We all have that time of the day when a craving hits. Sometimes we are hungry and sometimes we just have a need for something. If we can agree that many times we are really craving something more than food, that it's an emotional response, then I think we can move on to how to curb it.
For me it's between 4-5pm, lunch is long past, and dinner is not quite ready yet. I have to be conscious of how I handle this time of day. If I have eaten too much in a particular day, I can almost always pinpoint it to that specific time. I have to keep in mind that I need a small snack around this time, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-200 calories, and hopefully those are meaningful calories. An example of this might be a cup of Greek yogurt. The sugar keeps my mind satisfied, while the protein keeps me full. If I skip my snack generally I tend to overeat at dinner.
I know lots of you struggle with late night snacking. The biggest offender of this habit lives in my house, no, not my husband, Andrew. It's my poodle Paddington, he's what we call "the midnight snacker". He will often eat the majority of his dinner right before he goes to sleep. I have some theories on why he does this, but it's probably not helpful to the rest of us human beings.
Let me paint the picture for you. You are sitting in front of the TV, dinner has been over for a few hours, and the ice cream commercial comes on. Let's assume you are truly hungry and the stomach is growling a little. In this case you won't be committed to ice cream or some other sugary or salty snack. You will be satisfied with some carrot sticks or some air popped popcorn (hold the butter PLEASE). These would be examples of a good snack, while we still have some sugar in there, it's low on calories, and generally filling for the portion size. Also, let's remember, you are not starting your day or leaving for a workout, you are going to sleep. Not a lot of fat burning activity going on there.
Now, for those of us who aren't actually hungry, but just feel like we need a snack. This is when you want to stop and really decide if it's worth it. Let's face it, some days it just is. How do you determine if it's worth it? Honestly, if you really stop and think the answer will be obvious. For many people, it's just a habit, and they have a late night snack because it's part of a nightly ritual, it's mindless and unnecessary.
If you need a little help overcoming this hurdle and making the choice not to snack, these are my tips. First off, drink a glass of water, even if you do end up eating, it will make you feel a little fuller,thus curbing the amount you will eat. Second tip, hit up a stick of gum. This sounds stupid, but it tricks us into thinking we are getting that sugar we are craving as well as the chewing sensation. The next tip is brush your teeth. You are going to do it before you go to bed anyway. It is not appetizing to eat right after you brush. Try these tips out next time you are about to be a "midnight snacker". On our best days we can and do talk ourselves out of the snack, because we know ultimately, it's not worth it. You were on point all day with your exercise and food choices, you are close to finishing the day. You don't want to compromise your great choices. You are worth it, finish strong and healthy!!!!
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