Are you snacking late at night?

Late-night snacking will not make you fat.

I know what you're thinking, every nutritionist under the sun has told you that it will make you fat. But what if I told you there was a way it wouldn't?

Sounds too good to be true right?

Sadly it's very possible. It's honestly so simple you're going to be mad at me when I tell you.

Before I get into how to do it, let's understand first why you may want to snack at night.

Getting hungry at night is nothing new. It has been happening to people for generations and generations. But why are you so hungry most nights? Most likely you are not eating enough throughout the day. This can be by design or through no fault of your own and the day just gets the best of you. Regardless of WHY you aren't eating enough, it causes some pretty nasty hunger cravings later in the day. This can lead to you eating a huge dinner and then either a large snack or multiple snacks throughout the night.

Let me tell you a quick story. One of my friend's parents was complaining to them a few years ago. He kept saying “I can't stop snacking at night and I don't know why”

My friend said “Well what are you eating during the day”

He replied “ Well I have a smoothie for breakfast, sometimes I eat lunch, and then ill have a few almonds in the afternoon and then whatever your mom cooks for dinner. Then at like 8 pm I just eat and I eat and I can't stop and I don't know why”

When I was told this story I did some quick math in my head

Smoothie = 200-500 calories

Lunch= 0 calories

1 serving of almonds = 160 calories

dinner= 300-600 calories

On the low end, this person is eating like 700 calories all day (1300 on the high end).

Mind you this is a 5’10 male who exercises pretty regularly. If you don't see where this is going, keep reading!

Now I can finally reveal the big click bait-y secret.

Eat at night but stay within your calorie goals.

Before you get pissed at me, think about it. If you're like my friend's dad and you eat 700-1300 calories from 6 am-7 pm you're going to be hungry and somehow eat another 1300-2k calories in snacks, junk food, and drinks. Trust me it can happen to anyone and it can happen fast. ( if you change a few parts of this story, I basically did that during covid when I gained 25 lbs). Instead spread out your calories throughout the day so that you can still have a snack at night but you won't be uncontrollably snacking.

This answer is incredibly simple because the simple answer is usually the right answer. By doing this you are:

1. Eating to fuel your body for whatever tomorrow brings

2. Staying within your calorie allotment for the day so you won't gain any weight over time

3. Not binging on foods you enjoy which allows you to not feel guilty for eating them

You might not notice these benefits right away but over a few weeks, you will notice you are sleeping better, waking better, mentally sharper, and burning more fat. This is a staple in my signature 1:1 coaching program. All of my clients hit their goals while still getting to eat the foods they enjoy.

So go have that late-night snack and call your mom