How often do you see people who are clearly overweight eat really bad things, like burgers, candies, and chocolate? If you are honest with yourself, you may actually be one of them. We know that we have to lose weight, but we excuse ourselves by making excuses as to why we can’t stay off the snacks. If you are committed to weight loss, however, there can be no more excuses.
The Excuses Stop Here
Most diets fail because people end up cracking when faced with cravings. You shouldn’t make an excuse for yourself, but you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it either. Dieting is hard, and unhealthy foods are cheap, readily available, and super tasty. What you need to do, however, is to retrain yourself to find the enjoyment of sweetness in healthy things. Food is a type of addiction, and you have a mental and emotional relationship with it. You may believe, for instance, that a Mars bar is the nicest thing in the world. But Mars bars have only been around since 1891, so how did people survive before that? They didn’t know it existed, that’s how, so they didn’t need it either. You must retrain your brain to believe that healthy snacks are as nice, if not nicer, than Mars bar – which isn’t a lie either.
The other issue you have to remember is that if you tell yourself that you are not allowed something, you will only want it more. This is because you have to constantly remind yourself that you can’t have it, which means it is also always on your mind. Again, it is a simple retraining exercise: you don’t actually want that Mars bar, you are only thinking about it.
So how do you lose weight and still have sweet snacks every once in a while? By making the healthy switch.
Healthy Sweet Snacks for Weight Loss
- Walnuts with grapes. Packed with healthy fats, good sugars, protein, and fiber, this is the type of fuel that gets you through the day full of energy.
- Blueberries with oatmeal. Full of fibers, the blueberries give the oatmeal some flavor. Plus, blueberries are very healthy thanks to the antioxidants they contain.
- Apple with cheese. Apples prevent weight gain, and by adding some cheese to it, you will feel like you’re having a sweet ‘n sour combo, savory snack.
- Filled with omega 3, they give you lots of brain power. Plus, you need to chew them for quite some time, which tricks your brain into thinking you’re full.
- This is a known “diet” food because it helps to lower your insulin levels. One study showed that those who added grapefruit to every meal lost three and a half pounds in a three month period. Plus, grapefruit has lots of other benefits, and you can eat it in many different ways (smoothies, juices, segments, pulp, etc).
- Greek yogurt with honey and raspberries. Fruit and dairy was always going to be delicious, but this one is a true health kick. Filled with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and vitamin C, and added to this the antimicrobial, antibiotic, and antifungal properties of honey, and you’ve got a snack for life.