I’m not gonna lie…this post is 100% written for myself. Like many of you, this quarantine season has turned me into ta snack machine. My cravings are through the roof, I want ALL the sugar and most nights are spent on the couch mindlessly eating whatever snacks I have in the house.
It’s frustrating, because I know what to do, I’m just not feeling motivated to do it. So I needed to write this post today as a little refresher of some tips and tricks that can help curb the cravings and manage the night snacking.
First I want to say, there is nothing wrong with snacking at night. A wise woman once told me, “a problem is only a problem if it’s a problem for you.” That woman was Amanda Jewson,my baby sleep consultant. And while at the time we were talking about Lily’s sleeping habits, this is actually a motto that can be applied to anything in life.
So let’s apply it to snacking for a second. Why is night snacking a problem for me right now? Well for one, 90% of the time, I’m not actually hungry. I’m usually tired and/or stressed. So that’s what is causing the sugar cravings. Another reason is that it doesn’t make me feel good in the morning. I’m usually more thirsty, my stomach hurts and I just don’t wake up feeling great if I had a bag of popcorn the night before. So that is why it’s a problem for me.
Your reasons for wanting to stop night snacking may be similar to these or completely different. But regardless of why you want to stop, I want to share how you can actually eat during the day that will help you avoid the night time snacks.
Make sure you are eating enough.
This is a major problem for me. Between trying to parent, running my business, keeping the housework up, etc. etc. eating is sometimes the last thing I have time for. I don’t even realize that I’ve barely eaten all day because I’m so busy but then by 5pm I am famished and end up snacking the rest of the night. So making sure to have a proper breakfast and lunch now needs to become a priority.
Eat foods that are nutrient dense and satisfying.
Eating to stabilize blood sugar is key to managing cravings and night time snacking. I always refer to Kelly Leveque here whose “Fab 4” principles are all about this. She says to focus on meals that have a good source of fat, fibre, protein and greens. This combo manges the blood sugar curve, keeps hunger hormones in check and when I make her smoothie recipes, I am actually full for hours – its wild! My problem is not using this combo for the rest of my meals outside of the smoothie. Time to dust off her cookbook and try out some of her non-smoothie fab 4 recipes!
Eat mindfully.
When I do get the chance to sit down for a meal, I’m always tempted to scroll IG and “catch up” because that meal means I’m getting 10 minutes to myself. But when we eat that way, we’re not paying attention to what’s going in our mouths, we’re not even chewing our food and before we know it, the meal is done and we don’t even remember eating it! It’s been shown that losing that sensory experience of eating doesn’t cue our hunger hormones the same way as when we pay attention, causing us to eat more and not feel full and satisfied. DC and I eat every dinner in front of the TV and I definitely think it is contributing the night time snacking!
Drink up!
Okay this one is major for me. When I was nursing Lily, I was probably drinking 3-4 litres of water a day. Granted I had to drink that way to sustain us both. But since stopping nursing, I’m not as thirsty and just don’t remember to drink it. With all the walking, snacking and coffee, I’m probably actually dehydrated these days. That feeling of dehydration can often be mistaken for cravings like salt or sugar. I mean, have you ever snacked and snacked and not felt full and then you take a drink of water and only then realize how full you were? Ya, that happens to me all the time. So the tip I always give, which I need to remind myself of right now, is when I feel a craving coming on, have a glass of water, wait 5 minutes and if it’s still there, go for it.
So now that these tips are out in the open, it’s time to implement them and I’m using this post to hold me accountable. Like I said before, if you’re good with your night snacking, then enjoy!! For me, however, I would rather feel good and have optimal energy so I can show up as my best self every day!
xoxo