Emotional night time eating...

stargreen25
stargreen25 Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok I know there is a lot of you who do this...
You eat right all day watching your cals and turning down the candy at work, only to go home and throw it all out the window!
I am so stressed from the day that after I put my little one to bed I find myself eating mindlessly blowing the top off my calories for the day! I am sure this has do do with stress, boredom, loneliness and anxiety. Or maybe thoughts from my childhood (going to bed hungry). I know it is all mental but why cant I get past it? For the last 2 weeks this has been my life...eating right all day then binge at night. I am bound and determind to lose the weight this time! I will overcome!

Do any of you have ideas or tricks to break this cycle? Should I look into OEA?

Replies

  • tara7302011
    tara7302011 Posts: 89 Member
    I had the same problem, still kinda do.... What I do is force myself to go to bed.....or I eat popcorn... I really think this is the reason my weight got so out of control...
  • bella51708
    bella51708 Posts: 47
    I do this as well. I was eating cookies, chips, candy, pretzels. Whatever was in the house. I still do it occasionally, but I have forced myself to go to the healthy snacks. String cheese, apple with PB, jello, sugar free pudding, etc. I don't by candy or cookies anymore so I can't eat them at night.

    My doctor also gave me these tips to help:

    Drink a cup of hot tea
    Eat fruit you have to work at (orange, kiwi, etc.)
    Brush your teeth
    Take up a hobby (knitting, puzzles, etc.); something to keep your hands and mind busy

    I still struggle with it, but I force myself to go to the healthy snacks if I'm truly hungry. If it's just boredom, I try one of the other things.
  • mollymacd1234
    mollymacd1234 Posts: 8
    my nightime eating was anxiety I used to hear my parents non stop fighting. But i still have memories
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    Try to save enough calories so you can have a snack before bed then when your done brush your teeth. That helps.
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
    I'm running into this problem again when I quit smoking

    GUM
    Teeth whitening strips....the kind you have to leave on for like 30mins
    Hot tea
    pre planned snacks
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
    Gum
    Brush your teeth
    Do something besides watching TV (something that would be difficult to do and eat at the same time)
    Don't stay up late
  • Asil76
    Asil76 Posts: 477 Member
    I tend to eat in the evenings out of boredom my go to snacks are air popped popcorn - hold the butter lol a hot cup of tea or some fresh fruit. My favorite snack being chips...and I still have those just not as often or as many at a sitting :)
  • Donnacoach
    Donnacoach Posts: 540 Member
    Remove the junk food from the house and replace it with healthy snacks instead. You can do it. One day at a time
    Also drink lots and lots of water.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    Guilty. Absolutely guilty. It's something about putting the kids to bed; I finally have some me time and I don't know what to do with myself, so I tend to mindlessly eat. I have managed to avoid doing this for about a week now. I drink hot tea in the evening and read a book to calm my mind from thinking about other stresses. Good luck!
  • jennieth
    jennieth Posts: 105
    I drink hot green tea. It's relaxing, takes time to sip and curbs of my hunger. I don't add anything to it.
  • choirgirl1130
    choirgirl1130 Posts: 80 Member
    i have dealt with that in the past...some stratgies that have worked for me and i have passed onto my clients:
    make sure you are eating regularly during the day...there is nothing worse than to come home from a stressful day FAMISHED and start eating your way through to bedtime to make yourself feel better.
    take some time on your drive home to unwind. whatever works best for you...sing, scream, meditate, pray, or simply enjoy the silence. prepare yourself for the evening to enjoy your time at home.
    GET RID OF THE JUNK AT YOUR HOUSE! whatever you find to be your trigger food...GET IT OUT! i can't keep candy or sweets in my house...my family got over it real quick. out of sight, out of mind. not saying your should never eat it. if we have candy or desserts, i usually buy single serving, bake half the recipe, or go out for ice cream...if there are any left over, they are usually sent with the kids to school, shared at work, or in the trash.
    water, water, and water...lots of time we eat when we really are hungry.
    praying to God and asking Him for help will help me or i literally will have to tell myself to stop! get a grip and walk away. we can control what we do with our bodies, it just takes discpline and gets easier with time. we don't have to be perfect (because Lord knows i miss it sometimes) but we have to strive to be the very best we can be no matter where we are :0)
    best wishes to you on your journey!
  • brentrhodes
    brentrhodes Posts: 139
    This is my weakest part of the day also. I just changed what I "snack" on. Instead of Nilla Wafers and Peanut Butter, do Cottage Cheese and triscuits, maybe popcorn. I still eat, I just don't eat bad stuff during those times.
  • cwatson1214
    cwatson1214 Posts: 88 Member
    Everyone stated the obvious "remove junk food etc", you still have to treat yourself or you will wind up binging. But more importantly you need to address the emotional part of it. I am the same way. I use a couple of things to help me get through this.

