Dinner time is also the time when most people who are trying to follow a diet and lose weight in the process need to be extra cautious because “will power” does not even have a chance to make an appearance towards the end of the day. It’s a time when we choose to let our guards down and give ourselves little treats for being goody-good through the day. Also, the desire to eat something after dinner, to dig into a scoop of ice cream, or take a bite of that glazing cake, or to finish off that last slice of pizza while binge watching “The Family Man” may not seem a lot (considering you had worked out for one hour in the day and had religiously followed the diet program to the T during the day). Continuing to eat way past dinner time is not a good idea for someone who is trying to lose weight and frequent snacking at nighttime can set you up for failure in terms of weight loss. It’s a bit hard to fight night-time snacking, especially for us Indians, who have a habit to bite into “something meetha” after dinner. Making repeated trips to the refrigerator after dinner to find something to nibble into will not only stall fat burning, it may lead to weight gain. Snacking after dinner adds a lot of calories which are not only difficult to burn, it might cause indigestion, bloating, and most importantly, interrupt sleep cycle (throwing fat burning hormones and enzymes out of whack). If you are finding it hard to fight the urge of having treats, read about 8 Ways to Stop Eating After Dinner.
1. Stick to Meal and Snack Timings: There have been various studies that point towards the benefit of having fixed timings for every meal and snacks. If you want your diet and exercise to give you the best results, you need to make a plan to fix your meal timings. Do make it a rule to never have anything post 7 pm to drop extra pounds. Having your meal too late into the night or grabbing a bite at odd hours after the dinner can hamper your weight loss progress because having food at erratic timings would set you up for failure because late into the night, the metabolism is at its lowest and most of the calories to be stored as fat instead of them getting used up as energy. Find the right timings to have your meals for faster weight loss on the Rati Beauty app.
2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: It becomes convenient to graze on high-calorie food when you are just bored and want to nibble on something while while watching TV, when the pantry and kitchen is full of “ready-to-eat” items. Processed food and packaged “ready to eat” food packets act as triggers and when they are easily available at home, they can trigger cravings and though you may be able to fight off these cravings during the day, they will hit back stronger in the evening, particularly after dinner time when you are in a relaxed mode. So, the “out of sight, out of mind” policy would work very well when you stop stocking up junk food in the kitchen and in the refrigerator. Also, do remember to strike these “21 Items Off Your Grocery List to Lose Weight.”
3. Eat Enough Through the Day: One would obviously end up with a ravenous appetite after staying off food and starving all through the day in the name of dieting. As we have mentioned a lot of times previously too, weight loss will happen by eating the right kind of food and not eating less or starving through the day. Follow the Rati Beauty diet to eat enough through the day so that you don’t binge eat or overeat unhealthy food at the end of the day.
4. Break the Habit of Eating While Watching TV: Recent studies have revealed that it is extremely difficult to practice moderation if you are eating while viewing the television. And now since most of us have got into a habit of binge watching addictive series on OTT platforms (especially at night), it would be prudent to detach TV time with food. It is quite easy to lose count of calories while you are watching your favorite web series. It is a common knowledge that we tend to eat more than usual if we do so while remaining glued to our television sets, and if you are doing so after having dinner, that’s not good news for your waistline. So, break the habit of eating while watching TV.
5. Include a Good Source of Protein and Fiber at Dinner: Both protein and fiber make you feel full and prevent the need to munch on to something more after dinner. Protein keeps you full for longer and boosts satiety, ditto applies for fiber. Including a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fat with every meal and snack will keep your blood sugar levels stabilized and prevent cravings for unhealthy food later on. When you increase protein intake, food cravings and food-related thoughts will decrease by a great degree. Find such protein-rich weight loss diets on the Rati Beauty app.
6. Brush Teeth with a Mint Toothpaste After Dinner: Here’s another habit you should develop asap – brush your teeth immediately after having dinner and this habit will train your brain that you are done for the day, and no more snacking! Also, brushing with a mint-flavored gum helps to reduce the desire to eat after dinner because as we all know, food doesn’t taste that good with a mint flavour in the mouth.
7. Stick Motivational Quotes on the Refrigerator: When you find yourself making frequent trips to the refrigerator to find treats to fight boredom, calm jittery nerves, or just to feel good – realize that you are not hungry! And if it continues after dinner, that’s seriously sabotaging weight loss goals. To avoid your refrigerator from ruining your weight loss goals, stick these funny quotes that would remind you that you are in the process of losing weight, not to gain pounds. – “Dear stomach, you are not so hungry, just bored, so shut up” and “Whatever your problem, it’s not in the fridge!” are just a few examples we can think right off the bat.
8. Cut the Habit of Having Something Meetha After Dinner: If you have to be a slave to a habit, let it be to good habits. The desire to have something meetha or sweet after dinner can seriously sabotage your weight loss goals because eating sugary stuff raises blood sugar and the subsequent drop in blood sugar level leads to fatigue and dip in energy, making you crave for “unhealthy food” all over again. This cycle will continue all through the night if you are staying awake as well. Do cut the habit of having sweet something after dinner time.
However, if you still have the urge to snack on to something after dinner, do pick healthy options, instead of reaching out for unhealthy food and sugary delights, reach out for low-calorie snacks such as roasted makhana, sprouts, what’s best, you can even nibble on dark chocolate, but again, don’t make this a part of daily routine, do stick to meal and snack timings as mentioned on your diet program.
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