Stopping Late Night Snacking to Lose Fat
I sat down with a client the other day who is trying to lose over 30 pounds.
The conversation went something like this.
"Chris, I just don't know what to do — I eat egg whites for breakfast, a salad for lunch, some fish or chicken for dinner with veggies, and that's it."
"That's it," I said inquisitively since the scale hadn't moved too much.
"YES, that is IT…well, sometimes I have a snack after dinner."
"A snack — what does that mean?"
"Well, if I'm watching TV it can be some chips or ice cream. But not a lot. I don't 
eat a lot of sweets. But I need something sweet or salty after dinner. Should I not eat at night..?"
And what started as "that's all I eat" became a question about late night eating.
Coincidentally, a similar question came in on the blog …
"Dear Chris and Kara — My BIGGEST problem has been late night eating………I work steady off shifts … and I usually come home exhausted & hungry…… I can sit down & eat a whole bag of M&M's & then go to bed!! I really need some realistic ideas…"
So can you eat late at night and still lose fat?
Well, yes and no.
The short answer is at the end of the day, calories matter. But at the same time, like most busy moms and dads running around, time is tight … so we wouldn't suggest skipping breakfast, hitting the drive thru for lunch, takeout for dinner, and eating junk at night.
Now, if you're truly hungry…physiologically hungry…then eating at night is fine.
But it's not always the eating part that will bring your fat loss to a screeching halt — instead it's the night time choices.
Chips, ice cream, a bag of M & M's etc. Usually foods that are eaten out of habit and boredom — all mindless calories!
Here are some strategies to try to curb the late night bingeing:
- Don't just sit in front of the TV — find an alternate activity
- Take a bath
- Brush your teeth immediately after dinner so food isn't quite so appealing.
- If you DO in fact want food, portion it out in the kitchen, eat it at the kitchen table only, THEN watch TV or whatever you'd normally do at night. Food sometimes isn't so appealing outside of the daily "mindless eating" ritual.
- For women, paint your nails — hard to dip your hand into a bag with wet nails.
- Try an after dinner walk vs. a "plop down on the couch" move
There you have it — a few alternatives to the normal late night belly busting binge that is so common with men and women.
Do you have any strategies you've found to be successful?
April 6th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
If I'm hungry and wanting to munch on something at night, I eat celery. Plain celery. It's good and sweet, mostly water and not many calories. It is crunchy and satisfying. When I wake up in the morning, I feel really good knowing that I did not over eat the night before.
If I'm not hungry, but still want something to munch on, I play games on my computer. It keeps my hands busy and my mind off of food. Before I know it, it's time for bed.
Chris and Kara, you are the best. I really enjoy your e-mails, and Ella is adorable. She's a lucky girl to have you as parents.
Tracy
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April 7th, 2010 at 4:15 am
I'm not trying to lose any weight but I'll still have either popcorn (plain that is) or carrots with celery for a late night snack. It is all about choices, choices, choices, whether you're buying a car or picking a late night snack. Consequences arise from our choices, you can get a gas hog if you pick the wrong car and you can dish out a bowl of fat with the wrong food. If you picked the wrong car trade it in and if it's the wrong food, well, keep working on making the better choice. The more right choices you make it will all add up. Best wishes to all.
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April 11th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I love all of your blogs! I've used a lot of your tips to enhance my fat loss.
What I love at night for cravings is cottage cheese. I personnally like to rinse it in a strainer so that it has no fat, salt, or carbs.(from the cream that's added) but the bad stuff is pretty minimal anyway. About 100 calories of pure casien protien that takes about 6-8 hours to breakdown and supplies aminos throuhout the night while sleeping. My second favorite is thin chicken or turkey breast wrapped around a low-fat cheese stick - quite a bit more sodium, but very tasty! And for dessert lovers, have you ever tried a chocolate protein shake mixed with peanut butter? It makes you think your "cheating" but it's about 220 calories – 30 grams of protien, 10 grams of "good" fat, and a couple grams of carbs. Obviously I've found protien sources to replace my night-time carb addiction. I've been able to gain muscle mass percentage AND go from a 38" to 32" waist in 12 weeks. Thanks for all the great ideas!
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