Snacking: A Healthy Diet's Downfall

So often, we find ourselves doing wonderfully on our diets, only to realize that we're not seeing results because of the snacks we have in between those perfectly balanced meals. I know that I personally am challenged in choosing the right snacks. If you're anything like me, you have strong cravings for a specific taste, sometimes healthy, and other times not. This is where we need to think about what we are eating. Don't think of snacks as an unimportant, intermediate satisfaction. You know what they say about people today being too used to instant gratification? Well, I love instantaneous gratification, but I suggest taking a moment to recognize the satisfaction the snack you are eating is providing to you. Not only will you enjoy your snacks more, but likely you'll also eat fewer of them. Now, I'm not one of those to tell you that you should chew particularly slowly, or over-salivate and roll the food around in your mouth (that's kind of repulsive), but rather just to recognize the happiness you are getting from satisfying that hunger. In terms of how to satisfy your specific craving, go for what you want, in a general sense. If you want something salty, then have an olive. Something sweet, have a spoonful of ice cream. But here's the thing: that killer we call portion control. Honestly, just have enough to sate you. Sometimes you want something so badly that you take too much of it, and then you feel the need to finish it. CONTROL YOURSELF FROM THE BEGINNING, and the rest will be easy. Also, do not think that foods that taste healthful necessarily are. Nuts, for example, are a weakness of mine. I love nuts, and they are, as things go, fairly nutritious. If you're trying to lose weight, though, they are not the option for you. They are very fatty, though satisfying. So have a few; they're not empty chomping. I have to tell you, the best foods I have found to snack on are usually separate, and I focus on not eating them by the handful, but rather individually, or a few at a time. It isn't that hard, I learn to enjoy it more, and they go farther for longer. My deal is that I like to constantly have new food in my mouth. If you're the same way, this is a great middle road between gluttony and reality. We all know how difficult it is to keep track of ourselves 24/7, but lets just try to look out for ourselves and always be conscious when we're eating. Strangely, it seems that gratitude is the first step to satisfaction. Enjoy what you're eating when you're eating it; live in the moment.
If you have any suggestions about what helps you to snack healthier, please comment. Happy snacking!