Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Determine the cause
• Method 2 of 3: Changes in Eating Habits
• Method 3 of 3: Adjusting the Mode
• Tips
• Warnings

Eating at night is a bad habit, since the body does not have time before bedtime to digest food thoroughly. Eating at night can lead to over-absorption of unhealthy foods, as well as disrupt sleep patterns. If you want to stop eating at night, follow our guidelines.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Determine the cause

1. 1 Understand the difference between emotional and physical hunger. Sometimes we eat at night because we are hungry, especially if we do not have enough food during the day. Sometimes a person eats at night because of emotion. To overcome the problem, it is important to understand whether this hunger is emotional or physical.
   • Does the feeling of hunger appear gradually or suddenly? Emotional hunger usually manifests itself sharply, and physical hunger slowly builds up.
   • What kind of food do you want? If the hunger is emotional, you may want something sweet or salty, rather than something healthier.
   • Are you eating enough throughout the day? If you are on a calorie restrictive diet or skip meals, you are more likely to feel physically hungry at night. If you've already eaten a heavy meal, this hunger is most likely emotional.
2. 2 Observe your daily routine. To understand why and how much you overeat at night, watch what you do day and night.
   • Are you limiting your calorie intake or skipping meals? If so, you are most likely thinking about food all day, which makes you start eating everything at night. The worst thing is to skip breakfast.
   • Do you plan your dinner in advance? It is not uncommon for people to quickly eat something whipped up for dinner, which makes them feel hungry later. Often times, people also have snacks while preparing dinner, resulting in fewer main meals and more junk food. This causes hunger closer to night.
   • What do you like to do after dinner? Usually, people like to change into comfortable clothes, lie on the couch with a laptop, or watch TV before bed. There is nothing wrong with resting after a tough day, but it is during this time that people often start eating everything. It's very easy to eat something while watching TV or on your laptop and not notice.
3. 3 Learn to control the hormones that cause hunger. In the night hunger, as a rule, 4 hormones are to blame: insulin, leptin, ghrelin, YY peptide (or cortisol). Lack of these hormones can lead to nightly raids on the refrigerator. Learn what affects hormone levels and how hormone-induced hunger can be controlled.
   • Insulin helps the body process sugar. Blood insulin levels rise sharply if a person eats empty calories in the form of refined sugar and wheat. The jump is temporary, and the drop in insulin levels after a person eats such food causes hunger.Avoid eating sweets, wheat flour, and pasta, especially in the evening, as this will avoid spikes in insulin and unnecessary bouts of hunger.
   • Leptin is a hormone that tells a person that they are full. However, the consumption of sugar, flour and processed food prevents this, and the person does not know when he is full. Cutting back on sugary and refined foods throughout the day will make it easier to avoid overeating in the evening.
   • Ghrelin is a hunger hormone that helps control appetite. It tells us when we need to eat, and like the rest of the hormones listed, levels can fluctuate due to erratic diets and poor quality foods. Try to eat regularly and in sufficient quantities. Choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
   • Peptide YY is a gut hormone that, like leptin, helps a person know when they are full. When the calories from junk food enter the intestines, the YY peptide will signal to the brain that a person needs more food, even if he has already eaten enough. Eating one whole meal is better than snacking on empty carbs and candy.
   • Cortisol is a stress hormone. It is not directly related to hunger, unlike other hormones, but a spike in cortisol levels causes a spike in insulin and blood sugar. This causes hunger. In other words, stress can lead to overeating. Try to reduce the overall amount of stress in your life through exercise and meditation. This will keep cortisol at the same level and prevent hunger.

