Author: Meredith Cervi, PHSA Member - [email protected]
We all do it. We snack, graze, munch. Whatever you like to call it, it is all the same thing: consuming extra calories during your day. This is one of the easiest ways to blow your diet. You may have been good all day, right on track with your calorie counting, but then you consume an enormous amount of calories from those late night snacks that you just can’t seem to help but reach for.
Now, I try to choose healthier options for my meals, but by no means am I the best at sticking to healthy meal plans like I intend to. Like most of us, I do what I can, but a lot of the time, the ease and convenience of junk food gets in the way. However, a shocking statistic is that the average American is consuming five and a half times more sugar than is recommended daily by the USDA [1]. That's a lot. Is the snacking at night contributing to that number? Are we setting ourselves up for heart disease just from those excess late night calories? Let's take a look at basic nutrition facts and how we can curb snacking, because, spoiler alert: it IS bad for you (to an extent).
Let’s first have a quick nutrition lesson to get some facts and figures out of the way.
By now, you probably know that your BMI (or Body Mass Index) is a measure of your height and weight. (The formula to calculate this by hand is ((WEIGHT/HEIGHT)/HEIGHT)*703 if you are interested.) A healthy weight for you is indicated by a number between 18.5-25. Under 18.5 is considered underweight, 25.1-30 is considered overweight, 30.1-40 is considered obese, and anything above 40 is considered severely obese. BMI can be used to determine if you are in a healthy weight range [4].
Now we understand BMI, but how do we pack on those extra pounds? In the most basic of terms, your body uses the food you give it as fuel. If you give your body too much fuel (i.e., too many calories), then your body cannot use all the fuel, and that is what contributes to the scale going up. To lose weight, you must ingest fewer calories than you are burning. To maintain your weight, you must eat, on average, the same number of calories that you are burning [4].
The number of calories you are burning each day depends on a number of things. First, your activity level plays a large role. More activity = more calories burned = the more fuel your body needs. If you are exercising, or reach 10,000 steps each day, your need for fuel goes up. If you barely hit 2,000 steps, your body needs far less fuel. A good way to track all of this is monitoring your food consumption and activity level on your Fitbit [4]!
Another important factor is your RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate. This is a measure of the number of calories you, PERSONALLY, burn at rest (also known as your metabolism). I took this test over the summer; the procedure is basic and you get a printout of your PERSONAL results! You go into the test in the morning having not eaten for at least 8 hours, lie still for 10 minutes while breathing into a tube, and the machine measures your RMR. Easy! This will show you if you have a “slow” or “fast” metabolism, meaning whether your body needs more or less fuel at rest. The RMR results tell you three specific things: 1) The number of calories your body burns per day at rest (if you were to lie in bed all day), 2) How many additional calories your body burns per day as you go about your daily activities (such as doing laundry), and 3) how many calories you burn if you exercise (the equivalent of reaching 10,000 steps). Using these numbers, you can see how many calories you should consume per day to maintain your weight, and using that number you can adjust your intake with the assistance of a Registered Dietitian (depending on if you want to gain or lose weight) [4].
OK! With all that said, it is pretty clear how snacking can unintentionally rack up the calories. Here are some reasons why it is hard to break the pattern of snacking and ways you can combat them:
1. Portion control. Moderation is key! If you sit down with an entire package of something, you are likely to eat the whole thing. Instead, select a smaller portion, put it on a plate, and put the rest of the package away [2].
2. When all else fails, brush your teeth! If you find yourself unable to stop snacking, just brush your teeth. That brownie won’t look as appealing after a minty toothpaste taste. Another trick is painting your nails; it is hard to eat with wet nail polish [2]!
3. Control your environment. If you don’t buy certain foods, then they won’t be available when you reach for a snack. Instead, buy fruit or celery with (small amounts of) peanut butter for a healthy snack that will fill you up and trim your waistline [2].
4. Break the pattern. If you find yourself wanting to snack each night as you watch TV (because you do it every night), consciously break the association. Instead of snacking, fold laundry or do some sit-ups and give yourself a new association. It may be more difficult, but after a while of doing sit-ups during commercials, it will become second nature [3].
5. Fitbit! I love my Fitbit, and you should too! I use it to track my water intake, food intake, and steps (obviously). I can easily log my calories throughout the day using the app on my phone. If you do not have a Fitbit, there are other apps like “Lose It!” and “MyFitnessPal” that are quite similar and just as helpful. Utilize these apps! You will be surprised how many calories you may be consuming every day without realizing it. I lost 10 pounds using these apps to reduce my calorie intake and track my exercising!
6. Don’t try to do all of this. It will be too much and you will get overwhelmed. Instead, pick one to start with and add on when that becomes second nature. Whether you need to lose weight for health reasons or simply want to eat healthier, starting slow and forming healthy habits are the keys to success.
It is my hope that some of these tips will help you get started on the path to wellness! Healthy, mindful eating is the best way to start.
References
[1] Guzman, Pilar. Get Rid of the Sugar Tanya Rivero. 5 January 2012. ABC News Now Media.
[2] Michaels, Jillian. "6 Tips to Help You Curb Snacking." JillianMichaels.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.
[3] Sass, Cynthia. "The Surprising Reason You Snack at Night (and How to Stop It)." Health News. Health, 02 May 2013. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.