    Someone once told me that when they attended weight watchers meetings long ago, thier leader said If at the end of the day , you are still hungry and you have used up all of your points, then go the hell to bed. I laughed at that when she told me, but if you think about its true. If it is 9:00 at night, then go to your bedroom, read a book, catch up on tv shows. If it is late enough just go to sleep.

    Even more so, you should think about why your emotions are leading you to eat. Start writing in a journal at night. Take a time , away from the kitchen, to sit and contemplate on your thoughts. It could be something stupid like, I will not go eat that chocolate, over and over again. Or maybe something really deep about how you felt when you were young going to bed hungry. I find journal writing very helpful.

    Lastly, I also have read and tried. Brushing your teeth after the last meal of the day. The freshness of the mint will deter you from wanting toput anything else in your mouth.
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
    To those giving advice to the tune of "get rid of the junk and eat healthy instead": I'm sure you mean well, but that isn't the answer. You can still over-eat on healthy food. She needs to change her behavior and her attitude toward nighttime eating or all the healthy food in the world isn't going to help.
  • stargreen25
    stargreen25 Posts: 30
    Thanks so much! Each of you has great ideas! I think I will try going to bed earlier (tend to stay up past 10pm). I do eat small meals throughout the day (it isn’t a hunger issue). I will clean out the pantry this weekend of “junk” (I will keep a few low cal snacks that I enjoy for emergencies) and increase my H2O. I will also look back at your replies again when I have a difficult day.
    Thank you again for all of your replies!!!!!
    I am doing this alone...It helps to know if I have any questions, I have the answers on MFP!
  • entropy83
    entropy83 Posts: 172 Member
    I would suggest that you build in some journal time (you could even do this in the notes section on the food tracker) so that you can become aware of and deal with the feelings that are leading you to food. You may be covering an emotion and using food as a comfort. Just try to take 5-10 minutes to write down what your are feeling at the moment or whatever may be bothering you. It can be difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, I've learned that I can say to myself, I am angry/anxious/whatever and this is what is driving me to food. Instead I drink water or tea, and do deep breathing to relax instead of numbing with food. Good luck! Ps. OEA may be very helpful in creating health ways to deal with emotions instead of food, especially if you feel you need more support.
  • bacapecod
    bacapecod Posts: 3 Member
    This was such a problem for me, too, in the not-so-distant past. I would do so well in the day and felt proud of myself and that I was finally on the "right track"... then I'd get home and open the fridge. I could say a lot more about how painful that time was and how angry and depressed I got but i think it would be more helpful if I told you what i did to help myself. Here's a short list:

    Wrote daily affirmations that I repeated throughout the day, especially as I was walking home:
    I weigh [amount I want to weigh] and nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.
    I weigh [amountand I always have enough time, energy, and desire to prepare healthy meals for myself.

    Another thing is planning for exercise and feeling good about the time I spent doing it. Also wrote an affirmation for that.

