Easy weight loss programs and nighttime eating

Photo: insightpsychotherapy.com.au

Following simple weight reduction programs requires planning and commitment. While the basic tenet of losing weight is to eat less calories than you burn, it’s not always that simple. To experience permanent weight loss, you need to eliminate bad habits and replace them with new healthy ones.

One bad habit that can have very negative repercussions is mindless nighttime eating. You could stay on track all day long with one of the best easy weight loss programs, but then render all your good efforts throughout the day ineffective by overeating at night.

At our medical weight loss clinics, we strongly emphasize the importance of watching what you eat at night. It’s so easy to sit down in front of the television at night and mindlessly munch on snacks, even if you’re still full from eating dinner. It’s a bit of a habit for many people; an act they associate with relaxation and unwinding. Yet mindless nighttime eating can quickly destroy the results of easy weight loss programs, especially when you’re snacking on food with empty calories, sugar and fat.

Think of all the times you may have sat down and eaten a whole box of popcorn, bag of potato chips or box of cookies. Eating that kind of food is bad in general when you’re trying to lose weight, but at night, when there is not much time left to burn calories, it can cause you to gain weight. Eating healthy salads, protein and snacking on weight loss products all day long will not make up for mindless nighttime eating. 

We always recommend that patients of our medical weight loss clinics lay down some boundaries for themselves. A good idea is to set a time for when the kitchen is officially closed down. If you do decide to have a snack, try to do so at least an hour before you go to sleep. Make sure that it’s something low-calorie. Ideally, eat a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, some Greek yogurt or weight loss products that stabilize your blood sugar, thus preventing a spike, such as Drizzles or a shake mix. However, the best possible nighttime snack would be some zero-calorie chamomile tea.

In addition, try to keep your hands busy when you’re sitting and watching television or even talking with your family—this can distract you from thinking about snacks. Maybe try knitting, crocheting, doing crossword puzzles or playing board games with your family.