I have a confession to make. I’m a serious late night snacker. If I’m not careful, I might down three bowls of granola, a bar of Theo Chocolate, or a box of cookies while watching an episode of Modern Family.
Yep. I’m a health coach, I know. Why do you think I do what I do? Because I struggle with this stuff too!
In today’s post, I share four strategies that I’ve found helpful in nipping this completely self-defeating late night snacking habit in the bud.
- Sit at the table. Make the table the ONLY place you eat (and I don’t mean the coffee table…unless you live in NYC, in which case you get a special coffee table pass). And do not under any circumstances eat in front of the TV. That’s just asking for late night snack binging (seriously). My rule – when I’m actually following my own advice – is “No eating on the couch. Period.”
- Tune in. Notice your triggers. For example, I noticed that I have the urge to eat something whenever I come home, even if I’ve just finished a five course meal. Just that realization can often keep me from diving into the chocolate.
- Visualize. Visualize your goals. If what you’re about to do won’t get you there, don’t do it! I turned 40 this year. My body has, um, shifted. There are bits of bulge in places that have never bulged before, despite my bettter-than-average exercise schedule. My late night snacking habit will likely do more damage now than it’s ever done before. And I’d really like to hang onto the body that I worked so hard to get for a while longer, thank you very much.
- Deconstruct. What’s really eating me? It’s most definitely NOT hunger. It’s not like I don’t eat dinner; so this little after hours pantry dive has very little – if anything – to do with actual hunger. More likely I’m bored, tired, lonely, or stressed out – or all of the above. (Stress eating…now THAT one sneaks up on me at all times of day, but that’s a whole other blog post.) If I’m tuned in enough to see it, I can usually address the root cause of the craving instead of using food to quell it. Read a book. Call a friend. Go for a walk. Do what I need to do to find balance again…minus the mindless snacking.
What about you? What self-defeating food habits do you struggle with? How do you manage them?
Share your thoughts in the comments. This topic is an especially tricky one for a lot of people – I know that I and your fellow readers can use all the help we can get.
P.S. Send me YOUR burning food, fitness, and healthy living questions! Go here to enter your question or topic suggestion – then look for an answer in an upcoming post.
