Taming Nighttime Noshing

Picture it: You get up early to hit the gym, eat a healthy breakfast, drink several liters of water, take several breaks to do some stretching and deep breathing, say no to the gang as they head out for a high-fat lunch, make a healthy dinner when you get home, and spend time preparing for the following day. Whew!

After spending all day working so hard to meet your weight management goals, you'd think the evening at home would be easy, right? Unfortunately, many people find that evenings are the most challenging time of day, and after all that effort, succumb to nighttime noshing.

What can you do? Here's a laundry list of ideas:

1) Start by making a list of nurturing activities that will keep your hands busy. Crafts of all sorts, from crocheting to scrapbooking, are an excellent way to enjoy some creative down time and keep your hands occupied. Light exercise while watching TV -- lifting light weights, doing gentle cardio, enjoying simple stretches, getting on a bike or similar apparatus -- is a great way to make TV time healthier, and separate it from the noshing habit.

2) If you're actually hungry later in the evening, consider planning ahead for a healthy snack. For many people, a snack with lots of protein, non-starchy veggies, and a little carbohydrate and fat is ideal.

3) Make sure you're hydrated. If you're not drinking at least 2 liters of plain water daily, you might need to up your water intake.

4) Check in with yourself to see if your needs are getting met. Many people neglect their feelings and needs all day long, then fall into indulgence in the evenings. If this sounds familiar, make a list of ways you can connect with your feelings and meet your real needs, rather than indulging yourself with food.
5) Take a look at how you view TV time. For many of us, TV is an indulgence -- that is, we're thinking, "At last! I get to sit around and do nothing but vegetate for a while!" If that resonates for you, consider finding another way to relax your body and mind.

TV is not designed to be relaxing -- it's meant to be stimulating. If what you need is relaxation, TV is going about it the wrong way, and your needs never get met. That can make it much easier to turn to eating to meet the need. When eating doesn't meet the need, either, people tend to watch more TV...then eat more...and so on. So, instead of viewing TV as your time to veg out, consider connecting TV time with exercise time. That way, you'll break the nighttime noshing habit and meet your exercise goals, too.