{"id":2261,"date":"2018-12-13T11:18:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T16:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/?p=2261"},"modified":"2018-12-13T11:18:42","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T16:18:42","slug":"7-smart-ways-to-control-nighttime-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/7-smart-ways-to-control-nighttime-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Smart Ways to Control Nighttime Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Staring into the fridge again? Whether you\u2019re trying to lose weight or simply not gain any, nighttime snacking can spell disaster. In fact, the calories we eat at night may play a more significant role in weight gain than the ones we eat at breakfast and lunch simply because of how the body works.A Japanese study found that, in a perfect world, we should stop eating two hours before going to bed. While that might work in Japan<\/em>, the American lifestyle often means staying up late, past 11 pm or even midnight because of work deadlines or social demands, and you may want a snack at night.Willpower weakens as you get fatigued, so having a strategy to deal with nighttime noshing is key. Here\u2019s advice from Stephen P. Gullo, PhD, a health psychologist who has specialized in weight control for four decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIRST, SET THE GROUND RULES<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t mistake sleepiness for hunger.<\/strong>\u00a0In the hours after dinner, as your body moves into sleep mode, there\u2019s no more need for food. But if instead of going to bed, you stay up to read a book, watch TV or pay bills, you may feel the urge to eat. Acknowledge that this snack attack isn\u2019t true hunger because you\u2019ve probably already eaten enough for the day. Satisfy the urge with a glass of water or a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea. If you make it so hot or cold that you can only sip it, you can trick yourself into feeling full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify your snacking patterns.<\/strong>\u00a0Many evening activities lend themselves to mindless or mood-triggered eating. You may munch as you watch TV or pay those bills, not noticing as the food disappears. Or perhaps you\u2019re anxious about the day\u2019s events, so you eat to forget your troubles. Separate mood from food, and find other ways to express emotions, such as journaling, calling a friend or distracting yourself with a novel. It also helps to acknowledge your \u201cfood genes.\u201d Are you wired for sweets or for salty foods? Be especially mindful of the tastes you typically crave\u2014you\u2019ll want to avoid these triggers when making snack choices. For instance, one cookie won\u2019t satisfy someone with a sweet tooth, but one salty chip might. Don\u2019t feel guilty about your likes\u2014just work with them.Reality check:<\/em>\u00a0Think historically<\/em>, not just calorically. For one week, write down what and how much you eat at night\u2026and what you\u2019re doing and how you\u2019re feeling as you snack. Then, to change your habits, plan your snack schedule in advance, listing healthful foods in your journal and what time you will eat them. Eating meals with a definite structure may also help squash nighttime temptation. Having small amounts four or five times a day optimizes metabolic efficiency and keeps blood sugar stable. Result? Less hunger and mindless eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a \u201cno-shopping\u201d list.<\/strong>\u00a0To keep food out of mind, keep it out of house. When nighttime cravings kick in, people rarely rush out to the store to buy them\u2014they satisfy their cravings with what\u2019s already on hand. Do you keep your kitchen stocked with favorite snacks? This opens the door to constant temptation. Availability creates craving, and variety stimulates consumption. It\u2019s easier to resist just once\u2026when you\u2019re at the supermarket.Smart:<\/em>\u00a0On your shopping list, include a separate section for foods you won\u2019t buy. Review your shopping cart before you hit the checkout line and put back anything on that list. Make a point of creating a shopping list of healthy options\u2014if berries and carrots aren\u2019t written down, you may not remember to buy them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eat a better dinner.<\/strong> Make this meal high in protein\u2014eggs, white meat (turkey or chicken) or seafood\u2014and vegetables that are low in starch and sugar. Avoid high-starch foods such as potatoes, rice, corn and pasta (as well as pizza and burritos). They stimulate insulin production, which causes the body to store more calories as fat\u2014and nighttime is when you\u2019re most vulnerable to fat storage. If you\u2019re going to eat high-starch foods, have them at lunch. On the other hand, don\u2019t confuse a light<\/em> dinner with a small<\/em> dinner\u2014you can have a large volume of shrimp and green beans, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHEN HUNGER STRIKES, SNACK SMARTER<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to go cold turkey with nighttime noshing, but it\u2019s possible to snack smarter if you can\u2019t shake the habit completely. And sometimes you\u2019re truly hungry because you forgot to eat or have to work late and can\u2019t focus without food. That\u2019s fine\u2014as long as you stick mostly to healthful foods and reasonable portions. Yet it\u2019s all too easy to overindulge. You might be too distracted to notice how much you\u2019re nibbling, so eat mindfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eat dinner\u2014again.<\/strong>\u00a0If you find yourself wanting to eat nonstop at night, your behavior is saying that you\u2019re seeking greater volume and a longer eating time. For many, having a small sweet treat stimulates rather than satisfies the appetite, so a paltry-yet-calorie-dense smidgen of fudge only leads to frustration or, worse, acts as a trigger for eating more. Have a satisfying, high protein mini-meal instead. For people whose habit is to nibble all through the evening, having this extra meal, which takes some time to prepare and eat, will be much more satisfying than a snack that can be gobbled down in four spoonfuls, such as a diet pudding.Consider:<\/em>\u00a0An egg plus an extra egg-white (to add volume without too many calories) omelet with saut\u00e9ed veggies\u2026a shrimp cocktail with a green salad\u2026homemade tuna salad made with a tablespoon of light mayo or no-fat plain Greek yogurt\u2026or zucchini \u201cpasta\u201d with a tablespoon of fresh Parmesan cheese. Be sure that your favorites from these choices make it onto that shopping list above. And because foods placed at eye level in the front of the fridge will seem to call your name, put them there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose wisely when a packaged snack is your only option.<\/strong> Caught at a convenience store on your way home or on the road? Shop for a premeasured high-protein snack that clocks in at about 100 calories. Choose a food low in carbs and sugar. A container of plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit, a cheese stick, nuts, high-fiber crackers or a low-calorie ice cream or frozen yogurt bar are all acceptable choices. Do a reality check before choosing:<\/em> Does the food satisfy or stimulate? For instance, if you know that once you eat a bag of salty crackers, you\u2019ll be reaching for another one, firmly say to yourself, \u201cThat choice doesn\u2019t work for me,\u201d and pick something else. Also pay attention to packaging size. Look for single servings\u2014no large bags or containers that encourage mindless overeating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close the kitchen.<\/strong> After you\u2019ve had your last meal or smart snack, turn off your kitchen lights. People don\u2019t like to go into a dark room, so this simple step can help keep you from going back to the fridge just one more time. Then go brush and floss your teeth\u2014no one wants to floss twice in an evening!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source:<\/strong> Stephen P. Gullo, PhD, psychologist and expert in the behavioral nutrition approach to weight loss, president of the Center for Health and Science, New York City, and author of The Thin Commandments Diet: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staring into the fridge again? Whether you\u2019re trying to lose weight or simply not gain any, nighttime snacking can spell disaster. In fact, the calories we eat at night may play a more significant role in weight gain than the ones we eat at breakfast and lunch simply because of how the body works.A Japanese … Continue reading 7 Smart Ways to Control Nighttime Eating<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-your-body","pmpro-has-access"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4MGMb-At","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2261"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2263,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261\/revisions\/2263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}