“And then it all unravels after 6:00PM!”
I was talking to someone recently who was proud of their consistency… during the day.
They were exercising regularly.
Eating “clean.”
Hitting protein.
Keeping calories under control.
And then the night-time pattern creeps in.
Pre-dinner snacking.
Buffet-style dinner.
Hostess kids snacks (FYI- cream-filled cupcakes are 10x better than twinkies) or ice cream — something sweet to “finish the day.”
It seemed like close to 75% of the day’s calories were being consumed after 6PM.
And I can relate.
I’m sure a lot of you can too.
So here are a few ideas to help with this issue…
Before you eat at night, ask yourself which of the 3 H’s is driving it:
Hunger
Happiness
Habit
Hunger is real hunger. You ate very little and are starving!
Happiness is “this tastes so good and I love it.” Food as pleasure, comfort, reward.
Habit is the automatic routine: dinner → couch → snack/dessert → snack again while relaxing.
For many of us, our goal is to be able to enjoy food, while controlling our calories. We do not want to have to fight the grueling battle of avoiding food while starving. Our best bet is to reduce our excess consumption that occurs out of habit.
Here are 5 action steps you can try this week (Try one, not all!)
1) 10-Second 3H Check
Before anything after dinner, pause and ask:
“Am I hungry, happy, or habitual right now?”
If it’s Habit, let’s try to find a way to interrupt the mindless calorie consuming actions.
2) Kitchen Shutdown Time
Pick a time like 7:30PM or 8:00PM where the kitchen is closed.
3) Half After-6PM Portions
Not forever. Just as an experiment for 7 days.
Same foods, smaller portion.
You’ll be shocked how often this alone creates the calorie deficit needed for fat loss.
4) Lower-Cal Dessert Swap
Reduce the post-dinner calorie bomb.
Examples:
Greek yogurt + berries.
A protein shake.
Fruit and something small.
One portion.
5) Remove Kryptonite Foods
This is still the easiest move.
If there are foods you consistently can’t stop at one serving, don’t buy them for a bit.
Not as punishment. As strategy.
After a few days, most people forget they even exist, and the “obligation” to eat them disappears.
If getting leaner is one of your goals right now, start with awareness.
The 3 H’s gives you the awareness.
The action steps give you the adjustment.
You don’t need to overhaul your life.
You just need to win the window where you’re currently struggling.
– James Pratt