Okay, my last post talked about food...I looooove to talk about food, almost as much as I like to eat it, but not quite :)
Anyway, evening snacking came up in the comments, and rather than respond individually I wanted you all (I use the term "all" loosely, of course.) to hear what I had to say, cuz y'all know I love to hear myself talk almost as much as I love food...okay, more...shut up.
As far as evening snacking, let's be more specific. If we are talking about cookies or ice cream (or, both--say it isn't so!) than yes, let's not do that regularly. Now, if we are talking about a handful or almonds or a yogurt? Your body is fasting all night, which kills your metabolism, so having a little somethin'something' before bed isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you eat dinner at 6 and go to bed at 11, then don't eat again until 6 the next morning, that's a long time to go without food. Too long. Ideally, you are eating a healthy, portion-controlled dinner (You are, right?) at least 4 hours before bed, if that's the case, then go ahead and have a SMALL HEALTHY snack. Celery with a little peanut butter, a handful of nuts (almonds would be fabulous!), a low fat cheese stick--all good choices. The key is small and healthy people. Cookies do not qualify. Now, if you are looking to go hard-core, you may want to consider ensuring that your snack is low to no carb. Make no mistake, I am NOT anti-carb--AT ALL, pardon me while I wipe up my pasta with a piece of bread...ahem..anyway. Carbs are fuel, and you need fuel to function, especially if you are exercising regularly. That said, you don't need to fuel up to go to bed, there ain't no way you roll around that much, seriously. So, that brings us back to the celery and peanut or almond butter, nuts, cheese, maybe a yogurt (the nutrition varies greatly, check the label.). This will keep you from hitting the hay with a grumbly tummy, who can sleep like that? But remember, portion size and food selection is KEY. We are having a snack, folks, not a meal. Got that? Sweet.
I've got a workout ready to post so come on back with your sneakers and a smile, feel free to add more to those wardrobe requirements if you'd like, or if you live in a cold climate.
cool, a healthy little snack to keep my metabolism going, i think i can do that!! i'm trying to kind of restart my system this week with lots of fruits and veggies and not much else, next week perhaps i can indulge in one piece of pizza, haha!
ReplyDeletei love this blog!