Snacking and Weight Loss

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• QCan eating candy pieces instead of candy bars help me lose weight?

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  A HealthCorps answered

  If you have to choose between breaking off a section of a candy bar or buying the “smaller pieces version,” offered by many snack companies, go for the snack option that comes in small pieces. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics researchers found that when people are served 20 halves of candy pieces or the full 20 pieces of candy, the half version satisfied them and allowed them to consume 50% less calories. 
  So always choose candy pieces over the full-size version, even if you think you can exhibit portion control. A measured portion of piece-size candy will probably ensure that you eat less. Also consider halving those small individual pieces sold in individual sized packs, and making the snack last for 2 servings.

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• QHow can I avoid eating between meals on a weight loss diet?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  It’s interesting that when most of us decide to lose weight, we immediately stop eating. Researchers now know that the best way to maintain a normal weight is to stop dieting, and eat more frequently with smaller meals.
  
  Dieting, as we’ve done it previously, greatly restricts calories and nutritious foods causing you to feel deprived and resulting in rebound binging or overeating. Eating healthful foods more frequently will boost your metabolism and productivity. Research has found that people who eat two meals or less during the day have a slower metabolic rate (the speed at which your body burns calories, and the rate that we all want to go faster) versus those who eat three or more times a day. Eating frequently will also keep your blood glucose constant, which helps you to not feel irritable or overly hungry. In addition, here is another bonus: when you eat frequently, there is an increase in your metabolic rate. A faster metabolism helps to burn calories and boosts weight loss.

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• QWhat are some nighttime snacks if I'm trying to lose weight?

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  A dLife - It's YOUR Diabetes Life! answered

  Nighttime hunger and snacking are a very common problem for people trying to lose weight. One strategy is to break dinner into two smaller meals, and make sure that both meals contain fiber, protein and fat, since these nutrients will leave you the most satisfied. Some good evening snack choices include a hard-boiled egg, mozzarella string cheese and cut-up veggies, cottage cheese and berries, or whole wheat crackers and natural peanut butter.
• QHow can I stop eating junk food late at night?

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  A HealthCorps answered

  When certain unhealthy snacks are available to you, it is very difficult not to eat them. Keeping healthier foods in your house – from dried fruits and low-fat unsweetened yogurt to hummus, guacamole and whole grain chips or crackers - will allow you to always make the better decision for snacks. 

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• QHow do I stop late night snacking?

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  A Joel Harper - Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered

  Try chewing gum or keeping fruit around the house if you get late-night snacking urges. Also, increasing your water intake might decrease your cravings. Most importantly, get any processed, unhealthy food out of your house. Don't purchase it, and don't bring it into your kitchen. Your kitchen is sacred and your body deserves the best.

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• QWhat are some low-calorie snacks?

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  A Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered

  Here are colorful and tasty snacks with 200 calories or less:
  

  • One 6-inch flour tortilla with 1/4 cup black beans and 2 tablespoons fresh salsa

  • Three cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with three tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

  • One tablespoon of peanut butter spread on slices of a medium apple

  • A colorful veggie snack with 6 baby carrots, 10 sugar snap peas or green pepper strips, 6 cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping

  • One cup of tomato soup with five whole-grain crackers

  • A toaster waffle topped with 1/2 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt

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• QCan I lose weight by eating protein bars?

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  A Ruth Frechman , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  Eating a protein bar for a meal can be an effective way to lose weight, because you are controlling the amount of calories consumed. Bars are easy to carry with you. On the negative side the bars tend to be expensive, and some people may not like the taste. Overall, it's about the total amount of calories that you eat in a day. A protein bar can be used as a meal replacement. However, you don't only want to eat protein bars. Your body needs balance. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are important sources of nutrients and need to be included in your diet.
• QWhy am I so hungry late at night?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  The urge to snack late at night happens to everyone. In this video, Dr. Oz reveals the real reason why people feel so hungry late at night.
  
  
  
  
  

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• QHow can eating pre-packaged snacks help me lose weight?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Pre-packaged snacks provide a visual cue that we're finished. While 100-calorie snack packs are a good idea here, there are more affordable ways to control your eating. Buy your favorite snack in bulk, measure out the appropriate serving, and pack it up in plastic baggies to save money and calories.
  This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com
• QHow do I control my snacking when trying to lose weight?

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  A Dr. Dede Bonner , Health Education, answered

  Peggy Jensen, a registered dietitian in Virginia, advises, “When you are hungry, all bets are off. Carry your own healthy snack foods, like nuts or fruit, with you so you won’t eat junk food when you are tired or stressed out. When you are hungry, you are mad at the world.”

  Other smart snack strategies include choosing quality over quantity (a handful of nuts versus a big bag of chips), keeping variety in your snacks (like seasonal fruits, whole-grain crackers, or baby carrots), watching portion sizes, and satisfying cravings with better choices, like yogurt instead of candy or granola bars. Also be careful not to slip up after dinner, a prime time to gain weight because you are probably less active.

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