EP. 49- Evening & night time eating- my simple [3-step] approach for breaking the habit.

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Happy Monday! Welcome to a brand new week. Today, we’re going to talk about evening and night time eating. If I had $100 every time someone has told me they eat correctly during the day but after work, after the kids go to bed or when I sit on the couch and get comfortable, I just LOSE it, and everything goes downhill after that. This happens daily, and I just can’t stop it. I hear this every single day, with my clients, during strategy sessions, through emails and social media and I had this SAME pattern. What is it about the night time?

Today, I’m going to give you an understanding of why this is. When I’ve felt snacky, I’ve asked myself three critical questions. I’m going to teach you what the questions are. What I’m going to teach you goes hand-in-hand with the tool, 30-minute PAZ in the previous episode. This one goes along the same lines but is very specific to evening and night-time cravings and urges, precise patterns and urges you are trying to break.

It’s important to identify that you’re having the craving, pause before you impulsively act on it and determine that you don’t need to eat at that moment and that you’re just tired.

Evening and night time eating happens a lot – for some, it might be wine, crunchy stuff like chips, cookies, and popcorn or sweet things like ice cream. Think about what it is for you. Very, very often for ladies, you are a badass. You probably have so many responsibilities and a lot on your plate, squeezing in your workout, drop off your kids, making dinner and getting ready for work.

Evening and night time eating is often a result of something that has been brewing up all day. Feelings of chronic fatigue, stress, overwhelm, pressure and everything has accumulated. You’ve been pushing through it and have not addressed it. It’s not that food has magical powers, and it casts a power over us at night. It’s not mystical. A lot of it has to do with a low-grade chronic, stress, pressure and fatigue that’s been unaddressed all day. It’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. If it’s left unaddressed, YES, it sure does feel like you need some relief from the feelings that have been building. Food or a glass of wine can be the most innocent bystander to this – it seemed harmless. It’s just a cookie, or some popcorn, or a glass of wine. That is why many of us go to food as a quick, temporary but yummy distraction at the end of the day. You’re still functioning HOWEVER, it has a lot of unintended consequences in your life. You’re on a hamster wheel continually sabotaging yourself and not understanding why.

Notice this theme of needing relief at the end of the day. This is the need you are trying to fulfill. If evening and night time evening is an issue for you, you’re giving food the job of giving you relief from fatigue, stress and pressure.

Instead of eating, I want you to reserve 3-5 minutes in the evening (and EVERY evening!) and practice your evening emotional hygiene routine. Choose a specific time of the evening and dedicate time to your EMOTIONAL hygiene, not just your personal hygiene, to check-in and take care of your mind and your emotions. When choosing a time, consider what time you typically start snacking. Reserve a time of the time and set a timer for that time, whether it’s when you get home, before dinner or after dinner. Set a part of your evening that becomes part of your routine.

Use this as an opportunity to check in with your emotional state instead of using food as an opportunity to check out. When you check out, you’re completely ignoring and not addressing you – your emotions and your needs.

 

The three questions I want you to ask yourself:

1. How am I feeling? What’s going on with me right now?
2. What do I actually need right now? A lot of times, you might just need to go to bed!
3. Is this a pattern that I want to keep? What will happen if I keep reinforcing this habit? You have to be honest with yourself. Bring the truth of what you want in your life to the forefront.

This practice is just as important as our physical hygiene, brushing your teeth, taking off your makeup, putting on the toner, moisturizing. Our brains and emotions need this practice just as much as our physical hygiene routine.

By continuing your patterns and habits, you are sabotaging your results. If you use willpower, you are restricting yourself. You are an adult. You can have all the Oreos in the world tonight if you want to! However, it is so much more empowering to acknowledge what you want to have but chose not to continue your pattern because you want to achieve your result or goal. Remind yourself of why you chose your goals. If you are deciding to do this, it is because you want to.

For these concepts, it is SO essential to apply these tools. Set your alarm in your day when you need to schedule your evening emotional hygiene routine. Think about your day and when you derail and consider the three questions you need to ask yourself. Emotionally check-in with yourself and make it as important as your physical hygiene. Stay committed to an idea of setting time. Remember, instead of checking out, check in. Address your feelings and start to meet your own needs.

This is a brand new tool and concept. Give yourself room to start practicing it and learn a new skill. Don’t consider all of the reasons why you can’t stick to it. Start implementing this tool tonight. I’m so excited for you!

Have an amazing week. It’s an honor to share this work, tools, and strategies with you. My challenge to you – try this tonight! Email me and tell me everything! See you next week.

XOXO
Brenda

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