Avoid the Late-Night Snack Sabotage
As the holidays are almost behind us, and our health and wellness become top of mind once again, we may find that we are left with a habit that needs attention, that is, night time snacking. Or, this may be a habit that you’ve had for a while and are aware needs some work. Why would this be an issue?
Even though it is generally the overall caloric and type of food intake throughout the day that will make the difference in maintaining a healthy weight (and more importantly, being well nourished!), evening can be a trigger time whereby people take in too many calories. And these calories are often empty (that is, with little or no nutritional value). A good guideline to follow is to fuel the most active part of your day. And, as we approach bed time, we can easily see that is a time of day which doesn’t need as much fuel as the rest (unless you’re working night shift and that will be addressed in a later article).
To begin work on this change, let me ask you, what is triggering snacking in the evening? Boredom? Emotion? Trying to decompress from your day? I will hazard a guess that it’s not hunger that is triggering your eating. You think it may be? Here’s a test to discover if its truly hunger-give yourself the option of a cup of veggies as your snack, and if you dive into those, I would guess you are actually hungry. If those veggies aren’t enticing, its likely one of those other reasons. A side note: if you do discover that you’re actually hungry in the evening, I would encourage you to review your daily nutrition plan as perhaps you aren’t fueling well enough during your day, leaving you needing more in the evening.
Now, if you’ve discovered that you’re eating due to one of the other reasons, congratulations! You’ve now become aware, and that’s the first step in making a lasting change!
To change a habit, we must think of replacing it with something else. We all know that to just say “don’t do that” immediately turns us into a toddler whereby “that” is exactly what we’re going to do! So, consider the following alternatives to night time snacking:
1. Take up a new hobby-why not try a puzzle, knitting, scrapbooking. Something that will keep your hands and brain engaged.
2. Read-getting in to a great book can help re-direct your focus.
3. Have a “cuppa” (decaf) tea. This is a great way to decompress with a warm cup of sleep supporting tea like a chamomile.
4. Brush your teeth.
5. Go to bed. We can all use more sleep!
6. Go for a walk, do some squats, do a plank. As long as the activity won’t be too intense that it impairs your ability to fall asleep, get your body moving just a little.
Which suggestion resonates most with you? Give that one a try for a few days. If it doesn’t work, try another. You’ll find the one(s) that work best for you!
Do you have a suggestion that is already helping you avoid snacking at night? Please share-I know it’ll be helpful to so many others!
In health,
Deanna