Method 2 of 3: Changes in Eating Habits

1. 1 Have breakfast. Breakfast is perhaps the most important step in the fight against overeating at night. A healthy breakfast will set the tone for the day and help you stay hungry in the evening.
   • If you shift your main calorie intake into the morning, you will feel full during the day and evening. If you eat the bulk of your daily calories for breakfast and lunch, you will have less stomach space during and after dinner.
   • Eat lean protein, whole grains, and fruits for breakfast. It is best to eat about 350 calories for breakfast. If you do a lot of sports or have a physically demanding job, increase this number.
   • Eggs are eaten for breakfast for a reason. They contain a lot of protein, which keeps blood sugar at the same level throughout the day. However, cooking eggs should be done in a healthy way. Cook them in olive or rapeseed oil, not margarine or butter, and don't add too much salt.
   • If you don't like eggs, granola, nuts, low-fat cheese, and milk are all good choices.
2. 2 Get rid of junk food in your kitchen drawers. If your favorite "bad things" are always at your fingertips, you will continue to eat them. Even if you are not hungry, you will miss their taste. If you get rid of this food, you will deprive yourself of temptations.
   • Find out what foods you eat most at night. It is not uncommon for people to choose something salty or sweet, especially if hunger is triggered by emotion. If you feel junk food cravings, cook popcorn in the oven.
   • If you feel like you need a snack before bed, try cutting back on unhealthy snacks. Buy chips or cookies that only have 100 calories per pack. You can also mix unhealthy foods with unhealthy foods. Dip fruit in chocolate cream (for example, in Nutella) or spoon brown sugar in oatmeal.
   • If you want to have quick snacks at home in case of guests, you can keep them at home, but you should limit your access to them. Place food on the top shelf to make it harder to reach. Freeze candy and cookies to thaw. When you feel a strong craving for a product, you will have time to consider whether you should eat it.
3. 3 Choose foods with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index is a characteristic of carbohydrates that shows how much a food increases blood glucose levels. Foods with a low glycemic index provide long-term satiety, which reduces the risk of overeating at night.
   • The spike in blood sugar, often caused by processed foods and refined sugars, causes a spike in insulin levels that brings blood sugar back to normal. The constant movement of the levels up and down means that you will feel hunger faster. Eating high glycemic index foods throughout the day will make you hungry for longer and may decide to eat at night.
   • Typically, a low-glycemic diet involves consuming carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. It is not recommended to eat foods with added sugar and white wheat.
   • Anything below 55 is considered a low glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index include barley, peas, bran, carrots, celery, lentils, whole grain pasta, brown rice, low-fat yogurt, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
   • Anything above 70 is considered a high glycemic index. This category of foods includes cereals, white bread, rice, tomatoes, pastries, and sweets.
4. 4 Eat and drink throughout the day. If you restrict calories during the day, you will overeat at night. Try to eat during the day so you don't have to eat at night.
   • Don't drink high-calorie drinks. A lot of calories come from sugary sodas, juices and sports drinks. The sugar in these fluids also affects blood glucose levels, increasing hunger at night. If you feel thirsty, drink water or low-calorie drinks like coffee and tea.
   • Have a healthy snack. If you get hungry between meals, don't ignore your body's signals. If they appear and get worse gradually, it means that you are physically hungry and you need to eat. Eat a handful of nuts or a small bowl of fruits or vegetables. If you give your body more wholesome food during the day, you will not have the urge to eat at night.
   • Try to keep your meals balanced. A complete diet contains fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins (fish, poultry), and heart-healthy fats (for example, olive and rapeseed oil).
5. 5 Prepare healthy snacks for the evening ahead of time. If you constantly eat at night, you will not be able to give up this habit instantly. To make the transition to healthy eating easier, start replacing unhealthy night meals with healthier ones.
   • Chop vegetables and fruits and keep them in vacuum bags in the refrigerator. So you have something to grab if you get hungry at night.
   • You can buy sliced ​​fruit at the supermarket. This option is for you if you often forget about everything, including preparing meals for the evening.
   • If you like chips, you can replace your regular potato chips with something healthier, such as chips made without oil, or with healthier foods (sweet potatoes, quinoa). But be careful - sometimes the nutritional value of these foods is no different from their unhealthy counterparts, and they are empty carbs too. It is better to completely refuse such food.

