Avoiding Night Time Eating

For most of the day, I eat very healthy foods. At night time however, it’s a different story.

Watching TV has historically been my “resting mode” at the end of the day and the problem with watching TV (for me anyway) is that I become like one of Pavlov’s dogs once I start watching.

I can have just finished eating a complete meal and be very full but once I’m in front of that screen my mind starts asking for the snacks, and my body complies.

This is not to say that a few snacks at night-time are a problem, especially if you’ve moved a lot during the day and have eaten moderately. What is a problem is eating when you’re not hungry and continuing to do so out of habit.

The easiest way to change a habit is to replace it with a different one. Since I know that watching TV triggers my desire to eat snacks, I have to do something differently at night to avoid the excess eating.

Engaging in activities that involve your hands are very helpful because you then can’t use them for eating. This can include activities like doing a puzzle, reading a book or magazine, knitting or crocheting, etc. All of these activities can still be done while you continue to watch / listen to TV as well!

You can also engage your body or brain more directly such as going for a walk after you finish eating, distracting yourself with a small, easy project around the house, making a phone call to a friend, or learning a whole new hobby.

Some people may argue that they’re tired at the end of the day and just want to sit on the couch, relax and watch TV and I”m not saying this is a bad thing that needs to be avoided at all costs.

If you are trying to avoid eating at night time and you struggle to do so while watching TV, I am saying that taking a break from TV or watching less of it can be a very helpful way to make this happen.

It’s challenging finding other things to do. I’m going on almost a week with no TV, after making it only 3 days on my first attempt.

I’ve had to make a list of possible alternative activities to engage in at night time. I make myself leave the house for exercise 3 nights per week, I’ve been working on a puzzle, doing sudoku and word searches, practicing calligraphy and reading my sewing books in an attempt to get back to sewing.

Sometimes I’m able to make myself do something productive around the house but I have to “feel like it” so it doesn’t seem like more work at the end of the day.

Getting together with friends or family can also be helpful but you really need to come up with your own list of alternatives in order to be successful.

Our digestive systems are healthier if we can give them a break for at least 12 hours per day. Allowing ourselves to be done eating after dinner is a great way to do this.

Action Steps

• If you struggle with eating at night time, consider making your own list of activities you could engage in that are different from what you are currently doing.

• Try to come up with ideas that involve using your hands and/or your brain differently. Then pick something and move forward with it!