Binge eating at night! Help!

L

lynnesq2

Cathlete
Hi all!
Am i the only one who "binge eats" at night? I can't stand doing it, but can't seem to stop! I will work out with Cathe, and after showering, sit in front of the tv and eat junk!! Then feel fat and sluggish, and wonder why did i just do that? But then do it all over the next night!! I think it's stress/boredom eating. Has anyone else done this and how do you stop?!
 
Hi Lynne,

Why don't you brush your teeth after your post-exercise shower ? That minty taste is bound to put you off eating. Or, you could sit down in front of the TV with a couple of oranges, and sit and peel them, then eat them, and by the time you have finished wading your way through them (and they are better for you than junk food) it will be time fo bed. Or, I think if it was me, I would go to bed early with a good book and a mug of Ovaltine !

Anna :)
 
I've read that if you don't supply your body with adequate calories and nutrients earlier in the day, it can contribute to binge eating in the evening. In particular, people who try to skimp on breakfast or skip it altogether would have this problem. Big breakfast, medium lunch and light dinner are supposedly ideal - most of us do it in reverse.

Angela
 
I do it too. I figure I have worked out so I am entitlted. I am not certain about your age, but I noticed that after I turned 37 this bad habit has caught up with me. The last 3 years have been a real struggle and I myself am fighting this terrible habit. I am currently 130 5'3" and would prefer to be 120.

I need help too!
 
I used to be terrible with this. I think one of the above posters had it well. If you skip early in the day on food it can lead to binge eating in the eve. I stopped doing cardio in the a.m. on an empty stomach. I started doing a protein shake before and that's a big help. I'm still low on glycogen but I'm not fasting and eating up muscle. Try and eat small frequent meals(even ratio in carbs, protein and fats) through out the day.

Now, I don't have this problem licked. It sneaks in every so often. I try and dull it with popcorn and lots of iced green tea. The popcorn really takes up space in your belly, or so it seems to me. I use the microwave stuff. Oranges are also great like said above.
I even read in another forum once that giving yourself a manicure and/or pedicure in the eve works. Supposedly then you can't get around so easy or use your hands for eating for awhile. lol! Then maybe the urge would be gone.
 
I had that problem too. What I did was change what I munched down on. Now I always have fat free deli sliced turkey breast in my fridge. Its ready to eat, its delicious and it goes with anything...baked chips, fat free cheese, celery. In my case it really helped because I was a carb nut and I really needed to up my protein because I was becoming insulin sensitive. So instead of putting me on a high protein diet, my doctor just had me change my diet around a bit. I eat most of my high glycemic foods before 3pm because I slow down drasticly after 3:30pm. So I eat my lower glycemic foods and more protein in the evening. I hope that helps.:) Believe me, I've been there...emptying the fridge at about 9pm then kicking myself afterwards...yep I've been there.:)

DeeDee
 
I agree with all the other suggestions plus I'll add that you should just plain keep your trigger foods out of the house. With our friend Donna, it's ice cream. With me it's ice cream, candy corn, and marshmallows. Sounds simple, but it works.

When you DO allow yourself to eat this stuff, just buy enough to eat at one time, like one pint of ice cream, and make it the kind that will do the least amount of damage, like Healthy Choice.

Just Do It! :)
 
I have some of the same issues! I posted on another board and got a lot of suggestions for healthy snack foods. Try

an apple with a tbsp of peanut butter or caramel dipping sauce
fruit & cheese (not too much cheese!)
hot air pop corn
a protein shake (if you like them)
a glass of skim or soy milk (you need the calcium anyway!)

Hope that helps!
Deborah
 
I have the same problem! After spinning class or Cathe (I workout around 7:00 at night), I shower and all that. Then I sit to watch tv and just HAVE to eat something. I know it's normal to be hungry after a workout and you should probably eat something, but eating "real" ice cream out of the carton or chips isn't the best option!

The suggestion above about keeping the food out of your house is true. I bought a thing of ice cream and I keep eating it. If it wasn't there, I'd probably eat a lighter snack. If you have a family, try to get junk food that they like, but you don't care for. Also, maybe have a bowl of soup (not the gravy-like soup!), which takes awhile to eat, is soothing and warm. Add a small roll if you're starving. Or have a bag of popcorn- try the lowfat kind, or mix it with some higher fat popcorn if it tastes too bland.

As mentioned in another post, I think we eat late at night because we may think we're eating healthy during the day, but we're not actually eating enough to keep us satisfied till bed. And then we exercise, which uses even more energy up so we're bound to want to pigout before bed. Even when we don't exercise, it's such a habit to eat while watching tv or whatever. If possible, after you've had a healthy snack, watch tv or read as far from the kitchen as possible- then maybe you'll think about the junk before you make the trip to the kitchen. Works for me cause I think about how I'm just eating what I burned off doing cardio. The best idea, for me anyway, is to try to keep all those snacks out of the house cause I WILL eat them all!
Good luck!
 
