People trying to lose weight often concentrate on what they eat at mealtime. They think less about what goes into their bodies between meals. As long as it’s healthy and doesn’t go over their daily calorie limit, what’s the harm in a little snacking?
However, snacking – especially in the morning – can seriously undermine efforts to lose weight in Valdosta and throughout the U.S., according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. When and how often people snack in relation to mealtimes can help or harm a diet.
The study found that people who ate a healthy breakfast and didn’t snack before lunch lost 11 percent of their starting weight. People who did eat a mid-morning snack lost only 7 percent of their weight.
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center came to those findings in a year-long study of 123 overweight or obese women from the Seattle area between the ages 50 and 75.
What makes mid-morning snacking so dangerous to weight-loss efforts is the short time between breakfast and lunch. Mid-morning snackers likely aren’t eating because of true hunger, but simply for enjoyment or just from habit, researchers speculated.
Aside from avoiding mid-morning snacks, what can dieters do to keep their weight-loss plan on track?
Somewhat surprisingly, researchers suggested snacking smart. Snacking is OK if a person is truly hungry. Going too long without eating anything can cause people to overeat at the next meal. Hungry people are also more likely to eat unhealthy, calorie-rich food.
Eating a healthy snack between meals spaced at least five hours apart is a good way to strike a balance between avoiding mindless eating and satisfying hunger, researchers recommended.
Keeping in mind the dangers and benefits of mid-morning snacking can help people lose weight in Valdosta or anywhere else in the country.
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