Method 3 of 3: Adjusting the Mode

1. 1 Find a new hobby. Eating at night is often the result of boredom and an automatic activity that accompanies, for example, watching TV. If you are busy doing something else, you are less likely to overeat.
   • Choose an activity where you will need to do something with your hands. Start knitting or sewing. Put together a puzzle of 1000 pieces. Learn to make a rope cradle for a cat. Buy a notebook and start drawing. Anything that makes you do something with your own hands and distracts you from eating is fine.
   • Engage your brain. Eating at night is often the result of stress, so if you direct your brain energy to something else, you will eat less often at night. Buy crosswords or sudoku.You can play similar games on the Internet with a live opponent. If you have a roommate or spouse, play cards or board games every night.
2. 2 Entertain yourself throughout the day. For many people, the best thing that happens in a day is dinner without limits. If this is the case for you, try to do something enjoyable during the day. This will help you think less about eating late at night as a way to release your emotions.
   • Set aside time for small pleasures. What do you like? What are you interested in? If you commute to work by car or public transport, start listening to podcasts about your interests along the way. If you enjoy reading, read while you wait for the bus or train. Go for a walk at lunchtime. Stop by your favorite store a couple of times a week, even if you're not going to buy anything.
   • Join the club. Meeting new people and participating in social life will make you a happier person. This means that for you, eating at night will no longer be the only way to relax and unwind. On the Internet, you can find communities of people whose interests will coincide with yours, and information about other ways of spending your leisure time.
   • Start pampering yourself with non-food items in the evenings. Do you like to walk? Send for a half-hour walk before bed. Do you like video games? Find a game that you like and play for an hour at night.
3. 3 Brush your teeth after dinner. This will stop you from wanting to eat at night for a number of reasons.
   • Many people enjoy the feeling of a clean mouth and do not want to spoil it with food. If you brush your teeth after dinner, rather than before bed, you may not want to eat anymore.
   • Toothpaste and mouthwash change the taste of food. Nighttime snacks like salty and sugary foods will no longer seem as appealing after brushing your teeth with mint paste.
   • Buy peppermint candies or peppermint gum. If you feel like eating something after the cleanliness in your mouth has passed, you can restore the mint flavor with chewing gum or hard candy.
4. 4 Get enough sleep. Often, the lack of a regimen provokes an unhealthy diet. If you get better sleep, you will be less hungry at night.
   • Poor sleep can lead to skipping meals, especially breakfast. For example, you need to be at work at 9 am every morning, but you go to bed at 2 am. You probably won't want to get up early to make breakfast, and this, as mentioned above, is a direct path to overeating in the evening.
   • Staying up late will make you bored in the evening. There are fewer people around, and many establishments are already closed. Often people start eating at night because they simply have nothing else to do.
   • Stick to the correct regimen. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, trying to get 7-9 hours of sleep a day. Your body will adjust to the new regime, and you will feel sleepy at the same time in the evenings.
5. 5 Get help. If you eat at night every day, do not think that you can easily overcome this weakness. It will be difficult at first, but the support of friends and family will help you cope.
   • If you live with other people, ask them not to keep junk food in the house so that it does not tempt you. You can also invite them to join you and stop eating at night.
   • If you live alone or alone, arrange with your friends that you can write or call them. Communication can help distract you from the boredom and stress that often lead to overeating.
   • Support and advice can also be found on dedicated forums. Look for forums where you can talk about your problem, and heed the advice of those who have also gone through it.

Tips

• Try to communicate more during the day. Having an active social life will make you feel better and feel less stressed, making you less likely to eat at night due to stress.
• Calorie counting helps some people. Knowing how many calories you are eating from snacking at night will give you another reason to quit.
• In late dinners, quality is more important than quantity. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over empty carbs and sugars.

Warnings

• Of course, it is better not to eat at night, but if you consume most of your daily calorie intake in the evening, this will compensate for the lack of food during the day. Aim to eat at least 1200 calories daily.