How to Lose Weight by Cutting Snacks

Written by Maia Appleby; Updated November 27, 2018
How to Lose Weight by Cutting Snacks

How to Lose Weight by Cutting Snacks


When trying to lose weight, people often cut their portion sizes at meals to limit the number of calories they consume. But a diet can easily be ruined by the snacks they sneak in between those meals. In order to make sure you get the nutrients your body needs without adding extra calories from snacks, you should focus on eating foods that keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied for longer.

Bulk Up With Fiber

One mistake people often make when dieting is eating meals that are too light, leaving them feeling hungry shortly after eating. If you get a generous amount of fiber with each meal, you can prolong the amount of time before you feel hungry again. A high-fiber cereal for breakfast, a sandwich with whole-grain bread for lunch and whole-wheat pasta or brown rice for dinner will help you meet this need without adding large amounts of extra calories and fat to your diet.

Drink Water

The Nutrition Department at Iowa State University recommends most people consume 10 to 15 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Because water generally makes up 20 percent of the food in the typical diet, you should supply your body with the remainder, drinking 8 to 13 glasses per day. This helps your organs function optimally so that they can metabolize fat more efficiently. It also helps you feel full, curbing cravings for snack foods between meals. If eight glasses sounds excessive, keep in mind that the standard bottle of water contains 16 ounces, so each bottle counts as two servings.

Calories and Fat

When you cut snacks from your diet, make sure that your meals contain components that will sustain you nutritionally. Each gram of protein or carbohydrate contains 4 calories, while each gram of fat contains 9. To keep your meals low in calories, limit the amount of fat in each food and ensure that you get ample amount of complex carbohydrates and protein. Working together, these two types of food will supply your brain with the glucose it needs to keep you alert and the energy your muscles need to keep you strong, helping you burn more calories before your next meal.

Kicking the Snack Habit

Snacking, particularly in the United States, has become a hobby for many people. One important, though difficult, thing to do is to change your mindset about eating. When you begin to crave a snack, ask yourself whether you want to eat it because you are hungry, because it tastes good or because you are bored. People who habitually eat food just for the taste or for something to do often suffer from long-term weight problems and health issues. If you think of yourself as a snack person, nothing will change. Instead, remind yourself often that you are a healthy food person. With frequent reminders, you may change the way you see yourself and, consequently, the way you see food.

Healthy Snacks

Cutting snacks isn't the only option for reducing your caloric intake to lose weight. In fact, cutting snacks can increase the risk that you will be so hungry by your next meal you will overeat. Small portions of low-calorie, low-fat foods such as fresh fruit, sliced vegetables, whole-grain crackers or rice cakes between meals can give you extra fuel and nutrients without causing you to gain extra weight.

About the Author

Maia Appleby


bibliography-icon icon for annotation tool Cite this Article