Why I Stopped Eating Dessert At Night

Nighttime junk food cravings can seriously sabotage your weight loss journey. This is how I stopped eating dessert at night to lose weight and fight cravings.

I have loved ending my night with some sort of dessert for as long as I can remember.

When I was a kid, I looked forward to a post-dinner bowl of ice cream.

When I was a teenager, I dove into Little Debbie snacks as I cranked out my AP English papers in the 11th hour (I was totally that kid!).

In college, my roommate and I always had a tube of cookie dough in the fridge for stress, boy troubles, all-nighters, and…you know, just another Tuesday night.

Even after losing 100 pounds, I looked forward to my nighttime sweets (oh, how I love Costco’s dark chocolate sea salt caramels!).

Now, if you’ve read very many of my healthy living posts, you know that I don’t have any forbidden foods.

I still eat ice cream, Little Debbie snacks, and massive slices of my brother-in-law’s homemade cheesecakes, but since the beginning of this year, I’ve been phasing out my nighttime desserts.

Why On Earth Did I Stop Eating Desserts At Night (And You Probably Should, Too)?

#1 – Willpower Runs Out

I can push aside my (intense) desire for sleep and start my day with a run, then skip the fast food and donuts and choose to fill my day with vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins instead.

And I like doing all of those things, especially because I feel the benefits in my energy and my mood, but when it nears bedtime, I don’t always have much willpower left.

That means that I’m not reaching for carrot sticks for an evening snack.

My cravings take control and I’m diving straight into the chocolate…and I usually end up eating too much (cravings without willpower tend to get my “stop” button a little stuck).

#2 – I’m Not Eating Out of Hunger

I don’t believe in deprivation.

Even if you are trying to lose weight, if you are truly hungry, you should eat!

But the kinds of things you should reach for when you are legitimately hungry won’t be driven by your cravings because those aren’t the foods that will actually leave you feeling satisfied.

I always tell myself that if I am truly hungry around bedtime, I need to pass the “apple test.”

If an apple should sound good, then I’m probably legitimately hungry and I should have a small snack.

More often than not, I’m eating out of habit or to satisfy a sweets craving.

#3 – It Messes With My Sleep

I never used to believe in the validity of this claim.

I actually dug my heels in and argued against it for a long time, but the truth of the matter is, when I eat sweets (especially chocolate) after about 5pm, I have a much more difficult time falling asleep at bedtime.

I am definitely a natural night owl, but, oh how I love my sleep and I will do just about anything to protect that sacred time.

In this case, that meant I needed to nix the nighttime sweets.

There are healthy nighttime snacks for weight loss that don’t mess up your sleep, but chocolate definitely isn’t one of them.

Sometimes I make exceptions for special occasions, but dessert is not a part of my nightly routine anymore.

And, as much as I hate to admit it, it’s worth it.

Since I have stopped eating dessert at night, I’ve found that I’ve really cut down on my sweets.

I still reach for salted caramels or a cookie sometimes after lunch or in the afternoon, but I don’t tend to overeat and often, I’ve found that it doesn’t even sound all that appealing and I would rather have something like an apple or a Greek yogurt popsicle anyway.

So, if you struggle with those nighttime sweets cravings, I highly suggest you try moving your treat to the afternoons.

Give it a chance and see how it goes for you…and come back and let me know!

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