6 Tips to Stop Late-Night Snacking and Stay On Track with Your Health Goals

A common problem I hear from people is how do I stop late-night snackin It is the biggest challenge for many people and it leads to a lot of people giving up on themselves. I am a late-night snacker. I used to love to eat ice cream or a bag of potato chips while watching TV. Here are six tips to stop late-night snacking to help you stay on track with your health goals.

Close the Kitchen

Choose a time to close the kitchen. When I was training for a competition, the kitchen closed at 6pm. Otherwise, I allow the kitchen to remain open until 7:30pm. You can even put signs up, “Kitchen Closed”. This will really help all members of your family. Because I get up at 6am, this gives me 10 to 12 hours of no food. Remember, we lose weight when we sleep. The body repairs itself during sleep time. If we deprive it of food, then the body will be forced to get its energy source from our stored fat.

Throw Out the Junk Food

This will be painful. If you can’t find any of this food, then you won’t be eating it. Don’t hide any treats either. Be honest with yourself. This food has no value to it and it is making you gain weight. It is comfort food. You have to get used to being uncomfortable. When the stomach is growling, that means it is working so hard to get energy from your stored fat. So let it growl. It is just mad at you for making it work hard.

More Protein Throughout the Day

When I added more and more protein to my day, I was not as hungry at night. Adding a late afternoon protein shake really helped the appetite. Check your protein levels. If I don’t get enough, I will be hungry. I have a solution for that.

Walk After Dinner

The best habit I have is to take a walk after dinner. That really helped calm the appetite. It was a great weight loss tool. In the winter, I would use a treadmill or elliptical to do some light cardio. The purpose is to just avoid the late-night snack. 15 or 20 minutes was enough to get me to stop eating and with the extra exercise, I would lose more weight!

Protein Ice Cream

If I wasn’t getting enough protein or it was a hot summer day and the ice cream craving was there, I would make Arnold Schwarzenegger’s protein ice cream.

1 cup of Milk

1 scoop of Protein powder

1/2 banana

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

This is a very healthy dessert. It calms the hunger and the craving. I add some carbonated water to this snack and it really satisfies.

A Cup of Herbal Tea

I have begun to experiment with various herbal teas. No caffeine. Just some soothing teas at night. I can watch TV, sip at my tea and still keep the weight loss going.

These tricks have become habits. They are part of my daily routine now. Because they are part of my daily life, I don’t feel guilty at Christmas or at a party when I eat some beautiful desserts. I know that I have a plan that 95% of the year works.