Women are always asking me, “What should I eat at night?” I have thought long and hard about this because I, too, have issues with eating too much at night and ruining my diet.
I’ve tried everything, and I feel the best thing that works for me is planning it out. Whether it’s after a workout, after work, or after dinner, you must have an idea in your head of what you are going to eat. I have been studying nutrition for 4 years now, and what I have learned is that most of how we eat is mental. If you are tired from a long day at work or with the kids, and you go to the kitchen and look through the cabinets, chances are, you are going to justify eating the junk or comfort food, go sit in front of the TV (bad idea), and eat.
Before you go into the kitchen, or even get home, picture what you have to eat and what you are hungry for. Even if you don’t want something like fruit or nuts, eat something you really want but only eat the recommended portion size. This strategy should work. If you can’t stop yourself from wanting more, then turn off the TV (even in the middle of your show), sit at the kitchen table, and ask yourself whether you’re still hungry. Often times, with the distraction of the TV gone, the urge to eat mindlessly goes away, as well.
Remember, how we eat is mostly mental. It’s mind-over-matter. Who is stronger–you or the food?
Diet Tip by Jill Foley, Assistant Manager at Lucille Roberts Roosevelt Blvd. and nutrition student at Lasalle University.
