The late night sweet/salty cycle: Why you binge in the evening and 10 ways to stop it.
It’s 10pm and you are going back and forth between the chocolate and the chips. The sweet to salty and back again cycle that you keep falling into is making you feel guilty, sad and full of shame.
How did this happen? Things started off so well today. You had nourishing food, added in the vegetables, drank water and even exercised. You felt like you were doing all the right things.
Then BAM! You are just going for a little treat after dinner and end up binging.
Why are you so vulnerable to emotional eating at night?
Here are some thoughts directly from my clients:
Many of my clients report that their eating behavior starts to fall apart after 4pm.
They share that most of their food is consumed between 4pm and bedtime.
95% of them binge or eat what they consider unhealthy food after dinner and that their cravings are highest during that time.
Let’s start with the fact that it has nothing to do with willpower or discipline.
What are some of the reasons you binge later in the day?
You didn’t eat enough earlier in the day. If you are constantly dieting or too busy to eat, your body may be craving food and fuel later in the day. You may also be having blood sugar issues.
Your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, may also be confused if you have not eaten enough or if you have overconsumed sugar and processed food..
You aren’t getting enough sleep or you are staying up too late. You may be missing your sleep window.
As the day goes on, your cortisol is also dropping. It is highest in the morning. As we get more tired, sometimes we eat for comfort or energy.
You may be eating because you really need something else. Emotional eating happens when we are not satisfied, when we are bored, sad, stressed, lonely, or feel we need to be rewarded for getting through the day.
Eating processed food and sugar during the day may instigate cravings that will go into the evening.
You may be very hard on yourself and do not speak kindly to yourself. Negative self talk can trigger binge behavior.
You are in a habit loop. If you are doing the same thing every night, at the same time, you may be stuck in a cycle. It has become automatic to turn to food during the evening for comfort, energy or it could be mindless snacking.
What can you do about the late-night binge eating?
Here are some ways to change the cycle and be more aware of your late night binge behavior so you can stop the loop.
1) Don’t miss your sleep window. When you start to feel tired, go into your room and read. Try getting into bed by 10pm. Sometimes when you are up too late, you might actually be hungry again.
2) Use your bedroom as the “safe zone”. Do not allow food into your bedroom and once you go into your bedroom for rest and reading, choose to stay there until morning.
3) Shut down electronics, phone, TV and computer earlier in the evening. The stimulation encourages us to eat more and it’s mindless if you are eating in front of your device.
4) Reduce stress during the day. Take breaks, breathe, tap (EFT), walk or find other ways to bring down your cortisol and help you relax.
5) Get time alone during the day. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed and around others so much that all we really need is a few minutes alone. Otherwise, we may use food as reward when we finally have alone and down time.
6) Journal on what you really need. Do you need attention, a hug, downtime, rest, connection, sunshine, a walk, nourishing food, hydration? Being aware can help you satisfy that need so you can avoid doing it with food.
7) Exercise and get sunshine in the morning. Setting up your circadian rhythm will help you get to sleep when you need to, get enough rest and feel refreshed in the morning. Fatigue will cause you to turn to food for a pick me up or for comfort at the end of the day.
8) Have snacks available that are easy and you feel good about. Fruit, nuts, frozen grapes, dark chocolate (70% or higher), unsweetened apple sauce are just a few items that may help with the cravings. Eat them slowly and enjoy each bite. It’s easy to overdo the healthy food, too.
9) Drink a warm cup of decaffeinated tea or Organifi Gold or Gold Chocolate turmeric tea. (see below for details)
10) Drink more water and less alcohol. Dehydration can make you lethargic and give you brain fog. It’s hard to make good decisions when you are feeling tired and foggy. If you drink alcohol in the evenings, your inhibitions go down and you are more likely to eat even if you are not hungry.
BONUS tip: If you do eat, slow it down. Enjoy each bite. The first bite is amazing, the second bite is good, but after the third bite, it’s really mindless eating. If you really ENJOY your treat, you may eat much less. Your snack then becomes just a treat and there is no shame and guilt.
Be well,
XOXO
Kim
Need more support? Contact me at kimhyneshealth@gmail.com for a free 20 minute consultation to learn about group and one to one coaching.
Organifi tumeric tea is vegan, non-GMO, organic and soy free. The Gold Chocolate flavor reminds me of a healthy dark hot chocolate. It satisfies my cravings and sweet tooth in the evenings. I mix it with half water and half coconut-almond milk to make a creamy, healthy and delicious dessert.
Gold also contains reishi mushrooms and lemonbalm extract to help you relax and rest. The tumeric and ginger help with inflammation.
If you use my code - KIMH, you will receive at least 15% off.