I'm probably not alone in that the times in which I tend to binge the most are at night.
Just wondering if anyone had any favorite specific tips to help curb night time cravings? It's so weird; its not that I usually feel HUNGRY but that I just want to eat and eat and eat and eat...Resisting food during the day is a breeze in comparison.
I used to eat, like, 6 slices of toast at night Thankfully, I haven't been doing too badly the last few months (either I'm able to not eat at all or I just eat something like an apple or a carrot), but I've noticed the more stressed I am the more like I am to cave and things have been pretty stressful around here lately.
So, does anyone have anything that they find helps?
I usually do good during the day, but in the evening when I come home from work, I make dinner for the family, and usually eat junk food with it. Or when I am watching a movie after 7pm, I will usually snack.
What works for me is going to bed early, but that's not always possible with kids. I would say if you have no responsibilities in the evening, go to bed early and wake up early. Avoid watching TV late at night.
Night time binges are the worst for me, too. I haven't mastered it yet, but what I'm going to start doing every night to hopefully help:
- drink lots of tea
- knit while I watch a movie, or do something with my hands to avoid running to the kitchen for chips and salsa or whatever it is I'm craving.
- If I REALLY need something to eat, eat raw vegetables with nothing on them first (carrots, pepper slices, and local broccoli (since non-local broccoli is gross raw) ) then some fruit- grapes, apples, oranges...
I hope these tips will start working for me. I also try to tell myself "I need to show compassion to myself" when I want to binge on junk food. Sometimes it helps remind me that cravings are so deceiving because I will just feel bad about myself and unhealthy afterwards, no matter how badly my body seems to want them at that moment.
I hope this helps you at least a little I'm sorry for your stress. I've been struggling with depression since moving back in with my parents after college. I was thinking it would just be for a few months until I figured out where I would go next, but it's been 8 months now, and I'll likely still be here for another 6-8 months. It's amazing how much harder it makes avoiding binging
Last edited by Helianthus; 12-19-2016 at 01:28 PM.
Same! One thing I did which really, really helped is fairly simple - to switch my afternoon snack and dinner.
It sounds weird to eat a full meal in the afternoon, but I would be constantly snacking in the afternoon and then feel too full at night. Also, eating a large meal at night got in the way of my sleep and made me less hungry during breakfast, when I was supposed to be eating more.
It's weird haha but it's what worked for me! Not perfectly, of course, but I'm much more likely to stick to it now. (:
It's so weird; its not that I usually feel HUNGRY but that I just want to eat and eat and eat and eat...Resisting food during the day is a breeze in comparison.
It's actually not weird at all. This is something that most dieters experience. If you're an emotional eater and you're putting off eating all day in efforts to lose weight it catches up with you at night. Night binging is borne out of deprivation. I've had problems with this myself for a long time. I find that eating a little more during the course of the day helps a lot. You should not find yourself at all hungry after dinner. Even the slightest bit of hunger triggers it.
Another thing to consider is that night binging is a type of self care. You may have neglected your needs throughout the day, taking care of little ones, running errands, being at work, you may have not taken enough time to take care of your own needs. As women we often put ourselves last. So make time during the day to do things that are healthy and caring for yourself. I have a list of things that make me happy that I can tap into such as:
- meditate
- go for a walk
- call a friend and share some laughs
- take a nap
- make time for a spiritual practice
- stretch
- go outside for fresh air
- eat your lunch mindfully, not at your work desk
- treat yourself to a massage/facial/whatever
- share some intimate time with bf/husband
- say no to things you don't want to do
Make your own list and start practicing things on it regularly. As long as you've eaten and fulfilled your physical hunger and also taken the time to practice self care it will eliminate the need to soothe yourself with a little binge at the end of the day.
I have the same problem. I am "disciplined" all day. Cook dinner and clean up...and then the snacking begins. I am usually not even hungry.
What Palestrina said resonates with me. I think it is my attempt at self care or self pampering.
What I am trying to do to stop it is to not sit in the room where I normally feel free to snack. Moving my physical location has helped. I also seek out my husband. I am less likely to snack while having a nice talk with him. Or I try to have that internal chat with myself - if you are really hungry eat an apple...
It is a hard habit to break and for me it is usually from being stressed or tired or feeling like I put myself last. Of course, those are after the fact though processes! During it is just munch munch munch. And then regret.
Night time is what gets me as well. I find that I eat less if I focus on what I'm really wanting (instead of 'I'm hungry' focus on: crunchy, salty, sweet, etc.) most of the time I notice for me, I want crunchy or salty at night time. So I'll eat a few pickles (which really are just fine diet wise) and then I'll go back to bed. Works for me.
Best wishes, find what works for you and go from there!
All good advice for sure, to add, perhaps what also can help is get your mind pre-occupied with something very interesting, maybe a good book or a great movie, and then right afterwards don't get yourself even to think about going to the kitchen, just go straight to bed.
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For me, night time snacking has absolutely nothing to do with hunger. It's mindless eating. It's habit, and habits can be broken, given time. I have learned not to have any food in the house except what I use to prepare meals. That's the way our house was growing up. Trust me, I'm not going to crave celery sticks! If I did, that would be a good thing.
When I lived alone, I had no snack food in the house, but I didn't deny myself. If I wanted chips, I would get in my car and drive to the local convenience store and buy a single serve bag of chips. If I wanted cookies, I drove to the supermarket where they sold single cookies in the bakery, and bought 2 cookies. Thing is, knowing that I had to go out and start the car, and drive to the store, killed the craving most of the time.
