For someone who consumes most of her calories after 6 pm, this presents a difficult challenge.
I find that I like to eat my planned healthy meals, squeeze in a good workout and then sabotage my weight loss efforts by inhaling more calories than I need as the day is winding down! I do this whether I am stressed or not. I also subconsciously reward myself for all my hard work – how’s that for really bad logic!
What about you, do you have a cutoff time in the evening when the fridge and pantry are “off limits” until the next morning? What do you do to give your body the chance to “clean house” each night by not bogging it down with extra calories when you need them the least. It is a difficult change to make but I propose we would need to replace bad habits with good ones…unwinding with a warm bubble bath, a good book, or a snack that has already been accounted for in your daily budgeted calories.
Eating after 6 pm may not be a problem for some disciplined individuals, who maybe work late or do their workout in the evening, but for me it is a danger zone and one snack can snowball into mindless eating and empty calories. I think it had become more of a bad habit than anything. Since I have four small kids I have to plan my workouts for 5 am, which means I have to get to bed by nine, which means I really should stop eating 2-3 hours before then. I think it is just the schedule I personally need to be on.
Not convinced that you need a cutoff time for calorie consumption at night? Here’s an opinion worth considering:
Also, there is a really good book called “Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself
An interesting idea, and he shares some evidence for his claim that this increases your energy as well as improves your overall health. For sure I wake up refreshed and energized when I adhere to this principle!
Related posts:
- What do you think about the South Beach Diet? I have read many “diet” books, some I’ve liked, some...
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jenn,
I really appreciated this post and have been thinking about it all month. I’m not big on a detox regime or anything, but I really like the idea of giving my system 12 hours of rest from digestion. I also find that the nights I work out at the gym I don’t have as strong of a desire to eat at after. My big problem that started this year is that I make my daughter and husband’s lunches at night when I’m cleaning up and that inspires all kinds of snacking. I haven’t yet figured out a better time to make their lunches.
I love reading your blog because you bring up issues that I think about and would love to talk about with other moms striving to make healthy choices for their own bodies as they navigate the craziness of raising a family. Thanks for your insights!
Thanks! I am so glad you’re liking this! There is definitely a unique challenge for us to reach weight loss goals if we’re raising kids and cooking for a family! One person I know says, “Quit eating their [the kids'] food!”. So TRUE, I love to scarf down leftover chicken nuggets and mac ‘n’ cheese! My only advice for the making luches part is – have them make their own lunches!
My 6 and 7 year olds pack their own lunches the night before. I sort of supervise but try not to interfere too much. May not work for you but it works for us! Also, it is great for teaching them some responsibility! As for the spouse, well, that is a whole other issue! I suppose you could start packing really healthy for him so if you snack a little it would be on baby carrots and celery!?
Thanks so much for being here! Would love to hear more about you in the future!