{"id":484755,"date":"2018-03-20T20:07:25","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T20:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/origin-www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=484755"},"modified":"2018-08-14T18:16:33","modified_gmt":"2018-08-14T07:46:43","slug":"how-to-stop-night-cravings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-stop-night-cravings\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Smart Ways to Stop Cravings at Night"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"\r\n\r\nOne of the biggest mistakes people make when dieting is late-night snacking. You exercise regularly, and each day, you choose healthy options from breakfast to dinner. But then comes the rumbling tummy, and the sudden snack attack, and there goes all your hard work. Thankfully, there are super accessible ways to stop cravings at night.\r\n\r\n \r\n

1. Hydrate<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nOne of the easiest ways to stop cravings at night is to hydrate! When you feel the urge to sneak into the pantry and pull out the chips, try drinking two or more cups of water. Another great option is to make a cup of herbal tea, which can relax you enough to forget about food altogether.\r\n\r\nAccording to research<\/a>, just eight ounces of water can be effective enough to fill up the stomach and turn you off from food, all while consuming zero calories. You can also try these\u00a05 Simple Detox Water Recipes to Boost Metabolism<\/a>. They flavor water with healthy ingredients like lemon juice and fruit.\r\n\r\n \r\n

2. Distract yourself<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nBoredom can be a big reason you suddenly feel hungry. If you\u2019re not tired, but it\u2019s too late to snack, simply distract yourself! Often times, a strange craving for chips or cookies is merely psychological, and not your body telling you it\u2019s time to eat.\r\n\r\nAs weird as it may sound, doing something unappetizing, like cleaning your toilet, or taking out the cat litter, can be a great distraction. You can also try distracting yourself with an evening walk around the block.\u00a0One study<\/a>\u00a0found that walking briskly for 15 minutes reduced cravings for chocolate.\r\n\r\nYou can even try distracting yourself by meditating. which lowers levels of stress. Stress boosts the hormone cortisol, which triggers the urge to eat unhealthy foods high in fat and sugar. Check out\u00a0these other ways<\/a>\u00a0daily meditation can help you lose weight.\r\n\r\n \r\n

3. Suck on hard candy<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nMost hard candy is low in calories and gives you the satisfaction of just having something tasty in your mouth. Make your hard candy one with peppermint.\u00a0One study<\/a>\u00a0found that when inhaling peppermint scent every two hours, participants reported feeling significantly less hungry and that they ate 1,800 fewer calories than normal. The researchers also found that the peppermint scent reduced cravings, and reduced the intake of fat and sugar.\r\n\r\n \r\n

4. Stop binge-watching TV<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nAs hard as it might be to hear that your race through all 14 seasons of\u00a0Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em>\u00a0is working against your waistline, it\u2019s time you take a break from the TV.\u00a0Research has found that staying up late to stay up-to-date on your favorite show throws off your circadian clock. Forcing yourself to stay up when you\u2019re exhausted results in an increase in hunger and cravings too. If you stop the TV binging and still find your sleep is out of whack, you might want to consider these\u00a05 Things That Are Killing Your Sleep Schedule<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n

5. Have dessert<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nIt might seem counterintuitive, but allowing yourself dessert truly is one of the best ways to stop cravings at night.\u00a0Having an early dinner and then avoiding dessert when it sounds so good can work against your weight loss or weight maintenance goals, because you might find deprivation causing you to binge.\u00a0It doesn\u2019t even have to be big. Allow yourself a square of dark chocolate to avoid scarfing down a whole sleeve of Oreos.\u00a0Check out these other\u00a06 Desserts You Can Enjoy while Losing Weight<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n

6. Brush your teeth<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nKeeping a routine is one of the easiest ways to stop cravings at night. Make brushing your teeth after dinner or dessert a must. The work you put into polishing your pearly whites will have you questioning your craving for a late-night treat, because who wants to go through the trouble of brushing twice?\r\n\r\nBesides, food doesn\u2019t taste nearly as good after you\u2019ve rinsed your mouth with mouthwash or brushed. You\u2019ve learned that mistake many times before!\u00a0Make this\u00a0DIY Natural Teeth Whitener<\/a>\u00a0which will both distract you from your snack craving and deter you from messing with your fresh teeth with a treat.\r\n\r\n \r\n

7. Upgrade your night craving food<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nSometimes you can do all of the\u00a0ways to stop cravings at night above, and still feel your tummy grumbling and your brain telling you a bite is right. That\u2019s okay. But be careful what you choose.\r\n\r\nIf you choose to snack on a couple crackers or cookies, you know the chances that you\u2019ll stop at two is extremely rare. It\u2019s too easy to get distracted by the sweet or salty taste.\r\n\r\nIf you just have to snack, make it the healthiest it can be. Try an apple with peanut butter. Hummus with veggies. A handful of dried fruit. If you need something creamy, try yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon and a few cacao nibs.\u00a0These snacks won\u2019t make you feel guilty in the morning, while getting your craving off your mind. Just be sure you keep your portion size in check.\r\n\r\n \r\nIf it\u2019s the middle of the night and you can\u2019t sleep because all you can think about is that dessert you didn\u2019t allow yourself, give yourself the sweet if you must, but approach it mindfully. Put it on a plate, and savor each bite. You might be surprised to find just one or two bite does the trick. And if it keeps happening, learn your lesson and allow yourself a small but sweet bite after dinner to keep from middle of the night cravings. There are plenty of healthy desserts you can enjoy that are guilt-free, like these\u00a012 Healthy Desserts Under 150 Calories<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhen you have cravings, ask yourself if you\u2019re depriving yourself too much. If you\u2019ve chosen to adopt a healthier lifestyle, you might miss chips. Add in healthier options like homemade sweet potato chips sprinkled with sea salt.\u00a0Give yourself the option of dessert with healthier options.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Read more from SkinnyMs.<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n