We’re all too familiar with the taboos behind snacking after midnight. No, I’m not making a reference to the '80s cult classic Gremlins ...
Perhaps the creepy little monsters were supposed to represent the consequences of our poor snacking habits. If your eating habits have spiraled out of control and you’re looking for healthier solutions, keep these suggestions in the back of your mind the next time you’re awakened by the sound of your own stomach growling ... Avoid Carbs [caption id="attachment_7302" align="aligncenter" width="443"]
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If you want to lose weight fast, eliminate carbs from your diet completely. You could start seeing results as quickly as two weeks using this method. Admittedly, however, removing 100 percent of carbohydrates from your diet requires quite a bit of work. For now, you may be better off starting small and shunning this food group starting at about 4 p.m. every day. This is generally the time of day people begin to chill out, or at the very least reduce physical activity. Carbs are naturally turned into sugar when ingested and are consequently stored as fat when consumed during a time when your body is less active. Therefore, when you begin to feel the traditional symptoms of a midnight craving, your priority should be avoiding carbohydrates and finding a healthier substitute to replace it with.
Drink water
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It’s actually pretty easy to confuse an empty stomach with what’s really dehydration. The relationship between these two sensations is actually pretty complicated because their symptoms tend to overlap. More often, the result is a tendency to overeat. To have an easier time differentiating the two, drink more fluids (ACTUAL fluids, no soda or Gatorade or anything in between) throughout the day. Or, when you feel the need to snack at night, try a glass of water first and give your body time to process. If the craving persists, perhaps you’re hungry after all!
Everything in moderation
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Never think of these changes as a "diet," because the term tends to imply that you’re required to make some sort of sacrifice. Instead, you’re simply transitioning toward healthier eating habits. That doesn’t mean you’re never allowed to enjoy your favorite guilty pleasures again. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night -- battling a craving no other alternative could satisfy -- go ahead and grab two Oreos from the cookie jar. In small quantities, junk food is relatively harmless. It’s when you lose control and fall victim to overindulging that your body begins to suffer the consequences.
What do you think? Do you have any tried-and-true advice for late-night snacking? Share with us in the comments below!
