How to prevent late night snacking
After a long day at work followed by a sweaty hour in the gym, most people find themselves slumped on the sofa for an hour (if you’re lucky) before bed. There are many thoughts running through your head and it usually involves food. Late night snacking is very common but can add up to a bigger problem. If you are trying to lose some body fat you know that you need to control the amount of calories you eat. If you have consumed your daily allowance and you are just unnecessarily adding to the total, you will not be doing yourself any favours.
I have written a few tips to help prevent this and hopefully reduce your total calorie intake.
Identify trigger foods
There are certain foods that we know once we start eating, we won’t be able to stop. Pringles base there whole marketing campaign on this fact. Whether it is crisps, sweets or even grapes, if you can identify them you can avoid them or at least hide them.
Meal planning
By planning ahead you can minimise when you are most hungry. Some people wake up starving hungry whilst others aren’t too fussed about eating breakfast. It sounds simple, but plan your meals around when you are most hungry. I always like to bulk my calories around my workout, as I find I get more hungry/need more energy at that time.
Brush your teeth
This is a strange one but it actually works. Once you have finished your last meal of the day, go and brush your teeth as if you are going to bed. Hopefully you will be put off by snacking as you will have to brush your teeth again. It also makes foods taste strange just after you have brushed your teeth.
Don’t buy ‘junk’ food
After you have identified your trigger foods, just don’t buy them. As simple as that. If the food isn’t in the cupboard you can’t shovel into your face at a rapid rate of knots. I know for a fact I can’t leave my wife in the house with Kinder chocolate because it gets destroyed. I’m convinced she can smell it through the cupboards.
Mindless eating
When we are distracted by the latest death in [insert shit soap here], then it is easy not to concentrate on what we are eating. Instead if we sat at the table and eat a meal you will be more consciously aware of how full you are. This could prevent overeating and consuming excess calories.
Long term mind-set
Instead of satisfying your short term satisfaction, try to think about the long term goal. If you are planning on making progress then making short steps towards that goal is key. If you constantly cave in to your cravings, then the chances of reaching this goal is slim. Ensure you are a mental fortress with rock solid will power. Or you could just say “nah not going to give in”.
Use sweet alternatives
If you are craving the sugary sweetness of a dessert, then there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. You could always go for a zero calorie drink or even sugar free sweets. Don’t worry sweeteners are going to kill you instantly. They are great for finding alternatives to the high sugar original.
Food and mood diary
This is exactly what it says on the tin. If you are already keeping a food diary (and I recommend you do), then it is easily adjusted to a food and mood diary. You make a note of how that meal has affected your mood. Whether you were bored, happy, hungry or full. By being aware of how the foods we eat change our mind set we can make changes as required.
Now you are armed with the tips to prevent late night snacking, try and start putting a few into practice. Don’t let all you hard work be undone in the space of one hour on the sofa. Which tip is your favourite? Comment below….
The brains, brawn and beauty of Dackattack (basically it’s just me). A personal trainer with a private gym in Norwich, dedicated to giving out simple, actionable advice that will give you outstanding results.
