*om nom nom nom* you look down at your pack... and oh dear ><

"NOOOOO I should not have eaten the entire chocolate bar!!!" But it keeps happening again and again and... sigh.

Fret not because here are some really practical hacks to help you stop munching on stuff you know you will regret!

Hack #1: Treat your snack like a meal

Photo credit: http://wordofwisdomliving.squarespace.com/home/the-snack-plate.html

I don't mean replace dinner with snacks!!! Treat it like you're eating dinner, but not exactly... What I mean is that if you put your food out nicely on a plate, you can completely 'see' what you're eating, vs. a bag of covered chips. For example, if you want to have chocolate and know you won't regret it, put it out openly on a plate and add some nutritious food in like fruits and nuts. Remember to choose a smaller plate so it tricks your brain into thinking that it's a lot of food!

Hack #2: Eat more protein for breakfast 

Photo credit: http://stylecaster.com/protein-breakfast-not-eggs/

A study in the US found that a protein packed breakfast helped a group of overweight young women feel fuller throughout the day, eat smaller dinners and had fewer night time snacks. This is because having a high protein meal early in the day triggers the release of the satiety stimulating hormone and reduces ghrelin (hunger stimulating hormone), which lasted through the afternoon, whereas the effects of a low protein breakfast lasted for a shorter period of time.

Hack #3: Keep healthy snacks in transparent containers

Photo credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUCGSOlm4fo

A google experiment found that people ate more healthy snacks and fewer calories when the healthy stuff like figs, nuts and fruits were in glass jars while the 'bad' stuff like M&M, cookies and sweets were placed in opaque containers and well-hidden. So keep the healthy stuff near you and the bad stuff hidden away. If you don't have much space, put the nasty snacks in containers that you can't see through. ;)

Hack #4 Switch to single serving packs

I know, I know. We all get the munchies. To prevent yourself from munching on the entire bag of snacks unknowingly, keep single serve snack packs with you.

Hack #5 Paint your nails

Photo credit: https://www.salonpricelady.com/painting-nails-are-you-doing-it-right/

If you have terrible munching habits you're trying to curb, you might find this tip useful. Whenever you want to grab something, paint your nails. Painting alone could help you change your mind and even when you're done, you can't really eat anything because of your wet nails. Make sure you are able to differentiate between hunger and boredom!

Hack #6 Use your non-dominant hand to eat

Photo credit: http://www.cosmo.ph/lifestyle/motivation/14-things-only-people-trying-to-lose-weight-know-to-be-true-a00052-20160127

When you eat with the hand you're not used to, you become more conscious of what you are eating instead of mindlessly snacking. Try it for a week!

Hack #7 Munch on fruits

Photo credit https://amindfulmeal.org/boy-eating-strawberries/

Fruits are rich in antioxidants and all those stuff that are good for you! Plus it makes you feel fuller because of it's high fibre content. You'll thank those oranges and kiwifruits for building up your immune system ;)

But if all else fails...

Just have something healthy for dinner. A large slice of cake isn't the end of the world, just your 'diet' ;) heh.