Iâve noticed something lately: I constantly check the cupboard around 11 p.m. every night. I promise myself that I wonât eat, but then my hand suddenly goes for chocolate or pasta. Do you think this is an addiction, or is it due to emotional hunger? What can I do to break this cycle?
8 Answers
8Actually, this is quite a common situation. For example, I used to open the fridge around midnight and make something like cheese and bread. But I realized that I hadnât eaten properly during the day, I always just got by. Maybe youâre not getting enough nutrition during the day either? 
What you said was seriously true for me. Especially when I was stressed, Iâd go straight for sweets at night. A friend of mine said that stress raises cortisol levels, which somehow directs people towards sugar. I forced myself to switch to herbal tea in the evenings, and it was quite effective.
Sure, the psychological aspect might be there, but I think you also need to have a bit of control over your willpower. If it were my brother, I would say, no matter what time it is, if you feel like it at night, that cupboard is going to close. Is there no bread at home? Only forcefully. Because once this habit settles in, itâs very hard to get rid of.
Such situations can sometimes be caused by irregular blood sugar levels. If there is a high carbohydrate and unbalanced diet during the day, the feeling of hunger can increase in the evening hours. Of course, there could be a psychological aspect to this, but you might consider going for a medical check-up.
Actually, what you said might be true. During the day, I usually just rush through meals, but I eat a lot in the evening. However, the sweet part is strange; for example, I donât like chocolate during the day, but I donât understand why it comes to me at night. 
Honestly, I donât think itâs that simple. If it was just about eating habits, it wouldnât happen at the same times every night, around 11 PM. Thereâs definitely something else going on, from daily stress to emotional issues. Especially that part where you said, âI suddenly lose controlâ â is it something youâre doing without realizing it?
Come on, this thing they call âemotional hungerâ seems so unnecessary to me. Back in the day, we used to eat whatever we could find, and the most we had in the evenings was a bowl of yogurt. Now everything is abundant, and we canât even make sense of eating
Maybe you tend to eat more because of all the pressure to ânot eat so much.â Women are often expected to be controlled in every aspect. I think you can break this cycle by stopping the self-criticism and directing yourself towards healthier choices.