Night time eating is a major problem for anyone dieting or just trying to eat healthy. Including me. (See: Ruminations - Night Eating.) In analyzing the last month it became very clear that snacking at night - which I call the Midnight Munchies - was the major contributor to my plateau. So, I've done a ton (you should pardon the pun) of research and made an effort to address the problem. The real obstacle for me is at bedtime. I got in the habit of taking a cereal and nuts combo to munch on while I read. That can add up, especially when you get a refill! I've learned to keep things simple and frame them positively (I will, not I won't.) So, here's what I did:
Made a decision to eat only in the kitchen and dining room and a committment to do whatever it took to stick to it. For example, if I absolutely, positively had to have a snack, I committed to having it at the kitchen table. I know myself well enough to know I am highly unlikely to drag my ass out of bed for a snack if I have to go to all that trouble!)- Resolved to act on what I knew, not on what I felt, on what I needed, not what I wanted. I knew the snacking was a compulsion that would require total abstinence to break. I also knew the urge would go away if I let it. So, my need was to go through minor discomfort for a few minutes until the urge abated. I knew getting into my reading would facilitate that process so I committed to reading for at least ten minutes before acting on any urge. That ten minutes is enough for the desire to dissipate.
- Made an effort to be mindful of the midnight munchies, i.e., to observe and understand the urge and what was driving it - boredom, comfort, restlessness, entitilement, whatever. The key was accepting the urge (without judgement) for what it was, simply my momentary experience that would pass. Judging the urge or myself for having it would only reinforce the unhealthy behavior and prolong the struggle.
The results? So far, so good. Five consecutive days with decreasing urges and difficulty each night. I know that after a month or so, this will become the "new normal" and no longer a struggle at all.
Here's a link to a wikiHow article that outlines some more steps you can take to stop the Midnight Munchies yourself.
Wish I had read this before eating that apple pie just now! I'm sure I'll do better tomorrow and beyond with this excellent advice!
ReplyDeletePersistence! Persistence! Persistence! Telling yourself to stop a bad habit simply doesn't work. You have to replace it with a better habit. It's just easier to do something than it is to not do something. Keep at it!
ReplyDeleteSnacks & binging will end for me too if I tell myself I WILL sit at the kitchen table to eat it.........I"m gonna try that in the next week and let you know how it's working for me.......I can't imagine talking myself into sitting there of all places!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray
Barb
Imagine it, Barb, because it can and will happen if you make that decision and committment. Remember the urge will pass if you let it! Think of your need as getting through the 10-15 minutes or however long it takes for the urge to pass, then identify two or three things you can do to meet your need, and the do them whether you feel like it or not. Do that every time you have the urge and after about a week you'll see you are developing a new, healthier habit and you'll also see it's getting easier!
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