How To Stop Binge Eating At Night
When I was 23, I wrote an article for Mind Body Green called How To Stop Binge Eating Late At Night.
My first two clients found me through that article, and to this day, 10 years later, the topic of that article is one of the most common themes in my coaching practice:
Women come to me because they’re struggling with “being good” all day, then binge eating at night.
I’m not talking about having a big meal or a few cookies – all of which I’m in complete favor of – I’m talking about tunnel vision binging, where you eat large amounts of food in a short period of time with very little awareness.
In my late teens, binge eating at night was one of my biggest challenges.
I would eat healthy meals and snacks all day and then find myself sitting on the floor, in front of the lazy Susan, eating uncontrollably at 10pm.
This was a very destructive pattern for me because it developed into a full-blown eating disorder.
Why is binge eating at night so common?
Why would someone eat “healthy” all day and then binge eat at night?
Is it a lack of control?
Do you need to buckle down?
Binge eating is actually a very logical, primal response.
These are 5 of the most common reasons why people binge eat at night…
1. Delayed calories and caloric restriction.
You might wake up feeling motivated and try to “be good” by eating light all day, or by grabbing a coffee and not eating at all until a late lunch or even dinner.
By delaying eating, you almost guarantee a binge.
Rather than fueling your body with calories throughout the day, you wind up eating a huge amount at night.
When you’re eating light and healthy all the time – or trying to, except when you binge – it’s also possible that you’re not getting enough nutrients overall.
When your body isn’t getting enough nutrients, your system starts to panic.
Your body doesn’t know if and when it will get enough food, leading to a breakdown and binge.
2. Lack of variety.
You might be eating enough calories, but if it’s all simple protein, veggies, and complex carbs on repeat, your body is going to crave different things.
We need a variety of flavors, textures, and temperatures to feel satisfied and avoid binge eating at night.
Nutrition-informed intuitive eating allows you to stop restricting and eat a wide variety of foods in the right amounts for your unique body.
When you integrate this, binging becomes obsolete.
When you’re not restricting in any way, you have no reason to binge – the scarcity and tension at the root of binge eating disappear.
3. Mental restriction.
Let’s say you decided to stop following food rules and start eating intuitively.
Awesome!
Remember this: Even if you’re eating all the things your body is asking for, it takes some time for your brain to catch up.
If you’re mentally shaming or restricting yourself, regardless of your physical food choices, that tension could build up and lead to a binge.
Be gentle with yourself in the transition period.
The more you release mental restriction and stay committed to eating intuitively and with presence, the less frequent your binges will be.
4. Emotional voids.
If you’re missing love, affection, connection, work satisfaction, or any other emotional need, you might try to fill that void with food.
This is where binge eating can happen even if you’re already an intuitive eater, you feel pretty balanced with food, or you’ve never had a tumultuous relationship with food.
If you have an emotional void, food is the easiest – and the safest, in many cases – way to fill it; it’s not drugs or alcohol.
When you’re emotionally fulfilled, you won’t look to food to fill a void.
5. Blocked expression.
If you don’t feel you can speak up and fully express yourself, you may go to the opposite extreme and “stuff” yourself with food.
“If my voice isn’t being heard, I might as well become even smaller, quieter, and more withdrawn,” is a common thought pattern.
That’s how most people feel after a binge – the opposite of embodied and expressed.
Finding your voice and expressing yourself through a medium of choice – writing, painting, dancing, singing – can open up your energy and help heal the root cause of binging.
Ok, we know five of the common root causes of binge eating, now let’s get into how to stop binge eating at night:
How to stop binge eating at night…
1. Eat regular meals throughout the day.
Starting with breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up, include protein, carbs, and fat at every meal.
Don’t skip any meals, especially if you’re struggling with frequent binging.
Eat every 4-5 hours, chew your food very well, pause between bites, and breathe throughout meals.
Today, I never eat when I’m not hungry, but when I was struggling with binge eating, eating at least every 4 hours, even if I wasn’t 100% hungry, was key to preventing binges.
If you’re hungry between meals, snack.
2. Stop using craving replacements.
When you notice a craving, you absolutely want to breathe into it and give yourself a moment.
Impulse is not the same as intuition.
That said, if your craving is true, eat a serving of it as soon as possible.
Don’t chug water (hydration is always important, but it will never take away your brownie craving), and don’t look to craving replacements like fruit.
This was one of my biggest patterns.
I would put off my craving for hours or even days, eat a bunch of random things to try to satisfy it, and then still eat at least one serving of the original food I wanted – if not much more.
When I started to address my cravings right away, with the real thing, I stopped binge eating, and ultimately stopped overeating altogether.
3. Prioritize sleep.
A lack of sleep or low-quality sleep throws off hunger and fullness hormones, and can increase the likelihood of binges.
I grew up in New York where hustling was always the #1 focus.
Today, sleep is my #1 focus – and I’m healthier than I’ve ever been.
Everyone’s a little different when it comes to sleep.
The most important thing is to be honest with yourself, work through any shame you have around rest, and get what you need.
For me, this looks like sleeping a lot sometimes – 10-12 hours – and other times, following my creative flow to write at 2am.
Filling up your sleep tank decreases the likelihood of binges.
4. Consider stimulants.
Stimulants like caffeine and alcohol can throw off your hunger and fullness signals.
They can make you feel much hungrier than you usually are, or not hungry all day, then ravenous at night.
If you know you’re sensitive to stimulants, experiment with switching them up or reducing them.
For example, tea and cacao are much easier on most people than coffee.
Everyone has a different tolerance when it comes to caffeine.
If you notice anxiety, increased heart rate, digestive issues, brain fog, fatigue, or sleep issues, you might be sensitive to caffeine.
Aligning with your body when it comes to stimulants can completely change the way you feel and help you stop binge eating.
5. Get emotional support.
As an introvert it can be difficult for me to reach out and socialize super often, but I need emotional support and connection as much as anyone else.
It’s easy for me to feel like I’m different and no one gets me, but that’s just not true.
We’re all humans.
As I’ve gotten a little older I’ve placed a stronger focus on connecting with the people in my life and allowing myself to receive support, and it makes such a huge difference.
If you’re binge eating, it’s possible you have an unmet emotional need.
Make sure you’re staying in touch with your loved ones – especially the ones who truly get you – and sharing what’s on your heart.
Binge eating is not a character flaw or sign of weakness.
It’s a very natural and primal response to a physical, mental, or emotional imbalance.
Our cravings and food patterns are windows into what we need to live a fully expressed and embodied life.
When we listen and love rather than analyzing and shaming, we can shift patterns that aren’t serving us and return to a state of equilibrium and ease.
Do you struggle with binge eating?
I’d love to hear any reflections you feel called to share in the comments below.
Much love,
Lula
