It’s 9 pm and I’m standing in front of my refrigerator rapturously devouring a rich piece of chocolate cake, wondering what I can eat NEXT.
I’m Not Hungry.
But I AM baffled. Why does this incessant, compulsive night eating keep happening?
Like me, are you a nighttime eater?
If you are, have I got a read for you.
If you also have a close friend or family member who compulsively snacks after sundown, stick around.
And if you are one of the very few who has no issue with after dinner kitchen rummaging or doesn’t know anyone who does, skip this week’s newsletter and go eat a sugar cookie!
Dr Nina Savelle-Rocklin, a friend and a renowned psychoanalyst, known for her expertise in the psychology of eating, has great insight into night eating.
Eating when you are not hungry
Eating quickly or mindlessly
Feeling unable to stop once you start
Eating alone or in secret
Feeling guilty, ashamed or frustrated afterward
Repeating the pattern night after night
I checked every box.
Dr Nina spells out WHY we simply can’t stop eating at night.
Quite simply: Our emotions catch up with us.
“During the day you are busy,” notes Dr Nina, “You’re working, taking care of others, managing responsibilities, staying distracted. But at night everything slows down. And all the emotions you’ve been avoiding all day finally catch-up with you.”
Is that you?
It’s certainly ME!
And of course, after an evening spent excessively grazing, I promise myself I’ll do better the next day. I don’t. And the cycle repeats itself.
Dr. Nina says it’s not that we night eaters lack will power. It’s about our not addressing the root causes of our night eating.
But how?????
She sites six steps to stop night eating:
- Eat enough during the day.
- Identify what you are really feeling – physical hunger or emotional hunger.
- Name the emotion. Write it down. Say it aloud.
- Acknowledge and validate your emotion.
- Remind yourself of your resilience and strength.
- Ask yourself what you really need right now? Connection? Expression? To cry? To set a boundary? To feel seen? Once you identify the real need, take action to get it. Do something that actually addresses what’s driving the urge to eat.
I’ve found Dr. Nina’s suggestion to create a new evening routine vastly helpful. Now I purposely go upstairs to watch TV away from the kitchen. And I stop doing anything work related beyond 9 pm so I have time to rest, wind down, calm down and relax.
As Dr. Nina advocates, “It’s not about avoiding food, it’s about creating a life where food isn’t the only source of comfort.”
For additional insights, opt into her Emotional Eating Quiz, https://quiz.drninainc.com/
And to understand the deeper why behind your eating, grab a copy of her book The Binge Cure: 7 Steps to Outsmart Emotional Eating.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of waking up every morning mad at myself.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
It pays to live in Florida in January so I can pose comfortably outside.
And it pays to have great friends who are artists and work their magic on some of my jean jackets.
Thanks Marilyn Silverman.
This one-of-a-kind original is perfect for the few days in Florida where we actually have to layer our outfits to stay toasty warm!
