Ok, so I had high blood pressure so was told to change my diet to try to get it down. I started eating fresh fruit instead of other packaged stuff and lessened my sodium, I even stopped drinking Pepsi and Starbucks. My blood pressure is much better now. However, I have gained weight. I would have thought that with the stuff that I am eating, the smaller portions and the better foods that I would be losing weight, even without a lot of exercise.
I have started to try to exercise while I am at work. Going up and down a flight of stairs 4 times in a row when it's raining and walking around the parking lot when it's nice outside.
I need suggestions on how I can control appetite at night though. I tend to snack in the middle of the night (wake up hungry etc.). I am not sure how to curb that instinct when I am mostly asleep.
Thanks,
I struggle with the munchies at night too. I think part of it is habit. I've started doing something else while relaxing watching tv. Sometimes I paint my nails, fold laundry, just something to keep my hands busy besides eating. So far so good. Good luck!
Snack on protein more often. Eat only complex carbohydrates (whole grains) when you eat carbs. Have a snack of a hard boiled egg or a hand full of nuts and some greek yogurt.
You need to add more protein to your diet and more veggies & less fruit(sugar). Good for you making such great changes!
Here are some good ideas to curb the late night hunger:
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Congrats on getting to a better blood pressure! I think along with a healthier diet changes and lower caloric intake, as well as some daily exercise and some toning with weights, you will eventually see some weight loss. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet.
Get the bad stuff...crackers, chips, chocolate (oh no!) out of the house so that if you do late night snacking you are at least snacking on things that are better for you.
(if you don't have bad stuff in the house than I would up your walking or add some weights to our normal workout)
L.
Fruit is good, but you don't want to over-do it. It's still sugar. Try replacing some of the fruit with fresh veggies.
Eating small portions 4-6 times a day helps keep your blood sugar stable and reduces that hungry feeling.
if you started a new exercise program, that can be to blame for weight gain. Are your muscles sore? I find I retain water with increased exercise the first week of a new program. As for late night eating, don't have bad foods in the house. I have a no eating after dinner rule. Sometimes I go to bed hungry. Its best for your body to fast in the night. You sleep better and your digestive system needs the break. I don't have any wonderful tips to break the habit. I can tell you I had to break the habit as a teenager when my body simply didn't allow me to eat anything and everything without the weight gain. So I just stopped. It was painful. I felt jipped for a long time. But it just became part of my lifestyle.
I find that when I have my 5-7 servings of vegetables per day, I don't feel the need to snack at night. Plan your meals with protein and lots of vegetables. I have at least 2 servings of vegetables at each meal and some meals I have 1 serving of fruit.
