Don’t fall victim to the dreaded late-night snack attack! If you regularly find your willpower fading at the end of the day and yourself with a case of the munchies, check out our 5 helpful tips for curbing late night eating.
1. Better IN The Waste… Then ON The Waist
Out of sight and out of mind…right?
Sure, you could jump in the car and get a shake or order pizza. But you’re less likely to do that than simply eat that plate of cookies your neighbor dropped off the other day. As nice as your neighbor is, those cookies are not nice to your waistline, so throw them in the waste bin! Simply by removing the temptation from your home, you will be able to more easily beat those late night cravings!
- Just Go To Bed… Early
Going to bed at a decent hour can help you kick your munchie habit. In fact, not only will it help you avoid late night snacking, getting enough sleep will help you nail your other goals the next day, like waking up early, working out and getting a good breakfast. You’ll also have more mental strength to make healthy food choices throughout the day.
- Eat Balanced Meals During The Day
Eating balanced meals with the proper proportions of protein, fat, carbs and fiber throughout the day will help manage nighttime munchies. A healthy meal leaves you more satisfied and less likely to be hungry and crave those late night snacks than eating unhealthily throughout the day will.
- Listen To Your Body
If you’re prone to stress eating and are craving a snack, shut the cupboard and stop and think about how you feel and why. Write it down and then re-evaluate if you really are hungry or if you’re just bored or frustrated. If you find that you’re just bored and frustrated and can’t sleep, instead of snacking, drink a glass of water and take some melatonin (a natural sleep hormone) to help yourself calm down and get some shut-eye.
- Swap Snacks
We highly recommend not snacking at night as your body is likely to store those calories as fat instead of burning them but if you absolutely must eat, try swapping out that late night milkshake with something a little healthier and just as delicious like a protein shake or greek yogurt with a few dark chocolate chips instead of that bowl of ice cream.
For more ideas on healthy snacks to eat check out our blog post: 5 Healthy Junk Foods.