[4] Internship with Ann Gerber, RDN
We all do it. We snack, graze, munch. Whatever you like to call it, it is all the same thing: consuming extra calories during your day. This is one of the easiest ways to blow your diet. You may have been good all day, right on track with your calorie counting, but then you consume an enormous amount of calories from those late night snacks that you just can’t seem to help but reach for.
Now, I try to choose healthier options for my meals, but by no means am I the best at sticking to healthy meal plans like I intend to. Like most of us, I do what I can, but a lot of the time, the ease and convenience of junk food gets in the way. However, a shocking statistic is that the average American is consuming five and a half times more sugar than is recommended daily by the USDA [1]. That's a lot. Is the snacking at night contributing to that number? Are we setting ourselves up for heart disease just from those excess late night calories? Let's take a look at basic nutrition facts and how we can curb snacking, because, spoiler alert: it IS bad for you (to an extent).
Let’s first have a quick nutrition lesson to get some facts and figures out of the way.
By now, you probably know that your BMI (or Body Mass Index) is a measure of your height and weight. (The formula to calculate this by hand is ((WEIGHT/HEIGHT)/HEIGHT)*703 if you are interested.) A healthy weight for you is indicated by a number between 18.5-25. Under 18.5 is considered underweight, 25.1-30 is considered overweight, 30.1-40 is considered obese, and anything above 40 is considered severely obese. BMI can be used to determine if you are in a healthy weight range [4].
Now we understand BMI, but how do we pack on those extra pounds? In the most basic of terms, your body uses the food you give it as fuel. If you give your body too much fuel (i.e., too many calories), then your body cannot use all the fuel, and that is what contributes to the scale going up. To lose weight, you must ingest fewer calories than you are burning. To maintain your weight, you must eat, on average, the same number of calories that you are burning [4].
The number of calories you are burning each day depends on a number of things. First, your activity level plays a large role. More activity = more calories burned = the more fuel your body needs. If you are exercising, or reach 10,000 steps each day, your need for fuel goes up. If you barely hit 2,000 steps, your body needs far less fuel. A good way to track all of this is monitoring your food consumption and activity level on your Fitbit [4]!
Another important factor is your RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate. This is a measure of the number of calories you, PERSONALLY, burn at rest (also known as your metabolism). I took this test over the summer; the procedure is basic and you get a printout of your PERSONAL results! You go into the test in the morning having not eaten for at least 8 hours, lie still for 10 minutes while breathing into a tube, and the machine measures your RMR. Easy! This will show you if you have a “slow” or “fast” metabolism, meaning whether your body needs more or less fuel at rest. The RMR results tell you three specific things: 1) The number of calories your body burns per day at rest (if you were to lie in bed all day), 2) How many additional calories your body burns per day as you go about your daily activities (such as doing laundry), and 3) how many calories you burn if you exercise (the equivalent of reaching 10,000 steps). Using these numbers, you can see how many calories you should consume per day to maintain your weight, and using that number you can adjust your intake with the assistance of a Registered Dietitian (depending on if you want to gain or lose weight) [4].
OK! With all that said, it is pretty clear how snacking can unintentionally rack up the calories. Here are some reasons why it is hard to break the pattern of snacking and ways you can combat them:
1. Portion control. Moderation is key! If you sit down with an entire package of something, you are likely to eat the whole thing. Instead, select a smaller portion, put it on a plate, and put the rest of the package away [2].
2. When all else fails, brush your teeth! If you find yourself unable to stop snacking, just brush your teeth. That brownie won’t look as appealing after a minty toothpaste taste. Another trick is painting your nails; it is hard to eat with wet nail polish [2]!
3. Control your environment. If you don’t buy certain foods, then they won’t be available when you reach for a snack. Instead, buy fruit or celery with (small amounts of) peanut butter for a healthy snack that will fill you up and trim your waistline [2].
4. Break the pattern. If you find yourself wanting to snack each night as you watch TV (because you do it every night), consciously break the association. Instead of snacking, fold laundry or do some sit-ups and give yourself a new association. It may be more difficult, but after a while of doing sit-ups during commercials, it will become second nature [3].
5. Fitbit! I love my Fitbit, and you should too! I use it to track my water intake, food intake, and steps (obviously). I can easily log my calories throughout the day using the app on my phone. If you do not have a Fitbit, there are other apps like “Lose It!” and “MyFitnessPal” that are quite similar and just as helpful. Utilize these apps! You will be surprised how many calories you may be consuming every day without realizing it. I lost 10 pounds using these apps to reduce my calorie intake and track my exercising!
6. Don’t try to do all of this. It will be too much and you will get overwhelmed. Instead, pick one to start with and add on when that becomes second nature. Whether you need to lose weight for health reasons or simply want to eat healthier, starting slow and forming healthy habits are the keys to success.
It is my hope that some of these tips will help you get started on the path to wellness! Healthy, mindful eating is the best way to start.
References
[1] Guzman, Pilar. Get Rid of the Sugar Tanya Rivero. 5 January 2012. ABC News Now Media.
[2] Michaels, Jillian. "6 Tips to Help You Curb Snacking." JillianMichaels.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.
[3] Sass, Cynthia. "The Surprising Reason You Snack at Night (and How to Stop It)." Health News. Health, 02 May 2013. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.
[4] Internship with Ann Gerber, RDN