Fighting Overeating at Night
Binge eating syndrome is familiar to many people. The modern rhythm of life, unfortunately, does not allow most of us to lead a correct lifestyle. As a rule, after a hard day at work, we come home hungry and full of food.
It turns out that in the evening we consume about 70% of the total daily diet. According to doctors, this is very harmful to health, since at night the body is unable to digest food as well as it does in the morning or afternoon. Even if you are nocturnal, the biological rhythms of the body still limit the activity of metabolic processes.
In general, it all converges to the fact that the bodies of people who prefer to gorge themselves before bedtime have a hard time, since during sleep all processes in the body slow down and it is difficult for the stomach to digest a large amount of food. It turns out that calories, instead of being spent during the day, are stored in reserve, and in the morning we often feel a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
Of course, it is far from always possible to follow the rules of a healthy diet, because we often have to work late or attend holiday feasts in the evening. And sometimes while sitting at home, we cannot deny ourselves some delicious delicacy.
This is especially harmful for people with impaired metabolism or overweight. It is extremely important to make sure that eating before bed does not become a habit, otherwise it will be very difficult to overcome later.
Often, the unstable psychological state of a person contributes to the nightly gluttony. Scientists have long established the relationship between psyche and hunger. For example, when a person experiences feelings of guilt in front of someone, or anxiety and even stress, his hunger is exacerbated. Especially at night. In addition, depressive states are often "seized" by a large amount of food, and not the most useful for the body. In difficult periods of life, our hand by itself, it would seem, reaches for a packet of chips or a sweet cake. Tell me, why not drink a glass of low-fat kefir or eat an apple? But no, because they will not bring us a sense of satisfaction. It is not the feeling of satiety itself that is important here, but rather the desire to allow yourself something forbidden, harmful. So we hit ourselves on the weakest points,and then again we suffer from guilt. It turns out to be a vicious circle. Hence, there is a rapid weight gain, metabolic disorders and all kinds of disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract. But, the worst thing is the psychological dependence on the night dose of calories, which is extremely difficult to overcome.
We accustom ourselves to change
If the consequences of nighttime overeating have not escaped you either, and this does not allow you to live in peace, you need to change your life. You will have to suffer for several weeks and develop new habits in yourself, simultaneously getting rid of old ones.
1. Forming your diet. Make it a rule to eat often, but in small portions. Have light snacks all the time, like eating an apple or drinking a glass of yogurt. At 6-7 pm you can eat a hearty dinner (about 3-4 hours before bedtime), but after - no, no. It is highly discouraged to combine eating with watching TV or reading a book, since being distracted by something else, you are able to eat much more than you need. Therefore, while eating, focus on food and chew each bite thoroughly. Then saturation will be conscious.
2. We keep a food diary. If you find it difficult to control yourself, get yourself a notebook in which you will keep counting the calories consumed per day. This is a very useful practice for those who want to lose weight (the number of calories in this case should not exceed 1500). And if you are just trying to keep yourself in shape and follow a diet, make sure that you do not consume more than 2000 calories per day. Take care of a hearty breakfast and a full dinner, do not hold back all the most delicious and nutritious for the evening.
If you find it very difficult to cope with the habit of night snacking, resort to these measures:
- Drink a glass of kefir or milk, because it will be difficult for you to fall asleep if you go to bed feeling hungry. Try to provide yourself with a fairly hearty dinner, but not over-calorie.
- Brush your teeth after dinner, then the light taste of toothpaste will serve as a psychological barrier from night food;
- Find a source of joy for yourself other than food. For example, take a relaxing bath or sip a delicious herbal tea. All this will calm and relax you, and, moreover, distract you.
- Get yourself some light physical activity, such as cleaning, stretching, or simply taking a walk in the fresh air before bed.
Boredom and idleness are the main enemies
Remember that appetite often comes to those who are bored, especially in the evening. Create some distraction for yourself:
- If you are used to watching TV, let it be educational and educational programs, for example, news. You shouldn't watch TV ads, as they use special marketing gimmicks and colorful pictures that encourage you to purchase goods that you absolutely do not need (for example, chips, which you really don't like at all).
- Try to take a walk in the fresh air every night, at least for a short time - this is the best way to relieve the brain and not strain the body.
- Create a hobby for yourself. For example, while watching your favorite show, you can keep your hands busy with some needlework, knitting or embroidery. Better yet, think of something to do outside the home and start attending some kind of training and development courses.
And remember, the main thing is desire. Don't let weakness lead you astray!
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