How to Stop Stress Eating at Night (What I Do Instead)

How do you stop stress eating at night? For me, it starts hours before the night does. I eat a little earlier than I think I need to, with protein in the meal, so I'm not starving by the evening. Then, when stress hits, I swap the snack for a zero calorie drink or I go for a walk.

Why do cravings hit hardest at night?

If your cravings seem to come out of nowhere, it's usually not random. A lot of the time, it's because I waited too long to eat. I'm busy, so I put a meal off, and all of a sudden I'm really hungry. That's the point where I want to eat whatever is in front of me.

Sleep and stress make it worse. When I don't sleep well, or when I'm stressed, that's when my cravings kick in the most. I talk about this on my YouTube channel in "Cravings Control: Is it possible?"

How to stop stress eating at night: eat a little earlier

This is the one simple fix I give my clients, and I do it myself. Don't let yourself get to the point where you're shaky and hungry enough to eat anything. A meal or a snack with protein, before your hunger gets intense, means:

• fewer cravings

• better food choices

• less nighttime snacking

When you stay ahead of hunger, the cravings disappear.

Is it hunger, stress or boredom?

Before I grab a snack at night, I ask myself one question. Am I really hungry, or do I just want some comfort?

When it's stress, the first thing I do is admit it: I'm stress snacking. Then I look for the reason I'm stressed. When it's boredom, I find something to distract me. I can't snack and read a book at the same time.

Don't tell yourself to stop snacking

Telling myself "no more snacking" has never worked. As a matter of fact, I snack more. So instead of stopping, I swap what I'd normally snack on for something with zero calories or very few:

• a zero calorie drink, especially a carbonated one, because it's going to keep you full

• flavored mineral water

• tea

• a Crystal Light packet in my water

• gum

• a snack bag of cucumber, jicama and bell pepper

And no, rice cakes are not a low calorie option.

From the morning until about 3 pm, plain water is fine for me. Toward dinner time is when I start wanting something with flavor, so that's when the flavored water comes out. It helps with the cravings.

My favorite fix: go for a walk

When stress hits, my favorite thing to do is go for a walk instead of eating. A walk clears my mind, and it helps my stress a lot more than food ever does.

What about stress eating at work?

The same timing rule works on a busy workday. Eat your meal a little earlier than you think you need to, so you don't hit the late afternoon starving and stressed at the same time. Keep a zero calorie drink close, and if you can step away, take a short walk.

Stress will still show up some nights. If you want help building a day of eating that keeps you ahead of hunger, I'd love to work with you. A Cup of Fitness is where I coach women with busy careers, online and one on one. Apply for my coaching program here.