Ep 49 - 5 Habits to Eliminate Night Eating.
January 16,2025
Today let’s tackle a challenge so many struggle with: nighttime eating.
Whether you’re overeating after dinner or find yourself snacking out of habit or boredom, I’ll give you actionable tips to help you break the binge cycle.
You’ll learn..
Why nighttime eating happens (it’s not just about willpower)
The biological, emotional, and habitual triggers behind nighttime overeating
5 simple habits to stop eating at night and start building healthier routines
Nighttime Eating Isn’t Always Bad
Eating at night is not inherently wrong. There’s nothing wrong about eating at 7, 8, 9, 10, or even 11 p.m.
Plenty of normal eaters do it without gaining weight or harming their metabolism. But if you’re overeating at night when you’re not hungry, that’s what we’re addressing here.
You don’t need that much food right before bed. And if you’re overly full, it can really mess with your sleep. You might wake up tired, with blood sugar crashes, and that throws off the next day.
Why You Can’t Stop Eating at Night
1. You’re Skipping Meals or Undereating
One of the biggest causes of nighttime eating is under-eating during the day.
If your body only got an iced coffee, a protein bar, and some nuts, it thinks there must have been a famine. Your brain says: let’s eat now, there’s food here. This is a biological urge. You’re not weak. Your body is trying to protect you.
2. You’re Using Food for Emotional Relief
Nighttime can bring up emotions. Maybe you’re alone for the first time all day. Maybe you’re bored, or stressed.
Most of us weren’t taught how to sit with those emotions. But if you don’t have tools to cope, you’re more likely to reach for food.
Go listen to Episode 45: The #1 Skill You Need to Stop Emotional Eating.
3. It’s Become a Habit
If you’ve been overeating every night for years, your brain expects it. It becomes a pattern.
You sit down on the couch, turn on the TV, and your brain says: where’s our snacks?
4. You’re Exhausted and Out of Willpower
By the end of the day, you’ve made a thousand decisions. You’re tired.
You don’t have the willpower you had in the morning. That’s why just telling yourself “don’t do it” doesn’t work. You need a strategy that doesn’t rely on willpower.
The Brain Can Change
I used to binge eat at night. Honestly, I’d binge anytime. But your brain is neuroplastic. It can change.
You don’t have to be stuck in the same nighttime eating cycle. You can rewire your brain. I did it, and so can you.
5 Habits to Stop Nighttime Binge Eating
1. Start Your Day With a Balanced Breakfast
Whenever someone tells me they’re overeating at night, I ask: what are you eating earlier in the day?
If you skip breakfast or just grab a carb-heavy snack, your blood sugar is going to spike and crash. That sets the stage for late-night cravings.
Include protein, fats, fiber, and carbs in your morning. Try:
Eggs with avocado and toast
Oatmeal with protein powder and nut butter
Yogurt with fruit and seeds
If you’re not hungry in the morning, your signals may be off due to binge-restrict cycles. That’s something we work on inside the Confident Eater program.
2. Schedule Regular Meals Throughout the Day
Most people I work with are eating too little. A banana and a salad with plain chicken won’t cut it.
If your meals are under 450 calories, your body won’t feel satisfied. That leads to intense cravings later.
Aim for breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner. Make sure your meals are actually satisfying. My meals now are closer to 600 to 800 calories and I don’t feel the need to snack at night.
If you feel like you wake up a hunger monster at night, that’s your sign to eat more earlier in the day.
3. Release Stress Throughout the Day
Little things build up. Morning tantrums, emails, traffic, work stress — it all adds up in your “stress bucket.”
If you don’t release some of that stress during the day, it overflows by nighttime and you turn to food for relief.
Schedule in micro self-care moments:
Deep breaths
A walk outside
Stretch break
Journaling or voice noting on your commute
I schedule breaks into my day before anything else. A little bit goes a long way in helping you feel better later.
4. Get a Life Outside of Food
For many of us, dieting has been our full-time hobby. That needs to stop.
If your nights feel empty after dinner, you’ll keep eating out of boredom.
Find hobbies. Try:
Learning piano with the Simply Piano app
Reading fiction (I love Romantasy)
Joining a fitness class
Crafting, drawing, pottery
When you fill your time with something you enjoy, food becomes less important. Find something that lights you up.
5. Create a Bedtime Routine
If your current routine is: dinner, scroll TV, snack, repeat… you need structure.
You already have a nighttime routine, it just might not be helping you.
Ask yourself:
What do I do now?
What do I want to do instead?
You can start small. Try:
Brushing your teeth right after dinner
Making tea
Reading a book
Taking a bath
Just one new habit can break the old loop of nighttime snacking.
If you get cravings, expect them. Your brain is used to the habit. But you don’t have to act on it.
Use my free urge audio to ride the craving without giving in. It’s in the show notes and can help you stop binge eating at night without willpower.
Recap: 5 Habits to Stop Eating at Night
Start the day with a balanced breakfast
Schedule regular meals
Empty your stress bucket
Get a life outside of food
Create a real evening routine
Take Action Now
Choose one habit to start with. Just one.
You can listen to podcasts all day, but nothing changes until you take action. And if you're stuck, that’s what I help with inside the Confident Eater program.
And to help you take that first step, don’t forget to grab my free guided audio: Stop a Binge Before It Starts
Let’s stop nighttime eating for good.