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The Inside Scoop On Snack Food Sabotage

By Zach Hunt

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 22Apr2009
Word count: 651
Viewed: 222 time(s)

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How Late Night Snacking Can Ruin A Good Diet

As a wife and mom of two young girls in Spokane, I have become obsessed with "the square meal" making sure there is a protein, starch, veggie and fruit. I do a lot of tinkering on the web and especially Food Network.com to find recipes and new twists on things to keep meals interesting (the occasional pizza has been ordered due to new recipe results I would rather not discuss). I try hard and feel I do very well when cooking and feeding my family.

And then comes bedtime for the my girls .......

Like a suspenseful "will she do it" movie I pace the kitchen, am I hungry? Not at all! I plant my butt back on the couch.

Then like a delicious nightmare, a fast food commercial, my mind wanders, I bet I have some chips and cheese in the kitchen.

No! Resist temptation, I tell myself, all the while my feet, which seem to now be possessed by the fact there may be the fixin's for a yummy snack awaiting, are walking to the kitchen.

The fridge door opens.... I have cheese, the pantry, uh-oh I do have tortilla chips, back to the fridge, oh no! I have salsa and sour cream!

Ignoring every voice telling me that I do not need this, I begin pulling out the cheese grater and a plate, once the cheese hits chips there is no turning back...

Before I know it I am cozy on the couch with my cheesy chips drowning them in sour cream and salsa. I don't think about my choice until I head to brush my teeth for bed, then the reality of yet another chapter of my Late Night Snacking Story is written.

Time For A Change In My Spokane Snacking Habits

I decided it was time to change, instead of focusing on eating, I would start working out. If I was going to consume the extra calories I should at least put in the effort to work them off. I also found following tips to be useful:

Then the urge to snack comes, drink a full glass of water, chew a piece of gum and wait 30 minutes, then reassess. Floss, brush your teeth and mouthwash right after dinner, this helps you remember you are done eating for the day. Find something to keep your hands busy such as folding clothes, knitting, scrap booking, etc. Go to bed! If you know you are going to snack, give yourself permission to go to bed early, rest aids in weight loss also. If you must snack, choose protein such as a few almonds or maybe a piece of turkey. Try herbal tea or a Special K Protein water. With these things in my I headed for my first workout with a personal trainer. After just one workout my hope for getting back in shape returned.

So, back to the original point of my story ...the late night snacking. I am not saying that I no longer walk the kitchen in search of comfort food and I am definitely not saying that I have not given in to the temptation of digging in. But since starting my workouts with my personal trainer, I have definitely found some control that I had lost for a long time.

When thinking about snacking I remember that I am about to ruin all the hard work I put in today at my trainers studio. Who wants to work twice as hard knowing that you will be held accountable not only with your workouts but also while keeping your Food Journal to monitor calories. I know I don't!

I encourage you not to give up in your desire to accomplish your fitness goals. Look your temptations and discouragements (and snacks) in the eye and decide that you are bigger. Clean out your cupboards.

Zach Hunt is an Spokane snack food expert and the owner of Physzique, a personal fitness coaching company in Spokane, WA helping people to look and feel great. Go here: personal trainer Spokane for more info on these services and more great fitness tips.

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