7 Fool Proof Ways to Avoid Late-night Snacking

One of the worst times you can eat is at night. Most people are already aware of this, but for some reason it is the number one obstacle to overcome. Food usually consumed at night, many hours after our bodies have already digested what should be the last meal of the day, can set you back several days in your goal to lose weight.

Food is the last thing your body needs before it shuts down for 8 hours of sleep. Your metabolism slows down while you are at rest, so it is even more difficult to burn off the calories of those milk and cookies you just had to have at midnight. The term breakfast is used for a reason. It should break the fast you endured since eating dinner the night before.

It wouldn't be so bad if people ate an apple or some carrot sticks to ease their hunger pangs, but most often we go for junk food. I personally struggled losing what they call "stubborn fat" simply because I could not curb my late night cravings. I wasn't able to correct the situation until I realized that I was being stubborn, not my fat!

Here are 7 ways I use to successfully avoid late night snacking.

1. Make A Ritual. The easiest way to avoid calories late at night is to get yourself into a pattern that doesn't include eating or drinking. Maybe it's doing some extra work on your computer before sitting in front of the tv, or writing in a journal. No matter what you decide to try, continue long enough so that it becomes habit. Whenever you begin to think about food, do this other thing instead. Then, eating and drinking before you go to sleep will feel like the wrong thing to do instead of the norm.

2. Keep Busy. My biggest problem was sitting in front of the tv before going to sleep. Something about being sedentary made me want to do something, like grab a box of crackers. Turn off the tv and do something with your hands so you aren't grabbing for food. Learn to play the guitar or break out those art supplies and paint a picture. Sometimes I have to squeeze a stress ball just to keep from eating. Hey, it works!

3. Work out And Stretch. Some people can't sleep if they work out at night but if you can, this tip really works well. Doing a workout at the gym or at home helps digest calories before winding down for the evening. Your workout can be anything from a light jog on a treadmill to lifting weights. Stretching afterwards helps you recover and sleep better, and the last thing I want to do after a workout is raid the refrigerator.

4. Don't Stock Your CupboardsThis is a sure-fire way to totally eliminate late-night snacking. You can't eat what's not there, so just don't keep unhealthy foods in your house. Do your shopping during the day when you are full from a meal and you will not want to throw those potato chips into the cart that you'll regret later.

5. Eat Your Dinner LaterA lot of people eat dinner at 6pm, then wonder why they are hungry again at 10pm or midnight. A good goal should be to not eat after 8pm, so eat your dinner lat about 7:30pm. You'll find that when it comes time to watch a late night movie or tv show, you won't be as hungry and that "extra" meal before bed time will be a thing of the past.

6. Drink Green Tea or Water. Both of these are great night time snacks. It usually takes a little effort to trick your brain to enjoy a late night beverage, but once you do, the positive effects of warmed herbs that can ease you into sleep mode can be addicting. Even just drinking water will make you feel full enough to not want food. Drink first, then decide if you're hungry.

7. Take A Natural SupplementDid you know that there are some really wonderful products out there specifically designed to help you curb your snacking at night? I myself take 2 herbal tablets that not only help me to feel more full at night, but they also speed up my resting metabolism at night while I sleep. The key here is all-natural. You don't want to ever get hooked on diet pills.

If you focus on making your evenings a productive and healthy time of day, you'll condition yourself to stop thinking they way you do about eating bad foods you know you shouldn't be eating before you sleep. Otherwise, it will simple continue being a  struggle. Use the tips above to help you begin the process of changing your way of thinking. Remember...for things to change, you've got to change.

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