There is no need to fight nighttime food cravings if you plan for them. Every morning, take a second to budget out a post-dinner snack. By doing this, you are less likely to go over your calorie range or to succumb to eating something unhealthy. Make it a special treat that you can look forward to all day.
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I usually plan for popcorn if my husband and I will watch a movie, or a granola bar if I'm doing a nighttime workout. Or, sometimes I plan for a special dessert I might be baking with my son. Remember, fail to plan, plan to fail!
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yeah, nighttime snacking is a problem of mine, too. great idea!
CHERLYNHOLT3/1/2011 10:08:00 PM
I love this idea. Night time seems to be the worse for many of us.
Related Secrets
Plan an exciting late-night snack
If you have a late-night snacking problem, like I do, try this: Early in the day, plan a late-night snack you can look forward to, that will fit into your daily calorie plan but taste great too. Tell yourself that if you waste your budgeted calories too soon on other nighttime snacks, you have to skip it. Knowing that there's a good snack waiting for you later on will prevent you from eating a bunch of other snacks that aren't worth the calories.
I usually have 3 meals a day- breakfast, lunch and dinner. No snacks. I think its a great idea to have a reasonably heavy lunch and a lighter dinner (still within the daily calorie limits). A lighter dinner essentially helps to starve the body throughout the night (at least 8-10 hours). Starving the body during the daytime is almost impossible and can lead to snacking. Nighttime sleep is a golden opportunity designed by nature to starve the body :)
Have trouble with nighttime snacking? Try eating a little bit later in the day. Instead of eating at 5:00 or 5:30, eat at 6:30 or 7:00. It's early enough so that it won't interfere with your sleep, but late enough that you're less likely to get hungry and snack on unhealthy food afterward!
