Midnight Munching: 6 Expert – Backed Tips to Avoid Late Night Snacks For Healthy Lifestyle

Making a regular habit of midnight munching might be pretty cool and something you glorify and bind over, but it is not so cool with your body.

It’s 9 pm – you’ve had a healthy dinner, you know you should stop eating now, but you are feeling hungry and craving something – sweet, salty, or carby. You end up eating junk foods or excessive food – which your body doesn’t need. And you don’t even feel good after this! Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry, many of us are guilty of it too. Snacking after dinner or late at night is one of the most common fitness mistakes people make. In fact, midnight snacking is one of the biggest contributors to weight gain, disrupted sleep, and digestive issues.

Why is Midnight Snacking Unhealthy?

Midnight snacking doesn’t just disturb your sleep cycle and digestive system, it also contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle, increased blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels, weight gain, and your emotional well-being. A few simple changes in eating patterns can help you cut back on midnight snacking and progress towards a fitter you. The first and foremost step to a healthy diet is to put a halt to your midnight snacking habit

1.Eat balanced meals

While skipping meals can be tempting for weight loss, it can actually make you overeat later in the day! You need to eat healthy and balanced meals so you don’t feel hungry at odd hours. When you eat healthy, balanced, and nutritive meals, you are consistently giving your body the energy and nourishment it needs.

2.Eat your dinner on time

Often people end up snacking late at night either because they have eaten their dinner too early or not eaten anything at all. Rather than falling prey to hunger at odd hours, fix a dinner time and stick to it, so you don’t end up eating unhealthy food that disturbs your digestive system, sleep cycle, and body nutrition.

3.Don’t stock snacks at home

When it comes to curbing midnight snacking at home, inconvenience is your ally. Think about it: If you don’t have chips, a cold drink, or chocolates at home, you can’t eat them! Don’t stock them at home, and you might find it difficult to go out and fetch some at night. You end up not bingeing anything at all.

4.Drink enough water

If you are dehydrated, chances are you are confusing thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry after dinner, try drinking water and wait for 20 minutes to see if that impacts the hunger you feel. When you are dehydrated, you also tend to eat more. Drinking enough water isn’t just going to keep you satiated, but also keep your body functioning optimally.

5.Sleep on time

It is important to get a good night’s sleep – for brain health, body health, and appetite. Go to bed early, and sleep 7-9 hours daily as it doesn’t just save you from bingeing in the night, but also saves you from overeating the next day. If you hit the bed early you will not have snacking windows. If that means skipping one episode of the show you are watching, so be it.

(- Inputs from Miten Kakaiya, Fitness Coach and Founder of Miten Says Fitness)