How to Stop Snacking at Night
Have you ever felt like you can’t stop eating after dinner? I have! But I’ve learned a few tricks for how to stop snacking at night and I’m excited to share them with you! Whether you’re trying to lose weight or you just want to enjoy better sleep, these tips will help!
Don’t Set Rules About When to Eat
Sometimes I snack, sometimes I don’t. I stopped trying to set rules about when to eat. Similarly, I stopped freaking out so much about every single thing I was eating. This means I now eat dinners I really enjoy rather than just trying to eat the healthiest thing I can think of. Dinners that really satisfy me keep me satisfied all night. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything, and I’m honestly not hungry. do I still eat frozen yogurt after dinner? Of course. But it’s now more of a once-a-week kind of thing, rather than an every-single-day kind of thing.
Stay Busy with Other Hobbies
Late-night snacking was a much bigger challenge when I lived alone. I never wanted to admit that boredom was a cause of snacking, but let’s be real. Ice cream is more tempting when you’re parked on the couch alone with Netflix. While Alex and I still like to enjoy a Netflix episode or two at night, I don’t immediately reach for a snack. It’s easy to get in the habit of grabbing a snack anytime you watch TV, read a book, etc. so just breaking out of that routine made it easier to be sure I wasn’t snacking out of boredom.
Eat More During the Day
I no longer “save calories” for the nighttime, because I’ve realized that I’m hungry earlier in the day. Instead of trying to wait to eat dinner until the last possible moment, I’ve realized that my body usually gets hungry around 6pm, and that’s just fine. I may feel like an old lady, but hey, it works. I eat dinner earlier, which means I get to eat when I come home from work… which also means I don’t raid the pantry when I get home from work. I know dinner is close, so I can usually hold off on lots of snacks. Just another perk of eating when your body tells you to!
Go to Bed Earlier
I’m not saying you should call it a night at 8pm to avoid the pantry, but I’ve been going to bed earlier (maybe not actually sleeping earlier, but at least getting myself into bed at a reasonable hour) and having to put my slippers on and walk all the way down the hall can be enough to stop me from reaching in for another handful of pretzels. Going to bed earlier also means I’m able to wake up earlier, which I’ve really started loving. Those hours in the morning are when I get most of my blogging stuff done, and it just feels so peaceful and quiet in the morning. And hitting the sheets earlier means less midnight temptation from the fridge!
Those are a few of the things that helped me stop snacking at night! These little “strategies” might not be for everyone, but hopefully one or two might help you tame the snacking-beast. I’ve also found I sleep a lot better if I don’t eat right before bed, so that’s just another perk!
Are you a nighttime snacker?
Great ideas, Liz. This is one of my eternal stumbling blocks. I’m going through a really bad patch with it right now. I’ve got to get it figured out. I know it’s just frustration or irritation or something like that. Having better snacks around helps. I’ve been trying to keep lots of fruit in the house. It really helps.
With all your tips I’ve found the similar things in my life with what works and doesn’t. I try to listen to my body and see if it’s truly hungry at night. If water doesn’t quench it (or almond or soy milk), I know my body is hungry and I need to feed it some fuel. If I’m not hungry, staying productive really helps me!
I am a huge nighttime eater…but I think that eating more earlier definitely helps!
Yes, I love some wine and chocolate and then maybe some popcorn at night.
I try to curb it by brushing my teeth or drinking tea : )
I am a HORRID night time snacker, and honestly, most of the time it ISNT because Im bored or have nothing to do. Its typically because Im flipping hungry!! So Im trying to find ways around that, but I don’t so much mind snacking at night, as long as I can control what and how much! Some nights its just me and the pb jar, which is never a good combo….
I used to save calories for the night time too so I could snack and snack. I can so relate to this post and there are great tips here. Thanks for sharing your experience
These are great tips!!! I feel like we’re in the same boat here. For me, throwing out the rules was key!
Less food rules always makes me happy!
These ideas are so perfect! I go through way too many phases when I go to sleep early/wake up early but then fall out of the habit. This is a great reminder for me to start doing it again…I love having relaxing mornings to myself. And I totally agree that having a significant other helps curb the snacking at night- whenever the hub is away I find myself eating more at night out of boredom for sure!
Early mornings have become my favorite part of the day, which is crazy since I used to HATE waking up early!