Low Calorie Snacks to Lose Weight Fast

You want to lose weight.

I get it.

But did you know studies show that people who try to restrict snacks or replace them with low calorie snacks are more likely to be overweight.

Sounds crazy right. 

Here's what to do instead.

Let me explain.

Low calorie snacks and weight loss

I used to think that you had to cut out certain foods to lose weight.

The first time that I tried to cut out bread, I was only about 18. My brother’s friend had lost about 10kg from this diet called Atkins. At that stage, I had no idea what the Atkins diet was, or much about dieting at all really. It was the start of a long and very difficult journey.

And perhaps you can relate? Eating crackers and low carb wraps in place of bread. 

And maybe you also had some good results initially. I also remember losing weight quickly initially.

But then, inevitably, there would be a moment where I would slip, thinking it was ok to just have some toast one morning or because there was nothing else but bread available. It was always the start of a slippery slope that resulted in all the weight coming back on, often plus more.

Why can other people lose weight without low calorie snacks?

I used to always get so frustrated with feeling like I was missing out on enjoying delicious treats when I was dieting. It was so annoying and hard to feel like other people could eat whatever they wanted and never put on weight. 

I would try all these different low calorie snacks and meal replacements to try and lose weight. But even when I was initially losing weight, I would often feel frustrated that others could seemingly eat whatever they wanted.

I remember my brother would have a few pieces of toast every morning for breakfast. Then at lunch, he would have at least 2 sandwiches, if not 3! Yet he always stayed lean.

I always thought that he just had a faster metabolism than me. Which, in fact, did turn out to be somewhat true, considering the impact that dieting took on my metabolism.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the last diet I was to try. Maybe you can relate to this, where you have started lots of different diets, experiencing initial weight loss, only for it all to come back on.

Restricting certain snacks for weight loss

Later on in my weight loss journey, I stopped eating sugar. Once again, I had some initial success with weight loss.

However, and perhaps you can relate to this, I would often overcompensate with other foods.

Low or no sugar alternatives just never really hit the spot. I remember the first time that I found sugar free chocolate at the supermarket. I was so excited. But then it tasted absolutely sickly sweet, and also really upset my stomach. As well as that, it just didn’t really hit the spot, but I still ended up eating the entire block.

Yet the next time I went back to the supermarket, I bought the sugar free chocolate and once again ate the entire block and proceeded to feel sick. It was a cycle that became more and more frequent, with the occasional break when I would eat the full sugar version. And similarly when I succumbed to buying the full sugar option, I would also end up eating the entire block.

Maybe this is ringing true for you too?

You see what was happening was that I had put sugar, and chocolate in particular, up on a pedestal. I was trying to replace delicious food with low calorie snacks. But it wasn’t working, largely because as humans, we crave what we can’t have. And by telling myself that I wasn't allowed to eat sugar or chocolate, it only made me want it more. It almost became out of control and I felt obsessed with food I couldn’t have.

Perhaps you can relate to this experience, where you try to cut out foods like chocolate, but run out of willpower? Then, even though you promise yourself that you will just have a bit, you end up eating the entire block? I know just how it feels. Even when you get towards the end of the block, and you are feeling sick, but you just want to finish it so that you don’t have it in the house the next day.

But the next day comes and guess what you want? I know, chocolate right! Particularly in the evenings, when those late night cravings really kick in.

The secret to enjoying snacks without worrying about calories

The answer then of how to enjoy snacks without overeating them and putting on weight is actually to allow all foods and remove any restrictions.

Aside from the common sense of removing “naughty” foods from their pedestal, studies have shown that when you allow yourself to eat all foods, you are more likely to lose weight!

I know this might sound crazy, but again when you try to restrict foods, it often leads to overeating those “naughty” foods when you run out of willpower and eat them again. It can also lead to overeating other foods when you have constant cravings but don’t allow yourself to indulge.

And on the point of indulgence, it’s important to note that part of being human is enjoying pleasure! Studies also show that we are built for pleasure, not that we need studies to show this!

So the answer to losing weight with snacks is to allow yourself to eat those delicious snacks.

How to lose weight eating tasty snacks

Now you might be wondering how you can eat your favourite snacks without putting on weight. And aside from including all foods, the next step is learning how to stop overeating so that you can enjoy treats without overindulging.

The answer to this is to eat mindfully and with intention through intuitive eating.

At its core, intuitive eating is about reconnecting with your natural hunger and full signals to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.

Similar to my brother when he could eat seemingly endless amounts of bread without putting on weight, what he also did was eat when he was hungry and stop when full. It just so happened that when he ate, he was really hungry, so he needed lots of toast or sandwiches to fill up! And intuitive eating thankfully does allow you to eat large amounts of food if you are hungry.

It’s not about counting calories or having any restrictions. Instead, just reconnect with your in-built hunger and full signals.

This can be tricky at first after years of dieting where you are ignoring your internal signals and instead listen to calorie calculators or the latest fad influencer.

But there are some simple and effective ways to reconnect with your internal hunger and full signals so that you can lose weight eating your favourite snacks.

2 simple steps to lose weight eating snacks

1. Remove distractions

Do you find yourself often snacking in front of the TV or whilst you are scrolling through your phone? You might want to change this approach, as studies show that people who eat whilst distracted are likely to consume significantly more calories.

It was also shown that you will likely be more hungry a few hours after eating if you are distracted during meals and snacks. So by turning off the TV and putting down your phone, not only will you eat less during a meal, you will also be less hungry later!

2. Eat slowly

Do you often find yourself finishing a meal quickly? Maybe when eating with friends or family, you are one of the first to always finish?

Even if you don’t often finish your meal first, maybe it’s that everyone around you is also a fast eater. This can be a problem, as studies show that people who eat quickly are likely to eat significantly more calories. 

So put your fork and food down between mouthfuls, slow down your eating and savour the flavour of your food!

How to instantly start losing weight eating snacks

The first step to start losing weight whilst eating snacks is to include all of your favourite foods and apply the above steps to really savour the flavour of your foods.

If you want to really commit to this approach and finally learn how to lose weight without restricting any of your foods, then you can book in for your free discovery call with me now. In your free call, I will also share details of my lose weight without dieting guarantee.

—-------- About the author: James Hay

Hi, I’m James, an intuitive eating weight loss coach. I teach people how to lose weight without any dieting or restrictions.

My clients lose weight whilst eating all of their favourite foods.

I’m qualified in Public Health and also a certified nutritionist and health coach. I have personally applied what I teach to lose over 25kg and can help you achieve similar results without dieting. Let’s talk