Tuesday Tip: ‘falling off the wagon’ at night 🍪
A really common issue lots of us face is being ‘good’ all day but then falling off the wagon in the evenings and over eating. There are a number of reasons for this.
# Skipping meals/ v small meals – it’s tempting to skip brekkie or lunch, or make it v small. During the day you’re busy and it’s easier to get by on less cals as you’re focused elsewhere. The problem then is you’re so hungry by the evening that you lose control and overeat. Aim for balanced meals – including protein, fats and carbs. If brekkie doesn’t work for you that’s fine, but make sure your lunch is sufficient.
# Avoiding carbs – you skip carbs during the day, but then what is it you end up snacking /overeating with in the evenings… carbs or those foods you’ve eliminated during the day. So stop cutting them out – include them in your day.
# Avoiding snacks – maybe you need to eat in between meals. If you’re up from
6am and not going to bed until 10 then the gaps between meals are probably going to be too long. Factor in snacks!
# Not enough protein or fibre. Both these nutrients help to keep you feeling satisfied.
# Erratic eating schedule – if your meal times vary a lot day to day you will find it harder to manage hunger and cravings. ‘Big’ weekends will also set you up for challenging weeks as your stomach is ‘expecting’ more food etc. Aim for as consistent eating schedule as you can.
# Eating fast / distracted – pay attention to the food and to own hunger/satiation signals. Slow it down!
# No plan – if you’re prone to evening snacking (I am!) then plan it in! Plan in a post dinner snack!
# Habit – sometimes it just becomes a habit. Whilst hard to break it’s not impossible. Try to introduce a different evening habit to help – eg a bath, reading, adult colouring books, knitting etc
# Boredom / emotional eating – this is obvs a much bigger topic but the first step is identifying it. Plan in some alternatives so if you recognise the boredom/emotional eating kicking in you have a plan in place – distraction techniques (using your hands for other things – like knitting etc), go for a walk etc
So if evening snacking is something that tends to derail you just have a think if any of these reasons may be contributing towards it and then see if you can address them and ask me if you need any help!
Happy Tuesday 🤗
xx
Every Step Fitness 