Recently I seem to have ignited a passion for snacking. I’m meant to wear my invisalign brace for around 22 hours a day, just removing it to eat. At first it was a brilliant deterrent. The faff of removing the aligners and then having to brush after a chocolate digestive meant I was snack free. However after a few weeks, the novelty wore off and I found myself routinely day-dreaming about a slice of lemon drizzle cake and a bag of chocolate buttons. I started wearing the brace less and less just to accommodate a sugar fix.

I think because food became forbidden (at least when wearing the aligners), I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Stopping Snacking

Boredom, tiredness and stress can all trigger a bout of snacking. For me, it’s definitely a way to combat my tiredness. Despite knowing a sugar high will quickly be followed by an energy slump, I’ve found I’m in that biscuit tin far too frequently. A couple of weeks ago I decided enough was enough and have been doing a few things to cut down.

Don’t Buy Them

I can’t bear for food to go to waste. If the cupboards are full of snacks then inevitably so am I. First step was to stop buying snacks and NEVER ever go shopping when hungry.

Drink More Water

I wrote a post a couple of years ago about drinking more water and revisited it for the best tips. I know when I’m thirsty I can be guilty of eating rather than drinking to overcome it. Keeping on top of my water intake definitely cuts down on snacking.

Wear My Brace More

I keep telling myself there was no point forking out for orthodontic treatment if a Cherry Bakewell is going to scupper my plans for a straight smile.

Do An Earlier Bedtime Routine

We usually eat fairly late in the evening and so afterwards I’m going straight upstairs to do my bedtime routine; make-off and teeth brushed and flossed. That way I’m a less likely to be found with a spoon in the ice-cream as I can’t be bothered to go through all that rigmarole again. Also it makes me super smug when I can just climb straight into bed later on.
Similarly, I remember a friend of mine stopped chomping on a daily chocolate bar by brushing her teeth at 2pm.

Slow Down Eating

I think I’m pretty good at making sure I eat a varied, protein packed diet with lots of veg but I’m sure I could do better at eating foods that will keep me fuller for longer. One thing I find that helps is to eat slower and chew more especially at lunchtime. This means I’m not quite so hungry when it gets to about 3pm and less likely to open the cupboards.

Sleep More

Ha ha ha. If only! Although Naomi does have some excellent tips on sleeping more. My snacking is definitely due to tiredness. I mentioned last week I’ve started going to bed earlier so hopefully my body will catch up one day soon.

What do you do to curb snacking? Anyone else find the sugar high isn’t worth the sugar low?