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Jun 9, 2019 · Hand suggests that when our meals during the day are not satisfying, we are much more likely to overeat late at night (2018). Nighttime overeating may also be “the result of overly restricted ...
- Overview
- 1. Identify the cause
- 2. Identify your triggers
- 3. Use a routine
- 4. Plan your meals
- 5. Seek emotional support
- 6. De-Stress
- 7. Eat regularly throughout the day
- 8. Include protein at every meal
- 9. Stock up on healthy snacks that are readily accessible
You may be able to stop nighttime eating by having a frequent meal plan, eating breakfast, changing what you eat during the day, and practicing stress reduction techniques, among others.
You may find yourself eating late at night, even if you’re not hungry. Nighttime eating can cause you to eat more calories than you need, which can make it harder to manage your weight.
Nighttime eating may be the result of daytime habits like boredom or overly restricting your food intake.
However, nighttime eating has also been linked to some eating disorders, including binge eating disorder (BED) and night eating syndrome (NES).
These two disorders are characterized by different eating patterns and behaviors, but they can have the same negative effects on your health.
People with BED typically eat large amounts of food in one sitting and feel out of control while eating. For NES, people graze throughout the evening and wake up during the night to eat. They also consume at least 25% of their daily calories after dinner.
In both, you may use food to curb emotions such as sadness, anger, or frustration. You may also eat even when you’re not hungry.
Both conditions have been linked to obesity, depression, and trouble sleeping.
You may find it useful to look for a specific pattern of events that usually sets off your nighttime snacking behavior.
For example, you may find that you’re using food to meet an emotional need, rather than physical hunger.
On the other hand, you may be eating at night because your body is used to consuming calories at this time. Your nighttime eating patterns could be influenced by your lack of daytime hunger.
One effective way to identify the triggers of your nighttime eating is to keep a food journal. Tracking your eating and exercise habits alongside your feelings can help you identify patterns. This may enable you to work on breaking any negative cycles of behavior.
If you’re overeating at night because you aren’t eating enough during the day, establishing a routine may be helpful.
Structured eating and sleeping times can help regulate your circadian rhythm. This could help you spread your food intake over the day, which could decrease your hunger at night.
A 2019 study found that eating more calories in the morning could decrease your risk of developing overweight or obesity by nearly 50%. Eating more calories at night may increase your risk by up to 80%.
Eating later at night has also been linked to higher calorie intake and poor-quality diets. Over time, this can increase your risk of developing diseases, such as:
•obesity
•type 2 diabetes
Meal planning can also help you stick to a routine, spread your food throughout the day, and manage your weight.
Planning your meals and healthy snacks can help you reduce your chances of eating impulsively. Impulsive eating has been associated with higher calorie intake, snacking, and health conditions like obesity.
Talk with a trusted friend, family member, or a healthcare professional if you’re struggling with nighttime eating.
A doctor could refer you to a mental health professional who can help you develop a treatment plan. This may include different types of psychotherapy, which have been shown to help with many eating disorders.
For example, the authors of a 2017 review suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for BED. CBT for eating disorders can help you identify the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings associated with eating and weight. Once these are identified, the aim is to help you develop healthy habits to better cope with triggers.
Other treatment options may include:
•interpersonal therapy (IT)
•dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
Anxiety and stress are two common reasons why people eat when they’re not hungry.
Research suggests that relaxation techniques could help manage eating disorders like NES and BED.
In a 2015 study, 44 participants with NES were assigned to one of three groups:
1.E: Education
2.PMR: Education and progressive muscle relaxation therapy (PMR)
3.PMR Plus: PMR and exercise
Eating a variety of healthy, filling foods during the day can help you reduce your nighttime cravings, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
The authors of a 2019 review also found that having an infrequent meal pattern is linked with irregular eating habits. The research on how many meals to eat during the day is mixed. However, the authors note that maintaining a regular meal pattern is more important than meal frequency itself regarding appetite control.
Different foods can have different effects on your appetite.
Adding protein to each meal and eating more frequently during the day may help reduce your nighttime eating and help with weight management. This is because protein can help keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.
A 2010 study in 47 males with overweight or obesity compared the influence of consuming high-protein (HP) vs. normal-protein (NP) meals and the frequency of consuming them on hunger management.
The researchers found that HP meals reduced cravings by 60% and cut the desire to eat at night by 50%.
Limiting your consumption of high fat, high sugar, and processed foods is important for weight management and overall health. If snacks with low nutritional value are not within easy reach, you’re less likely to eat them.
Try swapping unhealthy foods for healthy, nutrient-rich foods, such as:
•fruits
•nuts
•vegetables
•plain yogurt
- Helen West, RD
Jul 18, 2024 · Depriving yourself of calories throughout the day leads to nighttime overeating. Making sure you're well-nourished in the hours leading up to the evening can stop nighttime eating. Do not drink your calories. Oftentimes, we fill up on sugary sodas, juices, and sports drinks.
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- Proper Use of Herbs: Hardier herbs like rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram are better added to your meal earlier in the cooking process so they can release maximum flavor while simultaneously developing a less abrasive texture.
- Include Higher Quality Condiments: Consider some high-quality condiment choices like wasabi, bean puree, flavored mustard, salsa, horseradish, etc. Use them when you marinate and cook for extra flavor, or after your meal is prepared to add some extra hot kick to your dish.
- Lemon Juice and Red Wine Vinegar: If you want to add some extra flavor to your dish without adding salt, butter, and/or oil you can consider acidic edibles like lemon juice, red wine vinegar, orange juice, limes, etc.
- Use Spices and Grind Them Fresh When You Can: If you can occasionally afford the time to grind your own spices, you’ll find them to be more flavorful, especially if you toast them in a dry skillet first.
Nov 26, 2020 · And it may make you feel desperate to learn how to stop eating at night. 13 Ideas To Stop Late-Night Binging. We have found some clever ideas on how to stop late-night eating that may help. They are things you can do at home. Your first job is to figure out the cause. Figure Out The Cause: You have to understand your eating disorder. Figure out ...
Mar 15, 2024 · 1. Try Mindful Eating and Reduce Distractions While Eating . This has always been a hard one for me. I’m a fast eater, doer and talker. 🙂. When trying to be mindful, I worked to slow down, take 2 breaths before a meal, try to taste what I was eating and pay attention to the experience of the meal.
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Oct 19, 2022 · Read on to learn about what overeating is (and isn’t!), what may drive overeating at night, how overeating may impact our bodies, and 3 dietitian tips to stop that out of control nighttime eating. As intuitive eating dietitians, struggling with overeating at night is a common challenge we hear from our Make Food Feel Good Community. Thanks to ...
