pizza in a restaurant because everybody else is having one.• You’re easily persuaded to have a chocolate bar just because the person you’re with wants one.A recent study suggested that being fat was “socially contagious”. Another study suggests that, in restaurants, the person who orders first orders healthiest because they haven't had a chance to be swayed by other people’s fatty choices. Peer pressure can be a dieter’s downfall.
drunk snacker
As soon as you take a sip of wine, you eye up the crisp selection behind the bar.• You’ve missed a train after you went off-way to get a burger.• You reach home and raid the fridge – and scoff anything vaguely edible.A glass of wine or two can send all our good intentions out of the window, because alcohol is very sugary and sends blood sugar levels soaring. This leads to the 'I have to eat now' feeling. Pub snacks are fattening but if you choose wisely you can limit some of the damage. If you're in a wine bar-style pub, go for some brown bread or olives. If you’re hungry when you get home, make some toast using wheat bread – the slow-release carbs will steady your blood sugar levels and satisfy your hunger.
bored snacker
You can polish off a whole packet of crispy chips while watching TV.• You tend to eat less when you’re very busy.• You go to the hangouts near work for a softy ice-cream, just to make the afternoon go quicker.To avoid mindless munching, try to keep your hands as busy as possible. Call a friend or, even better, paint your nails – you’ll be less likely to eat with clean, manicured fingers! If you’re still feeling peckish, avoid anything that’s easy and quick to eat. That means chips, chocolates or ice-cream! Instead, take an anaar (they're packed with health-boosting antioxidants) and cut it in half. Then tear apart each half, picking out all the juicy seeds and put them into a bowl to eat with a spoon – it’ll take at least 10 minutes. You can also try eating with smaller cutlery. If you often have a bowl of cereal as a snack, eat it with a teaspoon so it takes longer. Mindless snacking is more about boredom than real hunger, so if you know you're doing it, make every bit of food last as long as possible.
routine snacker
Every evening at around 4 is “treat” time, which means your daily bag of those kurmura chips.• The dudes at the café have your latte and muffin ready when you walk through their door.• You can’t have chai without biscuits, even if you’re not hungry.You’re suffering from ‘strawberries and cream syndrome’. You associate one food with the other, when just having one of them would satisfy you. For example, a cup of tea contains few calories and is pretty filling. You don't need a biscuit but reach for one anyway. Tell yourself that you’ll only have a biscuit five minutes after your tea. Chances are you’ll feel full from the tea and won't fancy it so much. A regular 4pm treat is fine if your diet is generally healthy. However, don’t just eat it because its 4pm!
SNACKS NOT TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT...
ALMONDS: Studies show they suppress appetite. They’re also a great source of vitamin A but don’t eat more than eight a day as they are high in calories.
Dahi: A daily dose of calcium helps our bodies burn fat faster. Small pots contain fewer calories and now there are probiotic ones too,
FRUITS: Try to snack on a piece after every meal. Grab an apple (good for digestion), a banana (boosts energy) or a pear (in season at the moment).
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