One of the biggest saboteurs of fitness, fat loss, and overall health is snacking. Particularly snacking after dinner. You had a long day, come home to a great meal with your family, do some things around the house, and then it’s time to unwind. You grab your go-to snack, put on your favorite show on netflix, and relax. After all, you earned it, right? You got your workout in, hit your steps for the day, and ate well. You deserve a treat.Here’s the thing.
Snacks aren’t inherently bad. But the quantity and quality of food we typically snack on is.
Let’s say you eat an average of 2000 kcals per day and that’s the right amount to hit your goals. And you get those calories throughout the day in the form of great choices – proteins, fibrous veggies, and unprocessed carbohydrates. By the time you’re done with dinner you’ve hit your calorie goal spot on, are proud of the choices you made to get there, and are on track for your goals. Then comes the snack, and if you’re like me your go to is potato chips. Depending on the chips you enjoy, you’re looking at an extra 100–150 calories from just 10 chips. And you don’t just eat 10 chips. Even if you have a small bowl, you’re still looking at an extra 300-500 kcals that day, and it’s the equivalent of adding water to an already full bucket. Except in this case the overflow is excess calories that lead to extra body fat that detracts from your fitness goals. If you follow the typical math that a pound of fat is roughly 3500 kcals, that’s an extra pound of fat you’re putting on – not taking off – each week. And that doesn’t even take into account the lack of nutritional value, how crummy your digestive system feels going to bed with a bunch of junk in your stomach, and the frustration of feeling like you’re never making progress on your goals. So what do you do? Check out the video below for my top tips to reduce snacking, get on track for your goals, and feel better.