Late night tips

Hey there! That urge to inhale every sugary and salty snack in your pantry and fridge plagues many a woman and often times it strikes every night. You may not even really be hungry... maybe just bored, stressed or just in the habit of snacking at night. The feeling is the same. You end up going to bed feeling defeated, bloated and depressed. Here are some solutions to help you put the brakes on your PM cravings. 1. Eat Enough During The Day. Skipping meals, restricting yourself from one or more of the food groups, or restricting calories during the day will make it more likely that you'll eat empty calorie snack at night. Eat smart during the day and the evenings will be easier. 2. Form Good Habits. Often times evening munching can become your routine. Change the routine by alternating your evening activities. Instead of plopping down on the couch with Häagen-Dazs carton, pick up a book or do a lite yoga tape. Also, brush and floss your teeth right after dinner to signal your brain that eating is over for the day. Have a cup of hot tea instead of the usual munchies. 3. Indulge Yourself A Little In Something Else. Many ladies use evening snacking as a way to relieve stress and treat themselves after a long day. Instead, indulge yourself with a bath, soft music and some aromatherapy candles. Give yourself a facial or pedicure.4.Take a brisk walk. Even if it's around the block it will be refreshing and give you time to think about your late night cravings. 5. Clean the kitchen and have it off limits at a certain time--if you have to snack--keep healthier choices available or purchase junk food in small quantities so you don't over do it! Don't buy alot of what you don't have willpower over!6.Wear something sexy and comfortable- I know this sounds crazy but when your wearing sweats,flannels or whatever is bulky it can encourage excess eating(ex winter weight gain) wearing less will have you MORE aware of your body and what your putting into it(ex summer bikini warpath) Slip into satin pjs,cut offs,tank top,if you wear sweats-roll them down to belly button--show some skin and load up on some wool socks-hehe---You can control this--The urges WILL go away when you replace the bad eating habit with a good habit!Good luck and don't let this discourage you! Take baby steps. Try to work on not associating eating with watching tv-it can be distracting and you'll overeat and regret it later! Eat consciously!Practice mindful eating.Savor and appreciate the taste.Lotsa luck!

Your friend in fitness~~Francine
 
RE: Late night tips

Thanks Francine - the advice is BRILLIANT. Would you mind if I copied your pointers down in my food journal, please ?

Anna :)
 
RE: Late night tips

Thanks to all of you for the GREAT ideas! i am definitely trying the brush your teeth idea. that works for me while i'm at work during the day.
also, thanks to the inspiration on this forum/website, and you wonderful ladies, i was so proud of myself yesterday - the grocery store had a big sign daily special was pints of haagen daz for .99 cents!! i was sooooooo tempted but drove by thinking, 'if i don't have it in the house, i won't eat it.'
thanks again. just nice knowing i'm maybe not the only one with this 'weakness.'
 
I cheat! I just go to bed early -- right after dinner. Then I get up early in the morning -- the binge instinct isn't awake yet!

I notice if I stay up past 9p.m., the bewitching hour, the urge to snack is strong.

I also don't keep junk food in my apartment on weekdays so the only instant and tempting snack food I have around is bran cereal.

The only night I usually stay up late, (past 9 p.m., approx. midnight) is Saturday -- and I've already pre-planned my snacks, usually popcorn, licorice and a muffin. I usually eat sparingly throughout the day to "bank" my calories.

Patricia
 
It sounds like you may not be eating enough during the day. I get bingy when I have gone too long without eating. In fact, just today, I missed my mid-morning snack, and then had to eat a full fat cheese and mayo sandwhich and a bag of chocolates. Bad bad girl!! }>
 
Lynne:

some excellent advice here and you have pin-pointed the resaons why this happens yourself.

1. turn the TV OFF! if you are not sitting in front of it like a vegetable, you won't be idly stuffing crap into your face

(and like you, I am a fellow-addict of the night-time-chow-down, so I can say this)

2. get involved in a post-exercise feel-good therapy of a different nature

(replaces the satisfaction and emotional benefits of eating pleasure foods)

3. if it is a reaction to stress, attack at source. Why are you stresed? Can you eliminate it? reduce it? treat it in a different way?

(aromatherapy, essential bath oils? Don't shower after Cathe, take a bath instead, and wallow in it. Don't be in a rush to get in front of the tele)

4. this is often a reaction to boredom. I grade student papers with one hand in a cereal box. Believe me...I know how this goes! But once you recognize this pattern, you can turn off your usual reaction and re-channel your energies.

(make that post-exercise moment the one when you come on-line and chat with us so you won't want to pig out in front of us! catch up with email, ccatch up wwith friends on the phone, clean the house with some lud, REALLY FAB AND MOVIN' MUSIC ON!!! grab friends and go out for ice ream. You'll still sattisfy a craving for something crappy, but if you make it a social thing, you will have so much fun you won't be eating a whole pint of the stuff! or let me know, and I'll send you some papers to grade, keep you busy!!!!)

Clare
 
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