It's after dinner, you aren't starving but are no longer full from dinner. It is about 1-2 hours from bedtime and you don't know why, but you WANT to eat something! You have an inner struggle with yourself to consciously make a snack because it's "after 7:30." So instead you rummage through the cupboard (secretly so no one sees) and eat a handful of cereal or chips, stuff your face with chocolate or just take a few scoops of ice cream. Then you feel guilty and frustrated cause you 'gave in'.
LISTEN UP! No more guilt, shame or eating junk when the night time hunger strikes. I eat before bed, yes that's right. I do not want to wake up at 4am starving (it's happened). So what do we eat???
I make one of my protein creations! I stick to protein and a small serving of good fats before bed. Proteins will keep my metabolism going and in a burning state since proteins have the highest thermic effect on food (calorie burn). The fats sustain the release of these proteins, which means build muscle all night, woo! The fats will also be your main source of energy while your body is in a low intensity state of sleeping. This should keep you full too!
Another low calorie option is munching on veggies or salad, which are low in calories and have a high water content to fill you up. The things you want to avoid are carbs and sugars (even fruits)! Carbohydrates will store as fat since we do not need this type of energy before we sleep. If we have sugar (glucose) our insulin levels will spike and put our body into action for energy releasing activity..but since we are NOT planning on running in our sleep this will lead to weight gain and also sleep disturbances.
So there is good news! I've made a label for bed time snacks that I eat and I make for the intention of getting the late-night cravings! Stay strong my friends and stop sneaking around, I can see you ;)
