Every year when the clocks go back, the same shift happens for a lot of people. Summer made things easy: salads, long light evenings, walks after dinner. Then the evenings close in, the heating goes on, and the body starts asking for something warm and heavy.
Many people treat winter as a write-off and plan to start again in spring. I understand the instinct, but it sets up a cycle where half the year is spent undoing the other half. I would rather you used the winter differently.
Why winter feels harder
Some of it is practical. It is dark when you leave work, it is cold, and sitting under a blanket with something comforting is very appealing. Shorter days can also leave people feeling flatter, and food is a quick lift.
Some of it is habit. Winter brings its own rituals: big roasts, festive snacks in the office, a takeaway because it is miserable outside. None of these is a problem on its own. The trouble starts when evening eating becomes the main way to cope with a long, grey season.
It is also worth noticing how little movement winter asks of us. Summer walks and evenings in the garden stop, and the day can shrink to the commute, the desk and the sofa. That change alone can leave you sluggish and more drawn to food.
Winter as a training ground
In one of my sessions I describe the colder months as a training ground. Anyone can eat well when it is sunny and they feel like moving. Habits you keep going in January have been properly tested, and that tends to make them sturdier.
It also helps to swap a single target number for a comfortable range, with an upper and a lower edge. Small ups and downs over the winter are normal, and staying within your range counts as doing well. Warm food does not have to be the enemy either. Soups, stews and bean dishes can feel just as comforting on a cold night.
Spring will come either way. The question is whether you arrive there feeling you have spent the winter fighting yourself, or feeling steady and quietly proud.
Something to try on a dark evening
When the urge for comfort food arrives after dark, get a pen before you open the cupboard. Write two or three lines about how you feel right now. Tired, bored, low, cold, lonely, fed up with work.
Putting a feeling into words often takes some of the pressure out of it. You might still want something to eat afterwards, and that is fine. The point is that you have given the feeling somewhere to go other than food first.
Some people keep a small notebook by the kettle for exactly this.
- Pen and paper before the cupboard
- Name the feeling in a few words
- Then decide what you actually want
Episodes to listen to
Winter is a good time to build a listening habit. These three sessions work well on a dark evening when you might otherwise be reaching for a snack.
The Weight Loss Zone Hypnosis for Winter Weight Management
I recorded this one with the colder months in mind. It reframes winter as a chance to build resilience, swaps a single target for a flexible zone, and uses the image of an inner thermostat to turn appetite and portions up or down. It also suggests writing feelings down rather than eating them.
Good if you find winter is when your good habits usually stall.
The Peaceful Way to Lose Weight with Empowering Choices
This one begins with breathing in calm and breathing out conflict on a quiet beach. The central idea is that you can never quit your body, only treat it well or badly, and that peace with food is what makes good choices possible rather than a prize at the end.
Good if you are worn out by the constant fight with food.
The Hypnotic Roundabout of Weight Loss
From inside a floating bubble, you drift back to a time when you ate well and watch yourself from the outside: your pace, your portions, your timing. You bring that feeling into the present and test one small change at a time, using the roundabout idea that early effort builds into momentum.
Good if you find big overhauls never stick and want small steps.
Common questions
Why do I eat more in winter?
Colder weather, darker evenings and less daylight all change how we feel and how much we move. Comfort food offers warmth and a quick lift, and winter rituals add plenty of extra chances to eat. It is a very common pattern, not a personal failing.
How can I stop comfort eating in the evenings?
Start by noticing what the evening eating is doing for you, whether that is rest, warmth or a reward. Then give that need one other outlet, such as writing a few lines, a hot bath or a call with a friend. Hypnosis can help those new habits feel more natural.
Is it normal to want heavier food when it is cold?
Yes, many people notice a pull towards warm, filling food in the colder months. There is nothing wrong with that. It helps to pick warming meals you feel good about, so comfort and care can sit on the same plate.
Please read
Hypnosis works with habits, feelings and attention. It is not medical treatment and does not replace your GP. If you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, or you are pregnant, diabetic or taking weight-loss medicine, please speak to your GP first. Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, is on 0808 801 0677. The podcast sessions are for adults: listen somewhere comfortable, never while driving. If your mood dips badly every winter, it is worth talking to your GP, as low mood can drive comfort eating and there is support available.
Where to go from here
Listen on The Hypnotist Podcast
Every session above is free to hear on The Hypnotist Podcast, along with more than 200 other weight and eating episodes.
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More on this topic: eating at night.