Binge Eating at Night

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  • hafsahshmad22
    hafsahshmad22 Posts: 2 Member
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    I just drink lots of water maybe that will help you
  • smschmitz
    smschmitz Posts: 205 Member
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    My issue has never been daytime eating but always nighttime snacking born from a lot of food issues growing up. Sneaking food anyone so your parents don't comment? :) Anyway, therapy session aside, this has always been the hardest for me to get over since I just want to gnaw on something. I find a popcorn or rice cake to help so I can have that chewing feeling. I am trying to write the extra calories in for night in the morning so I can plan on it and don't feel deprived. Then it also limits what I'm going to choose since I already wrote it in. Three kids makes snack foods inevitable in my house, but I think this kinda helps me a little. I'm a work in progress. Good luck!
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Get outside at the time you tend to binge. Go for a walk, bike ride, the park, etc. Just get away from your kitchen.
  • rebprest
    rebprest Posts: 149 Member
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    So many great suggestions! I was successful today! I had a protein smoothie for breakfast, a soup and salad lunch, and a smoothie/sandwich for dinner. I also had some cookies during the day, so I didn't feel the need to eat them at night. BINGE AVOIDED! Drinking a lot of liquid made me feel much less sweets crazy, so maybe I'm just craving hydration!
  • 0utrun
    0utrun Posts: 71 Member
    edited March 2016
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    RespectTheKitty wrote: »
    This is one of my biggest problems. It always seems like the best idea on the world to scarf down endless calories of something in the middle of the night. Even to this day I struggle with controlling my late night eating.

    The only thing that has helped me is to just not keep any snack food in the house. I keep all my snacks at work (that's the only place I need to snack anyway). Still, I can't tell you how many times I've wandered through the kitchen in the middle of the night looking for something to eat, even when there's nothing there. But so far it's kept me from going out of control.

    I have a long list of foods I have to keep out of the house because it WILL turn into a binge. I'm not exactly sure what sort of force takes over my brain in the middle of the night and makes me do this. I tell myself every night that "tonight I will not eat in the middle of the night." I am determined not to eat. But I always wake up and eat, so it has to be something hard-wired into my brain that's causing me to binge. Again, the only thing that works for me is to just not have the food there.

    This. I don't keep triggers or snacks in the house. I drink a nice hot cup of green tea when I start craving at night. By the time my tea is gone, I've forgotten what I was craving in the first place. :)
  • freedom2016mfp
    freedom2016mfp Posts: 75 Member
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    Just when I thought I was alone... I'm so pleased to see this issue addressed. I've been struggling with this issue for weeks and have given up logging in completely. I was down 6 pounds and now back up 4 due to this "evening snacking". I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for sharing giving me much to think about.
  • bodybuildchic32
    bodybuildchic32 Posts: 9 Member
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    I work nights and when I'm exhausted and stressed I take it out with favorite foods when I get home sometimes. It "calms" me. I'm not hungry or being mindful. Deep down I think I'm angry and sad....maybe punishing myself, reminding myself secretly I'm not good enough to succeed. It can be healthy food binge! I will eat 2 mangos, a kind bar, and top it with 8 oz glass of almond milk....then go to bed. Really? I can't just go right to bed? I really am destressing....eating half bag of paleo coconut flake cereal...I'm working on my emotions which really trigger this.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    Mersie1 wrote: »
    Brain over binge is a game changing book for many!

    It was for me. Of all the stuff I read on the subject, that was the one that "clicked" with me. "Brain Over Binge" by Kathryn Hansen for anyone interested in the alternative to the Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Emotional Eating) type approach.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    brb_2013 wrote: »
    SNYPorter wrote: »
    Just rejoined and saw your note, I have been in the same situation many times Its because its an addiction to the sugar and you can't help it until you break the cycle. I saw a Dr/ recently and am pre diabetic with side effects. I have to do this to live. I have to give my my blood sugar every day and my meals it is helping so far. I also joined dr Hyman eat fat to lose weight program starting soon. We need all the support we can get. Don't give up, start reading and learning what sets you off. You are not alone and good luck!!

    So much woo. There's no such thing as sugar addiction, but for me binge eating is a habit born out of lack of self respect. I'd just mentally disconnect from this body I love, and destroy it. I have had to make very small changes. The first is taking binge foods out of the house. We don't buy cookies or ice cream tubs anymore. We buy the single serve ice cream cups, 2 at a time (one for each of us), and if the need to have cookies comes up we will find a real bakery to have to buy them. So basically took out big servings of things (I mean, a whole box of cookies could be gone in seconds, but not of its not at home), and built in a roadblock to the binge behavior. I also no longer eat after 8pm. It started at 9:30, then moved it back as I got used to siting with my feelings and no food for a while.

    Last night I had a rough day. I'd been told I *may* get to go home on time, or may have to stay until past my own bed time. I hate having my routine disrupted and even more so hate having less than 10 hrs between work shifts. It wasn't fair and it was definitely a binge type storm brewing. I ate dinner at work, and then at home I wanted to eat everything. But then I looked around, and there was nothing. We have whole foods, meals to be cooked, maybe some cheese that I could have just grabbed and eaten. But not having the binge foods available, I had a piece of toast (I was hungry), and that was it.

    These tricks won't work for everyone but maybe something will spark in you. I just had to take away the ability to do it mindlessly, and then it becomes a choice. You either chose to binge or chose not to.

    Oh, and staying busy in the evening has proven to be helpful as well. I actually bought Legos so I could just stack and unstack them while I watch a show so my hands don't want to go to my mouth as usual.

    Congratulations for your resolve.
    Good luck in your healthy journey
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    First suggestion is to banish the foods that are triggers for you from the house. Period. No one else brings them in unless it's something they're going to eat right then. Also, keep food ONLY in the kitchen, no other room. Out of sight, out of mind is a cheesy saying, but true.

    That's not to say you CAN'T have foods you crave, just don't keep them in your house. If you HAVE to have something, go to the nearest gas station (walk if you can!) and get A SMALL/SINGLE SERVING BAG of whatever it is. Sure it might be two servings instead of one, but two servings is better then finishing off a 15 serving bag without realizing it!

    Second, look at how your calories are set up for the day. Can you make adjustments for a small snack in the evening? Something you've portioned out earlier so you just grab the bag and leave the kitchen? If you're getting hungry at a specific time of day, it might be useful to adjust for that snack. Then, you won't be as hungry later.

    Third, find something to do with your hands that engages your brain. Use that as a distraction from eating. If you do that for an hour or so and are still hungry, then have a snack. I'm a habit snacker, and I've found that if I'm craving something but don't need anything, distracting myself tends to remove that craving unless I'm ACTUALLY hungry.

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