Binging at night

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ellenx123
ellenx123 Posts: 1 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Lately I have had a real problem binge eating at night whenever I cannot sleep. It then causes me to have a sugar rush and makes my insomnia even worse. I just never know when to stop. Does anyone else have this problem?

Replies

  • Nikkisfitblog
    Nikkisfitblog Posts: 149 Member
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    You might find the problem isnt binging.

    Binging may be a symptom of eleveated levels of stress and or anxiety, esp if insomnia is a symptom as well.

    Ive been there.

    Treat the cause not the symptoms....
  • davidwalk123
    davidwalk123 Posts: 1
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    100%. Mine is mostly due to eating because I am bored. I agree it also makes it harder to fall asleep. Definitely something I am aware of and trying to correct!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    When I had a problem with stress caused by insomnia, I set up a ritual where 45 minutes before bed I'd have a glass of warm milk with nutmeg. The ritual helped the sleeping and the milk stilled the hunger.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
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    Any medications taken that could cause this? I take Ambien and benedryl. They both tend to make me want to eat shortly after taking them. Before I knew this, I gained a bunch of weight. It was really hard to get out of the habit.
    Now, I keep lower calorie options like fruit that I've prepared, yogurt and diet ice cream treats. I can keep the snack under 100-150 calories, instead of my previous 300-400.
    I have chronic insomnia which runs in my family. Mine started when I was a resident after medical school. It got worse after I went through a bad divorce and some personal traumas.
  • Pattyang
    Pattyang Posts: 1 Member
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    I do that too! My husband works the night shift, so once he is out the door, and I get in bed,
    I turn the TV on to the News or Golden Girls and bring in snack food. The worst thing I was doing was to
    have a ton of doritos, or kettle corn or what have you, and then go and have something sweet like cookies
    or candy. I know better than that, but I could NOT seem to get a grip.

    To break this cycle, I stopped watching TV in bed. And now, I use my tablet and my earbuds and am listening
    to weight loss hypnosis sessions on YouTube. I have also started doing exercises and making a much more concentrated
    effort to not snack period.

    My issues as far as binging at night are: Boredom, stress and menopause. Not a fun combination!
    The good news is: We are NOT alone!
  • cbowman922
    cbowman922 Posts: 1
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    I workout 6 days a week and only allow myself 1200 to 1500 calories. I weigh and measure everything. I do great for about two weeks then have an all out binge day. Not just one meal. All day long. I can not get a grip on this. I don't know why I keep doing it but it's killing what I work so hard for the rest of the days. Anyone have any ideas on how to stop? Actually I do know why I do this. I get on the scale and I don't weigh what I want to and then I'm like why have I tried so hard for nothing or to gain. I try to tell myself muscle weighs more then fat but that doesn't help. I am so stuck on what the scale says instead of how my clothes fit
  • lockeddoor
    lockeddoor Posts: 103 Member
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    I binge when I watch TV. I just want to DO something while sitting, and unfortunately that usually ends up being eating. I tried knitting to keep my hands busy, and it turns out I suck at knitting and don't enjoy it. I don't have a way to watch TV while on the treadmill, or I'd do that.

    My problem isn't the excess calories (I'd love to put on about 10 lbs ideally), so much as it is that what I'm eating is PURE JUNK, and I'm trying to eat healthier (I especially have a problem with salty foods, I've noticed. I haven't been logging very long, but dear god, I eat a LOT of salty crap! How have I not noticed this?!).

    Sometimes, but not always, drinking a cup of tea with a little bit of raw honey is enough to keep my snacking at bay. It gives me *something to do* while catching up on my favorite shows. I recently just bought more tea and local honey, so hopefully this should help.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    Yes, eating at night is my biggest problem. I fill out my MFP diary the day before, and I include what I will eat for my nighttime snack. Then, I stick to that. I think logging is the biggest tool that helps me not binge at night. When I don't log, I go back to binging at night. I've started playing games on my Kindle while watching evening TV so I won't eat beyond my allotted snack. Oh, and I have my snack at 8 PM, and then don't have anything else.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    PS, I meant to say that the Kindle keeps my hands busy, so I don't feel like I need to eat something to occupy my hands.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    No one would be on this board if they didn't have one or another problem with eating too much. Snacking at night is not weird or unusual you just have to stop doing it.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Try a banana. Still sweet, but has a definite end point, and it makes you sleepy.
  • seekingjoyandfitness
    seekingjoyandfitness Posts: 48
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    I do that too! My husband works the night shift, so once he is out the door, and I get in bed,
    I turn the TV on to the News or Golden Girls and bring in snack food. The worst thing I was doing was to
    have a ton of doritos, or kettle corn or what have you, and then go and have something sweet like cookies
    or candy. I know better than that, but I could NOT seem to get a grip.

    To break this cycle, I stopped watching TV in bed. And now, I use my tablet and my earbuds and am listening
    to weight loss hypnosis sessions on YouTube. I have also started doing exercises and making a much more concentrated
    effort to not snack period.

    My issues as far as binging at night are: Boredom, stress and menopause. Not a fun combination!
    The good news is: We are NOT alone!

    Would you mind messaging me some of the sessions you listen to?
  • jsalzat
    jsalzat Posts: 225 Member
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    If I find myself wanting to overeat late at night I'll usually make myself a cup of unsweetened herbal tea. It soothes my nerves and calms my appetite. If the craving still seems intense I'll focus my attention in my hands or feet for a few minutes taking a couple of deep breaths; usually that gives me enough space to realize that I don't really want to eat what I think I want to eat and I can relax without it.
  • TrailRunnermn
    TrailRunnermn Posts: 105 Member
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    Eating large amounts of good food in the morning and afternoon is what helped me. By the time supper rolls around, I don't even want to eat anything since I'm satisfied from the food I've already eaten.
  • Biggirllittledreams
    Biggirllittledreams Posts: 306 Member
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    You might find the problem isnt binging.

    Binging may be a symptom of eleveated levels of stress and or anxiety, esp if insomnia is a symptom as well.

    Ive been there.

    Treat the cause not the symptoms....

    I struggle with this loads: i'm actually warding off a binge right now with some fruit and a cup of tea to settle in for the night. I struggle with really bad insomnia, and it often triggers my Binge Eating Disorder, especially if i had some sort of unresolved conflict from the day, or a stress/anxiety 'hangover' of sorts.
  • slimshadyou812
    slimshadyou812 Posts: 2
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    1200 calories wow. You are starving yourself to death and your body rebels. Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint. I would recommend adding a few hundred calories per day and that will help with the binges. Also its alright to have a cheat day here and there. I think you are starving yourself to death and your body tells you to binge. If you have a cheat day or cheat meal do it and get back on the horse and move on.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    I agree with treating the cause not the symptom first and foremost.

    Also, factoring in larger cal intake at night can help. I typically have over 50% of my daily intake from around 7pm to bed time. Works for me as I sleep best with a full stomach.

    It is all pre logged and I just modify slightly to hit macros with last meal.

    Re the binge day: Consistency is inversely correlational with deprivation. Up the cals and learn about flexible dieting and you won't be so inclined to go all out and eat everything in sight.
  • CharlieRoberts36
    CharlieRoberts36 Posts: 8
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    Hey i have problem of insomnia and believe me due to this disease i am un able to sleep!
    and i feel really difficult to sleep because i dont feel sleepy at all!
    One thing which help me out in sleeping is having a hot cup of milk at night
    But i am looking for some permanent solution?

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