Fight Late Night Cravings

The following is from Holly Rigsby of Fit Yummy Mummy

Fight Late Night Cravings

Need some ideas to fight late night cravings?

You are so not alone. This is actually a HOT Topic! The ladies at ClubFYM asked for some help in the forums today - thought sharing the tips with you would help you find some solutions to help take control of these cravings once and for all!

I need some help!

“I don’t know what my problem is. I think I eat enough all day. But, when I get home from work around 6PM I am so hungry that I can’t wait for dinner - I end up eating crap AND THEN also eating dinner. Then I just feel like, Oh well, I already pigged out so I might as well have ice cream too.

This is what I ate yesterday during the day:

7:30 AM - 1/2 cup GrapeNuts with 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 cups green tea

10 AM - 1/2 cup honeydew, 1/2 cup musk melon, handful walnuts, 2 tricuit crackers

11:15 AM - Intervals

12:00 PM - 1/2 whole wheat wrap with lettuce, tomato, 1 slice cheese, 2 slices soy meat substitute, and 1 cup watermelon, handful “soy crisps”

3:15 PM - 1 serving goat cheese rounds (Babybel minis), 1 rice cake with 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1/2 c pineapple.

Then I got home at 6, ate a big handful of stupid M&M’s, followed by dinner (brown rice with paneer and fresh peas & tomatoes YUM), then PEANUT M&M’s and a few spoons of ice cream. I felt like I had done great all day until that point. Should I be having bigger snacks to avoid a meltdown like this? Should I have a bigger meal at 3, and then skip the 9PM meal?

Thanks for any help! I really need to get this nutrition thing down!”

Karen, member of ClubFYM

My response to Karen

While Karen is on the right track with eating every 3 hours, making sure to choose whole food options and creating meals around a protein and a produce there were some areas I could identify right away.
~~~~~
“Hey Karen,
Couple things from just a quick glance…

1. Your breakfast needs to be the biggest meal of your day - and I would be sure to add Fruit here - add more protein.

2. If you are starving when you get home - why not eat something at 5 or so or on your way home so you are not famished?

Like a handful of nuts or something portable.

3. Why are M&Ms in the house?

4. Why is ice cream in the house?

5. I would reevaluate the calories you eat during the day and see if you can slightly increase portions (of protein and produce) to make them higher.”
~ Holly
~~~~~~
Several other members were quick to offer support and suggestions on what has helped them to overcome late night cravings. Marloes offered a couple breakfast recipes.
~~~~~~
“Karen!!
I can absolutely relate to you!
I front load my day now more so then I was in the past!
Example -2 eggs plus 2 egg whites2 cups spinach2 tbsp flax meal. Sometimes I will add either peppers or grape tomatoes to this omelet.

OR 1/3 cup oatmea, l2 tbsp flax meal 1tbsp peanut butter 1apple 1/4 cup (2) egg whites

These two breakfast meals fill me up for sure!It does help to eat a bigger breakfast!

If unsupportive food is within reach, it is most likely going to become a part of your day….lol on blaming someone else Laughing…I just do not buy it, why offer yourself that temptation?
You can do this, grab a glass of water instead along with a handful of nuts at 5pm and walk away!”

~ Marloes, Member of ClubFYM and 3rd place winner of the Summer Transformation Challenge


~~~~~3 Great take away points….


1. Make sure you are eating and eating enough every 3 to 4 hours

2. Eliminate overly processed foods, foods that contain HFCS and foods that contain artificial sweeteners - all of which turn up your desire for cravings

3. The largest meal of the day should be your Breakfast - loaded with protein and produce!

4. Create a SUPPORTIVE Environment….if the junk food is there You WILL eat it!Stop making it so hard on yourself!!!