Ever wonder why it's so difficult to snack healthy at work? Here are ten tips to help make it easy!

All of us are pretty much in the same boat when it comes to mindless snacking at work, but have you ever wondered what you can do about it? We are going to uncover the best ways to stop the act of snacking in self disapproval.

Snacking at the workplace is one of the most overlooked attributing factors when it comes to coming short of your fitness goals. Do you ever find yourself mindlessly drifting from M&Ms to Cheetos during a stressful work day? Whether it be maintaining weight or weight loss, most people don't realize the damage that is being done everyday when snacking mindlessly. The worse part of this cycle is that it usually happens when your'e not even hungry! You're probably thinking, "It's not my fault? Like, what am I supposed to do? Do you actually expect me to pass up Bagel Mondays and Pizza Fridays?". We agree, its exceptionally difficult to pass up free food, even when you are just slightly hungry. Jillian Michaels, the world known fitness trainer, states that snacking can make or break your diet as one can blow hundreds of calories without even realizing it. She also blames "snacking mode", for ignoring all of our standard eating practices. This is a great point as many people who practice healthy eating at home, don't necessarily live up to it sufficiently anywhere else. This is why you have to be strong within to overcome these temptations. Let's be real though, there are many reasons junk snacks are a staple for many at work. Regardless of your reason, here are six tips to help you kick the habit.

TIP 1:

Our first tip on the list we believe is essential. As your will power can only be over rode to a certain point, a system of pre-portioning your snacks will greatly reduce the amount of chomping down in between meals you will be doing. Google realized the importance of individual portioning when they began to give their employees single serving snack packets, as opposed to the self serving bag they were giving them before. This change was implemented to fix their snacking epidemic. Throw some cashews in a bag, put a little hummus in a container, or grab a single serving pouch of Mindful Market Bites to keep your portioning under control. By pre portioning the amount you can eat, you will not have to rely fully on your will power alone (this is great for people who find that part really difficult). So, go round up some Ziploc bags, and get prepping!

TIP 2:

Our second tip comes straight from Jillian Michaels herself. She says that you should savor every bite of your snack, obviously if time permits. Jillian believes it is beneficial to actually sit down and enjoy your snack than mindlessly inhaling it. The more you concentrate on eating, the more satisfied you will be for a longer term. Ever notice when you are standing up and eating something on the go, you usually end up eating it all in just one bite. By doing such, you will be hungry again in no time. Stay satisfied for longer by slowing down, sitting down, and savoring the moment.

TIP 3:

It is easy to understand why free is so hard to pass up. Many employers today will provide their employees with free food, as opposed to health care or retirement plans. They do this as millennials simply cannot resist free food, especially while on the clock. Studies have even proven that companies who provide free food have happier employees. The question is, how do you resist the urge of grabbing for that ABSOLUTELY FREE everything bagel? You should realize, first, that free is never free (at least that's what my parents told me). You must not give into the lure of the $0.99 cents you are saving, but to focus on the damage that is being done by opting to override your regular eating habits. Even gyms today are offering free bagels and pizza (yeah, we made the same face when we saw it the first time too). At the end of the day nothing is free, and you must overlook price and look at the quality of food you are putting into your body.

TIP 4:

In life, things that are satisfying AND easy to obtain are usually almost impossible to resist. Snacking at the office is no different. To avoid all temptation, we all know that we have to get away from our weakness at all costs. And we all fall victim to eating under stress, or when we simply want to avoid a certain task. This term has been unofficially coined "procrastin-eating, according to NBC News. SO, how do we stop this procrastin-eating? The best way is to remove all of the snacks you have at work that will ultimately derail you from your goals. Jillian Michales says it all has to go. It may be a sad moment, but you will be glad you did it. Clear everything out and start fresh with snacks that meet your calorie requirements, or any other criteria you need to meet your individual health goals.

TIP 5:

Drinking a bottle of some ice cold H20 will quench any ones thirst, but did you know that water also boosts your metabolism, cleanses your body of waste, and even acts as an appetite suppressant? Mind blown?...I know. Water will reduce hunger before meals, as well as , increase fullness following meals. According to healthline.com, scientists believe that just 17 oz.(500ml) of water will stretch the stomach enough to send signals of fullness to the brain. As crazy as it sounds, it is a great method to combat mindless snacking. Make sure to keep a bottle of water with you at all times. Sip away to keep the hunger at bay!

TIP 6:

Of course, we had to save our best tip for last. This is a phenomena that many believe is effective in weight management. I'm sure you know of someone in the office who brags about how they don't eat almost anything throughout the day, just to stay on track of their newfound weight loss diet. Seems simple enough, right? Eat more, gain weight. Eat less, lose weight. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to decipher this one. Of course, there is a caveat to this mindset. Jillian Michales says that skipping meals can cause you to become overly hungry and eat too much at your next meal. She explains how "stabilizing your blood sugar" is vital to success. This can be done by simply eating every three - four hours. So don't listen to Jim when he tells you less is more. Actually, you should refer him to this blog.

Well, that's all we got for this time around. We just explained six great tips on how to make snacking healthy at the workplace, easier. We hope this helps you and anyone else who might need some encouragement. Spread the wealth and share this with someone in need. As always, live free, and be Mindful!