How to stop binge eating at night time?

Options
13

Replies

  • skinnylove00
    skinnylove00 Posts: 662 Member
    Options
    1) stop having caffeine, so you dont wake up in the middle of the night. switch your coffee for green tea, then eventually green tea to just herbal teas.

    2) keep a big water bottle next to your bed, so when you wake up in the middle of the night, TRAIN yourself to finish that water bottle right away before getting up out of bed. you'll feel like you've "binged" when you've just had water, and you'll be able to go to sleep satisfied.

    3) its okay to eat something light before going to bed. if youre a "wait 3 hours after dinner to go to bed" type of person, it can really perpetuate your binge eating habits. have a couple egg whites, or an apple, or a tbsp of pb can keep you from getting hungry. cmon, 100 cals of a nighttime snack is SO much better than 1000 cals of a nighttime binge.

    4) set up a good routine, training yourself to realize "its time for bed, time to stop eating." whether that be drinking licorice tea, swearing off the internet, writing a journal entry, stretching, or a combination of both, itll help your mind stop thinking "FOOD>FOOD>FOOD" and start wiring yourself to go to bed. it comes with constant training but soon you wont even have to worry about nighttime binges.

    coming from a person who used to wake up at 3am every night last year to eat 1000 cals of granola/trail mix/nuts. so far this 2014 i've only "midnight eaten" once, and that is a tremendous achievement for me. the above steps are what helped me get through it!!!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Options
    I didn't read everybody's comments so I don't know what I am repeating if anything.

    First save room for a small evening snack and plan a head what you are going to eat. After your snack go brush your teeth right away. Don't stay up too late and peanut butter is supposed to be able to slow digestion some so if you have that in your snack it can help you to not wake up hungry.

    Good luck!
  • KaylaBushman
    KaylaBushman Posts: 69
    Options
    I allow myself ice cream every night for this very reason. I buy the small little pre portion cups that are for kids (110 calories per cup) lol then I put a glob of pb2 chocolate (reconstituted with water) on top and go and enjoy it.

    Knowing I get ice cream every night if I want makes it so I don't binge anymore, and ironically enough, I bought a pack of 10 individually packaged cups a week ago and have only had ice cream 2 days this week.

    Knowing I can have it has been the HUGE key to not binging. The Moment I tell myself I cant have it is when I want to eat my entire weight in ice cream.
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
    Options
    Start measuring & logging everything you eat and drink so you can see what may be going wrong. If you're binging at night you may not be getting enough fuel during the day.

    Also may be TOM cravings.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    i gave up snacking after 9pm for lent. it's easier to have that 100% no, i cannot have anything than to have the possibility of having anything. i usually don't have dinner till 8 anyway, so i have that and then i'm done for the night. if i'm hungry, i'll have a class of water or two.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    Options
    In, for answers. I read this book, but I don't think it gave me alot of answers.

    Compulsive Overeating and How to Stop It By David Kessler, MD
  • kagevf
    kagevf Posts: 509 Member
    Options
    to overcome my binge eating at night.
    i have a big late meal around 8-9pm. i eat most of my carbs , protein and desserts.
    worked well for me for 3 years.
    i eat my breakfast around 10-11 mostly close to noon so its usually a brunch, hehe.
  • emmylouise25
    emmylouise25 Posts: 6
    Options
    I have a MAJOR sweet tooth, especially in the evening so I usually try to watch a really engaging TV show or movie with a drink of water/cup of tea next to me. Once or twice a week I will keep 200 or so calories aside for a nice evening treat (I have to allow myself to do it every once and awhile or I really will binge)
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    Options
    I find if I'm doing something I won't eat. just sitting watching TV is the perfect scenario for bored eating. so I either sleep early because i want to run in the morning or I work on a hobby that I have. find a hobby that you love and you will forget about eating because late night binge isn't because you are hungry, it's because you are bored.
  • toovodz
    toovodz Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    I have really bad middle of the night binges every week before TOM. I wake up and HAVE to eat and it's always carbs and Jaffa cakes/biscuits ands anything sugary. I'm half asleep and no matter how focused I am I just can't stop myself. So...I've found that if ai am prepared and have the snack ready by my bedside I'm not as bad. I've swapped Jaffa cakes and chocolate or buttered bread for figs and dried plums (figs) and it's working. Less calories, healthier choices but still feeding the binge! Add me if you like lol :)
  • tenathequeena
    tenathequeena Posts: 49
    Options
    Drink LOTS AND LOTS of WATER!!

    Use Mio or any other time of flavor system if it helps

    Binge eat raw broccoli
    Sometimes water doesn't cut it. And when you want cookies or cake or brownies, you are not going to binge on raw broccoli. Be compassionate, not ridiculous.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    Options
    when my stomach growls at me I start pounding water until it stops. then I keep going pee but that is ok. I just keep doing that until it's my normal eating time.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    Options
    Sex. Works every time.
  • Kissybiz
    Kissybiz Posts: 361 Member
    Options
    I'm a recovering snack-a-holic. I used to drive home from work just thinking about what kind of snack I would have when I got home, snack, have dinner, and snack again while watching TV. Sometimes, like you, I'd bake cookies or cake or even thaw chicken and make homemade chicken fingers. It was emotional eating on steroids. This lead me to gain the 65 lbs I'd lost the year before.

    Now I'm sticking to my macros but I always leave calories for a snack at night. I make sure it has a combination of carbs/protein/fats.. like almonds (I like the cocoa dusted ones for my sweet tooth), or a bowl of Kashi high fiber/protein cereal with almond milk. If I don't have a lot of calories left, I'll fix a glass of almond milk and/or go to bed. You can snack, just leave room for it. If not, resist temptation. you'll be proud of yourself for pushing through the cravings.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    Options
    nice.:flowerforyou:
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    Options
    Sex. Works every time.
    I meant it for this post. nice.:flowerforyou:
  • heatherreid4
    heatherreid4 Posts: 1
    Options
    I was doing this too and found this article by Dr Amanda Salis quite helpful
    http://bodymatters.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Physiological-responses-to-dieting-3.pdf
    She talks of recognising this as your body's famine reaction and learning how to trigger your 'fat brake'
    Very helpful!!!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Options
    Eat light during the day, and make your night time binge dinner. Problem solved.

    That's not sarcasm or being flip. It is exactly what I did to solve the problem. My body likes to eat at night, so that's when I feed it.

    This is how I solve it also.
    Some people prefer eating later in the day, others prefer meals evenly spread out throughout the day and some prefer most of their food before 6pm. Just find what works best for you.
  • susank135
    susank135 Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    You need to start by filling in your food diary. Every meal, every day, everything you eat (not quick cals, but actually look up the foods) and log the exercise too. From what you've logged so far, it looks like you're surviving on coffee, ginseng, fruit and quick cals. You can't see if you're getting enough protein, fat and carbs. If those are too low, and you're not getting enough cals, you're going to feel like binging.
  • crazylyn4
    crazylyn4 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    Whenever I get cravings, I make myself tea instead. 0 calorie alternative to whatever I was going to eat. (I sweeten my tea with 1 packet of equal)

Categories