Staying on the right track to lose weight can be challenging. Today I want to share with you how I stopped overeating and snacking to help me stay on the right track.

Fat loss isn’t difficult.

Fa loss isn’t not complicated.

What is complicated is our habits and behaviours associated to certain situations. For years and year I struggled with overeating and snacking.

It’s the lifestyle, the routine that reinforces some of these habits to come in uninvited.

Who can relate to this?

It’s late afternoon or evening. You are tired after being busy all week so you crash on the sofa. And…….wait, wait, what is that?

I can hear my name being called from the kitchen. And here we go. The snacking kicks in. I just have a bag of crisps, and then a few biscuits and before I know it I also had few spoonful’s of peanut butter. Yes!! That can be me at times. So easily done, right?

And if this happens several times per week not only your habits aren’t aligned with your goals, but also you are practicing habits that are stopping you from achieving your goals.

Your mind knows what to do, but the habits will always try to come back especially if you are stressed, emotional or tired.

Snacking is behaviour associated with your routine. And just like with any other cycle, if you want to break it,  you need to start doing something differently.

In the past I would turn to food when tired, bored or stressed. It was my comfort. Still is at times. But facing my emotions and dealing with them properly has helped me see that food is not the solution to my problem.

Here are some of the reasons I was and you’re probably snacking and overeating

1. You haven’t eaten enough during the day. You eat very small meals or you skip them during the day thinking this may help you with the fat loss. But the reality is, you are undereating and not nourishing your body enough, and your body is asking for more nutritious foods. So you are hungry.

2. You’re stressed and/ or emotional and food is your comfort. You eat, to cope with your stressful and emotional situations which leads into mindless snacking and overeating.

3. You’re bored. Yes, this may seem a little bit silly, but it’s true. You are bored so opening the fridge gives you something to do.

4. You’re tired.

Overeating and snacking was a big barrier for me to maintain a healthy weight and stop the yo-yo dieting. And if it is something you struggle with too here are few tips that may help you over come it.

Firstly identify the situation you are in. Is this the moment when you would start snacking?

Pause for a moment and count to 10.

Trust me it works.

TO OVERCOME SNACKING AND OVEREATING ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS

ARE YOU HUNGRY?

If yes, make sure you eat protein-based meal with plenty of vegetables. Plenty of protein to fill you up. Then look back at my day to check if you hydrated and ate well. And 9 times out of 10 you probably didn’t. Hence, you need to eat a meal with 30-35g protein and plenty of veggies. I also like to finish the meal with a hot drink to top me up. At this point however, I need to leave the kitchen and start a different activity as I know if I stay in, the fridge will carry on calling my name.

ARE YOU EMOTIONAL OR STRESSED?

If yes, you need to destress. But not with the food. Food shouldn’t be a coping mechanism. I know this is easier said than done. Some of the techniques you can use are – moving (walk, workout), meditation and breathing exercises (including yoga), mindfulness or journaling. First, you need to face your emotions to get to the bottom of why you are stressed and emotional. That will help you decide how to move forward. This is something I learnt to do this last year after I finished CBT to deal with my anxieties. I find it very powerful to understand my emotions now and being able to address them.

ARE YOU BORED?

If yes, you need to find something to do. Change the environment you are in. I work from home most of the time, so the fridge is there all the time. Having a to do list for my business and my life and family ensures I always have something to do. I mean, come on – can a mum ever be bored?? Find a job that will keep you busy, the time will pass. The best is however to completely change the environment you are in, go for a walk, change the rooms and keep yourself busy.

ARE YOU TIRED?

If yes, then the answer is to go upstairs, start bedtime routine, grab a book and rest. This helps you unwind too and helps you fall asleep. No TV, no phone, no tablet, no emails at least 1 hour before bedtime helps your mind stop completely. I’d normally just check my diary to plan the next day, then bathroom routine and book or meditation.  This routine has also helped me improve my sleep.

I understand my behaviours now. But I didn’t 4-5 years ago. I’d act very quickly based on how I felt and that led me to different choices. Choices that no longer served me. I needed to align my actions with my goals and values.

Understanding my emotions has helped me creating routines to help me deal with them in healthier way. I feel empowered by everything I have learned about myself.

So I totally understand where you are now and how trapped you may feel. Trapped in a cycle that you can’t seem to get out of.

If snacking is stopping you right now to move forward with your weight loss, try to ask your self some of these questions before you reach for another biscuit.

Our behaviours are complicated. And it takes time to changes habits that you have had for years. This is exactly what I help my clients with.

If you would like to discuss this further and find our how I can help you with your weight loss, GET IN TOUCH NOW and let’s chat.

I would love to help you

Petra