A lot of us are guilty when it comes to eating very late at night. Most of the times, its not a case of hunger – we just want to keep our mouths busy or satisfy particular cravings.
Unfortunately, eating late at night can make one eat more than intended, leading to an increased intake of calories and weight gain.
Thankfully, there are approaches to which one can stop this dreadful habit. Here are 7 ways to avoid eating late at night.
- Identify why you do it
Eating at night can be caused by various things – simple boredom, emotional eating, hunger, binge eating disorders or nighttime eating syndromes. Whatever the reason may be, taking time to identify it is a positive step towards the right direction. This will help you find a way to solve the problem. You might need to stop some habits or adjust some patterns.
- Take note of your triggers
Apart from causative factors, there are certain events or things that set off this eating pattern. If you’re not hungry and yet you find yourself eating at night, pause to reflect on what led to the act – why you did it. Some people eat at night because of emotional reasons or because they rarely get hungry during the day. Once you identify your triggers, you can destroy any cycles of unusual eating.
- Build a routine
Once you find yourself regularly taking up this eating behavior, set to build a routine. The routine will include regulated times for sleeping and meal intakes. This will help break the habit.
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- Relax and de-stress
Anxiety and stress are two main factors that cause nighttime meal indulgence. Most of us like to eat away our stress and anxiety. We take refuge in processed foods and all sorts of junk which will not only lead to unprecedented weight gain but also health problems. Instead stress-eating try engaging in mind relaxing activities like light exercise, stretching or going outside to get in some air.
- Eat actively throughout the day
Eating regularly throughout the day will prevent you from feeling too hungry at night. You’d be too full to get any more meals in, no matter the cravings or stressors attached.
- Add protein-rich foods to your diet
Protein contains properties that induce feelings of fullness after its consumption. Adding protein to every of your meals can alleviate unnecessary snacking or cravings.
- Keep yourself occupied
Try to keep yourself distracted. Find something interesting to do. Doing this will help you take your mind off food thoughts.
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