Stop snacking

I don’t snack a lot, because I didn’t grow up snacking. 

-Venus Williams

And what’s the problem with snacks, Heather? Do you hate joy? 

I don’t hate joy. I love snacks! I spent my life (as an obese person) eating lots of snacks! Snacks are delicious! Even the word snack makes me feel happy. 

The thing is, there is no such thing as a healthy snack if you are trying to lose weight.

Here’s the problem: even “healthy” snacks like almonds or fruit or vegetables when eaten between meals can bump your blood sugar and thus your insulin. Insulin is a fat storage hormone so when it is up, fat burning is not. 

Frequent eating pauses weight loss. 

If we want to compel our bodies to tap into body fat for fuel (as in burn fat and lose weight!) insulin needs to come down and your digestive tract needs to be empty every once in a while. 

Ask yourself this: Why would your body need to burn body fat for fuel if there is always energy for it to use that you’ve just eaten?

But Heather, I thought small frequent meals were supposed to boost your metabolism. Okay. And how has that worked out for you so far? 

What about hunger, though? 

Some people are ravenous throughout the day which is why they snack. If this is you, it’s likely due to your insulin resistance. High insulin makes you crave sweet things. Eating all day keeps your insulin up and makes insulin resistance worse. The problem perpetuates itself. 

Also, some people who are insulin resistant experience something called rebound hypoglycemia.

Rebound hypoglycemia (hypo = low, glycemic = sugar) results from a spike in blood sugar from eating foods high in carbohydrates (sugar/flour) followed by a plunge in blood sugar caused from having excessive amounts of insulin in your body. This can make you feel shaky, dizzy, and strongly crave more sugar. 

Lot’s of people have told me that they can’t give up eating sugar every day because of this issue. The reality is you HAVE this issue because of too much sugar and it will only get worse and may end up as diabetes if you don’t pull back on the sugar and flour (refined carbohydrates).

Bottom line: If you want to lose the weight, you need to get insulin down.

Every time you eat, you are compelling your body to release insulin. Don’t get me wrong, we need insulin, without insulin you die. But, think of insulin as a fat storage hormone. When it is too high, the fat is staying on your body. You must bring it down to liberate your stored fat. 

How do you do that? Eat less carbs, eat less frequently (stick to meals only!) 

Make good choices.