4 Reasons Why You Might Be Binge Eating or Overeating at Night

Many people struggle with binge eating or overeating at night. I'm obviously not a doctor or an expert but from the people I've coached and talked with, there are usually four main reasons why this happens.

Although I've never been anorexic or a binge eater, I have struggled with body image issues a few years after I started my "fitness journey". It is one of the most difficult things I have experienced and I have really learned how much control the mind has over everything we do, feel, and think.

The reasons I have listed below are just from personal observation and I suggest that if you struggling with binge eating that you seek professional help.

4 Reasons Why You Might Be Binge Eating or Overeating at Night {or really anytime}

1. You didn't eat enough throughout the day.
   • If you are not eating enough throughout the day you will be starving at night! Skipping meals and cutting calories during the day will only make you more hungry at night. Try to evenly space your meals throughout the day, considering what works best for your schedule. Eating one egg for breakfast and a salad with nothing on it for a lunch isn't going to cut it. Also, only eating 1,200 calories a day is NOT enough (except for a very small portion of the population). It doesn't make sense to restrict your calories all day just to binge at night, that defeats the whole purpose. Do not be afraid to eat!
   • Not sure where to start? Join our FREE 13 to Clean Challenge!
2. You restrict yourself.
   • This is different from above. There are some people that can have one square of dark chocolate every night and be perfectly fine - others who do best to just abstain altogether. There is no right or wrong way, you just have to figure out which works for you and learn how to work with yourself. If you restrict yourself and impose rules on yourself that you can't eat {insert food here}, that's probably going to be the first thing you grab at night. What good is it do tell yourself not to eat one small portion only to binge and eat four times that amount later? Listen to your body and find out what is right for you.
3. You are bored and/or emotionally eating.
   • You've probably read this one a million times but it's true. If you normally sit down to watch TV at night and mindlessly snack - you will eventually associate the two. Try reaching for healthier options like kale chips, four ingredient protein pudding, etc or find a different activity. Some of my favorite things include taking a walk, taking a bath, painting my nails, organizing a closet, etc. Find something that distracts you from your boredom.
4. You are thirsty.
   • Sounds simple and it is - you may be thirsty. Take a mental note of how much water you are drinking throughout the day and if you aren't drinking enough you could be mistaking thirst for hunger at night. Try to drink water on a consistent basis throughout the day, and maybe even try a nighttime tea (make sure it contains no caffeine) to help satisfy you.

I hope this short list helps you figure out why you may be binge eating or overeating at night. As always, it's so important to focus on being healthy above all else. This includes having a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

Try implementing some of the tips listed above including making a healthier version of what you crave, distracting yourself, and not restricting your calories early in the day.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan

WANT A FREE HIIT EBOOK?

Join our newsletter and get the instant download. We never spam you - we only bring you the best workouts and recipes each week! Click here to join now.

Note: We're on Snapchat now! You can find us under hesheeatclean. We will be posting more of our meals, workouts, and money saving tips! Also, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!

---

I've seen it over and over again in the gym, people (mainly females but some males) will walk in the door and either hop on the cardio machine for an extended period of time and maybe throw in some ab moves at the end or they will go up and down the rows of machines without a clear purpose.

Yes, I think it is magnificent that they made it to the gym and applaud them for taking the first step but failing to have a plan when entering the gym can result in burnout from lack of results. As a certified personal trainer, I do think it is a good idea to have a few sessions so that you can learn where everything is and build a working base of exercises. However, I do not think that every person needs a personal trainer. If you are training for something specific or you need that accountability to get to the gym, by all means, hire a trainer! Make sure you do your homework and find one that aligns with your vision.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

This isn't just limited to the gym though, I receive emails from people all the time that say they do workout videos at home or grab a random workout off the internet. Again, this is great but if you really want to see results you do need a workout plan to follow. Ever since I started living this lifestyle I've followed a plan, even as a trainer! I always follow one of our plans, switching it up along the way as I see fit. I had a trainer for about three months while I was preparing for a photo shoot but ever since then I've had my own set plans - which is ultimately why we released our first plan, the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation.

