Can’t seem to kick your late-night sweet tooth cravings? If nighttime snacking is a habit you’d like to break, check out these seven smart strategies!
It’s nighttime, and you’re about to watch your favorite Netflix show before going to bed. But those peanut butter cups are calling your name, even though you shouldn’t eat them.
Your snacking has reached new heights lately, and you’d like to pump the brakes. But it’s so hard, and those peanut butter cups are so good!
What are you to do?
Everyone struggles with wanting snacks, and during the night, it’s easy to get tempted. It’s been a long day, and eating something delicious is hard to say no to.
Ideally, you’d like to do away with your late-night sweet tooth once and for all. Here are some tips to get you started!
1. Hide Your Snacks
One of the easiest ways not to snack as much at night is: stop buying unhealthy food.
But that’s not always realistic. You may live with a roommate or a significant other who has a sweet tooth as well. And when you have a snack buddy, it’s hard not to have any junk food at all in your apartment.
Even if you can’t do away with the snacks, there’s a way to “hide them.” It may seem a bit drastic, but put your snacks in an inconvenient place in your kitchen.
If it requires getting out your step stool to retrieve your snack, you may opt not to get them! Let’s be honest. You’re tired, and you don’t feel like retrieving anything.
You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind?”
Well, that should be your goal by hiding away the snacks you have a hard time saying no to at night!
2. Cut Sugar Out of Your Diet
Sometimes the best way to do away with a late-night sweet tooth is by cutting sugar out of your diet.
I know it’s tough to say goodbye to sugar. But there are so many benefits to eliminating it from your diet!
You may think there’s no possible way you can cut out sugar. And you’re right. The reason why it seems like an impossible task is because it’s highly addictive. When we eat sugar, it releases dopamine into the brain. The results are sugar dependency.
So, keep in mind that if you decide to do away with sugar, it can take a while not to crave it. Be patient with yourself, and after a while, it will get easier. Hopefully, in time, you won’t even miss it!
3. Stop Being a Night Owl
Being a night owl is not only a bad habit, but it may be contributing to your late-night sweet tooth.
You may have a flexible job and tend to work in the evenings. Even if you like to work late at night, see if you can start getting to bed earlier.
If you’re more productive at night, see if you can learn to be more effective in the morning. It’s all about taking baby steps. If there’s a way to go to bed earlier a few times a week, that’s better than nothing.
To prevent a midnight snack attack, hit the hay earlier. You’ll feel better, too, after getting on a regular schedule and sleeping for at least seven to nine hours a night.
4. Opt for Healthy Snacks
If you must have a snack before bed, choose something healthy instead.
Eating an apple may satisfy your craving or drinking some orange juice. Nuts are filling and salty if you’re craving something with salt.
Is chocolate on your mind a lot of the time?
Rather than eating milk chocolate, have some dark chocolate instead.
Dark chocolate has excellent health benefits:
- It’s full of antioxidants and minerals
- It may prevent heart disease
- It can even improve your mood
5. Reward Yourself at the End of the Week
If you’ve gotten into the bad habit of eating a snack every single night, there’s a way to change that. Instead of letting your sweet tooth get the best of you every evening, give in to your cravings once a week.
To make it through the week snack-free, think about treating yourself to a tasty dessert. There may be a dessert at Cheesecake Factory you can’t get enough of. Or, a simple sweet treat such as vanilla ice cream and strawberries may do the trick.
Rewarding yourself with a snack once a week can help you get through the week snack-free. Make it a yummy dessert, and you’ll feel good knowing you waited to reward yourself!
And who says the reward has to be food?
If you want to reward yourself another way, many other treats may please you!
6. Distract Yourself
If you’re having a hard time sleeping and feel like eating, do something to distract yourself. For example, pull out a good book and read in a relaxing chair. Or get into a conversation with a friend via text.
Many activities prevent you from making unhealthy eating decisions. Do a few things you enjoy during the evening that don’t involve food.
Focus on doing the hobbies you love the most. You’ll be more likely to make healthy eating choices.
7. Stick to a High Protein or High Fat Diet
There are specific diets that end the craving for sweets. Eating foods high in fat and protein can fill your stomach up.
Try the keto diet. This diet focuses on fueling your body with healthy fats. The result is it reduces your cravings for unhealthy foods.
If going on the keto diet sounds scary, opt to go on a low-carb diet. Carbs are addictive. By reducing the number of carbs you’re eating, your body will burn protein and fat instead.
Diets aren’t always the answer, though, so listen to what your body tells you. If you feel better eating protein to keep the cravings away, then that’s a good solution! And if you’d instead like to stick to a non-diet approach, do what’s best for you.
Conclusion
A late-night sweet tooth isn’t always a bad thing. If you’re eating snacks in moderation, you shouldn’t punish yourself for that.
But if you find your snack attacks are becoming more frequent, it’s time to break this habit. These tips will help you make better decisions. And, more importantly, the desire to remain healthy should keep you on track!
Having a healthy body and mind results in you living a fulfilling life. They are so closely related as well, which means caring for yourself is vital.
No one is in charge of what you eat except for yourself. Stay dedicated to making the right decisions. You’ll be proud of yourself for putting your health first!
Author bio
Caitlin Sinclair is the Business Manager at The Rylan. With over five years of property management experience, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. She finds joy in helping current and future residents and makes The Rylan a place everyone loves to call home.
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