Q I’m trying to lose weight and I am doing really well during the day with cutting back on snacks and choosing more salads, but I find that at night I have a strong urge to snack on junk foods as soon as I sit in front of the TV. It’s really making it hard to stick to my diet and I feel like I’m never going to lose my weight. What can I do?
A This is a very common problem for lots of people who are trying to lose weight – and even for many who aren’t! Most of us associate food with relaxation, so at the end of the day, it is normal to think, “I’ll just sit down with this nice packet of crisps/bar of chocolate/bottle of wine, etc.” Luckily there is a lot you can do to reduce or even cut out evening eating.
First of all, make sure you eat enough during the day. If you skip breakfast or lunch or both, your body will try hard to make up the extra calories it needs at night so eating regular meals will help.
Get plenty of protein. Protein is an important nutrient and if you don’t get enough at lunch and dinner you will feel hungrier in the evening. Many people cut out meat when they want to lose weight, but it is better to have a small portion of meat, chicken, fish or eggs at lunch and at dinner.
Look for other ways to relax. You might find that having a bath after dinner and before sitting in front of the TV will reduce your desire to eat. It can also be useful to take up a hand craft such as knitting or crochet, as it is hard to eat when your hands are occupied.
Finally – check if you are hungry. You might actually need some food – so if you are genuinely hungry, do eat something. If not, then you are probably bored or just looking for relaxation.
Q I have osteoporosis and was taking calcium supplements but I heard recently that people taking calcium supplements are more likely to get heart disease. How can I get more calcium in my food?
A The study you were talking about was an initial study looking at the possible links between supplements and disease. Although people who took calcium had a slightly higher risk of heart disease, the study didn’t show for definite that taking calcium actually causes heart disease and much more study is needed before you need to give up your supplements. However, you can maximise the calcium in your food and this is worth doing, whether you take supplements or not as the calcium in food is generally better absorbed than the calcium in supplements. High calcium dairy foods are a great place to start. Milk and yoghurt are rich in calcium as are hard cheeses like cheddar, edam and gouda. Remember that soft cheese, cream and butter actually have little or no calcium. You will also pick up some extra calcium in almonds, sesame seeds, green vegetables like broccoli and tinned salmon (if you eat the bones). Try to have milk or yoghurt three times a day and add seeds to cereals or homemade bread.
