It sounds like these cravings are unrelated to intermittent fasting, coming as they do just a couple of hours after your last meal.
I would suggest cutting out sugars and simple carbs from your diet first, and also gradually cutting out any snacking between meals. When only two to three meals a day feels comfortable, you should be ready to extend your fasting window.
Hope that helps.
I used to have to eat close to the time i went to bed or i would wake up & have to eat! Sometimes even eating close to bedtime i would still wake up & have to eat or i couldn’t sleep!
Keto was the absolute game changer for me! I never thought in a million years i would be able to fast & now i can eat at 6pm & not be hungry, sleep though the night & fast till at least noon. of course i gradually worked up to this.
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Please look into Dr Berg, Jason Fung on youtube
It’s all about having more quality fats in your diet which are like the big log on a fire! It burns slowly but for a long time! As opposed to carbs which are like kindling on a fire, they burn quickly but burn out quickly!
When I started, I did not limit my food choices and just got used to only eating between 12-8 (I do a 16 hr fasting, sometimes stretching to 18). After I got used to fasting then I started cleaning up my eating. Nothing is off limits, I just try to be more conscious of my choices. I have noticed I am pickier about my food, I only want to eat food that tastes Really good when I break my fast.
Just keep telling yourself you can eat again when your fast ends, and drink plenty of water in the meantime. It’s not like you don’t know when you can eat again. Eat enough for your last meal to carry you through to the next day. Sometimes I make a protein shake after dinner, before I quit food at 8PM if I’m not totally satiated yet.
There’s some stuff that might help, like shifting your last meal to be more long-term satiating foods like protein and fiber, drinking a big glass of water, not keeping anything easy to snack on around, etc.
But it sounds like this is a more ingrained habit and issue. You’re getting hungry because you always eat then. Hunger signals are not simply the body needing those calories. It responds to sight, smell, and schedule. You may need to address why you’re binging at night so that you can start not doing it which will finally ween your body off the habit.
I don’t know your life or circumstances, but stay strong and good luck.
Drinking a lot of water can really help with perceived moments of hunger. Your body doesn’t know the difference between dehydration and fatigue so make sure you drink two big glasses of water each time you think you’re hungry, and wait ten minutes.