Night Eating Syndrome Support Group

My name is Ashley and I've had Night Eating Syndrome for a little over a year. It started after I severely limited my calories during the day and exercised like crazy (about 2-3 times daily) in an attempt to lose weight. Of course I lost weight, but in it's place I gained NES... At first it was just a single fiber one bar a night, but it came and went. I would stop for days at a time. Then I started doing it every night. Later I had a strange feeling. Why was I doing this? I felt as if I had no control over it. It went from a fiber one bar to a bowl of cereal. Then a bowl of cereal and some crackers. Next was a bowl of cereal, some crackers, and peanut butter on my fingers. At my worst I cut up an apple in my sleep, had peanut butter in my fingers and on my face in hair and that is when I started panicking. I woke up every morning feeling sluggish and had no energy. I didn't want to eat because I was already so full from the night so I wouldn't eat breakfast or lunch... the cycle continued. I looked for help for so long and all the forums I saw were dead as of years ago, but I did find a lot of resources online about NES. I ordered Overcoming Night Eating Syndrome, but it did not help much. I still felt so alone and like a failure when I woke up in the morning after a night full of binging.

When I found MDJunction, and specifically the night eating syndrome support group that had recent posts and threads, I felt so relieved. Here were people like me, fighting and conquering NES just as I wished to do. We are all here supporting one another and it has made the world of difference! All the suggestions of the people in this thread have been so helpful and I am happy to say that for the first time last night I ate nothing and didn't even wake up in the middle of the night. (The key was making sure that I had three healthy meals during the day and a lot of willpower not to leave my bed at night.) I have MDJunction and the members of the NES support group to thank for that. Now that my NES is finally starting to fizzle out!

This seems like it was the hardest thing to go through. At one point I could never imagine having a full night's sleep and fantasized about the night that I did not night-eat, but I know that if I am capable, then everyone here is capable as well! I visit this forum several times a day, so I will help in whatever way I am able to! You CAN do this, and we are all here to support you along every step of the way. It DOES get better.

My NES condition began as I was recovering from Anorexia about 16 years ago. I began by eating nothing during the day and then binging all night long. I started noticing a pattern and decided I wanted to take action and change. I did not want to be a slave to the night eating anymore. I was tired of not being able to eat like a normal person every day.

I, like Ashley, bought the book "Overcoming Night Eating Syndrome" and it did help lessen the severity of my night eating. I continue to use some of the cognitive behavioral therapies to this day. I hope to one day be completely free of NES, and I think this group is going to have alot to do with this happening.

I am hoping one day, we will all be much better. I am willing to offer support, guidance, advice, and nutrition tips to anyone who needs me. I will likely need you on the bad days!

Together, we will look for better, brighter futures using the tools we learn here for total future healing!