Are following a healthy eating plan and enjoying your main meals and regular snacks each day in order to lose pregnancy weight?
Do you then find yourself, late in the evening, hunting through the cupboards for a little something else to nibble on?
It might be some chocolate, a biscuit, some ice cream – any treat will do (even some cooking chocolate in a pinch).
This is really common – so first of all, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, try to work out what is setting off your craving so that you can stop it in its tracks.

Are you getting your calories in?

First of all make sure you know how many calories you should be consuming each day in order to reach your goals. Check out our guide here.
From there, spend a few days making a food diary of what you eat and drink and tally up the calories. If you find you are regularly below your recommended calorie intake, this could explain the urge to snack more after dinner.
If you need help reaching your calories each day, check out our article here that offers some handy tips.

What’s in your dinner?

Don’t set yourself up for a fall by having a small dinner. Remember this food has to last all the way until breakfast time.
So make a salad to go with your pizza; steam some green beans or broccoli to go with your roast chicken; ensure you have some protein such as lean meats; and throw in some healthy fats like feta, nuts or avocado as this helps your brain feel satisfied for longer.
You can also start using coconut oil in your cooking if you don’t already. This has been shown to help some people reduce their sugar cravings. Read more on that here.

Are you making it too easy to eat junk?

Try not to keep junk in the house – this makes it so much easier to avoid eating. If you have to jump in the car to go and buy the ice cream, you are less likely to end up eating it.
Try keeping some healthy treats and snacks on hand to have after dinner for when you really are hungry (especially if you are breastfeeding). You could do a big bake up once a week and keep single serve snacks in the fridge or freezer.
Try some healthy Choc Chip Chickpea Cookies or these Coconut and Date Balls for something easy that feels indulgent.

Have you just formed a bad habit?

For some people, craving something sweet after dinner is just a bad habit that they can’t shake.
Perhaps you feel as though you need a treat for getting through the day with the kids (hey, we know it can be tough – go have a bath instead).
Maybe you’re just so tired by then that you need the sugar hit just to keep your eyes open (maybe just head to bed – and check out our guide for getting off the sugar rollercoaster here).
Maybe you are just a bit bored and the chocolate bar just makes you feel a bit better. Why not try jumping on the Lose Baby Weight Facebook support group for a chat instead; do a 10 minute segment from the Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD; or call a friend for a catch up.
If you want some great recipes for sweet treats that are good for you, why not join us on our next 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge?
The Challenge hub has over 800 exclusive recipes in (all created by nutritionists and chefs and you can get access to all the Challenge tools, recipes, meal plans and exercises here – and the bonus news is that mums lose an average of 4-6 kg over 28 days).

Need to stock up on Healthy Mummy Smoothies? Then see our shop here