Is your snacking keeping you from achieving your weight loss goals? Luisana Carrero is a nutrition coach and social media influencer who knows how to lose weight and keep it off from personal experience. In fact, she ended up losing 28 pounds in 4 months. In a new post, she discusses how this can happen and what to do about it. “I was holding most of my weight in my lower belly and hips until I stopped making these mistakes with my snacks,” she writes across the Instagram video. “Learn from my mistakes,” she adds in the post. “When I started my journey, I thought I was eating healthy, but I couldn’t understand why losing weight was so hard. Until I realized that I was making these three big mistakes with my snacks.”
Mistake 1: She Snacked on “Snack” Foods
Her first mistake? Snacking on actual snack foods. “I used to snack on foods like whole grain chips, crackers, granola bars, jerky, and cheeses. I was relying on foods that were literally marketed as ‘snack foods,’” she writes.
Mistake 2: Her Snacks Were Low in Protein and Volume
She also didn’t choose snacks that offered the right nutritional value that she needed. “My snacks were VERY low in protein and volume, which made it hard to only eat one serving,” she says.
RELATED:10 Weight Loss Secrets This Doctor Recommends, "Start With Just 5%"
Mistake 3: She Mindlessly Snacked
And her third mistake was that she didn’t keep herself accountable or track what she was eating. “I was mindlessly snacking, not paying attention to the servings or how much I was eating because I thought I was eating healthy,” she writes.
She Made Adjustments, Stick to Snacks with Protein, a Carb, and a Fat
“Making these adjustments was a game changer for me,” she continues. “I stopped relying on ‘snack foods’ and started building my snacks the same way I do with my meals,” she said. This involved “adding a protein, a carb, and a fat.”
She Also Pays Attention to Calories
She made herself more accountable by doing research as well. “Now, I’m aware of the calories per serving and the low volume these snacks provide,” she said. She also explains that making the following swaps was a game-changer.
RELATED:She Lost 40 Pounds After Discovering “The Most Satisfying Food On Earth”
She Eats Greek Yogurt with Berries Instead of Granola Bars
Her first swap? “Instead of eating granola bars (very little protein and very small serving), I eat plain non-fat Greek yogurt with berries and natural nut butter or apples with natural nut butter and low-fat cottage cheese,” she writes.
She Eats Lots of Lean Proteins
She also makes sure to amp up her protein intake. “Instead of jerky and cheese, I opt for lean protein sources like protein shakes, low-fat cottage cheese, or turkey,” she says.
She Swapped Crackers and Chips with Veggies and Greek Yogurt
Another swap? “Instead of crackers or chips, I eat crunchy veggies with plain Greek yogurt mixed with 0 calorie ranch powder, or rice cakes with deli turkey and avocado, or rice cakes with peanut butter, berries, and a protein shake,” she says.
RELATED:3 Holiday Weight Loss Mistakes This Coach Stopped Making
Her Snacks Have 20 Grams of Protein Plus Complex Carbs and Fats
“Now, all my snacks have at least 20g of protein along with complex carbs and fats. This has helped cut back on mindless eating and keeps me satisfied until my next meal. Once I learned how to build better snacks and to prioritize well-balanced meals, weight loss became easier,” she writes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
shawnmichellefitness/Instagram
Shutterstock
She Even Eats at McDonald’sShutterstock
