3 Strategies to Curb Evening Carb Binges

We’ve all been there.

Our eating is totally on point all day.  We’re so busy and focused we almost forget to eat.

BUT….then we come home from work (or whatever) and a switch is flipped and we’re scrambling to eat ANYTHING that’s fast, yummy, probably crunchy and most definitely carby.  In my case, I usually wanted a glass of wine to pair with it (back in the day).

Why does this happen?  More importantly, how can we make it stop?

Well, there could be so many reasons this phenomenon occurs.  My top 3 theories are this:

1. We didn’t eat enough earlier in the day and it’s time to pay the piper.
2. We ate too many carbs earlier in the day and blood sugar is demanding more of the same.
3. We’re releasing all the emotions of stress, suppressed frustration, discontent, worry, what have you and we’re finally in a #safespace to release it.

These coping mechanisms can very easily become habits because the body LOVES to adapt and not change once it finds a groove that does the trick.

So now that we may have pinpointed the whys, here are 3 strategies we can experiment with to end this self sabotage cycle:

1. Eat a big breakfast and lunch and have satiating snacks handy if hunger strikes during the day.  We are wired to eat for survival and if you’re skipping breakfast or having a 100 calorie YoPlait yogurt and 6″ sub for lunch, that’s not going to cut it.  Not that you need to count calories, but try eating 80% of your calories in the morning and afternoon and save 20% for evening dinner.  This might look like a couple of eggs with veggies and chicken sausage and some berries for breakfast and a large salad with 4-6 ounces of chicken with chopped apple, avocado and chopped walnuts and some celery with almond butter for a late afternoon snack.  You should be full enough by the time you get home that you don’t want to eat the kitchen counter.
2. Eat more fat and protein and fewer carbs.  This is a strategy that works for many of my weight loss clients and for people with blood sugar issues (insulin resistance, diabetes or metabolic syndrome).  This looks similar to the above, eating-wise, but with less fruit.  To mix things up, try a protein smoothie with protein powder, 1-2 T coconut oil or fish oil, 2 T chia or flax seeds, coconut milk, greens and ice for breakfast.  For lunch, a hearty grassfed beef chili topped with sliced avocado and for snack a handful of nuts or a protein bar.  This eating strategy won’t cause blood sugar swings that often lead to carb cravings and evening binges.
3. This last strategy has to do with awareness around emotional eating.  If you haven’t allowed yourself to process the emotions of the day, this is where it’s very common to use food (or booze) to self soothe.  So I wanted to share this one pose from one of my favorite doctors, Dr. Sara Gottfried to help break the cycle and get you more connected:

It helps to have a quiet space ready so you can nestle in to sit and stretch after work.  I have a small little corner of the living room with a little table that serves as an altar, along with my yoga mat, some candles and special items.  It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just make it yours.

Practice coming home, changing into comfy clothes and retreating to your space for 5 minutes, maybe with a glass of water or tea.  This gives you just enough you-time to connect and process your day without jumping into kitchen time where you’re more likely to reach for quick foods to crunch.

I should also add that if you’re truly hungry when you get home, that’s OK too. Just make sure you have plenty of delicious, nutrient dense foods handy that you can eat instead of the chips, sweets or crackers.  Things like nuts (in moderation), hard boiled eggs, deli meat to roll up with veggies, sliced chicken, celery and carrots and hummus, etc… are all good choices.

So tell me what you’ve noticed about your patterns, eating and evening rituals.  Do you have other ideas or practices that support your health? Share your story here and please join us on the Nourished Path Private Facebook page for weekly live videos and more ideas and insight.

xo,

Ev