Many people find themselves eating late at night, even when they are not hungry.
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This is a common problem primarily because of our lifestyle. As soon as the clock strikes 10 pm you suddenly go from maintaining the perfect diet all day long to sitting lazily in front of the television or browsing the internet with a packet of chips in front of you. This habit of eating late at night can cause you to consume more calories than you need and lead to “weight gain”. Continuing this routine may lead to Obesity and other related diseases.
Here are some easy tips to avoid night time snacking:
Eat Breakfast
This is exactly what our parents have been telling us since childhood days, also according to the best nutritionists it is one of the most important meals of the day. Your breakfast should be rich in protein sources like milk, eggs, sprouts etc that will help you keep full for a longer period of time.
Make a Routine & Plan Your Meals
Night time snacking can also happen because of your eating habits during the day, for example too long gaps between the meals. If that is a reason, then you should definitely make a change in your routine. Structured eating and sleeping pattern will help you spread your food intake during the day so that you become less hungry during the night. Planning your meals well ahead and eating healthy and nutritious foods can reduce the chances of eating at odd times. Frequent meals throughout the day will prevent you from getting too hungry and will help you manage your food cravings.
Emotional support
Some people might have night time eating syndrome or binge eating disorder wherein they get hungry during the night and tend to eat a lot of junk food which isn’t good for health. If this is the case then you can seek a nutritionist’s help for emotional support. An expert can help you identify the causes for the same and implement a treatment plan accordingly.
De-Stress
Anxiety and Stress are the two most common reasons why people eat during odd hours. Whenever you find yourself eating when you are stressed or anxious, try to find out other ways to keep off those negative thoughts. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and simple breathing exercises can help you overcome these negative emotions.
Eat Dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime
Varying from person to person, our body generally needs 2-3 hours to digest a meal. Keeping this in mind dinner should be consumed approximately 2 hours before going to bed, so that you don’t feel hungry when you are about to sleep.
Drink Water
As suggested by the best nutritionists, sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Before you grab a meal try drinking a glass of water and there is a possibility that you might feel fuller after a glass of water itself.
Eat a healthy dinner
As per the rule your dinner should consist of half a plate of vegetables, one-fourth portion of protein source and the other one-fourth portion of a quality carbohydrate source. By doing this, you will feel more satisfied.
Get rid of junk food
If you are prone to eating high-fat, high-sugar foods at night, then keep all that stuff out of the reach. Generally the foods that are out of reach, are also out of mind. Stuff your kitchen with healthy snacks like nuts, roasted chana, fruits, yogurt etc.
Brush your teeth
Remember to brush your teeth after having your dinner. This works in most of the cases as it sends a signal to your brain that this is the last meal of the day and nothing should be consumed after this, it will take a while for your brain to understand the signal. Also the minty taste of the toothpaste will not allow you to have something immediately, because who will want to mix the taste of toothpaste with your favorite snack!!
Developing a customized diet plan is the best way to curb the unhealthy cravings and avoid night time snacking. Your plan need not be rigid but should be balanced. Night time cravings can be avoided easily with these tips if followed properly. It is said that if you follow a routine for 21 days straight it becomes a habit! So follow these steps to say goodbye to night time eating and soon you will find a change in yourself which will last for a lifetime.
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