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We all crave a midnight snack every once in a while, don’t we? Though there is *usually* nothing wrong with a late-night nosh, like with all things, there are some do’s and don’ts. It is important to remember to snack responsibly, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. A handful of nuts or a piece of fruit is always a good choice, or if you’re really craving something sweet, it is okay to have a piece or two of dark chocolate.
It can be especially hard to stand up to your late-night cravings when you’re trying to lose weight, because after twelve hours or so of being awake and maintaining a healthy routine, your body gets tired and starts craving sweets. But it is important that no matter what you do, you avoid one particular snack late at night, or you might find that your diet isn’t working.
While a dish of ice cream might seem like a good idea when your body desperately wants something sweet, it is always the wrong choice right before bed - no matter which ice cream you choose. Even healthier ice cream options, like Halo Top or Enlightened, are a bad choice near bedtime.
It is a bad idea to eat anything with a high fat and sugar content late at night because your body won’t digest it as well as it would if you ate the same thing earlier in your day. This means that you will take in more fat and less energy from these kinds of foods. Plus, too much sugar can disrupt your sleep cycle, which in turn disrupts your body’s ability to lose weight.
Ice cream is a particularly bad choice because dairy products upset the stomach late at night as they can sit heavily in the stomach as you sleep. Some people even attribute late-night dairy to bad dreams.
If you’re really hungry late at night, put the ice cream scooper down in favor of a healthier snack option. But you can also find the source of late-night cravings and prevent them from even happening. Most often, people who are dieting feel an urge to eat a midnight snack because you didn’t have enough carbs with their dinner. It might seem counterintuitive to try to eat more carbs when you’re on a diet, but if having an extra piece of bread will prevent you from wanting ice cream late at night, it isn’t the worst idea.
