3 Simple Steps to Stop a Snack Attack

Photo by Jason Rogers

Do you find yourself wandering over to the fridge when you're not physically hungry and grabbing the first tempting snack you see and then maybe something else too?

In the pleasure of the moment it's all too easy to forget our longer term more worthwhile goals of losing weight or eating healthy food isn't it? It's as if the immediate satisfaction of eating something tempting is suddenly all that matters.

What is it that you say to yourself when you're about to grab something loaded with fat and/or sugar?

"What the heck, I want it and I'm going to have it"
"I've had a bad day, I need this"
"I've been so good, I deserve to eat it"

If you want the snacking sabotage to stop, something has to change. And to change what you do, you need to change what you say to yourself.

You see, whatever you say to yourself when a snacking moment strikes, leads directly to a subconscious decision to eat or not eat.

The best way to direct your self talk is to deliberately use the following 3 simple strategies one after the other as soon as possible before the point of "no return".

1. Remind yourself of your health or weight loss goals and why you want to achieve them.
2. Think about how you felt last time after you indulged in this way (regret? annoyed? stupid? stuffed?)
3. Affirm who you want to be/what you want to do  right now ("I am a healthy eater" "I no longer eat junk" "I am working on my new shape" "I am getting closer to my target weight")

Then get yourself from the fridge, pour yourself a glass of water and go back to what you were doing or reward yourself by chatting with a friend (online or off).

Every time you divert yourself from eating when you are not hungry you strike a victory not only for your new shape but also for your feelings of self-control and ultimately your confidence in yourself to follow your plans and dreams.

Comments

[Angie]

It happens a lot many times with that we gain loose weight because of our wrong eating habits. A lot of people have a tendency to eat a lot of snacks and this is the biggest thing due to which they gain a lot of wait. This should be stopped and we should find a way to reduce our weight.

[Janice]

Hi Angie

Thanks for your comment. I think some snacking is to blame for weight gain but healthy snacks (such as raw veggies) are good to stop you getting too hungry between meals and stuffing yourself when you eventually eat something.

This is more about that moment when you stand by the fridge ready to eat something which is not good for you...

Janice
editor Think Slim