I brush my teeth after dinner, signifying that eating is over for the day. I clean up the kitchen and hang up the "closed" sign. Get an actual sign, if that will help. Pour yourself a big glass of water and find something interesting to do to take your mind off food. Go out for a walk. Go shopping. Try on some pretty clothes. That always kills my desire to eat! LOL
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 12-25-2016 at 08:02 AM.
You're definitely not alone with the night-time cravings! I usually cut off all eating at 6/7pm, which has helped me tremendously. But once I reach my cut-off time I immediately brush my teeth. Not only does the minty toothpaste clear my palate, but I'm so lazy that I don't want to brush my teeth twice before I go to bed. So knowing that my teeth are already brushed, it helps prevent me from eating before bedtime!
WildRockJumper mentioned a good idea, too. Try finding a good book or movie to read before you go to bed. I remember when I used to get entranced with a new, good book. I'd start reading at 8pm, and before I knew it it was already midnight!
For me, night time snacking has absolutely nothing to do with hunger. It's mindless eating. It's habit, and habits can be broken, given time. I have learned not to have any food in the house except what I use to prepare meals. That's the way our house was growing up. Trust me, I'm not going to crave celery sticks! If I did, that would be a good thing.
When I lived alone, I had no snack food in the house, but I didn't deny myself. If I wanted chips, I would get in my car and drive to the local convenience store and buy a single serve bag of chips. If I wanted cookies, I drove to the supermarket where they sold single cookies in the bakery, and bought 2 cookies. Thing is, knowing that I had to go out and start the car, and drive to the store, killed the craving most of the time.
I brush my teeth after dinner, signifying that eating is over for the day. I clean up the kitchen and hang up the "closed" sign. Get an actual sign, if that will help. Pour yourself a big glass of water and find something interesting to do to take your mind off food. Go out for a walk. Go shopping. Try on some pretty clothes. That always kills my desire to eat! LOL
Love this! It's true, 9 times out of 10 this is just an emotional need, not a physical need. Habits can be broken, I think I'm going to get myself a closed sign, I think it's cute. And I'm definitely gonna try on clothes, that sounds like a fun self-care activity, go into the closet and make myself pretty and put outfits together. I'll call it closet time!
I love to color while watching a movie or TV at night. It keeps my hands occupied which helps me not to snack (and not to bite my nails, another habit I am trying to break). If I still feel the urge to snack, I tell myself I can get something after I finish a certain part of the picture. By the time I get to it, I often forget about whatever craving I was having in the first place! I also like to color really intricate pictures that take a long time to color, which makes the time fly by before you know it.
I also find coloring to be very calming and stress-relieving for me, and I feel accomplished when I've finished a difficult picture. I know it's not for everyone, but it may be worth a shot.
For me it's the hardest thing to do to not eat a lot at nighttime. I have insomnia and if I am hungry I get muscle spasms that can keep me up all night.
So if I am hungry I will have a cup of warm milk just before bed and add nutmeg and cinnamon to it or have 1 oz of porridge with a little milk and a mashed banana and add some spices. Then I am in control of how many calories I am eating.
Earlier in the evening I find singing or playing a little music soothing, or trying to sew nice tops and dresses (by hand so it is less noisy and also less stressful than using machines), basically doing something creative but soothing and easy, sometimes with the TV on in the background. I also find that when I am obsessing about eating lovely Christmas foods in the kitchen that doing some yoga breathing and relaxation exercises can take my mind off it all.
For me, night time snacking has absolutely nothing to do with hunger. It's mindless eating. It's habit, and habits can be broken, given time. I have learned not to have any food in the house except what I use to prepare meals. That's the way our house was growing up. Trust me, I'm not going to crave celery sticks! If I did, that would be a good thing.
When I lived alone, I had no snack food in the house, but I didn't deny myself. If I wanted chips, I would get in my car and drive to the local convenience store and buy a single serve bag of chips. If I wanted cookies, I drove to the supermarket where they sold single cookies in the bakery, and bought 2 cookies. Thing is, knowing that I had to go out and start the car, and drive to the store, killed the craving most of the time.
I brush my teeth after dinner, signifying that eating is over for the day. I clean up the kitchen and hang up the "closed" sign. Get an actual sign, if that will help. Pour yourself a big glass of water and find something interesting to do to take your mind off food. Go out for a walk. Go shopping. Try on some pretty clothes. That always kills my desire to eat! LOL
Exactly this, word for word! When I keep snacks around, I become weak and succumb to the craving 100% of the time. When I have to physically go out and buy the thing I'm craving, I give in 80% LESS. It's amazing. Also, I utilized the last part of this post last night. Wanted to binge, went to my closet and put together my NYE outfit instead, then played with makeup. I was over that craving almost instantly. Its all about breaking the bad habit, one craving at a time!
Favorite tips for night time binges?
Thankfully, I haven't been doing too badly the last few months (either I'm able to not eat at all or I just eat something like an apple or a carrot), but I've noticed the more stressed I am the more like I am to cave and things have been pretty stressful around here lately.
I'm sorry for your stress. I've been struggling with depression since moving back in with my parents after college. I was thinking it would just be for a few months until I figured out where I would go next, but it's been 8 months now, and I'll likely still be here for another 6-8 months. 
