Five Ways To Avoid Night Snacking
During the day it can be relatively easy to stick to your diet and exercise goals but many people find that their eating goes off the rails in the late evening. It’s the time of day your body has the lowest need for calories but the window in which you are most likely to overeat. My last post detailed why we snack at night, here are five ways to stop.
Make a plan
Number one is make a plan. Eat regularly throughout the day, including plenty of protein, to keep your blood sugar stable. This way you avoid playing calorie-catchup at the end of the day, when you end up doing a lot more than catching up. Try the reverse food diary technique - use Myfitnesspal and log your choices in advance. That way you can budget for a smart snack in the evening that fits in with your calorie count for the day.
Manage your emotions
Number two is to manage your emotions. It’s not too tricky to work out why you want to eat a lot at night. Bad food tastes good. It’s more fun to eat it than to go through the boring process of getting ready for bed. But there will be specific triggers for you, check out my post on the main causes of emotional eating.
Manage your evening activities
Number three is to manage your evening activities. Have a ritual to signal to yourself when you’re done with eating for the day – have a herbal tea, chew gum, clean your teeth. Organise activities that are incompatible with eating. Fold the washing while you watch TV, go for walk, have a shower, read a book.
Create a no-fail environment in your kitchen
Number four is to create a no fail environment in your kitchen. We’re all visually triggered so keep treat foods at the back of the fridge and pantry, ideally not in transparent containers. If you struggle to control treat-eating then try to avoid bringing treats into the house until the day they are required. No matter how low your mood or how boring your evening you can’t eat food that isn’t there.
Go to bed earlier
Number five is go to bed earlier. The easiest way to not be eating is to be sleeping. This can be easier said than done, check out my post for some tips on how to achieve it.
If you’re serious about living within a healthy weight zone it’s demoralizing to do well all day and let yourself down right at the end. Don’t mindlessly sabotage yourself every evening, save your treats for times when you can really enjoy them.
Make a plan
Number one is make a plan. Eat regularly throughout the day, including plenty of protein, to keep your blood sugar stable. This way you avoid playing calorie-catchup at the end of the day, when you end up doing a lot more than catching up. Try the reverse food diary technique - use Myfitnesspal and log your choices in advance. That way you can budget for a smart snack in the evening that fits in with your calorie count for the day.
Manage your emotions
Number two is to manage your emotions. It’s not too tricky to work out why you want to eat a lot at night. Bad food tastes good. It’s more fun to eat it than to go through the boring process of getting ready for bed. But there will be specific triggers for you, check out my post on the main causes of emotional eating.
Manage your evening activities
Number three is to manage your evening activities. Have a ritual to signal to yourself when you’re done with eating for the day – have a herbal tea, chew gum, clean your teeth. Organise activities that are incompatible with eating. Fold the washing while you watch TV, go for walk, have a shower, read a book.
Create a no-fail environment in your kitchen
Number four is to create a no fail environment in your kitchen. We’re all visually triggered so keep treat foods at the back of the fridge and pantry, ideally not in transparent containers. If you struggle to control treat-eating then try to avoid bringing treats into the house until the day they are required. No matter how low your mood or how boring your evening you can’t eat food that isn’t there.
Go to bed earlier
Number five is go to bed earlier. The easiest way to not be eating is to be sleeping. This can be easier said than done, check out my post for some tips on how to achieve it.
If you’re serious about living within a healthy weight zone it’s demoralizing to do well all day and let yourself down right at the end. Don’t mindlessly sabotage yourself every evening, save your treats for times when you can really enjoy them.