Are You Guilty of These Diet Crimes?

SPECIAL OFFER: - Limited Time Only!
(The ad below will not display on your printed page)

SAVE EVEN MORE! Say "Yes" to Fitness® Magazine today and get a second year for HALF PRICE – 2 full years (20 issues) for just $15. You also get our new Fitness Band and Total Body Express Band Workout ABSOLUTELY FREE! (U.S. orders only)

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

100% Money-Back Guarantee: You must be pleased, or you may cancel any time during the life of your subscription and receive a refund on any unserved issues – no questions asked. Fitness® Magazine is currently published 10 times annually – subject to change without notice. Double issues may be published, which count as 2 issues. Applicable sales tax will be added. E-mail address required to access your account and member benefits online. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here to view our privacy policy.

« Back to slideshow |

Print |

Are You Guilty of These Diet Crimes?

The Night Eater

THE CRIME: You consume more than half your daily calories after 6 p.m. -- mostly through mindless munching in front of the TV. Because you scarf down so much at night, you're not hungry for breakfast or lunch the next day, causing your blood sugar to crash and your metabolism to slow. By the time you get home from work you're starving, and the bingeing starts all over again.

Your Rehab Plan
Eat every four hours. Even if you aren't hungry, try to have 300 calories in the morning to give you the energy you need to get through the day. Consume a healthy lunch of around 400 calories, followed by a small snack. "Regular meals keep your blood sugar stable, so you don't get the urge to inhale everything in sight at night," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member.

Set the dinner table. Research shows that we consume 163 more calories per day when we chow down in front of the TV. Sitting at the table forces you to pay attention to what's on your plate and how much you're eating.

Ask yourself what you're really hungry for. "If you've already eaten dinner, you aren't snacking because you need the calories," says Martin Binks, PhD, director of behavioral health and research at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina. You're probably eating for comfort. "Think about what can distract you from the urge to eat," Binks advises. "For instance, if you're bored, go for a walk. If you're lonely, call a friend."