Image Source: National Geographic Magazine 

So my snacking has started to get out of control. I’m falling back into my old horrible self-destructing habit of eating… eating.. and more eating. Granted I’m not eating the ole’ bag of chips, or cookies, but I’m still snacking quite a bit these days.

I’m not only snacking, but I’m convincing myself it’s OK. I seem to rationalize my snacking binges with the mantra ‘It’s only a 100-calorie snack’. Yes, it’s true. I pick up a bag of Nabisco 100-calorie treat for my snack. The problem is, I seem to eat more than one. And I’m grabbing for more than one in one sitting. GRRR.

While the 100-calorie snack is great, too much of a great thing becomes a very bad thing. And I’m at the cusp of ‘BAD’.

So to rectify the situation. I’ve taken two separate steps.

First step: Eliminate and lessen my food stock.

• My weekly grocery shopping consisted of buying numerous boxes of these 100-calorie snacks. The great thing about these snacks is the variety. Everything from chocolate chips, cheez-its, chocolate-covered pretzels, cinnamon snaps, etc. Each one of those bags only containing 100-calories. So it satisfied my need for variety and my need for low calorie. I never could develop a taste for those run-of-the-mill energy bars (Power Bar, Cliffbar, etc), so these snacks were not only low in calorie, but darn-it, they tasted good too.
• My metabolism is in over-drive these days. I think I have some sort of food item at least every 1-3 hrs. (3 hrs is pushing the limit. My stomach starts making that awful ‘grumbelly’ noise) So when I pack my lunch for work I also pack extra snacks to plan ahead for my entire day. I could justify bringing a large grocery bag of food due to my hunger pangs.
• Lately, I have unfortunately started to abuse this habit. So I’m decreasing the amount of snacks that I have available.

Second step: Change the variety and type of food (snack).

• I discovered how mindlessly I can eat during my lunch. I read during lunch. All leisure reading. It helps keep me centered and maintain some balance. I clear my mind of the ‘craziness’ from working the nursing floor and ‘re-energize. I do my best to let go of the stress, enjoy my reading, and start fresh for the afternoon.
• The problem is, while I’m reading I’m eating. And eating. And eating. I keep mindlessly opening another snack bag, one after another, in sync with each page I turn in my book.
• So to solve my ‘finger-food’ problem, I decided to change my snack from the snack bags to trail mix.
• A wide variety of pre-made trail mix, as well as some trail mix that I prepare myself. Everything from grapes, strawberries, banana chips, roasted almonds, raisins, dried apricots, and your garden-variety ‘trail mix’ that include all-things granola-like.

My hope is to slow down my snacking smorgasbord, and get back on track. This way I’m still eating healthy, I’m keeping my hands busy, and I’m lessening the amount of food I’m putting in my mouth.

Wish me luck!

I’ll keep you posted.

Carpe Diem