“Ryann I eat enough during the day, and I can’t stop snacking at night, making me feel terrible. How do I stop?”

It’s a familiar scenario. You’ve eaten well during the day, and yet, when night falls, the irresistible allure of late-night snacks takes hold, leaving you feeling less than your best. So, how do you put a stop to this cycle? Before we dive into the strategies, let’s address the root of the issue: Are you truly eating enough during the day?

Signs You’ve Eaten Enough During the Day:

• Stable Mood: A well-fed body tends to maintain a more balanced mood throughout the day.
• No Thoughts About Food (Other Than When Hungry): If you’re not preoccupied with thoughts of your next meal or snack, you’re likely in a good place with your daytime eating.
• Regulated Energy Levels: Proper nourishment keeps your energy levels steady, reducing the urge to seek quick energy fixes in the form of nighttime snacks.
• No Urges to Overeat/Binge: Adequate daytime nourishment minimizes the cravings that lead to overindulgence at night.
• Can Stop Eating When Full: Being in tune with your body’s fullness cues is a clear indicator that you’re eating sufficiently during the day.

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If these points resonate with your daytime eating habits, it’s essential to remember that there’s nothing inherently wrong with snacking at night. However, if it’s leaving you feeling physically uncomfortable or unsatisfied, it’s worth exploring the deeper reasons behind your nighttime nibbling.

Why The Late Night Snacking *Might* Be Happening

Late-night snacking often boils down to three primary motives: seeking pleasure, numbing emotions, or falling into habitual patterns.

Possible Reason One: Pleasure

If your day lacks moments of joy or satisfaction, it’s natural to turn to food for pleasure at night. To break this pattern, consider:

• Incorporating little sources of joy into your daily routine.
• Exploring alternative ways to experience pleasure as you wind down at night.

Possible Reason Two: Numbing

When you’d rather not confront uncomfortable emotions from the day, turning to food can serve as a form of emotional anesthesia. To address this tendency, you can:

• Get curious about the emotions you’re trying to avoid by indulging in late-night snacks.
• Challenge yourself to confront and process these emotions head-on.

Possible Reason Three: Habit

Mindlessly reaching for snacks each night can become a habit that’s tough to break. To shift this pattern, try:

• Introducing mindfulness into your snacking routine, focusing on the sensations and flavors of each bite.
• Altering your nighttime routine to disrupt the automatic association between nighttime and snacking.

Identifying the root cause of your late-night snacking is the first step in untangling this habitual behavior. Once you’ve pinpointed the underlying reasons, you can embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth, ultimately finding more fulfilling alternatives to nighttime snacking.

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Must Read Books To Improve Your Relationship With Food 

Just so you know, I do review everything I recommend. When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission.

Intuitive Eating by Elise Resch and Evelyn Tribole 

When it was first published, Intuitive Eating was revolutionary in its anti-dieting approach. The authors, both prominent health professionals in the field of nutrition and eating disorders, urge readers to embrace the goal of developing body positivity and reconnecting with one’s internal wisdom about eating―to unlearn everything they were taught about calorie-counting and other aspects of diet culture and to learn about the harm of weight stigma.

Health At Every Size by Lindo Bacon

Fat isn’t the problem. Dieting is the problem. A society that rejects anyone whose body shape or size doesn’t match an impossible ideal is the problem. A medical establishment that equates “thin” with “healthy” is the problem. The solution? Health at Every Size. Tune in to your body’s expert guidance. Find the joy in movement. Eat what you want, when you want, choosing pleasurable foods that help you to feel good. You too can feel great in your body right now—and Health at Every Size will show you how.

Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison

In Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison takes on diet culture and the multi-billion-dollar industries that profit from it, exposing all the ways it robs people of their time, money, health, and happiness. It will turn what you think you know about health and wellness upside down, as Harrison explores the history of diet culture, how it’s infiltrated the health and wellness world, how to recognize it in all its sneaky forms, and how letting go of efforts to lose weight or eat “perfectly” actually helps to improve people’s health—no matter their size. Drawing on scientific research, personal experience, and stories from patients and colleagues, Anti-Diet provides a radical alternative to diet culture, and helps readers reclaim their bodies, minds, and lives so they can focus on the things that truly matter.

Just Eat It by Laura Thomas

With a perfect blend of scientific expertise and relatable anecdotes, the author dismantles societal myths around food and body image. Through practical advice, self-reflection exercises, and a touch of humor, Thomas equips readers with the tools to break free from the cycle of diet culture, promoting self-love and nourishment. This book is an essential companion for anyone seeking to redefine their approach to food, fostering a positive and sustainable lifestyle.