Weight Loss: Avoiding Midnight Snacks
12:30 A.M. You look at the clock and decide to head to the fridge for a little snack. Satisfied, you return to bed until morning. Sound familiar? If so, then you’re one of millions who are guilty of this simple indulgence.
Breaking yourself of the habit of midnight snacking can be difficult to do, but it CAN be done. It’ll take some persistence and patience to achieve your goal. Depending on how severe your cravings are, it can take as little as two weeks, or up to two months to control them.
Some people might call “midnight snacking” a bad habit, but the truth of it is, it’s not a habit at all. Your body is trying to tell you something; it’s telling you to eat more during the day and that you should be getting more calories than what you’ve been taking in. Your body requires a certain amount of calories to sustain your body through the night and if you aren’t getting that, your belly will tell you.
One way to restrain yourself from late night munching is to eat several smaller meals during the day. In doing this, you get the calories you need and your stomach isn’t empty. It’s also healthier to eat this way than to eat a few big meals during the day.
For best results, it is best to not eat a huge meal before bed time because this will slow down your digestion and will keep you from falling asleep quickly. However, if you eat something high in carbohydrates this will help you sleep better and will prevent you from waking up for midnight snacks.
You’ve always heard that a hot or warm glass of milk will help you fall asleep. This is true for a couple of reasons. It helps you feel relaxed and it makes your stomach feel full. On the other hand, having a drink, such as an alcohol beverage might relax you, but alcohol actually makes you hungrier as well as adds calories you don’t need
Caffeinated drinks are not your best bet to have before you go to bed; they will make you restless and not allow you to have a good night’s sleep. If you wake up and are thirsty, drink a glass of cold water; this will give your stomach a fuller feeling plus water is an essential part of your diet.
If water or the warm milk doesn’t help you to fall back to sleep, you might try an optional solution such as reading or listening to music. You should also not lay in bed awake; wait until you feel like you can fall asleep quickly before you lay down. It will take some practice and patience, but eventually you will be sleeping soundly all night long.
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