    I had a very successful experience with OEA for about three years. The tools that I learned while a member have definitely been helpful in my efforts today. For example, i know that sugar and flour are trigger foods for me. I've tested it a thousand times and the results are always the same... that I cannot control my eating and weight and end up overweight and unhappy. I also learned to plan and prepare my meals one day in advance and only eat that food. One other thing, I called someone and told them I was about to binge and wanted help... Whoever I called was willing to help, no matter how many times I called. And that pause gave me the strength to keep on the plan for that day. If you think you might benefit from that, I strongly encourage you to try!
  • racheljs768
    racheljs768 Posts: 11 Member
    Guilty as charged here too. Especially when my hubby is traveling, the kids go to bed & I feel like I 'deserve' a treat, or I need comfort, or I'm lonely or bored. I eat well all day, exercise & feel good. Then about 7pm comes & I want to eat till 11pm or so. So frustrating. Tonight, I had about 350 calories left, so I had some healthy food, drank some water & chewed gum. I'm about to go upstairs to bed for the night, even though I probably won't fall asleep for a couple of hours.
  • racheljs768
    racheljs768 Posts: 11 Member
    Oh, and having a stress ball or a thing of Silly Putty by where I sit in the living room helps too. Keeps my hands moving without putting food in my mouth. We are worth taking care of, we deserve better, we can do this.
  • emrys1976
    emrys1976 Posts: 213 Member
    To those giving advice to the tune of "get rid of the junk and eat healthy instead": I'm sure you mean well, but that isn't the answer. You can still over-eat on healthy food. She needs to change her behavior and her attitude toward nighttime eating or all the healthy food in the world isn't going to help.

    Couldn't agree more. I will say that if I'm really wanting to eat something I shouldn't be (or an amount I shouldn't have), I will make myself eat something healthy first to see if I'm really just plain hungry, in which case the desire to binge/overeat goes away. If that doesn't do it, at least my tummy is half full of healthy stuff and therefore I have less room for junk :-)
  • shellsie_j
    shellsie_j Posts: 132 Member
    I plan my day in the morning so that I know I have enough calories left to have some snacks. Also if you like low fat yoghurt I suggest that you freeze them and then it takes about a half an hour to chip wway at the yoghurt. It worked for me and I know that if I plan the day then I just can't go over. Once I have reached my calorie goal THAT"S IT. If you want to lose weight you have to realise that it is your mind that will be the hardest thing that you have to work on. If you eat the right foods you can feel full. I'm not saying it's easy, it's a lifetime of bad habits that we are going to change but you just have to work on it and have a positive attitude. It's not hunger that makes us want those night time snacks, we are not starving it is emotional and habit eating. Imagine a day when we conquer these bad habits and how good you will feel without the guilt of overeating. Good luck and remember that it takes time and it is only after about 2 months of me being on MFP that I am finally developing new habits that will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Guilty. Absolutely guilty. It's something about putting the kids to bed; I finally have some me time and I don't know what to do with myself, so I tend to mindlessly eat. I have managed to avoid doing this for about a week now. I drink hot tea in the evening and read a book to calm my mind from thinking about other stresses. Good luck!

    I think this is a great idea.

    Also- Try to start catching yourself in the act and stop yourself. Then think to yourself "am I really hungry?" "why am I eating?". Address the root of the problem... pull yourself away from the kitchen so you don't have the opportunity to eat away your stresses/loneliness/sadness.

    Maybe once you put the kids down for bed, make that your exercise time- or book time- or even like some others said... brush your teeth and get ready for bed yourself. If you can't start to tackle this on your own but still recognize it as a problem, there is no harm in going to talk to a counselor about it. It will make a world of difference and there is nothing wrong with talking to someone about it. Its a big first step but nobody can help you if you can't first help yourself..... so just be honest and don't be afraid to seek help. This is something that is serious and can hold you back from other important things you should be enjoying... if it is not addressed.

    Good luck!
  • chickentunashake
    chickentunashake Posts: 164 Member
    Everything is in your mind. If you can convince your mind that your body is an engine and just needs fuel when is empty, after while you won't even think about snacks. It takes practice, but it is possible. If you think you hungry, try to wait another 20 min and if you still want to eat, that means your body needs it. If your body doesn't need no fuel, you won't be b hungry anymore and then you know it was just your mind craving food.

Categories