Diet Frustrations: Is Morning Snacking Really To Be Blamed?

To snack or not to snack, that is the question? Which one serves as the right guideline worth applying to your diet program?

                                                                

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that snacking between breakfast and lunch is likely to ruin your weight loss plan by packing on extra calories.

Women who avoided snacking in the midmorning were likely to maintain a weight loss of 11 percent of body weight over the course of a year as opposed to those women who chose to snack; their snacking accounted for a weight loss of only 7 percent of body weight.

This new data contradict previous weight loss studies that show snacking as a healthy habit to incorporate in your diet to stave off cravings and reduce overeating at meal times?  

A few weeks before this no munching guideline was announced, another published study outlined that people who “snack have diets that are slightly healthier overall than people who don’t snack.”  Both studies’ have opposing viewpoints and were published within the same month. It is no wonder why a large number of individuals are frustrated with changing diet rules and misleading headlines on weight reduction. So which is the real healthy weight loss solution?

The study is available online; gather your individual perspective on the recommended guidelines for dieters instead of accepting snippet reports. Gain insight into the reason why morning snacking was underscored as counterproductive to weight loss. 

Morning snacking is not the cause but a precursor to psychological and emotional cravings not borne out of hunger. Individuals who consume snacks less than 2 hours after a meal are likely to carry-out “mindless snacking habits” throughout the day.  Emotional eaters tend to reach out for comfort foods such as: doughnuts, chocolates, fries, and other decadent high calorie snacks. Overall, they consume more calories at each meal.

Researchers, who conducted the study, stated that “the urge to grab a snack during the relatively short time between breakfast and lunch could be a sign of generally less healthy eating.” The same researchers also say “eating healthy snacks can help dieters reach their goal by staving off hunger.”

If you are still on-the-fence as to which snacking rule to comply with just remember this: the bulk of your food intake should come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. To get the recommended amount in your diet without supplements requires that you snack.  Snacking on healthy foods, counting calories, and getting a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day is the right start to any diet plan.

Article first published as Diet Frustrations: Is Morning Snacking Really To Be Blamed? on Technorati.