If you have struggled with your weight for years, sometimes taking a look at those around you who maintain a healthy weight, can be one of the most helpful things you can do.

I’m not saying that so-called “skinny” people are always healthier than overweight people. In many cases, and studies prove this, an overweight person who takes regular exercise, is much healthier than a skinny, inactive person.

However, my point is that sometimes when you’ve been dieting for so long, you start to forget what it is to eat “normally.”

So, taking a closer look at how others do things, can give you a much-needed reality check.

(BTW if you haven’t done so, check out my free ebook on the subject, naturally thin)

Catherine Of Chicago

Snacking And Weight Loss

Recent research has actually found that normal weight people, including those who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off, eat more often than overweight people.

This is interesting, since many people who are trying to lose weight try to eat less often, so that they are taking in fewer calories.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, looked at 250 people for one year, and noted that those who were overweight ate fewer snacks, but still took in more calories than people who fell into the normal weight range.

Researchers observed that normal weight people ate three meals, and a little over two snacks per day, in comparison to the overweight group, who averaged three meals and just over one snack each day.

They also found that weight loss maintainers were the most physically active of the three groups, burning off around 3,000 calories each week through exercise and other activities, compared to 2,000 calories each week among the normal weight subjects, and 800 calories each week in the overweight group.

So, why is it that snacking more often can help to prevent weight gain?

One reason is that snacking helps to stave off intense hunger. This means you make more rational decisions at mealtimes.

Think of it, there is nothing like extreme hunger to force you into eating unhealthy foods, which you may not even be tempted by normally.

Even the most controlled eater will cave in when they allow themselves to get overly hungry.

That means you end up eating a lot more food than you need, and therefore take in more calories than necessary.

What To Eat For Snacks

Here is an eating schedule you could rework to fit your daily routine:

• Breakfast at 8am
• Mid-morning snack around 10.30am
• Lunch around 1pm
• Mid-afternoon snack around 3.30pm
• Evening meal around 6pm
• Evening snack around 8.30pm (if needed)

A schedule like this helps to maintain your blood sugar levels, and to prevent ravenous hunger, which usually leads to overeating and poor food choices.

Obviously for this to work, your meal and snack choices must be healthy. So, what should you be snacking on most of the time?

Preferably your snack should be something that gives you a little protein and some complex carbohydrates, to keep you feeling full throughout the day.

My Snack Box

If you struggle with what to eat for snacks, check out my recent snack box suggestion.

Since writing that article, I’ve had a number of people contact me saying this idea has really helped them to eat healthy foods throughout the day, and that it has made a huge difference in their ability to control overeating.

So, why not give it a go yourself?

What are your best snacks for weight loss?