“Why do I hate myself after eating late at night?”

Oh, first off, don't hate yourself. You are amazing. It may be something pre-programmed in your subconscious regarding your eating habits. For example: growing up where you weren't allowed cookies or pop; had to eat all your vegetables before leaving the table; no snacks or treats late at night. Suggestion: Get a beauty journal or food mood plan journal book. Or start your own and, when this happens, you immediately write down what happened to trigger this, what is it that you crave or ate, and how it made you feel, what thoughts come up now. Just look at them as they are, just floating by. Don't be judgmental. Take a deep breath and tap yourself and say I am grateful, but I am not angry. It's okay, I understand.

Hi,

Thank you for your question. I would recommend that you seek out professional mental health support to explore some reasons why you might hate yourself after binge eating late at night in the kitchen. Also, here are some tips that might help:

- plan and establish regular eating patterns including meals and snacks, try to go no more than 3-4 hours between meals
- identify your triggers to binging, make note of when you binged or ate without being hungry
- recognize the cycle, keep a journal and document how you feel before and after each meal or snack
- find alternatives to triggering situations
- learn to listen to your body, it will signal physical hunger and fullness cues
- seek out therapy to get support from an eating disorder professional to help change your thoughts about food, your body, your weight, your shape, etc. (You can ask your primary care doctor or call your insurance for referrals)
- CBT, DBT, and interpersonal psychotherapy have been found to be successful forms of therapy
- consult with a doctor or psychiatrist regarding a medication evaluation to determine if that could be helpful
- speak with a nutritionist or dietician about a healthy meal plan and/or nutritional supplements
- stop labeling foods as "good" or "bad," which can increase feelings of guilt and make you more likely to binge
- stop dieting! get rid of any books or magazines that make you feel inadequate or judge yourself to unattainable ideals
- ditch the rigid rules and "cheat days" since no foods are "off limits"
- stay off the scale, as the number on the scale does not reflect your self-worth as a person, your weight does not define you!
- make self-care a priority, including maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet
- engage in positive self-talk and be kind/compassionate to yourself
- reach out for help from trusted friends and family members in your network of social support
- find some joyful activities that help give meaning and pleasure to your life
- practice mindful or intuitive eating
- practice gratitude and positive affirmations about yourself regularly
- focus on actions, not outcomes
- celebrate your victories and don't dwell on minor setbacks
- be patient and manage your own expectations
- don't try to be perfect, it's about progress not perfection!

I hope this has been helpful!

Best,

Jenna Torres, PsyD

The definition of addiction.

Hello,

While there is no right answer for your question, I would look at the information you have provided. What is the issue? The eating, the time or the feeling of not being in absolute control? Once you have that answer, then I would deluge further into figuring out how to work with yourself rather than against. Remember, your body needs fuel to function. This may
be your body telling you it needs more sustainable or filling food with the cravings to eat later at night.
Hope this helps.

The problem you’re describing is not uncommon. Cognitive behavior therapy can be very helpful with this. The good news is that you appear to have picked up on some of your patterns- the binging occurs late at night and in your kitchen. The key will be to figure out what purpose the binge eating is serving, help you with alternative coping skills other than eating, and also to learn what’s happening before the binging starts, because as much as it feels “out of control” something is preceding it that needs to be better understood, addressed, and worked through. I’ll give you an example- There are people that do “great” throughout the day and maybe even for several days restricting caloric intake and then at night all bets are off and the binging episodes begin. The restricting that precedes the binging is not sustainable! Sometimes it’s a matter of creating a healthier balance and distributing how much you eat more evenly throughout the day and evening, or maybe having something at night that you really enjoy/want (not everything in your kitchen) that you can allow yourself to sit down and eat slowly and mindfully. The anger you feel I suspect has to do with shame, and I strongly recommend you see a therapist to help you make changes in the direction of healing.

It is because you viewed yourself as failing yourself. You had a goal and you didn't meet it. However, you can get help to lessen your appetite at night as well as be directed with food choices that won't trigger late night hunger. Find a qualified bariatrician at www.obesitymedicine.org

It is really important for you to express your concern with your therapist. Sounds like maybe you are using eating to cope, which is an unhealthy coping mechanism. Work with a therapist to learn some coping skills in order to reduce stress and learn your trigger for binge-eating.

Check this out:
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-mind-shifts-to-end-depressed-overeating/