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How to Beat Late Night Snacking
by
Mandy Gibbons
 Do
you find that eating the right foods and exercising just falls into place
for you during the day, but as soon as the clock strikes 9.30pm you are
raiding the cupboards for your late night "munchies" fix?
For
most folks this time of the night is when you finally get the opportunity
to put your feet up and relax - you are relieved to be able to just have
some "time out" from the stresses at work, home, family and study. However
enjoyable this time-out may be it can have it's downfalls.
So
how do you know when your late night snacking is becoming out of control?......
When you have got to the point where you can't sit down and watch tv without
having food, of any kind, to help you enjoy your favorite tv show? But
don't worry because if this sounds like you then you are not alone.
I
can tell you now, though, that if you are battling with your efforts to
get into shape that continual late night snacking will absolutely trash
your chances of reaching your training goals.
So
if you're keen to beat this habit then read through the following steps
to help you nip late night snacking in the bud!
-
If you include weight training in your health and fitness program
then have a protein shake, rather than pulling out a bag of crisps.
Believe me, once you have swallowed a glass full of this you won't
feel like eating a thing. On top of this you will be helping your
muscles repair while you are sleeping, thus increasing your muscle
tone, and improving your metabolism.
-
Eat more food during the day! Often when you late night snack you
feel too sick in the morning to eat breakfast because you are still
feeling full. Remember you should be aiming at around 5-6 smaller
meals per day. By eating regularly throughout the day you won't be
so eager to tear the pantry doors off after everyone has gone to bed.
-
Is there something else you could be doing while watching tv. Make
a list of things that need completing that you could be doing at the
same time to take your mind off eating. I train while I am watching
tv, and so do quite a few other people that I know, not just because
we are short for time, but to help prevent late night snacking.
-
Do you really need to be watching tv? If you know that doing this
is the only thing that is blocking your way of reaching your health
and fitness goals why keep doing it every night. Find a hobby, take
up an activity of some kind. Keep the tv watching to a minimum.
-
Don't buy junk food. As you know chips, dips and confectionery don't
just "appear" magically in your food cupboard. The only reason you
are snacking on junk is because you made the choice to purchase the
junk food and put it in your pantry. If it's not there you won't eat
it will you?
-
If you occasionally want a snack why not eat low fat snacks instead.
Just remember though that even if the snacks are low fat - they may
be loaded full of salt!
-
Make the effort to break the cycle! It's up to you to take action
and the make the decision to do something about your late night snack
habits. Remember habits can be broken and replaced with new habits.
And to create a healthy habit you just need to stick to, and repeat,
your new plan until it becomes "routine'. Once you see the difference
it makes to your health and fitness results, not only will this help
motivate you to continue, but you'll be kicking yourself that you
hadn't done this earlier.
Start
"breaking" the late night snack cycle today! About the Author: Mandy Gibbons,
mailto:fitnesseditor@virtualfitnesstrainer.com
http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com
Mandy has worked within the Health and Fitness industry
for the past eight years as a Personal Fitness Trainer
and Consultant. As well as writing health and fitness
articles Mandy also operates Virtual Fitness Trainer an
online health and fitness site.
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