Why evening overeating’s the enemy of weight loss and how to stop it (part 2)

April 21, 2018 Ashley 0 Comments

So, we’ve all agreed that evening overeating’s the enemy of weight loss – and figured out why.

But why do we do it?

It’s simple – and probably nada you’ve never heard – but knowing that you’re not alone makes it a lot easier to digest. (Pun intended.) In essence, overeating in the evening’s typically because we’re bored, stressed, or lonely. Sound familiar? On a boredom curing level, it feels like a warranted trophy for surviving the day. Half the time we’re not even actively thinking that – but it’s true. We’re entertaining our taste buds. On a stress reducing level, it’s also easy to see: we’re not calm when we come home. Between work and errands, we’re the human manifestation of the blue screen of death; we feel fried, yet we can’t “shut down”. We’re in frozen stress mode. Enter food, to the rescue. Why? Because it sends our bodies into a calmer mode. We can’t digest food if our lives are in danger. So, eating sends a signal to our brain that makes us believe we’re okay. And, that ties into the loneliness level. The flood of neurotransmitters you get that create said sense of well-being can temporarily mimic that of kinship. It’s endorphin releasing fun minus any effort that ephemerally lets us feel connected to something. Until, of course, it’s gone. And that’s when you might find yourself reaching for more. (And just like that, we’re back to why it’s a problem.)

Which brings us to: the fix.

So, what can we do to avoid marathon munch nights for one? Plenty.

1. Opt for a larger meal at lunch – preferably with friends

(Meet up with a friend when you get a break)

2. Grab dinner with your coworkers after your shift ends.