This month we’re going to focus on something that I know a LOT of you are interested in …

Cleaning it up!

By that I mean, focusing on cleaning up our diets, our self-care and cleaning products, our homes, and even the info we feed our brain. 

Let’s talk about ONE BIG AREA that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to cleaning up their nutrition – NIGHTTIME SNACKING! This one is near and dear to my heart…. Trust me!

My wife and I can crush an entire family sized bag of almond m&m’s every single night if we wanted to!

But, I wanted to share something that happened with a client recently, not me - because I know you will probably relate. (We all can!)

Have you heard of “ultra-processed foods”? Notice this is in quotes. Most foods we purchase are indeed processed to some degree. Many have additives that have helped move us into the future. Fortifying with vitamins, preservatives so some foods could last longer back when we needed more long lasting foods, and many other scientific breakthroughs that have literally saved us at times. Food scientists are pretty darn cool, regardless of what the mainstream may paint them like.

Anyway, back the new buzzword for packaged snacks, pizza, and basically anything with a lot of added sugar, fat, salt, or other ingredients to make them tastier and more appealing.

These foods can actually trigger an addiction-like response in your brain, making you crave them. That’s “addiction-like”, not a literal addiction. That doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to eat them. In fact, I think most of us are fully aware of this behavior and the choices we make surrounding it. It’s essentially marketing. They make the food taste so good that it’s hard to resist and hard to stop eating. Don’t we all do this in some way shape or form if we are trying to attract others or sell a product? We filter our pictures on Facebook or Instagram or we claim that our products are the greatest ever. It’s the way we market. The food industry and most businesses are in the business to make money. But hey, it leads to some pretty tasty foods right???

AND … it goes without saying these foods aren’t generally helpful (and actually run counter) to any health or fitness goals you have. Not to say you shouldn’t have them at all, but generally, they don’t help most folks who have specific goals.

Back to my client: She was CRUSHING her goals – exercising, drinking more water, eating clean meals, getting sun & fresh air, and she was feeling GREAT.

In fact, she even made a point to tell herself how proud she was of her actions! (PUMPED ABOUT THAT!)

But then every night when she finished cleaning up after dinner, she got a massive craving for those ultra-processed foods (even though she wasn’t hungry) …. and every night she gave in. 

She’d been a nighttime snacker for years and it got even worse in 2020. She REALLY wanted to cut back on it but felt at a total loss for what to do. 

We did some brainstorming on solutions that would work for her life and family, and we came up with an idea that might work for you. 

It’s something I’ve recommended to a LOT of clients.

She changed up her evening habits to help her break the snacking cycle … and she did it in a way that short-circuited the “nighttime snacking” habit she wanted to get rid of. 

For her, that meant tackling a home organization project and then going to bed early – and staying away from the couch and the TV (the trigger), which is where the snacking always happened. 

This is a really great idea because it removed the automatic cue (TV + couch) to grab those junk foods.

And it worked! The first couple of nights she thought about snacking, but then she got busy with her project. 

Sometimes in order to break a habit loop, you have to (at least temporarily) remove the triggers that cause the habit to happen.

It’s a great tip straight out of the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. 

Think about how you can apply this in your OWN life. 

Do you have a time of day when it’s harder to meet your nutritional/fitness goals? You don’t always have to rely on willpower (especially since by the end of the day, our willpower gas tank is empty. More on that at this link. – a little brainstorming can help you find a solution that’s a LOT easier!

If you want expert guidance with this in your own life …. this is one of the things we do best! A few simple tweaks can lead to GIANT results. 

Let’s see if we can help you … just like we’ve helped over 500 others in Hampstead to reach their strength and fat loss goals. 

Schedule a No Sweat Initial Coaching Session here!

In this session, we will take time to learn your “why”, your goals, and help you determine if what we offer is a good fit for you.

Click here to grab one of the open spots with a coach now!

Have an Awesome Day!

Coach Joe Rouse

Owner and Coach at BFP