Today let’s have some real talk for a moment. 

Does this sound like you: you are trying to eat “better,” so you eat smaller portions and try to make better choices. The mornings are pretty easy, but you find as the day progresses that you are reaching for a snack more and more frequently. Or the afternoon mindless snacking is out of control, you are eating EVERYTHING in front of you before you even realize that you’re eating. Sound familiar? 

Want to know why I bet this resonates with you? Because most of my coaching clients struggle with this EXACT thing; they find that they can’t stop eating between school pick up and bedtime. 

Healthy fruit smoothie

Here are the 3 main reasons I have for people snacking incessantly in the afternoon. 

  1. You are not eating enough in the morning. This is the number 1 reason I see people hitting the pantry in the afternoon. It is counterintuitive to what we’ve always been told “to maintain or lose weight you need to eat less.” This mentality is a classic restrict/binge cycle and ultimately results in a “binge” (mindless snacking later in the day). 
  2. You are eating enough, but it’s not foods that are satisfying. It could be that you are eating a lot of low calorie foods and your body needs more than that or the foods that you are eating don’t satisfy the emotional/mental craving that your body wants. 
  3. There is an emotional need that is unidentified or unfulfilled. Let’s face it, we’re busy and life can get in the way. If you are not taking care of your mental health, that can transcend into your eating habits. You could be eating from stress, boredom, loneliness, overwhelm, exhaustion, and the list goes on. Taking care of your mental and emotional health can sometimes help eliminate the mindless snacking in the middle of the day. 

So here are the top 3 reasons I see my clients hitting the pantry regularly in the afternoon, but what do you do to help slow this down? I’m not going to leave you hanging, don’t worry. 

My son and I

Here are some of my tips to help combat the mindless afternoon snacking. 

  1. Focus on eating more in the mornings and don’t go longer than 4 hours without a meal or a snack. It seems counterintuitive to what we’ve always been told, but eating enough and at regular times keeps your body biologically fed and prevents it from demanding food in the afternoon. 
  2. Try to eat foods that are physically and emotionally satisfying. Food is an emotional experience sometimes, so it’s ok if it’s not “nutrient-dense” if it’s pleasing to your emotional health. 
  3. Work with me! These are all struggles I’ve seen with past clients and I built a 1:1 program to help support women in finding food freedom. Check out my Services Page to learn more about working with me!