night time eating

Night Time Overeating (through the lens of intuitive eating and health at every size)

** I know overeating can be uncomfortable and painful. I understand you want to stop. Remember that your body isn’t doing anything wrong when you overeat. It’s working to keep you in balance. **

Late afternoon and evening are the most common times folks overeat. 

There are three common things your body could be needing around this time. 

But first, let’s take a lesson from archery. When you pull the string of a bow back, you’re putting tension on that string. The further you pull back, the harder it is to hold the string in place. This takes effort. Eventually, you let go and the arrow flies. 

It’s the same for when we restrict ourselves from what we need. Restriction takes effort and puts tension on our minds and bodies. Eventually, we can’t hold on and overeat. 

1.Steady energy from food

Are you someone that skips breakfast and has a light lunch on the go? Late in the day, you find yourself so hungry that you would eat almost anything in sight?

Your body needed fuel all day long, but you didn't offer it the energy it needed with regular meals and snacks. 

When you finally slowed down and gave yourself a chance to eat, your body demanded that you fuel up fast.

When you’re over-hungry, it’s hard to eat calmly and mindfully. 


2. A variety of foods that you desire

Many folks try hard all day to stay on a formal diet plan. They eat the “right” breakfast and lunch, but then when it comes to the end of the day, they can’t seem to stay on track. This is because our minds and bodies aren't designed to live under diet restrictions like this. I know diet culture tries to convince us otherwise. 

It takes a lot of resolve and energy to maintain this restriction, something most people don’t have at the end of the day when they’re tired.  In addition, when you tell yourself you can’t have something, you generally want it even more (the forbidden fruit phenomenon). 

If you’re eating “forbidden” foods at the end of the day, it’s because your body is asking to eat a wider variety of foods (with unconditional permission, of course ;)). 


3. Rest, downtime and fun

So many people hit the ground running the moment they wake up and don’t stop until the very end of the day. Slowing down, building in time for relaxation and having fun are rarely prioritized when they have laundry to fold, dinner to get on the table and emails to catch up on. 

As amazing as our bodies are, they need rest. We need space and enjoyment to feel balanced and at ease in our life. 

Many folks don't know what slowing down feels like because they don't prioritize it. Our culture glorifies the hard worker, just like diet culture glorifies the disciplined eater.

If you’re noticing that you look forward to a food “treat” or “reward” at the end of the day, this is your body’s way of relaxing, slowing down and enjoying part of the evening. 

Nighttime eating is really how your body reacts to the restriction of energy/calories, a variety of foods, and downtime and fun. 

What is your body asking for?