"Why can't I stop snacking?!"
"I don't even trust myself around food!"
Sound familiar??
Don't worry—it's NOT because you lack willpower.
In this Blog, I'm breaking it down for you: I'll explain four common reasons behind our snacking habits and provide four empowering solutions to help us conquer those unexpected snack attacks.
I'll define "snacking" as simply eating between meals when you didn't really plan on it and without true physical hunger. This is not "bad" necessarily except that habitually eating when we are not hungry can result in excess energy storage on our body (AKA , gaining weight.)
There are many reasons that we eat, and actual physical hunger is only one of the reasons! Here are SOME of the REAL reasons you snack.
- We have a PRIMITIVE BRAIN that LOVES to seek pleasurable experiences. This deep-rooted part of our brain DRIVES us to do all sorts of activites, including eating.
- Our modern world is full of foods that are HYPERPALATABLE. The addition of extra processed sugar, fat and salt makes foods taste so amazing, that our brains crave more.
- If you were taught to clean your plate, or were comforted with the offering of food, you may have learned to ignore your body's signals for hunger and satisfaction.
- We are VISUAL CREATURES. An environment that has constant visual reminders of hyperpalatable foods can make it difficult for ANYONE to avoid unplanned snacking.
So what can you do about all of this!
First, stop criticizing yourself for having cravings and urges to eat, even when not physically hungry. Just accepting that YOU ARE NOT BROKEN, is the first step to observing and changing your habits.
Second, take a moment to CHECK IN WITH YOUR BODY right before you eat, to see if you are physically hungry, or eating to alleviate a FEELING like boredom, anxiety, loneliness, or anger. OR eating for joy, fellowship, or just availability.
Third, practice filling your diet with foods that are low in calorie density, but high in nutrient density. Learning how to fit more plants into your diet can increase your intake of fiber and vital micronutrients, while keeping you feeling full.
Finally, adjust your environment so that you don't have CONSTANT visual stimulation from hyperpalatable foods. This doesn't mean you need to totally sterilize you world of all hyperpalatable foods, but even keeping things in an opaque box, or avoiding the candy bowl at work, can make a little space between the urge and the actual EAT.
In this video, I'll talk more about the reasons and some quick fixes for unplanned snacking.
