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Are you a late night snacker? If you’re truly hungry then you should eat. If however you are like me and just do it out of boredom then try some of these tips to stop your habit.
#1) Brush and floss your teeth earlier!
Nothing tastes good after you brush your teeth. Plus something has to be REALLY WORTH IT for me to have to brush and floss my teeth again.
I brush/floss while giving my kids a bath around 6:45pm. I’m done eating for the night. By doing this I realized that when I would eat late at night before I definitely wasn’t hungry, but I convinced myself I was. I also convinced myself that it’s healthy and I could be eating worse things.
#2) Drink more water throughout the day!
Often we can mistake thirst for hunger. By staying well hydrated we can avoid dehydration and thinking we are hungry when we are actually just thirsty.
#3) Eat more lean protein throughout the day!
Sometimes we are not eating enough throughout the day and that is what’s causing our late night cravings. Protein is the most hunger suppressing macronutrient. It fills up and helps us avoid craving all the wrong stuff later.
#4) Drink flavored tea or hot chocolate instead of eating!
Sometimes we just want to have some flavor. During the fall and winter this does the trick for me.
Here’s my favorite hot chocolate go to:
Pour boiling water over:
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
Splash of honey, maple syrup, stevia or any sweetner you like
Stir. Then add your milk of choice
#5) Chew some gum! OR Call your grandma/mom. They would love to hear from you.
Sometimes we just want our mouth to be busy and chewing gum helps. For me chewing gum helps me concentrate. We won’t feel the need to eat because it will taste nasty after having a minty fresh mouth. Calling your grandma or mom (or anyone) can help distract you from your cravings. You will probably forget about it when you hang up.
I used to eat late at night all the time. It would mostly be healthy stuff but still I didn’t need it because I actually wasn’t hungry. I was just eating for something to do. I used tip #1 and have stopped all my late night eating. Does that mean I’ll never eat late at night again, probably not. I might drink a glass of wine or have late night ice cream with my husband. The key here is that eating late at night is not the norm for me any more. When I decide to do it it’s rare and harmless in the long run because I’m not doing it every night. What we do consistently over time counts the most!
