New research finds SNACKING can be making you fat

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that in 2014, 58% of women and 65% of men in England were overweight or considered obese. Despite many people having a regime which effectively reduces their calories, weight loss still seems to elude them. New research by The Government's Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) has found that snacking could be the hidden culprit. It seems that more and more people are snacking and not taking account of their snack intake. Many national surveys conclude that the average adult consumes around 2,000 calories but new research suggests it could be almost 3,000 calories.

It was also found that people who weigh more, tend to record less of what they eat – as, for many, there seems to be so many foods to keep track of!

If you think you are one of these “snackers”, then there are things you can do to try and lose weight and avoid piling on the pounds.

Here are 5 easy steps to follow to make sure snacking is not a contributory factor to you gaining fat:

• Plan your snacks and don’t deviate – Decide your snacks for the day and stick to it. For example, some fitness athletes know that they can only snack on 10 almonds, twice a day.

• Do not go shopping on an empty stomach – If you don’t buy snacks and have calorific snacks around you in the house, then chances are you won’t eat them!

• Eat protein – A golden rule is to eat some protein “before” you get hungry. This keeps your sugar levels at bay and reduces your chances of snacking. You can have whey protein such as LA Whey or some cheese, milk, eggs, anything with good protein content and not much sugar or carbohydrates.

• If you must, have healthy snacks – If you have to snack, make sure you have something that is at least good for you! Examples of healthy snacks are: mixed nuts, edamame, celery, strawberries, seeds, plain yoghurt, hard boiled egg, skimmed milk, cottage cheese and watermelon.

• Try and keep snacking to the early hours and don’t snack late at night.
  

In conclusion, if you are one of these people that has tried everything and is still holding on to the weight, snacking can be a contributory factor. Make sure you stop it and if you really can’t, then at least stick to the above 5 rules.