When do you cave into your food cravings? Do you race for snacks when you walk in the door, when you are bored or stressed? I am a late-night muncher. I remember in college, after a night out, I would always stop for pizza or grab a bag of chips at the store on the way home. Unfortunately, years later, little has changed, except now I have a few kids and fewer cocktails.
I could easily consume two thirds of my calories after everyone else is in bed. I wish there was a late night munchers anonymous. We could talk each other out of devouring that box of cookies or bag of chips. I could have a sponsor; someone who overcame her cravings to help me stay on the wagon. I would call her when I was feeling weak. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? Instead, I have an internal dialogue going on:
Good me: You don’t need it, why would you sabotage the rest of your day?
Bad me: I will stop at just four, and work out extra tomorrow.
I know that I am not hungry, but every night without fail, the cravings kick in just after I put the kids to bed. One of my clients suggested drinking a cup of green tea. She said that it is filling and feels like a treat. I don’t know what kind of treat she was thinking of, but surely it was nothing like the M&M treats I love. I usually do squats and crunches, which distract me sometimes, but I usually still end up raiding the kitchen. The only solution I have found is going to bed early, but the time I am most productive is when everyone else has gone to sleep.
My only saving grace is that I can usually be satisfied by something nutritious. The foods that I want to have are the cookies and crackers, but if I reach for a glass of water/tea and a grapefruit or carrots that will suffice. The important thing to remember when you get those cravings late at night is to stay away from carbohydrates. Also, don’t get too discouraged. If you do give in, tomorrow is another day. We get to start fresh each day, even when we get off track.
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