First of all, late night snacking does not cause you to gain weight if you have not exceeded your calorie needs for the day. It is only a problem if you have already eaten all your calories for the day.

If you find yourself snacking late at night and exceeding your recommended calorie intake, you might consider saving some calories for those nightly snacks. This way you won’t go over your calories for the day.

Now, if you have already eaten your calories, then what are some ways you can curb those snacking binges? There are only two solutions to this problem:

1. You can make a commitment to change your habit of eating late at night. This will require you to find ways to break your habit.
   1. The first thing you will need to do is commit yourself to make a change in your eating habits. You must retrain your body to eat at a different time or not to crave food during the night.

   2. The second thing that might help is to engage in different activities. For instance, instead of watching TV, choose to read a book. Some activities that can help you forget about food: doing a puzzle, reading a book, taking a bath, going to sleep, taking a walk. If your stomach isn't growling and you are only eating food out of boredom, if you can fight the urge to snack for a few minutes, the urge may pass.

   3. If you have to watch your shows, then find another activity to do while the commercials are on or even during the show. For instance, get your clothes ready for tomorrow, write a list of things to do for the week, lift weights, dust your furniture, anything to keep your mind off food.

   4. Don’t buy any junk food. If it’s not in the cupboard, you’re not going to eat it. And don’t fool yourself with the excuse that your kids or other people in your house need those snacks... they don’t need them either.

2. You can find replacement snacks instead of bingeing on bad foods. Here are some replacements you can make:
   1. Before you eat anything, drink a glass of water or even a cup of hot tea, see if that helps to steer you away from food.

   2. If you crave salty crunchy food try these choices: pretzels, cucumber with salt, veggies with low fat dips or salad dressing, low fat popcorn, nuts in moderation.

   3. If you crave sweet foods try these choices: fresh fruit, one small piece of chocolate, a frozen fruit bar, yogurt, a half cup of pre-sweetened cereal.