How to Use Chewing Gum to Combat Snack Attacks

You step on the scale and cringe at the number that flashes back. "I've been on this diet for weeks, why haven't I lost any weight?" you ask yourself. After all, isn't that what your new diet was meant for, weight loss? You review what you ate throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were eaten according to plan, and the snack portions were kept down to what the diet recommended, so why isn't the weight coming off?

Then the light bulb turns on. Perhaps you followed the diet protocols to the tee, but did you also factor in the tootsie rolls that sat on the office desk? Reaching into your pants pocket, you groan as 8 candy wrappers are extracted. Those are just the wrappers from this afternoon, too. No wonder the diet isn't working! Those candy snack attacks are really adding up!

There is a way to beat the impulse, though. The solution is a simple trick I have used to combat the snack attack monster. It involves a little will power, some self-discipline, and chewing gum. That's right, chewing gum is a way to keep the mouth busy, thereby reducing the opportunity and temptation to pop an innocent looking jolly rancher into the salivary glands.

Chewing gum during those times when snack attacks are at their worst works for many reasons. One may be because your mouth is already busy, and you don't want your gum to be ruined when you eat, another might be because the gum in your mouth acts as a concrete reminder that you are on a diet and have weight loss goals. So, instead of throwing in the towel and giving up the weight loss dream, here is a step-by-step guide to using gum for weight loss.

1. Go buy a big pack of your favorite gum

Make sure the gum is of the sugar free variety. Those that aren't sugar free will add significantly to your calorie intake. Sugary gums have up to 25 calories, while sugar-free kinds can have fewer than 5. I recommend Orbit, Trident, Stride, or Dentyne brands. They simultaneously clean your teeth, too.

2. Make sure you always carry a pack of gum around

You never know when the next snack attack is going to hit.

3. Chew the gum when the urge to snack strikes

Simply unwrap a piece of gum, stick it in your mouth, and begin chomping away. Not only does this keep your mouth busy, as was previously stated, it acts as a tangible reminder that you are, in fact, trying to lose a few pounds. Gum also acts as an appetite suppressant. The body thinks it is going to get some food when an object, food or not, is in the mouth, so the hunger signals begin to subside. This works even if you aren't already hungry.

4. Start to chew your gum prior to when you know the snack attacks strike

Mid-afternoon is the worst time for me. Between lunch and dinner, the candy dish becomes very appealing. If I'm already chewing gum, though, my mouth is too busy to worry about the m & m's sitting on the table. I've come already prepared to fight.

5. Make it a point to chew each piece of gum for at least one hour

A few reasons for this. Gum calories add up if too many pieces are consumed. Besides, gum isn't exactly the cheapest commodity, particularly for teenagers. Many brands also clean your teeth, a plus for anybody that struggle to brush and floss as often as they should. One of the best, most overlooked bonuses to chewing is the calorie expenditure! Granted, not that many calories are burned off quickly, but the calories burned from chewing throughout the day add up. Chewing expends about 11 calories per hour. If you chew for, say, 8 hours a day, that's almost 90 calories! That equals a 110 pound person running one mile! Hey, that's a bonus if I've ever seen one.

No more excuses! You can beat the snacking demon. A little outside help from friends, co-workers, and the Wrigley gum company might be necessary, but everyone wants to see you succeed in your life goals. Begin today, start chewing away!