A question we get asked often at Personify Fitness…
With Cancer Research recently releasing a poll suggesting that if current obesity rates continue to rise at the same rates, obesity will overtake smoking as the main cause of cancer in women. What we are eating becomes even more important and snacking is often considered as the downfall of the day, but is snacking good or bad for body fat loss?
It’s a question of what is your goal? Does the snack in front of you sit nutritionally within the direct journey to your goal being achieved?
Increase muscle mass: more calories needed to create greater muscle tissue
Reduce total size: Calorie deficit required so excess calories not required and snacking utilised to reduce main meal sizes and overall calorie intake.
The ‘BAD’ snacking:
When we suggest to reduce or stop ‘snacking’ we often refer to the high saturated fat or refined sugars found in biscuits, cakes or sweets left in the office or the odd chocolate bar munched at the weekend (telling ourselves its ok because we’ve worked hard this week).
For us to lose 1lb of fat per week, we need to be in a total weekly deficit of around 3500 calories. Broken down that is 500 calories daily. This seems manageable, next step is consistency.
So that half a packet of biscuits with your meeting’s tea or those 2 mars bars at the end of the kids multipack is equivalent to around 500 calories. You’ve just wiped out one day’s worth of fat loss. Ouch!
We often tell ourselves once in a blue moon is ok but it’s the consistent process of progression not regression (500 daily calories in this case) that gets us to reaching those fat loss goals.
The ‘GOOD’ snacking:
Although calorie deficit is the fundamental key to weight and fat loss. Snacking on controlled calorie, low carbohydrate snacks can help with pre meal cravings or reduced portion sizes of breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. This is achieved by boosting metabolism, thus increasing calories burned per day.
If you are a snacker, good news… look to reduce overall portion size of main meals and spread your meals from 3 big meals to 4-5 snack sized meals per day.
10 Mid-morning/afternoon snacks examples to help you dodge the sweets and biscuits in meetings (50-150 calories)
- 30g Steamed edamame beans
- 20g Almond butter
- 20 x Pistachios or almonds
- 20g Roasted soya beans
- 4 Sticks of celery with 2 heaped teaspoons of hummus
- Natural greek yoghurt with 10g mixed berries
- 30g of mixed garden veg with 2 heaped teaspoons of fresh guacamole dip
- 15g cottage cheese with 10g Flaxseed and a sprinkle of cinnamon
- 2 x Medium poached eggs
- 1 Apple sliced with 2 heaped teaspoons of whole peanut butter
What’s in your cupboards, what’s on the next shopping list, food for thought…
