5 Unconventional Methods to Stop Mindless Snacking
How I broke a 15-year-old snacking habit
Weight loss is hard. Weight maintenance is even harder. As a rule of thumb:
- 1lb of fat = 3,500 calories
- Calories In > Calories Out → weight gain
- Calories In < Calories Out → weight loss
- Calories In = Calories Out → weight maintenance
The math behind weight management is pretty simple. But the human world is designed for instant gratification. Additionally, with the high sugar content in most processed foods, it’s easy for the calories to creep up. Add in the habit of mindless snacking, and it’s easy to understand why weight management can be challenging.
I lost over 15 pounds by counting calories and focusing on fitness. I maintained my weight loss for 2 years before the calorie creep started — primarily due to mindless snacking. I snacked when I was bored or stressed or returned home after a late night and had a case of the munchies. I massively miscalculated my calorie intake and underestimated it by almost 400 calories. And hence calories in > calories out.
An excess of 100 calories each day is 36,500 extra calories in a year. Or weight gain of approximately 10 lbs in a year. Fun fact: 9 Lay’s Chips, 13 peanuts, and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise are all 100-calorie foods. It’s unfair how easy it is to mindlessly snack on these foods and thus go over your calorie limit.
There are many tips to avoid mindless snacking, including portion control and mindful eating. But these 5 ideas helped me break my 15-year-old snacking habit and also lose the weight I had regained.
Here are 5 unconventional methods that worked for me:
1. Focus on the math — not calories, but your personal budget
How much do you spend on food in a week? In a month? How much of this is on foods you mindlessly snack on? Do the math; trust me, you’ll be shocked if you’re a snacker!
Those late-night Uber Eats deliveries or large packets of chips really add up.
When I first lost weight in college, I had X dollars pre-loaded onto a dining card. For 2 months, I calculated how much I spent on snacks (just on snacks!), which was almost $30/month. I scaled that back to $8/month. Each year I would top up my dining card. This year I donated the cash left without a single top-up.
A survey estimated that Americans spend $9.22/week on snacks. Separate your food budget into snack and non-snack items. Define a maximum allowance, and you’ll see mindless snacking reduce. This is especially useful if you dislike calorie counting.
2. Listen to the most common advice given by dentists
Floss, floss, floss!
It’s almost a meme, right? How much the world hates flossing and how we panic floss for the one week before the dentist appointment. Here’s a win-win trick: brush and floss your teeth when you’re done with a meal.
You’ve painstakingly flossed each gum; do you really want to ruin that by snacking? No matter how deep my cravings are, I’ve never snacked after I floss. Though this tip works best for people who munch at night, you can also incorporate flossing after lunch to minimize snacking.
3. Make snacking inconvenient for you
The more effort it takes to snack, the less likely you are to do it.
There are many ways to do this:
- Never save your address or payment method on online ordering apps. This means each time you order, you need to re-enter your information. I can’t tell you how many times I add items to the cart, only to close the app when I realize I need to enter my card details. This won’t stop you from ordering a meal, but will you bother ordering a plate of fries?
- Keep food out of your room. Make yourself move to get to the snack cupboard. The added distance gives you time to think twice.
- Make it a habit to portion the snack and leave it in the cupboard. Make it an effort to go back for seconds.
Make each stage of the decision-making process slightly more inconvenient.
4. Delay the gratification
Snacking is often a way to distract ourselves from stressors. We want an instant dopamine rush.
So delay it.
Feel a craving coming on? Distract yourself for 20 minutes with any other task:
- Paint your toenails and let them dry
- Do the NYT crossword puzzle
- Do your skincare routine
- Journal
I’ve found tasks that require active engagement work better than tasks where you don’t need to be mindful. So practicing French and maintaining my Duolingo streak works better than scrolling through TikTok.
5. Count, Limit, and Avoid
Make a list of your most common mindless snacks and categorize them based on their calorie density and your ability to control your snacking intake. Count and portion your snacks to avoid mindless snacking. Note: this exact classification criterion may not work for you, but I’ve found this classification to be incredibly helpful.
- Count: It’s high calorie, you eat a large volume without thinking but can stop yourself when you pay attention: E.g., nuts are easy to over-indulge on, so I count what I want to eat and then put the box away.
- Limit: It’s high calorie, you’ll eat a small quantity if it’s there but crave seconds and thirds: E.g., cheese. Out of sight, out of mind works best here. These are foods you can enjoy in moderation, and that’s good! So eat what you originally wanted and ask someone to hide it before your mind tells you to snack more.
- Avoid: It’s high calorie, and you can’t stop eating it: E.g., vinegar chips. Honestly, don’t buy these snacks. I believe in moderation, but it’s easier to not buy than to not eat. And the more time you avoid these foods, the less you think about them.
Let’s be honest; snacking is kinda fun! There’s nothing better than a bowl of popcorn while watching movies or a piece of brownie during tea. The idea isn’t to stop snacking after all — that’s unsustainable — but to minimize mindless snacking.
Next time you want to snack, follow these tips. If you still want to snack, ask yourself two questions:
- Do I want to eat a good volume of food?
- Or do I want to eat high-calorie food?
There are many high-volume, low-calorie snacks (like roasted fox nuts) and low-volume, high-calorie snacks (like chips or pecan nuts) to satisfy a craving.
