Q: Late night snacks are my downfall. How can I beat the nighttime munchies?
A: Do you hear the ice cream calling you at 9 o'clock when the kids are in bed and you're snuggled down for a Netflix binge?
Is the kitchen clean and “closed” but you find yourself opening the refrigerator in your pjs -- not hungry, but searching for something that will ‘do it’ for you?
I have some strategies to help you stay on track with your healthy diet and all of the good nutrition work you did during the day. These tips will squash the nighttime eating desire, and the side effects aren't bad, either. Read on.
How to Stop Eating Late Night Snacks
Go hands free. It's pretty hard to open a bag of munchies or scoop a bowl of rocky road without your hands. Paint your nails when the cravings start. By the time your polish is dry, 20 minutes or so will have passed, which is long enough to squash your temporary obsession for salt or sweet or crunch... If you prefer, use a deep moisturizing treatment on your hands and slide them into some gloves. Hard to eat anything without your digits, and you'll feel fancy.
Brighten your smile. I'm not saying you're not sporting a million dollar smile already, I’m just suggesting that the benefit of whitening strips on your chompers is that you can’t eat. So you’ll have a brighter smile and kill your snacking desires with one easy activity. Brushing your teeth has the same effect, so brush, floss, gargle and spit out your urge to snack. Your dentist will be so impressed that you might even get the sparkly toothbrush at your next visit.
Get hobby happy. Practice 10 minutes of a new language using an app, journal, knit, learn one new yoga pose, plan your next vacation or play a round of Wii when you feel the urge to snack in the evening. It will distract you long enough to be so over that need for something and add to you feeling good (from all that you accomplish) versus ugh from what you chow down on. The added benefits may include a new winter scarf, nailing a headstand, and telling your mother you love her in German. What's better than all that?!
So there you have it. Sometimes silencing cravings is strictly behavioral, and I promise when you adopt these new behaviors you'll eventually stop needing the sleeve of Oreos to make it past 10pm.