Have you noticed that you tend to binge eat primarily at night? You seem to keep it together all day long, but something happens at night and you can’t seem to stop yourself not matter what you try? Read on to find out the top 5 possible causes and solutions.
Cause #1: Not Eating Enough During the Day
OK, I know what you’re probably thinking. You try not to eat much during the day because you tend to overdo it at night. You have to compensate somehow, right?
Well, what if I told you that one major contributing factor to most cases of binge eating at night is not eating enough during that day. You see, when your body knows that it is getting enough fuel in the daytime, a lot of the cravings can subside. That’s not to say that eating enough in the day is the only answer. There are often many layers to it, but it’s a great place to start.
Many of the clients I see who binge eat at night have either been saving up all day for eating more at night, or they learned from a diet of some kind that you shouldn’t eat carbs or fruit in the daytime, or they are very busy at work in the early part of the day and don’t even feel hungry. Any or all of these reasons could be at play for you in binge eating at night.
Here is what I recommend: Eat every 3-4 hours a nice combination of protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrates. Yes, that’s real carbohydrates like oatmeal or bagels or rice. Not just starchy vegetables or fruit. When you eat this way, your body learns that it is going to get plenty of the fuel that it needs for energy and repair, and that it can calm down any cravings that are purely biological.
You would be amazed at how many of my clients are greatly helped just by this small tweak.
Cause #2: Not Allowing Yourself Fun or Satisfying Foods
If you consistently don’t allow yourself to eat the foods you love, you set yourself up for eating those foods in an out of control way. Think about it. If you have denied yourself pizza for a long time, and then your significant other comes home with pizza, you are likely going to overeat the pizza, simply from a “forbidden fruit” mentality around it. You tell yourself “I’ll only have a few pieces.” But, then you feel guilty about even eating a few pieces so you say, “I’m such a failure. I shouldn’t have had any of this pizza. I’ll just eat the rest of it now and tomorrow I’ll never have pizza again.”
This all-or-nothing thinking causes you to overdo it on the pizza. But, if you were consistently allowing the pizza in your life regularly, moderately, with pleasure, and without guilt you would not overdo it. You could eat a few pieces and put it down, knowing that you could have it again at any time.
If you have been restricting the foods you love for a long time, it might be a good idea to start slowly. Perhaps beginning with a daily “finite” treat would be beneficial. “Finite” means that instead of choosing a big bag of candy as your treat, you select one luscious brownie from the bakery and take the time to savor it. Make it one of the things you’ve been missing the most in your “diet mode.” If you still want more at the end of your “finite” treat, tell yourself that you can have one again tomorrow. This helps your psyche begin to know that you can have amazing foods that you love at any time, so there is no need to overeat them!
Cause #3: Eating for Emotions
It is easy to fall into the habit of eating for emotions at night. If you’ve had a hard day at work, you may eat for comfort. Boredom may set in, and food can feel like entertainment or fun. Frustration with the day’s events, exhaustion from getting the kids to bed, stress from a difficult conversation with your spouse. All these emotions can feel uncomfortable. Food can turn into a solution when you don’t have great coping skills to begin with.
If you’ve restricted at any point in your life, it sets you up for emotional eating. Because, what’s the first thing you want when you’re stressed and low on fuel? Food of course! From a biological standpoint, if you’re not getting enough fuel, cortisol is extra high. Then you add extra stress on top of that and your cortisol levels skyrocket. One quick way to calm down is sugary snacks. It makes perfect sense from a starvation standpoint. More fuel that provides quick energy plus sugary treats that calm the cortisol temporarily equals a recipe for using food for emotions.
Learning how to cope with emotions without using food is key. Check out my recent blog post for more tools to stop using food for emotions: https://eatingrecoverycoach.com/2020/01/13/are-you-an-emotional-eater/
Cause #4: Habit
Sometimes binge eating at night can just turn into a plain old habit. And, like any other habit, binge eating at night can be changed. It takes effort and discomfort, for sure, but you’re not stuck with this habit forever.
One way to change a habit is to find things to replace the habit with. New behaviors that can begin to feel as good (and eventually better) than binge eating. Like going for a walk, watching your favorite show with a cup of herbal tea, a hot bath with soothing music, or calling a friend to connect. Self-care strategies are a great way to replace binge eating with positive behaviors that fulfill your life.
Cause #5: Eating in Front of the TV or Computer
There is something so seductive about mindlessly noshing in front of the TV or computer. Somehow it feels comforting or numbing. If your binge eating at night is usually coupled with the TV or computer, try “uncoupling” the two activities. It’s OK to eat at night, and it’s OK to watch TV. Just do them separately. I promise it is every bit as rewarding to watch your favorite show cuddled up with a fuzzy blanket and a pet, as it is to binge eat while watching. And, it’s rewarding to eat your favorite treat at the table, mindfully, paying attention to the tastes and sensations, with the TV off. Again, this is another one of those habits that can be changed. It’s OK to do them. Just do them separately.
To wrap up, please remember that you are not a bad or weak-willed person because you binge eat at night. So many people fall into it. I did. It took a number of things all coming together for me to heal, but I haven’t done it now in so many years. You can recover too. The first step is talking about it with a professional that specializes in eating issues, whether that’s me or someone else that you connect with. Sending you love and hugs today.
