2023-06-22 14:05:32
Eating a decently large dinner of protein, carbs, and fat can reduce late-night food cravings.
Cara, 49, submitted her eating habits to Business Insider’s Diet Advice, where qualified dieticians and registered dietitians offer advice on readers’ eating habits.
She told Business Insider that her goals are to “lose weight, get fit, be healthy and have energy,” and that she hopes to lose 80 pounds.
“I’ve been overweight for three years and I’m trying to manage my sugar intake/addiction because I ate a lot of junk food at night,” says Cara.
Cara has just started light exercise, including 30 minutes of brisk walking per day and some strength training, both with your bodyweight and with free weights. She works full-time in a sedentary job.
Nutritionist Alix Turoff told Business Insider that not eating enough during the day can lead to overeating at night. However, it is also important to rule out an eating disorder.
“While many people eat emotionally or out of habit, some suffer from binge eating disorder and may not even realize it,” Turoff said. Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States and is characterized by episodes of overeating over short periods of time.
Greek yogurt with fruits and seeds is a balanced breakfast
For breakfast, Cara eats about a cup of vanilla Greek yogurt with mixed fruit, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon, she says.
According to Turoff, it’s a balanced breakfast: It gets protein from the Greek yogurt, carbohydrates from the fruit, and fat from the sunflower seeds and ground flaxseed. It also gets fiber “from the fruit, the sunflower seeds and the ground flaxseed”.
However, trying to eat only “perfect” meals and denying yourself the foods you really want can backfire.
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“If you have a lot of rules about what foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or what you’re ‘allowed’, it can often lead to cravings for the very foods you’re putting on a pedestal,” Turoff said. “By incorporating some of those foods that you overeat into your daily routine, you can help normalize them so that you’re less likely to overdo it.”
Add egg whites to the salad for lunch
For lunch, Cara eats a Greek salad with a tortilla.
Turoff says it’s important that her salad includes a protein source like chicken, shrimp, tofu, or beans. Protein is important for overall health and also aids in fat loss as it keeps you feeling full and helps build muscle.
“If you want to lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit, which means you have to restrict your calorie intake,” says Turoff, “Some people can certainly do it, but others find that their bodies and psyches fight it by using the Increase hunger hormones and increase sugar and/or fat cravings.”
She advises Cara to set a sensible calorie goal based on her height, weight, age and activity level, and then make sure she’s getting enough protein at each meal.
Eat a larger dinner to reduce late-night snacking
Cara says her dinners are very varied and she mostly eats what is simple, often repeating breakfast.
Turoff also said dinner should not be neglected.
“If she’s eating the same thing as for breakfast, she’s lacking variety, which can feel boring (which can make her want to eat more ‘fun food’ for convenience), but it can also mean she’s not eating at dinner eat enough calories,” Turoff said.
While a larger breakfast and smaller dinner works well for some people, for people struggling with late-night snacks, eating more at night can help.
“I would try to have a balanced plate with a protein source of your choice (e.g. chicken, fish, beef or tofu), a serving of carbohydrates (rice, pasta, quinoa, potatoes…) and vegetables for micronutrients, fiber and volume She can then add fat in the form of olive oil, nuts, avocado, cheese, or high-fat meats,” Turoff said.
An afternoon snack might also reduce late-night cravings for overeating
Cara is an emotional eater, she says, and believes she gets about 300-500 calories from evening snacks like candy, licorice, and ice cream.
It might sound counterintuitive, but Turoff recommends an afternoon snack to keep hunger from catching up after dinner, which she regularly sees with her clients.
It could also be that Cara just got into the habit of eating mindlessly at night, especially if it’s always happening in the same place at the same time.
“Our brain craves routine, and just the act of sitting down on the couch or walking past the kitchen can trigger a habit,” Turoff says, “try replacing the habit with a new one. In this case, you would I tend to schedule an after-dinner snack rather than replacing the habit with a non-food habit (such as taking a bath or going for a walk, although those are good options too).
She advises planning one or two portioned snacks for after dinner: “If you know you can eat these foods, you’re less likely to overdo it,” she says.
It’s also important to make sure you’re drinking enough water and getting enough sleep.
“Both of these can lead to emotional eating because when we’re thirsty or tired, our bodies look for a quick burst of energy,” Turoff says, “and what foods give us the fastest burst of energy? Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar.”
Read the original article in English here.
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