We’ve all heard that snacking is great for the
metabolism…but have you taken it too far?
In other words, your excessive snacking may be
killing your fat loss results.
Let’s face it, there are only so many extra
calories that the body can take before it adds those on as unwanted fat.
Even if you’re eating perfectly healthy meals and
putting in your time at the gym, if your snacking is out of control then your
results will be disappointing.
Here’s what you need to know to avoid The Snack
Trap:
1. Calories Count. Even
when you’re snacking on “healthy” food, you’ve got to keep track of how many
calories that you’re taking in. Almonds are healthy, but if you down 800 extra
calories in them you’ll quickly gain weight.
2. Fill Up on Protein & Fat. A lot
of well-meaning people are still afraid of fat. They think that if their snack
is high in fat then it will end up on their body as fat. This is simply not
true. Healthy fat, such as avocado or almonds, is a wonderful thing to snack on
as it fills you up and keeps you full longer.
3. Avoid Sugar Calories.
Sugar is an awful thing to snack on when weight loss is your goal. Refined
sugar is a catalyst for fat storage, so avoid any snack that contains sugar.
Remember that eating sugar will satiate your hunger for a very short period of
time, and then you’ll quickly be hungry again.
4. Don’t Be Fooled By 100-Calorie Packs. A
popular marketing technique is to package junk food into 100-calorie packs.
These could be crackers, cookies, chips…basically any guilty snack food you
could think of. The premise is that since you’re only eating 100 calories, the
snack is healthy. I’m sorry, folks, but eating 100 calories of junk food is not
a healthy snack. You are better off avoiding the junk completely and eating
something wholesome.
5. Use The ‘Is It Real’ Test. As a
rule of thumb, you should use the “Is it real?” test when deciding if a snack
is worth eating. The test goes like this: If your snack can go bad, then
it’s good for you. If your snack can’t go bad, then it’s bad for you. The
idea is to eat fresh, real foods that are unprocessed and wholesome. These real
foods are naturally filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals and will assist
you in achieving your fitness goals.
6. Avoid Refined Carbohydrates. Processed
and refined carbohydrates make up the bulk of popular snack foods. Take a look
around the snack aisle at the grocery store and you will see that most packaged
snacks are made with grains. When your goal is to lose weight and increase lean
muscle then eating refined grains will work against you. If you only take one
tip away from this article, let it be to remove grain-based snacks from your
life. This single change could very well recharge your weight loss.
Now you know how to snack in a healthy way that
will not derail your fitness goals.
Remember that exercise plays a huge part in
getting in shape and losing weight.
Call or email us today to get started on a results-driven
exercise program! We look forward to hearing from you!
5 Fitness Snacks
1
Hard Boiled Egg and Sliced Veggies.
2
Sliced Apple and Almond Butter.
3
Natural, Low Sodium Jerky.
4
Seasonal Berries with a cup of Almonds.
5
A scoop of Creamy Egg Salad. See recipe below.
From the desk of John Hall Studios
Creamy Egg Salad
Most recipes for egg salad call for fat-filled
mayonnaise, but this recipe uses fat free Greek yogurt instead. You get all the
creaminess without added calories to set back your results.
Servings: 3
Here’s what you need…
•
8 organic, free range eggs
•
4 celery stalks, chopped
•
2 Tablespoons onion greens, chopped
•
¼ cup non fat Greek yogurt
•
2 teaspoons champagne mustard
•
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon
•
dash of salt and pepper
1
To boil the perfect egg: place eggs in a large
pot and cover with cold water by half an inch. Heat the water to a boil, turn
off the heat and cover the pot. Wait exactly 7 minutes, and then place the eggs
in a bowl of ice water for 3 minutes.
2
Peel and chop hard boiled eggs, discarding 4
yolks. Place in a large bowl. Add celery, onion greens, yogurt, mustard, lemon,
salt and pepper. Mix well.
3
Chill and then serve.
Nutritional Analysis: One
serving equals: 148 calories, 7 fat, 212mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate, 1g fiber,
and 16g protein.
Call today for a consultation and assessment!
Phone: 219-548-3480
Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com
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