Thread: anyone with night eating syndrome?

Even when not dieting, I never eat after 7 pm. For me, that means leaving the kitchen vicinity for the rest of the night and never returning.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I've never heard of this as a syndrome, but if you are not hungry and still can't resist snacking, there has to be some reason why you are driven to do it. I would explore that before assuming you are a victim of some new disorder.

Sometimes when you are driven to eat things it can be because of a deficiency. An example is people who cannot stop crunching ice. It can denote an iron deficiency. But something as simple as habits could be involved.

Like sdwis mentions, sometimes you can deal with things just by changing your regular behavior patterns to something else. Maybe you have a particular trigger that you can identify and then devise some alternative way to handle it.

Its not logical to put the investment and effort into this protocol and then sabotage yourself.

Originally Posted by jackblack

basically, i can adhere to the diet, but when the night time comes, i can't resist snacking. because of those cheats (even though i try to limit them and they are not binges), my weight stabilized in the second week and i see no progress anymore.

i guess it's a rare disease and less common in women, but in case anyone has any advice, i'm all ears.

a primer on NES here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_eating_syndrome

wow Im a late night snacker when I watch my tv shows but didn't know it was a syndrome, ugh, Ive been really good about not snacking on this diet cause it will throw you back sometime a week so I just sip on some tea or if I have to have something, I will eat a celery or cucumbers since Im all about the crunch and not hungry at all, just a very bad habit to break

Originally Posted by sdwis

Even when not dieting, I never eat after 7 pm. For me, that means leaving the kitchen vicinity for the rest of the night and never returning.

good for you. i struggled with this issue for as far i can remember. it's not an issue of willpower, but very uncomfortable and not able to sleep if not eating in evening before bed. for example, i didn't snack last night (and was rewarded at the scale this AM), but i was hungry all evening, didn't watch TV at all, distracted myself shopping on amazon, and only could fall asleep after midnight after a shot of vodka. and this is with my new regimen of 5HTP and DMAE supplements after diner.

Originally Posted by Leez

I've never heard of this as a syndrome

doesn't prove it doesn't exist.

Originally Posted by Leez

Sometimes when you are driven to eat things it can be because of a deficiency.

exactly, it's serotonin deficiency, but only in the evenings. it has some genetic component. it's also known as a form of dysregulated diurnal cycle, makes sense as i work in an office without windows and don't see much daylight in a typical weekday. i actually purchased a lightbox on amazon and will try phototherapy in AM.

Originally Posted by Leez

Its not logical to put the investment and effort into this protocol and then sabotage yourself.

right, this is why this diet is a chance for me to get to the bottom of (multiple) things.

Originally Posted by niane

wow Im a late night snacker when I watch my tv shows but didn't know it was a syndrome, ugh, Ive been really good about not snacking on this diet cause it will throw you back sometime a week so I just sip on some tea or if I have to have something, I will eat a celery or cucumbers since Im all about the crunch and not hungry at all, just a very bad habit to break

TV watching is a trigger for me too, but it's more than just a bad habit. i fixed a lot of bad habits, but this one is hard to shake.

this posting was very helpful for me. it forced me to read some more about it yesterday, and I found a few helpful things that i'm going to try.

thank you all who replied.

In My open concept house , my kitchen is about 10 steps from my couch/tv, so I also have a rule that I can only eat at the kitchen table (i.e. No snacking on the couch). My mom says it amazes her how close I can be to my kitchen and never eat or drink anything after 7 pm, as she has witnessed when visiting. She likes to snack on nuts, popcorn, or a baked sweet potato every night @ 8 or 9 while watching TV


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by jackblack

basically, i can adhere to the diet, but when the night time comes, i can't resist snacking. because of those cheats (even though i try to limit them and they are not binges), my weight stabilized in the second week and i see no progress anymore.

i guess it's a rare disease and less common in women, but in case anyone has any advice, i'm all ears.

a primer on NES here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_eating_syndrome

Hi there! My mother suffers from this syndrome. I have also worked with psychiatric patients in the past. NES could be chemical, behavioral or a combination of the two. I would recommend seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist for help. Cognitive behavioral therapy and possibly medication will help you tremendously. They can prescribe medication to help you while you start therapy, then once you see the results of therapy, you wean off the medication.

Ask potential psychiatrists if they are familiar with the disorder. I would try to find an eating disorder specialist. Continue to educate yourself, with education comes understanding.

I wish you the best! Please contact me if you need any help

Originally Posted by sdwis

Even when not dieting, I never eat after 7 pm. For me, that means leaving the kitchen vicinity for the rest of the night and never returning.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am prone to night eating, and I use this method to stop myself from ever starting. I just eat dinner around 6:30 every night and never return to the kitchen until morning

Originally Posted by 1WomansJourney

I would recommend seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist for help. Cognitive behavioral therapy and possibly medication will help you tremendously. They can prescribe medication to help you while you start therapy, then once you see the results of therapy, you wean off the medication.

Ask potential psychiatrists if they are familiar with the disorder. I would try to find an eating disorder specialist. Continue to educate yourself, with education comes understanding.

you are right. i may need to to that. this weekend it has been a disaster, i was not able to control it, and gained 3 lbs in 2 days.

I'm also looking at some NES forums for some support and ideas.

Originally Posted by KayFancy

This is a legit syndrome, I was referred to a local university sleep study program after discussing my symptoms with my doctor. I find taking cortisol manager at night as well as varying up my routine has helped. Not sleeping alone also helps, but if that isn't an option try and have something that will wake you right up if you encounter it getting out of your bed/opening your fridge, sleeping on the side of the bed furthest from the door, etc. may also be something that helps.

Thanks for chiming in. What's cortisol manager?

Originally Posted by KayFancy

Really, as long as the foods you have in your house aren't off program, you should be safe.

Nope, my family doesn't let me do it.

Lately, I had more success of curbing my night eating. What helps, I avoid watching TV in evenings and try getting more sleep. I also experiment with various (legal) stimulants and will report back when I figure out something that works well.