Friday, January 25, 2008

It’s Weigh-In Day!

I know, you are sitting there thinking… darn, isn’t there something I need to do today?  Well there sure is!  You need to weigh-in of course

It’s Friday and today we are going to all think positive, hop on that scale, and see the pounds just fall off.  Well some of us anyhow For me, I saw an addition of 2 pounds even.  BUT… on my behalf it is the day before “that time of the month” so I think I’m holding a little water, and I ate WAY too late last night which I am sure isn’t good for my weight loss.  Speaking of which, I wanted to discuss the truth about eating late at night, and what it does for your diet.

As you probably know if you ever watch Oprah, she and Bob Greene firmly agree that you need to have a cut off period at night in order to allow your food to digest which can lead to weight loss.  For the most part I agree with this.  I mean, the fact is, whether you eat at 7pm for the last time, or 11pm for the last time, you are still taking in the same amount of calories, but it is the time that you have left before laying down that you can actually burn off these calories.  If you eat right before bed, and then you lay down, you are not burning as many calories as you could if you are sitting up, walking around, folding laundry, or taking a walk after dinner.  That is why you should make a cut off point for eating. 

It is recommended that 3 hours before your bedtime is the last time you should have a snack, so that your body has time to work off some of the calories, and so you literally won’t be sleeping as your body is trying to digest and break down the food.  When you lie down after eating you are just asking for those calories to change over to fat which can stay with you for a very long time.  Instead, you need to find a way to eat a healthy dinner, have one healthy snack, and then avoid food for 3 hours before you go to sleep.  Sure, it sounds easy, but what about those late night snack binging episodes that you are so used to?  Well, as Nancy Regan so famously said - JUST SAY NO! Say no to empty calories that you eat as you watch TV.  Say no to eating large amounts of food as a snack just because you are bored.  Say no to the leftover dinner that is sitting in the refrigerator because you have nothing else to eat. 

By planning out your dinners, as well as your snacks, you will learn to avoid mindless eating and you will start to see the pounds come off quicker.  Here are some great tips on how to avoid late night eating:

* When you feel the urge to eat late at night, try drinking 2 or more cups of water. You can also make a cup of herbal tea sweeten with honey or artificial sugar. Hot liquids have a soothing effect on emotions and appetite.

* Remind yourself that it’s normal to feel hungry late at night due to habitually eating late. Breaking this habit is like learning to quit smoking. Remind yourself of your goal to lose 20 or 30 pounds and the key to losing this weight is to STOP late night eating.

* Much of late night eating after dinner can be avoided by hiding the junk food. Put foods that you’re prone to eat late at night out of sight. Better yet, don’t buy junk food at all, though this may not be possible if you have kids.

* Suck on hard candy. Most hard candy have only a few calories and they give you the satisfaction of snacking.

* Keep a written copy of your diet plan in view, which will keep your goal of losing weight firmly fixed in your mind. The temptation to snack late at night will not be as great if you don’t give into the urge for several weeks.

* Some people have great success by simply brushing their teeth late at night. This method has been known to curb late night eating for many people.

* The most vulnerable time for eating late is 1 hour after dinner right up to bedtime. Keep your life interesting by working on a favorite hobby and NOT watching TV. The ads on TV can subconsciously trigger the impulse to eat. Boredom is your biggest danger to late night eating.

* Psyche yourself for the battle. You know that you will feel tempted to snack late at night. It’s an artificial feeling that will go away when you go to bed. The next morning, you probably won’t be hungry .... eat breakfast anyway .... it’s the most important meal of the day.