You’ve eaten dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and maybe you’ve even prepped the lunches for the next day.  You’re feeling pretty accomplished because you’ve stuck to your nutrition plan today.  You slip into your comfy cozy jammies, sink into the couch with a book or to watch some mindless television before you hit the hay.  Aaaah… It’s time to unwind.  Life is good.  Then it all goes to hell in a handbasket when the late-night munchies kick in.  Who’s been there?  I know I certainly have!  (I may or may not have had a late-night session of watching Grey’s Anatomy with some pistachio’s in my lap last night).  ?

You try your best to fight the temptation, but it does little to no good.  Before you know it, your face is illuminated by the glow of the refrigerator as you search for a snack.  You go back and forth between the refrigerator and the pantry hoping that something delicious and snack-worthy will just magically appear, right?  The good news is that you’re getting a few extra steps in for the day.  LOL!

So, why do we snack at night?

• Out of habit—It takes 21 days to form a habit, I’d venture to guess that, if you’re like me, you’ve been an after-dinner snacker forever!
• We are deficient in nutrients—Have you ever wondered why it is that no matter how much you eat, you still want more? Well, you most likely are deficient in some nutrients.  When your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, cravings go into overdrive. Not getting enough healthy fats and consuming too many carbs and way too much sugar are big culprits in this department.
• Eating our emotions—You had a rough day at work, you had an argument with your spouse, or your kids are driving you nutty. Your answer:
• Procrastinating on a project—You have too much to do and not enough time to get it done. So, what do you do?  You turn into an ostrich.  ?? I am so guilty of going into ostrich mode that I think I may be starting to sprout some feathers!  It’s not pretty people!
• Self-sabotaging—Deep down you don’t feel worthy of having the body you’ve always wanted or are scared about how your life might change if you change.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but does cover the main reason why we snack.

I want to hear from those of you who snack after dinner.  What do you usually munch on?  Give some thought to why you really are snacking and share with us in the comments below.  Figuring out the why behind your snacking will help you to curb that behavior in the future.  Come back for part 2 in this series of Confessions of an After Dinner Snacker where we’ll tackle how to stop this behavior.