Beware of Snacking while on a Strict Weight Loss Programme

Most people today are well read and well versed with the dos and don’ts of weight reduction and weight loss. Many are successful at disciplining their life style, getting into a regular exercise regimen, drinking water and controlling their food intake. However, very few are successful at losing weight or keeping it off permanently.

The big mistake most people are making is what they are snacking on. Many start their day snacking. Bed coffee, tea or hot milk is an age-old custom but many start snacking right here by eating 4-5 biscuits or pieces of rusk or a handful of nuts. The ideal is to break the habit of eating something with your tea. If you must eat something, make sure that it’s just one light biscuit or cracker e.g. one Marie biscuit or one Britania cracker. Rich cookies or many pieces of rusk are a definite “No”. Nuts are high in fat and should be strictly avoided by those who want to lose weight. If you must eat a nut then two almonds or half of a walnut is permitted.

Many skip breakfast and eat snacks like a puff, samosa, kachori, vada, bonda and chutney at their 10 or 11am break from classes or work. This is completely wrong and harmful as they are high in fat and can ruin your weight loss for the whole day. breakfast items are meant to be high in carbohydrates and protein to boost you up for the day. A chapati rolled up with an egg omlette or bread and egg sandwich, a veg sandwich with a slice of cheese, idli/dosa with sambar/chutney, etc., are quick and easy breakfast options.

At 10 or 11am the ideal thing is to have is a fruit like an apple or orange. You may also have a cup of coffee or tea or a glass of buttermilk. Here again biscuits and cookies are best avoided as the gap between breakfast and lunch is a short duration of 4-5 hours.

Tea time, 4-5 pm is where you may enjoy your tea with a couple of light biscuits, crackers or a digestive biscuit. However, if you are on a strict diet, you must be very careful not to indulge in cookies or cream biscuits. Also, if you are very hungry at this time don’t indulge in 2-3 or more biscuits as the calories will then be too much. Instead try to eat one or two slices of whole wheat bread/toast plain or with a little jam, green chutney or cucumber slices.

The dangerous items are puffed rice, popcorn, boiled corn, etc.,- mainly because you cannot control the quantity and they contain a lot of starch and salt. Roasted channa, peas and peanuts also carry a lot of calories and salt. Half a cup, 100gm of channa gives us 350 cals and peanuts 550cals. Baked snacks may be baked but please note that you cannot make crisp snacks without using a lot of fat in making the dough or pastry. Also, many snacks are prepared from soya flour which contains loads of fat in itself and this is dangerous even if it is baked.

The final nightmare is at night when you party after a long day. The drinks and starters go on forever and you keep indulging in the snacks and starters with delicious dips which are all loaded with oil, butter, cream or mayonnaise.

If you are on a very strict diet, you may have a fresh lime soda, juice, or one or two drinks but you must not indulge in the snacks and starters. The only munching you can do is on some salad without a dressing or dip. (A wise tip is to have dinner at home and then set out for your party.) A whole day of dieting and a great exercise routine can be completely negated if you snack even once a day on the wrong snacks.

Last but not the least is your time at the movies where you may have a coffee, tea, juice or iced tea but a bag of popcorn or cup of corn again can be the undoing of all your dieting. Many also believe that chaat, bhelpuri or pani puri are light snacks. All puris and sev are deep fried and are very high in calories and fat. So, Beware of snacking while on a strict weight loss programme.