06/17/2025
What you eat earlier in the day dictates hunger and cravings at night— but maybe not in the way you think.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that getting the day off to a “good start” will help you stay “on track” once night falls. We’re all told, after all, that with enough “willpower” you can stick to any diet 🙄 *eye roll*
Skipping breakfast or over-caffeinating in the morning may blunt your hunger, but doesn’t change the fact that your body needs energy over the whole day to function.
Going light on lunch and waiting too long to eat also ensures you’ll be going into your evening meal overly hungry, meaning it will be much harder to recognize and honor comfortable fullness.
It can be tempting to try to squash a snack craving with something “healthier,” but often low calorie, low carb, low flavor snacks just don’t satisfy, meaning you’ll be back and forth to the pantry all night.
Finally, eating with distractions detracts from your ability to be present and find pleasure in what you’re eating, no matter what it is.
Want to know how to really get your day off to a good start?
👉Plan for meals and snacks so you’re not going longer than 4 hours without eating
👉Make time to eat while sitting down and being present with your meal
👉Balance meals with protein, fat, and carbs to ensure long lasting energy and satisfaction
👉Incorporate fun foods into your day, especially those that you find you crave most often
LISTEN 📢 Eating a snack or a dessert after dinner is NOT objectively a bad thing!!! In fact, even after a full day of eating, you may still want or need a snack and that’s OK! But after a full and satisfying day of eating, nighttime snacks will no longer feel so urgent and overwhelming, meaning you’ll be more likely to eat to comfortable, pleasurable fullness.
