Therapist Explains Why You Can't Stop Eating in the Evenings

THERAPIST EXPLAINS: WHY AM I EATING TOO MUCH IN THE EVENINGS?
#overeating #emotionaleating #nighteating

Disclaimer: This video is for information purposes only and my content should not be used as a substitute for seeking treatment from a healthcare provider. My content is not going to be suitable for everyone, so please use your self discernment before applying any video content in your own life.

Summary:

Here's a summary of the key points mentioned:

Not Eating Enough During the Day Some individuals may not be consuming an adequate amount of food earlier in the day. Ghrelin, a hunger hormone, has a circadian cycle, and eating less during the day can lead to increased cravings in the evening.

Decision Fatigue: Decision fatigue is the phenomenon where making decisions becomes more challenging as the day progresses. Waiting until the evening to decide on meals can lead to exhaustion and a higher likelihood of feeling out of control.

Using Food as a Reward: People may turn to food as a reward for dealing with stress and challenges throughout the day. The brain's reward system may be seeking a balance between pain and pleasure.

Transitionary Eating:Transitioning from one mode or state to another (e.g., work mode to relaxation) can be challenging for some individuals. Food may serve as a transitionary object, helping to ease the shift between different states of being.

Habit: The combination of biological cues to eat and the ability to form habits can lead to automatic, habitual eating in the evenings. Changing habits may involve disrupting the usual patterns and creating new, healthier routines.

Sarah emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, understanding individual triggers, and finding strategies to address the specific reasons behind evening overeating. She suggests considering these factors before focusing on habit disruption for those struggling with more deep-rooted or long-standing issues with food.

[snowy]

Just looking at your reasons, and I think you are totally on the wrong track. A few months ago I switched to about a 95% whole food diet with almost no sugar. I eat less during the day because I am satiated, and after dinner, I am never tempted to eat at all.

The solution to this can all be summed up not when you eat or how much, but what kinds of food you are eating. Try talking about that. You are leading your viewers down the wrong path.

[bonnacon]

No. 4 is revelatory if you live alone - even if you’re not objectively “lonely” all the time, there can be slivers of loneliness and evening can be a trigger. Without food to accompany you, particularly in autumn/winter when it’s dark outside, the Void opens up before you. So in that moment, and possibly beyond it, it’s all about loneliness: food as a friend, food as a partner.

[elle]

This might sound silly but once I've decided 'enough eating for the evening', I say a phrase, like a mantra almost, and it's 'closing shop!', and I'll turn the lights off in the kitchen and that's it, no more entering the kitchen. It usually helps me stop eating after that 🤗 Great advice you gave in your video. Thank you ❤

[bramble]

Reasons why binge at night, before or after dinner...
1. Not eaten enough during the day
2. Decision fatigue - have food available
3. Using food as a reward - use alternative reward
4. Transitioning - switching from one thing to another - be aware and so avoid temptation
5. Habitual pattern - look at how to change your habit (research it).

[evelynfidler]

I eat less during the day because i want to enjoy my food when i am relaxed and not busy. Hence the binging at night

[Yolduranduran]

Evenings are difficult and sad somehow. Mornings are hopeful.

[kimberlyj]

YES!! #4 Is transitioning from a day of decisions and people and responsibilities. Binging at bedtime is pleasant bc I'm alone, food is a joy. I leave my husband and dog and binge. I feel so happy.

[juliaannepark]

I just loose control and prowl around my kitchen looking for something nice to eat. Each morning I say to myself, why did you do that last night???? Then I repeat the compulsive eating again. 😢😢😢😢😢😢

[willowraine]

No idea why, but brushing my teeth right after dinner stops the urge to snack.

[ketoqueenyo]

Loneliness and habit. Mainly loneliness at night. I hate it. Don’t even enjoy what I’m shoveling into my gob.

[margaretmcgill]

Since retiring, I have moved my main meal of the day to 11 or 12 in the morning. I've been stunned how much this reduces my hunger in the evening. I can have a couple of scrambled eggs or even just a banana at dinner time with a cup of coffee and I'm fine. My mother, who lived to 95, never ate between meals. So she had a 12 hour fast every day. I believe this helped her longevity. She had no heart disease, no cancer, and no diabetes.

[WiseMindNutrition]

Love this tangible concept of eating more than 40% of the days food prior to 3PM!

[darcyturnbo]

Spot on! My eating disorder was curtailed when I started chemotherapy 😮
Afterwards, I felt like a blank slate. Once I started eating again I promised myself I wouldn’t binge eat again. Each time I ate something 3 days in a row I started to recognize that a habit was starting to form. It was the first time I could distinguish a behavior that started to become more than I could handle. I quickly redirected my energy to stop it. I’ve been counting calories and macros and realized I’ve been under eating. My weight is “normal” now and I’m cancer free, but I’ve gone back to the dieting mindset. Disordered eating is no joke and I’m constantly working on improving myself.

[sarahhursey]

Honestly that was the most interesting and helpful video that I've watched in years.. I am starting my weight loss journey and evenings are my struggle.. now I understand why.. thankyou so much 💓

[cf]

Not sure if someone mentioned, but satiation at night too. I often cook a "healthy" dinner, denying myself of satisfying carbs and dessert, but then I'm "jonesing" for something to satisfy where dinner didn't actually do ANY of that. A huge mistake for me is volume eating. It stuffs and bloats me, and disconnects me from hunger. I used to eat enormous salads so I could keep chewing as long as possible, but I've actually found really dense and delicious food feel so much better and lighter, like a small bowl of stew, or if I do a bit of veggies, with some really nice rice or potatoes. Savoring a little of something super thick and sweet (honey and full fat yogurt) is also more satisfying that chowing down a whole box of diet cookies. Also, I eat chocolate for breakfast EVERY. DAY. The morning is when I have "control" and a modest amount delights me to no end. A final thought is super strong digestive enzymes, or if you can handle them, bitters (usually too stimulating for me...coffee, dark chocolate, etc). I don't have access to the prescription enzymes anymore, but the digestive aid of them made me feel more satisfied and unbloated. Oddly, when I'm bloated, I think "screw it, you feel terrible anyway" but when I feel lighter and leaner, I want to stop.

[celticlass]

My binge-eating was never on "meal foods" always on "snack foods", which can include everything from chips to chocolate to crackers and cheese to something like banana bread. I think there's many layers to why this is, but one of them definitely is that those types of foods subconsciously to me, mean that everything is OK, I have enough to eat, I'm safe, and happy, because growing up, the only time I would get those things, was when my basic needs were met. So it transitioned after I grew up, into the habit of, "I want to feel safe/happy/everything is great, so let's scarf some junk and binge-watch". Even as I typed that, it felt like it would be amazing to do, and I want to do it!

[bec-jbqr]

ADHD transitional and habit eater here - food is still so damn relaxing. Coffee can be relaxing. Exercise feels always like a chore, like I have to be in "active mode" even an after a work day. So yes, I envy people who "exercise to relax" or something like that. Not like I'm bingeing - but I often eat more than is comfortable (so more like overeating)

[drmeredithdavis]

This was so on point! Food is a disrupter. Think about it. We learn as infants to be satisfied with a bottle. Regardless of why we cried, most of the time we were fed. Eating to forget eating to remember

[zezezep]

During the day i eat if i'm hungry. In the evening and night I eat, eat, eat. When a friend stays over there is no urge to binge

[daisy]

I wake up during the night and eat. It started after my husband died, and 25 years later I still haven’t managed to stop.