We’ve all been that girl in the photo…..wait that sounds weird…..you get what I mean
Binge eating at night is scarily common & can really destroy your health & stop you getting results
Eating at night time by itself isn’t actually a problem, but unplanned night time eating where you binge on junk food absolutely is a problem
Let me explain…..
The most important thing when it comes to getting results is how much food you eat in total (how many calories you take in)
Research study after research study has shown that whether you eat 3 meals, 5 meals, 10 meals or 1 meal it does not matter as long as you eat the right amount for your goal
Likewise you can eat breakfast or skip breakfast
You can stop eating at 7pm or you can eat until 11pm
As long as you eat the right amount in total you can eat as often or not often & as early or late as you want
Doing whatever suits your schedule best & allows you to be consistent is key
Having said that if you constantly binge on junk at night then you might find yourself in trouble
So lets look at a few ways to stop the pig outs
1. Go To Bed
There are a scarily high amount of people in this country & in the world who are sleep deprived
You’re staying up until 1:30 and only getting 5 hours sleep and it is fucking you up
Give Netflix a break, watch 1 episode instead of 3 and get some more sleep
Not getting enough sleep can enhance cravings the next day & can also make you a grumpy mo fo
Not only that but it has the following nasty effects
-lack of ability to concentrate
-shitty memory
-impairs your immune system (might be why you’re always sick)
-slower reaction time (not great when you’re driving)
-increased disease risk
^^^^^there are a whole lot more too, but you get the point
Aim for 6, 7.5 or 9 hours sleep
Your body works in 90 min sleep cycles so waking up at the beginning or end of a cycle will leave you most fresh
That’s why sometimes you get 8 hours and still feel groggy
2. Eat a Bigger More Filling Dinner
That old expression
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper”
Might sound cool, but in my humble and correct opinion we’re just not programmed like that
There’s something incredibly satisfying about having a big meal at night time
A lot of people end up eating too much food during the day and then feel like they have to starve themselves at night time
That’s when the binge comes in
Try eating a little lighter during the day and have a bigger meal at night OR have your normal dinner and keep a snack for later that night
If you’re counting calories then try keeping some extra cals for night time
BONUS TIP
Another thing you can do is make sure your dinner has a good helping of protein and veggies, these foods are more much more filling & could fix the problem
BONUS TIP 2
Eat slower, it takes your body 20 mins to realise you’re full so slow yourself down
3. Lock The Kitchen Up
That’s right…..I’m about to completely contradict myself
Some of you just need to stay out of the god damn kitchen because you can’t restrain yourself
I absolutely hate that old expression “shut the kitchen door at 7″ because it’s bull shit like I said above
Having said that, if you’ve eaten the right amount of food already, then lock that door
When you’re trying to drop body fat or lose weight sometimes you’re going to have to deal with hunger
That’s just a fact that nobody seems to want to accept or talk about
4. Low Cal Snacks
If you have a plan to have a snack at night then the chances of you randomly going on a binge get smaller
Here are some ideas…
0% Fat Yogurt with berries & dark chocolate
Fibre One Bars
Halo Top
Homemade Treats
Check out Sineads blog for some awesome ideas, particularly the low calorie donuts vvvvv
https://thepintsizedchefblog.wordpress.com/
Or whatever snack that will satisfy you & stop you digging into junk food
5. Keep The Junk Out Of The House
Literally one of the best nutrition tips I could ever give you is to keep the shit out of the house, every house has that one press or drawer with all the biscuits/crisps/junk food in it
Now I can hear the excuses already……but I need it there for the kids or for guests
^^^^^that’s bull shit
If you want to give the kids a treat then bring them out to a shop, buy the treat & let them eat it
If you have it in the house and they’re eating it every day then it’s not a treat it’s a staple in their nutrition
^^^^that’s a separate issue
It’s your house and guests will eat or not eat whatever you give them
If there is stuff in the house that you like then eventually you will break…..it’s nothing personal it’s everybody
You’ll get a day where you’re tired, stressed or just in bad form and you’ll say “fuck this” and dive right in
Like I did here vvvvvvvvv
https://www.instagram.com/p/BffdkMSFuTs/?taken-by=mattynagle
Keep it out & make your life easier
6. Are You Really Hungry?
This is a very interesting one…..
There can be a bunch of different reasons besides hunger for your night time overeating
-You’re just in the routine/habit of doing it
-You’ve deprived yourself too much during the day/week
-You’re emotional & comfort eating to try make yourself feel better
-You’re bored
^^^^^^I have a real problem with that last one
It’s 2018 and there is absolutely no excuse to be bored, there is an insane amount of shit to do nowadays (makes me sound old)
And even of you’re not being active or going for a walk then read a book…..or watch netflix and find a show you love…..stretch while you’re watching tv or a movie….go see a movie….
Take a course or a class
Being bored is never an acceptable excuse
You need to find the real cause of why you’re overeating at night and then make a plan to fix it
I hope this helped and if you have questions then don’t be shy
Follow me on social media for daily tips vvvvv
