You skip the snacks, say no to the bagel, eat clean all day. Then 8pm hits and you're in the pantry again. It feels automatic. Shame kicks in before the day even ends and you promise yourself tomorrow will be different. In this episode, I’m unpacking why this pattern is not about willpower, and why you are not broken. We’ll explore the powerful biological and emotional drivers behind nighttime eating, why restriction is a trap (even when it doesn’t look like one), and the first gentle steps you can take to break the cycle for good.

In this episode, you will hear:

• 04:49 – What ghrelin, neuropeptide Y, and dopamine have to do with your cravings
• 07:52 – The emotional undercurrent: fatigue, depletion, and pushing through all day
• 11:28 – What eating is doing for you emotionally (and how that’s not a flaw)
• 12:30 – The hidden restriction most of us don’t see: mental restriction
• 17:44 – My own story: late nights as a new mom and why food was my only moment of comfort
• 19:50 – 4 steps to break the cycle (that don’t involve more control or guilt)

I hope you leave this episode feeling more equipped to meet your needs (emotional and physical), understand your evening eating patterns, and take gentle steps toward a relationship with food that feels steady and safe, even after a long day.

If you found yourself nodding along with this episode, I’d love to hear from you. DM me on Instagram. And if you’re ready to break this cycle for good, take the Eating Personality Quiz or join the Food Freedom in a Weekend mini course. You deserve peace with food and you don’t have to get there alone.

One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Program
https://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-program

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