stressfreemom

I have a confession to make. I’m a notorious afternoon snacker. Around 3:00, I find I am thinking about food; and, whether I’m hungry or not, I go hunting for something to eat. Now I know many diets will tell you to eat six small meals a day. The only trouble with that is I’ve found that my meals are pretty much the same size as always, so now I’m just adding extra snacks throughout the day. I’ve been trying some new techniques for doing without the afternoon snack. Here are some tips that have worked for me.

Write down whatever you eat. This always works for me through lunch, but I tend to abandon it as the day progresses. However, when I do stick with it, I find that I am much more aware of what I eat, and I make better choices all day and for the next day or two as well.

Keep busy. Plan out your day so that you don’t have much time for snacking. Instead of munching when you get a break during the day, straighten a messy drawer or write a note to a friend.

Get out and move. As a writer who works at home, I do a lot of nervous eating when I’m trying to find the right words for an article. If I get out and walk around the block, it helps me to focus my thoughts and burn a few extra calories.

Finish off lunch with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I’ve only recently started doing this, and it really helps. Because peanut butter is full of protein, and protein stays with you longer, you are less hungry and less likely to want something to eat before dinnertime.

Lastly, pay attention to why you eat. Stop before you grab that snack and ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if there is another reason for your snack attack. Learning why we eat the way we do is the first step to making permanent changes in our eating habits.

Learn some tips on not snacking with your spouse.

Water has so many health benefits that you would think drinking several glasses would be a natural part of everyone’s day.  However, we have come to love our coffee drinks, morning juice and sodas so much, that we seldom drink as much water as our bodies need.  After all, who wants to spend the entire day running to the restroom?

Here are five good reasons to make drinking water a part of your day – everyday.

Drinking water keeps you hydrated.  We all know that full-blown dehydration can result in serious health problems, but letting yourself get even a little dehydrated can cause dry mouth, muscle cramps, nausea and lightheadedness.

Drinking water helps you lose weight.  Drinking a large glass of water right before a meal will help to fill you up, so you won’t eat as much.  Also, drinking ice water actually burns more calories, since the body must work harder to warm up the water. 

When you are drinking water, you are not drinking other beverages that may contain loads of sugar or caffeine or empty calories.  Water is simply a better choice.

Drinking water results in healthier, clearer skin.  Water flushes the toxins out of your system, toxins that can cause acne flare-ups.  If you want smooth skin that glows, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.

Drinking water benefits your heart, and is essential for the proper function of your kidneys, liver and colon.  It also provides you with increased energy and better overall health.

Find out more about the benefits of drinking water here: http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/drink-up/863c68f271903110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss/diets/biggest.loser/biggest.loser.diet