Evening Bingeing: Why It Happens and How to Stop

You've been "good" all day, sticking to your plan and feeling confident. But as evening approaches, an urge hits you, and once you start eating, you can't seem to stop. You feel out of control and think, "What's the point? I'll just eat everything I love tonight and be 'good' again tomorrow."

Sound familiar?

You're not alone. Many people struggle with bingeing or overeating in the evenings. Here’s why it happens and what you can do about it:

1. You Haven't Eaten Enough During the Day

Many restrictive diets are too extreme, leading your body to think it's starving. By the evening, your brain is in overdrive, pushing you to eat to protect against perceived starvation.

Solution: Fuel your body consistently throughout the day. Ensure you’re eating enough to signal to your body that there’s no famine, reducing the urge to binge.

2. You Feel You’ve Broken One of Your Food Rules

Strict food rules can backfire. If you aim for 1800 calories but eat a biscuit that takes you to 1860, you might think, "I've ruined it now, might as well go all out." This "all or nothing" mindset is a binge trigger.

Solution: Adopt flexible, rough guidelines instead of strict rules. This way, if you deviate slightly, you won’t feel like you’ve failed and resort to bingeing.

3. Food as a Way to Unwind

Many people use food to mark the end of their workday and start of personal time. If food is your way to relax, it can be hard to stop once you start.

Solution: Find alternative ways to unwind. Try a walk, yoga, or another relaxing activity to mark the end of your day.

4. You’re Stressed, Tired, or Drunk

Willpower is weakest when you're stressed, tired, or drunk—all common in the evening. These states make sticking to an eating plan much harder.

Solution: Address these triggers. Improve your sleep habits, manage stress, and be mindful of your alcohol consumption.

5. It’s Become a Habit

Bingeing can become an autopilot habit. Just like daily routines, evening binges can happen without conscious thought.

Solution: Break the habit with tools like hypnotherapy, which can shift subconscious patterns and create new, healthier behaviours.

6. Food as a Coping Mechanism

Food can comfort us when we're sad, anxious, bored, or lonely—emotions that often surface in the evening when the day’s distractions are gone.

Solution: Develop other coping mechanisms. Talk to a friend, journal, meditate, move your body, or spend time in nature to process emotions without turning to food.

Remember:

Bingeing can bring feelings of shame and guilt, making it hard to talk about or seek help. But you’re not alone. Understanding what drives your bingeing can help you implement strategies to reduce and eliminate this behaviour.

Need support? Reach out to us at info@thefoodtherapyclinic.com.

“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” ― Germany Kent