Following a diet that is too restrictive to lose weight is not the best way to achieve our goals. And, the key for a weight loss plan to work is that we are able to follow it for a certain time, which is called adherence. And for that we need to not be so uphill. In this sense, it seems that snacking between meals , instead of being the natural enemy of diets, can be the ultimate savior. But is it worth chopping anything? Well, no. Obviously, the type of choices we make between meals is where the key is.
What can you eat between meals?
Snacking between meals is not only not prohibited when we diet, but it is actually more than recommended . And you thinking that you should avoid it at all costs … The problem with pecking comes from the bad choices we usually make. Normally we go to the vending machine at the office or we throw in some savory bun or snack that we find at home so we don't have to prepare anything.
There are two options to get it right with the snack: fruit and nuts . Do not be fooled because it has always been said that they have many calories because both are great allies in a healthy and slimming diet. Both have a good amount of fiber and, best of all, they are very satiating. And the key is that snacking between meals helps to lose weight is that we avoid arriving hungrier than necessary at the main meals and ending up eating more than necessary.
In fact, in one of the studies, published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, overweight people in the United States who ate two-thirds of a cup of almonds a day lost more weight than those who did not include them in their diet.
Therefore, a piece of medium fruit or a handful of nuts will be more than enough to calm that craving for food that occurs in the middle of the morning or mid-afternoon. To avoid overdoing it, avoid taking the whole bag of cashews or pistachios with you and prepare the portion that you should take in a bowl or in a small tupperware so that it will be easier for you to stop in time.
So how many times do you have to eat a day?
Going on a diet should never mean starving and fainting. We need energy and, distributing meals throughout the day, is key so that we do not give up and end up consuming unhealthy foods. It is better to eat fewer more times than to binge a couple a day. But that does not mean that you have to constantly eat and live in a continuous process of digestion. Ideally, you would eat 5 meals a day , 3 main (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 2 secondary (mid-morning and snack).
It is not that they are mandatory, but they will help you feel satisfied and with enough energy throughout the day and that has another great advantage …
Pecking will make you train more
If we want to lose weight, in addition to having a proper diet, we must exercise, even if it is walking. When we take in an insufficient amount of calories we run out of 'gasoline' to later play sports and we will have the excuse to stay at home and not move because we feel exhausted. Solution? Well, that snack based on fruit or nuts is key to having that extra energy that we need and putting on our shoes without question. If snacking (healthy) is the best thing you can do for yourself!
