Kick the Night-Time Snacking Habit

Ah emotional eating. Tell me you’re not guilty. One square of chocolate suddenly turns into 3, and you start to wonder how that happened so quickly. You tell yourself you deserved it. That you had a bad day, and that it will make you feel better. In actual fact, it just leads to loads of guilt, and negative feelings, both physical and mental.

I would like to give you some tips on how to curb the night time snacking, lose weight and get strong.

The first step is a tough one. It involves trying to become aware of whether what you’re feeling is hunger, or something else entirely.

Are you actually hungry, or just craving the comfort that comes with that bag of chips or the routine you are engaged in? When we take the time to slow down and pay attention to what we’re eating, it gives our bodies and our brains the opportunity to communicate, and make a better decision about what will satisfy us- what we really want and need (cause chips doesn’t cure boredom or loneliness).

I’d like to share a little story with you.

I used to work in a job that made me pretty miserable. It started well, but over the course of 5 years, there was no opportunity for advancement, and I often felt like my attempts to create new programs and initiatives were never taken seriously. The best part of the job- interacting with the public- was being overshadowed by meetings, spreadsheets, metrics and reports.

Oftentimes, I would come home with absolutely no motivation to move, let alone work out. It also made me gravitate towards the fridge or the panty late at night. It felt like if I opened them up, inside would be something that would both satisfy my intense cravings, and make me feel better. So, I would whip out the frozen yogurt and melt some peanut butter on top. Every night, bowl after bowl.

It got to the point where it was making me sick, and I didn’t even know why I was eating it. One day, my husband pulled the tub out of the fridge and was

like “Didn’t we just buy this?” “Ah ha!” That’s when I realized I was not happy at work, and it was having a huge impact on the rest of my life. It got to the point where the only thing that made me “feel better”, if only temporarily, was my nightly bowl of sugary goodness.

And I was always the healthy one of the bunch! My co-workers often marvelled at my food choices, and even put me in charge of ordering catered lunches that went beyond sandwiches and cookie trays.

In the past, having been on many diets, all I knew was how to avoid snacks or stop buying them. I wasn’t figuring out why it was happening. I needed to figure out a way to feel in control of what I was eating, a way to be around it without feeling out of control. For most, late night snacking isn’t slowing down your metabolism or causing the weight gain-it’s more about what we are eating as it contains a lot of extra calories and often makes us feel guilty and throw in the towel.

If you, want to stop the late-night snacking? Here are 3 tips:

1. Get curious about your food. Are you getting enough nutrients and water throughout the day? Are your main meals making you feel satiated and satisfied? Do you know the difference between balance and dieting? GET CURIOUS.

2. Observe as you chew- Count your chews- no matter what it is you are eating. Try it. You’ll stay more present in what you are eating vs. mindlessly engaged which leads to overeating. Does each chew taste as good as the first?

3. Evaluate your pantry- We are more apt to eat healthier if it is accessible and prepped. How much junk food is in your pantry? Generally, the more options we have, the easier it is to overeat. If you are the kind of person that hates wasting food, chances are you will eat it.

Now don’t get me wrong. Snacking is a good and a necessary part of a healthy, balanced diet. It’s more about staying present and asking yourself questions as to why you keep doing it when you want it to stop.