SNACKING

I am wondering what the world would be like without snacking.  It is promoted everywhere even at Weight Watchers.  Half the supermarket is geared to snacks even if you shop the perimeter.  Think of the bakery department or the deli department.  Even the fruit and vegetable department have pre-packaged snacks with caramel sauce for the cut up apples or even cups filled with dried fruit and trail mix are readily available.  And why you may ask?  Because we demand it.  We are in a society that says not to go hungry and we shouldn't go longer than 3 or 4 hours without food. 

Prevention Magazine came out with half a dozen bad eating habits to break and guess what?  I confess to most of them.  So here are the 6 bad snacking habits.

1.  You're good all day but pig out at night

2.  You stuff your face before dinner

3.  You can't stop eating in the car.

4.  You work at home

5.  You graze at the office

6.  Your kids' snack habits are contagious

I bet you can relate to a few of these.   I wonder what would happen to us weight-wise if we stopped snacking.  My guess is we could save at least 600 calories.  Even if you are watching it, they tell you to keep snacking to 150-200 calories at a time and that is if we are being good.  Do that between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, late night snack and there it is ... 600 calories.  But you can stop by Second Cup and have a muffin and there is 300-600 calories alone.  Or you can have a granola bar and that could be over 300 calories.  The same for large cookies.  Even healthy snacks add up.

I used to have a rule not to eat after dinner.  I know I do it now quite regularly.  I often snack before dinner because I am hungry and can't wait.  There is no question I have crappy snacks ...(supposed to be low in calories) in my glove compartment of the car.  And depending on the day, I could probably fit into the no-nos of the rest of the bad snacking.  I have heard my friends say that snacking is their problem too. 

So what if we made a conscious decision to cut snacks down to 2 fruits a day between meals and coffee.. or water and nothing else?  I am going to try it.