Avoid Midnight Munchies

The midnight munchie monster has a way of creeping in to my kitchen night after night. Although I eat well during the day and would consider myself a generally healthy person, I just can’t get over the fact that ice cream after 10 PM tastes so much sweeter. Maybe you can relate when I say that I find that boredom, stress and fatigue make the walk to the pantry that much easier. For that reason I have researched ways to avoid this obvious bad habit. I don’t want to put on weight from consuming unnecessary calories late at night, and I know I feel more energized when I am eating well, wouldn’t you agree?
Here are the tips I’ve found that I am working on incorporating in to my lifestyle in order to avoid the midnight munchies:
1. Slow down
As a woman with a busy schedule, I am used to rushing through a meal in order to get to where I need to go. Rushing causes me to be careless with my food intake and consume more than I need to. Rather than waiting for my body to tell me that it’s full, I stuff myself in frenzy. In order to avoid over eating, I need to set aside enough time to sit down and allow my mind to connect with my body, giving myself 15 to 20 minutes for my brain to get the signal that I’ve have had enough. By eating slowly and savoring my meals, I will give my body what it needs, feel satisfied, and not regret indulging.
2. Set a Limit
Although our bodies digest food the same way when we are sleeping and when we are awake, our bodies don’t require a high amount of calories at night. In addition, after dinner we are more attracted to junk food – making midnight snacking a dangerous game. By setting a time limit – like not consuming food after 7 PM – I will lower my calorie intake, be forced to eat a well-rounded dinner, and allow my body to function on a set schedule to increase my metabolism.
3. Keep Perspective
It’s easy for me to get down on myself for buying the carton of Ben & Jerry’s – when I’m scraping the bottom. But everyone has their days, and there is always room for improvement. I need to understand that healthy living is not something that happens overnight, but is a continual learning process. As I learn to have self control and make wise decisions about what I put in my mouth, I need to evaluate at my wellness as a whole. Rather than focusing on “not eating late at night” I should set a standard of healthy choices throughout the day. Making wellness a habit, I will inevitably clean up my late night act, and be happier in all aspects of life.
Do you have your own advice on how to avoid midnight munchies? Tweet us now @Clichemag!