Overcoming dastardly nighttime snack cravings is one of the hardest parts (initially) of intermittent fasting. I do the 16:8 method, which means after dinner is finished (usually around 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.) I fast until until the following morning at 9:00 a.m. (or 9:30 a.m.). That means no late-night snacking.
After following the 16:8 method of intermittent fasting for one year, I lost 30 lbs. I am no longer in weight-loss mode but, rather, maintenance mode. My IF schedule now is much more relaxed. I have added cream into my morning coffee again (when I was looking to lose weight I drank black coffee before my eating window opened so as not to disrupt the fast) and don't adhere strictly to 16:8 everyday.
When I first started intermittent fasting, the hardest part was avoiding those powerful nighttime snack cravings. In today's video, I share 5 ways you can ride those out. In the video I discuss this article describing the difference between real hunger and appetite. That 9:00 p.m. hankering for a bowl of Cap'n Crunch is not usually hunger... especially if you've eaten a well balanced dinner a few hours before.
So how do you avoid the trap of returning to unhealthy nighttime snacks? After all, I am the author of Lessons from Madame Chic where Chapter 1 states that Snacking is So Not Chic.
My five tips are quite simple. I elaborating on them in today's video.
Distract yourself When those strong cravings hit during your fasting window, distract yourself with something else. Read a book or do something physical like gardening, cleaning, or knitting.
Drink tea or coffee Now in the evening, you are most likely not going to want caffeine. That's why I recommend a hot cup of herbal tea or even hot water. When you are able to hold and consume something comforting it can help as you push through junk food cravings.
Change your scenery Going on a walk cures so many things and it definitely serves as an excellent distraction. Make it a habit to go on an early evening walk or even walk around your garden at night. The fresh air will invigorate you.
Spend time with someone special Whether you play a card game with your family or chat to the neighbors on the porch, putting your attention on someone else is tremendously helpful here.
Go to sleep For those really late night cravings, the best course of action is going to bed. You'll wake up feeling refreshed and grateful you didn't have that 10 p.m. bowl of ice cream.
Today's video is brought to us by DoFasting, which is an Intermittent Fasting app. Code jlscott gives up to a 75% off discount.
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I have read that sometimes we feel the need to eat when really we are just tired, and to go to bed or take a nap if possible. I like all of your suggestions. I don't watch much television, but when I do, it doesn't help that every other ad is a food commercial, which gives us ideas and makes us "hungry." I think intermittent fasting is great and our bodies need a break from constant eating. Telling myself that the kitchen is closed after my cutoff time helps, and if I'm hungry, I just think about the scale going down and plan what I want to eat the next day. I like having control over food rather than it having control over me.
ReplyDeleteYou look fantastic! Slim, healthy, energetic, and glowing!
If I brush and floss my teeth shortly after dinner, I don't want to snack and mess them up! I might not go to bed for hours, but my clean teeth remove the snacking temptation.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Great tips! It’s good to prepare for possible temptations so that we can quickly respond in view of our goals. I am inspired by your intermittent fasting videos to set the same goal of returning to my body’s happy place and by His grace, enjoy good health as I age.
ReplyDeleteI remember doing IF after my freshman college year, of course, they didn't have a name for it and this was the late 70's:) I ate from 11:00 a.m.-1:00pm anything and everything I wanted and then water the rest of the day and tennis at night....AAAhhh youth; however, I lost the 20 lbs I wanted and have kept it off ever since. I told my husband last night, now that I'm 60, I want to try this again but nothing to eat after 7:00 pm. not so much for weight loss but for my health in general. Thank you, Jennifer for sharing this story with us and not preaching radical diets. Blessings.... Stacie
ReplyDeleteHi ladies, thanks for watching! I really enjoyed reading your input.
ReplyDeleteMary- Thank you! I totally agree about being tired...
DD- That is a tip I should have added in. It's so true!
Mamalb- Thank you!
Stacie- Yes! You were doing it before it had a label!
Have a wonderful rest of the week, everyone. Thanks for commenting!
Jennifer xx
Excellent tips! Ignore those naysayers—you look fabulous:)
ReplyDelete