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According to Dr. Albert Stunkard, Night Eating Syndrome is seen in about 6% of people who seek treatment for obesity. It also runs in families. Night Eating Syndrome is a condition characterized by a lack of appetite for breakfast; the consumption of more than 50 percent of daily calories after the evening meal, and waking up, at least, once a night to consume high-carbohydrate snacks. If you find yourself dining in front of the fridge or eating in the pantry at night, you have room to improve your weight and your health.
Managing ‘why’ you take that evening stroll to the fridge, means reading up on emotional eating triggers. Triggers may include; depression, anger, or boredom. No matter what the trigger is, the end result is the same: habitual night eating. A change in the physical behavior can lead to changes within the psychological aspects of our habits. Begin to change old habits by adding in new ones.
Stop night eating by first addressing your dinner. Eat a no or low carb dinner. The more carbs you have at night, i.e. bread and pasta, desserts, the higher the risk of an insulin spike, causing the body to crave more sugar. Learn what if feels like to go to bed hungry. One night a week, stop eating two hours before bed. Don’t starve yourself, just feel empty and experience those feelings. You will absolutely lose weight if you go to bed hungry. Make yourself a nice warm drink like decaf herbal tea or some hot, non caloric beverage. Take your time and enjoy sipping and relaxing. Begin a journal. Log your feelings, you may soon find your trigger! Distract yourself with a phone call to a friend or keep yourself busy with a book. Boredom may be the biggest trigger. Take a bath, watch a movie, clean your cupboards.
Night eating is a fierce habit to break, but it can be done. It takes fortitude. Fight the urge to eat by planning other activities that will take the place of eating. The first night is the hardest. Everyday that you pass up the evening treats, log it on a calendar. Seeing your success is motivating, and hopefully one day will turn into several. Good luck!
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