Grazing after dinner? Try these two tricks of the trade.

I have to say, in the 4.5 years I have been supporting people in the area of nutrition and eating, I’ve noticed the most common challenging eating time is the evening. (Late afternoon is a very close runner-up) There are two overlooked, very good reasons that a person may fall into a pattern of grazing, snacking, or overeating after dinner that actually have surprisingly simple remedies (Hint: Neither is willpower) Try these on for size: 1.) Trick #1: Get Pleasure Pronto If you don’t receive pleasure from your meal, chances are you’ll find yourself searching for satisfaction elsewhere shortly after…in the cupboards, maybe? Plan to get pleasure early on in your eating experience. Why eat some bland or unsatisfying meal that leads to a cookie raid, when you could create a meal that you actually love at first bite? Remember, eating ends when satisfaction is reached. Example: You sit down to eat leftovers from the night before and after a couple bites you realize, “nope, this isn’t really doing it for me.” You save the leftovers for another family member or another meal, and prepare what actually sounds good to you: in this case, a quick mediterranean-style platter with hard-boiled egg, asparagus, olives, hummus, sautéed greens, and gluten-free crackers. 2.) Trick #2: Eat more of your dinner If you legitimately still feel hungry shortly after your dinner don’t fret. You simply may not have eaten enough. Women have complicated relationships with their hunger and appetites. Feeling hunger beyond we feel is allowed can bring up all sorts of judgment followed by loads of inner conflict over what to eat. Rather then getting “grazey” in the kitchen and eating all sorts of different things, own your hunger and have more of the dinner you already prepared. This helps simplify things while you practice honoring your hunger signals. Example: You finish your dinner that consisted of grilled kabobs and jicama salad and sit outside to read for a bit. About 45 minutes after your meal, you realize you still have some physical signals of hunger. You go back inside and serve yourself another kabob skewer and pour yourself a glass of iced tea. Ahh, now you feel far more satisfied. Now it’s your turn: Do you ever settle for food that you don’t really like? Do you judge your own hunger, try and control your appetite, leading to snacking later? Share in the comments below. What’s one insight that was revealed to you? With love & respect, Laura