You may have even noticed that on our monthly challenges I state that you should also be following a workout plan, doing 5 push-ups per day or a 30 second plank isn't going to produce the results you are looking for without more substance.

So, below are my reasons why you need a plan to follow and I'm not even the "planning" personality.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Workout Plan

1. Helps Prevent Under or Over Training - This is one of the most important reasons for having a workout plan. If you are just trying piece together different workouts or wandering around the gym, you could be training the same body part too close together or not enough. You may also be working out too long and/or doing too much cardio for your goals, etc. There's so many factors that can go into under or over training.
2. Provides Structure - There's nothing worse than feeling like you are wasting time. Having a workout plan provides you with structure so that you aren't wondering what to do next or just reverting back to the ol' cardio equipment. Our workout plans tell you which exercise to do, how many reps, how many sets, etc. Everything is laid out for you.
3. Provides Goals - A workout plan with a set number of weeks (such as a 4, 6, or 12 week workout plan like we have) provides you with an automatic goal - to complete the workout plan! You can even break it down further and look at it as a daily or weekly goal to complete all of the workouts.
4. Provides a Checklist - If you are a person that loves to be able to "check" something off, you will LOVE a structured workout plan! It's like giving yourself a pat on the back each day you complete your workout.
5. Prevents Burnout - As I mentioned before, not having a plan can and will lead to burnout. Sure, you might be tired of working out or might not be feeling the gym for a few days but if you keep moving forward you will see results. A well-structured workout plan will help prevent burnout because it should be changing every few weeks.

I can't speak for all the workout plans out there but I know that ours produces results and is structured so it takes the planning out of it for you. You are optimally training each body part in the most efficient way possible. We don't live in the gym and don't think that you should either!

Guess which workout plan works? The one you complete! You can't just do a workout plan for a few days or even for a few weeks and expect immediate results. You have to actually do the work to see the results - there is no magic pill!

Eat Clean Meal Ideas That Are Good Cold!

Note: We're on Snapchat now! You can find us under hesheeatclean. Also, if you follow us on Instagram or Facebook make sure that you are interacting with our posts (liking, commenting, sharing) so that we will stay in your feed. These social media networks are changing how your news feed works so if you don't want to miss anything interact with us - we love to hear from you! You can also turn on notifications. For Instagram, click the 3 dots on the upper right corner and choose "turn on post notifications". For Facebook, hover over the "liked" button and choose your notifications.

A few years ago when I started my clean eating journey I had NO choice but to eat my food cold. I was an insurance adjuster and I worked out of my car driving all over the state. I packed my cooler each day and set out on my way. I didn't have the option to be picky. It was either fast food (which I refused to do because of my goals and the fact that I'm frugal) or eat the food I packed cold.

Over the last few weeks I've had more and more people contact me about food that is good cold. They are either college students, teachers, or work out of their car and can't get to a microwave or oven most of the time. These questions inspired me to share with you the food that I used to eat cold (out of my car) and actually still prefer it cold to this day!

P.S. It's not too late to enter our "Spring into Summer" workout challenge! Learn more here.

Eat Clean Meal Ideas That Are Good Cold!

• Homemade Protein Bars
• Boiled Eggs
• Greek Yogurt with Frozen Berries (that thaw by the time you eat it - so good!)
• Southwest Style Bison Chili with Quinoa
• Honey Chipotle Chicken with Sweet-Sweet Potato Cubes
• Salsa Chicken with Black Beans or Brown Rice
• Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
• Chicken Salad
• Monster Meatloaf

Pack your food up into a cooler and stay on track all day to reach your goals!

P.S. I've been moving over posts from my personal website that I think fit better on this one. I will be adding more meal ideas to our "lifestyle" section here.