Did you know late night snacking can be a main contributing factor to Weight Gain?
Do you struggle with snacking at night? If so, you are not alone. Many people report that the evenings are the hardest time of the day to stick to their diet. We’ve all heard about the negative results associated with eating to close to bedtime. Research suggests that during sleep your body’s metabolism operates at a much slower rate. So what is the best solution to satisfy late night cravings?
Of course one answer is to just resist the temptation and not eat anything at all, but if that was so easy to do, this blog wouldn’t be necessary! At 61Five we always focus on instilling habits that you can stick with long term. If cutting out late night snacks forever isn’t a realistic option for you, then it’s important that you develop healthy night time snacking habits now. Here are some tips for healthy nighttime snacking.
Choose The Right Foods
If you are going to snack at night it’s important that the foods you choose are not high in calories. If you know you are a late night snacker then keep foods on hand that will satisfy your cravings without packing in too many calories. Salty cravings can be satisfied with things such as light popcorn, rice cakes, almonds, pop chips, or baked chips. For sweet cravings, try fruits flavored low fat or Greek yogurt. If you are just wanting to crunch on something, try some sliced veggies. And as always, make sure you are having A SERVING of the snack of your choice! Take out a serving, put it into a bowl and put the rest of the bag away! Click here to learn more about portion sizes.
Plan Ahead
If you know you are going to want a night time snack, then allow for it when you are planning the rest of your daily meals and snacks. Whether you are counting calories, cutting down on carbs, counting weight watchers points, or just making wiser choices at each meal, keep your late night snack in mind throughout the day so that you don’t eat more than you were hoping to eat for that 24 hour period. Snacks such as baked chips, almonds, or yogurt need to be allotted as not to eat too many calories throughout the day. If you have already hit your limit and want a late night snack then try a ‘freebie’ snack such as sliced up cucumbers or celery sticks.
If late night snacking is a habit you don’t want to give up, then use these tips and develop habits that can allow you to snack without cheating. This will allow you to find a way of living that is realistic for you to stick with long term and keep off the weight that you lose!
61Five Health & Wellness specializes in medically supervised weight loss. Nashville is currently a high risk city for obesity related illness.Our medical weight loss specialists at 61Five know how to get you on path to a thinner, healthier, and happier you. Schedule your appointment with 61Five today!
