Identify your triggers.
You may find it helpful to look for a specific pattern of events that usually sets off your nighttime snacking behavior. Think like a scientist and observe without judgment.
Are you using food to meet an emotional need? Can that need be met another way?
Are you eating enough food (especially protein) during the day?
Plan your meals & prioritize protein.
A non-app tool I use with my nutrition clients is a simple paper and pencil journal. I ask them to plan their meals and snacks for the day and prioritize protein. You can even include an after-dinner snack in your plan if that makes the most sense for you.
The plan helps you intentionally decide how much food you will eat in a day and how that food will be distributed. It also helps you avoid eating the right amount of food through dinner and then eating extra after dinner.
You don’t have to execute your plan exactly as it’s laid out, but the planning will help you be more intentional.
Have an evening routine.
Consider turning off all the lights in the kitchen and saying to yourself, “The kitchen is closed.” Then, have a relaxing bath or do another relaxing ritual. Spend the rest of the evening in a part of the house further from the kitchen. Brush your teeth. Consider going to bed earlier. Try different things and see what works.
Have alternatives ready to use as needed
If you haven’t planned a snack after dinner but find yourself wanting one, consider some tea or sugar-free hot chocolate. Sometimes water and ice can taste great when you are having a craving.
Be flexible and allow for the process to be messy.
The goal is NOT to NEVER have an unplanned treat after dinner for the rest of your life—just to do it less often. Don’t white-knuckle your way through this. Do it gradually. If you snack after dinner every night right now and you manage to skip two of the seven nights of your first week, that’s a win! If you only skip one night the second week but then three nights the third week, you are still progressing.
Watch your negative self-talk & be patient.
If you find this change difficult at first, show yourself some compassion. If you’ve been snacking after dinner for a long time, it will take some time to break the habit. If it were easy, you would have done it already.
As I said earlier, think like a scientist running experiments. Observe the outcomes. Keep doing what works and change what doesn’t.
Seek support.
Consider hiring a Nutrition Coach to help you devise strategies to try until you find one that works for you. I know one that would love to work with you. 😊
Comments