The Snack Monster
I have a Snack Monster that likes to visit every now and then. It seems to pop by in the afternoon. It wants all the food in sight. Why is it fiercer some days and absent others? I do not have the answer but I have some theories.
I have noticed that when I do not have protein for breakfast, I get hungrier throughout the day. I need to be more disciplined about incorporating it into my morning snack when I don’t have it for breakfast.
Another observation has been that when I skip a morning snack, I struggle in the afternoon. Making it worse is when I eat a later lunch. By then, I have passed the point of being able to tame the Monster.
Lastly, when I am slacking on my water intake I find myself rummaging through the pantry more.
Knowing that these could be contributing factors, I know that I need to
- have protein in the morning (either breakfast or snack),
- eat lunch timely, and
- drink plenty of water.
But what if I do all of this and the Monster still shows up? Here are a few things that help me get through the afternoon without a total derail.
- Always be prepared with healthy snack choices. I try to stay stocked with a variety of fruit, protein bars, mini bags of popcorn, light yogurt, light cheese sticks and turkey pepperoni.
- Reach for a hot cup of a 0 SmartPoint drink. I find that sipping on a cup of coffee, tea or warm lemon water is effective.
- Attention diversion. Instead of reaching for food when I know I am not really hungry, I try to redirect my attention elsewhere. If I am busy, I am not thinking about eating. I know that I sometimes eat out of boredom or due to stress. This journey has such a mental component and I would be remiss to ignore it. If you see me writing more blog entries than normal, that may be because I am trying to keep the Snack Monster at bay.
—Monica