The junk food junkie is addicted to snacking. That snacking can have a significantly negative impact on their health. You are definitely what you eat and if you fill your body with refined carbs and poor food choices you won’t look good and you won’t feel good.

If you think of your body as a machine with a garbage in and garbage out mentality you can see how easily you can hurt your health. By eating poor foods you’ll soon look and feel lousy. Even if you don’t gain weight which you most likely will do you won’t have much energy and your entire body will suffer over time.

Here are a few suggested lifestyle changes that can be a shock to your system at first but that will ultimately result in a healthier, happier and more vital you. The number one tip is to plan your menu and shop for it.  Skip the junk food isle altogether!

Menu planning will minimize temptation to veer off your plan.

Sometimes it’s habitual to shovel food in your mouth watching television. This can lead to overeating because you’re not mindful of the size of your portions. Instead of eating from a large bag of something, measure out a portion into a bowl or a plate. You’ll also feel more satisfied if you use smaller bowls. Use a full cereal bowl for a bag of chips instead of a ¾ empty salad bowl and you’ll not be as likely to reach for seconds.

Mindless Snacking Equals Overeating

Try not to eat mindlessly at the computer or tv when you eat meals. If you make mealtime a ritual with your table and chairs it’ll help you eat slower and feel more full. It can take your brain up to twenty minutes to realise it’s full but if you’re eating in five minutes you might be more likely to reach for seconds and having a meal at a table with conversations could result in a better opportunity to enjoy the meal you have and realize that you have had enough.

Don’t Drink Your Calories…

Drink water with your meals and snacks instead of soda pop. Soda pop has more than 100 calories per glass and doesn’t fill you up because it has such a high quantity of sugar so it can almost block your body’s full sensor. Water helps you feel satisfied and helps the digestive process and you can drink as much as you want without thinking about calories.

Drink water before reaching for a snack late at night. If you’ve had a big dinner there’s not always a reason to eat a snack later. If a glass of water doesn’t calm the tummy rumbles reach for healthier alternatives. For something sweet instead of reaching for baked goods have a bowl of cereal with fruit or sweetened cereal such as a flavoured Special K variety. IF you are hankering for something crunchy go for popcorn or pretzels instead of potato chips and skip the dip. If you like crunch with dip go for veggies and dip instead of chips and dip. If you really really need some chips have some baked tortilla chips with salsa instead of a sour cream based dip with fried chips.

It doesn’t take long to break old habits…

A few habit changes and some menu planning can go a long way in helping you keep a trimmer waistline and feel better. Healthier eating results in a more well rested, clear minded and more vibrant looking you. Go ahead and have junk food once in a while but if you’re a junkfood junkie try to change your eating habits atleast 75% of the time and you just might find that a late night craving for carrot sticks and low fat ranch might be in your mind rather than sour cream and onion potato chips.

Click here for an online menu plan that can take the guesswork out of your weight loss efforts