7 Reasons For Late Night Snacking

So, before we look at how to stop the late night snacking that's hindering you getting to those goals we first need to figure out WHY it's happening. And please don't say...because I'm eating too much. Unfortunately it's a bit more complicated than that. To change a behaviour we first need to find out what's causing it. So here's a list of some of the most common reasons I've come across for late night snacking:

1. Boredom- The 'fix' for this one is pretty straightforward, find something more stimulating to do than eating. Something that's not too energetic before sleep is ideal.

2. Not eating enough during the day- This is THE most common one I come across with clients. They run around all day between organising the kids, working, exercising...on very little calories. And when they finally stop at night for dinner they binge eat. BECAUSE, they're hungry! If this pattern of eating works for you I'm not going to knock it. But presumably since you're reading this, it isn't. So be mindful of the fast/binge cycle if it doesn't help you get towards your goals.

3. Not eating enough protein- Protein helps us stay fuller for longer (because it's harder to digest than simple carbs) and it gives our body the building blocks it needs to repair after exercise. If you're protein intake is low this might be contributing to those late night feasts!

4. Not eating enough fibre- Fibre keeps us fuller for longer because it takes our body longer to break it down. This means more fibre= less hunger pangs (generally speaking). This only applies if you're under your recommended daily fibre intake. I'll not take responsibility for any rushed toilet incidents …

5. Eating because you feel low- Comfort eating or eating because our mood is low is one of the trickier things to tackle because it's less about our environment and more about our relationship with food. This was the hardest one for me to tackle as it was directly tied into how I felt about my body and my mood. It's complicated but with the right support we can start to shift our thinking patterns and build a healthy relationship with food.

6. Keeping high calorie 'treat' foods in the house when we know they aren't in line with our goals. I'm not going to hate on cake or chocolate but having lots of these foods in the house when we're trying to avoid them to improve our eating or lose weight is just making our lives harder!

7. Hormones- This one is specifically for vagina owners (however you identify) our hormones make it harder for us at specific points in our cycle. Some people never suffer from pms cravings (lucky you!) but most of us do. Track your cycle in line with your eating. Does it fluctuate? If it does, just try accepting that at this point in the month you will eat more. Give yourself some leeway and accept that it's just natural as hormones change throughout the month.