Does Eating Late at Night Affect Weight Loss?
This blog was originally written by me and published on OWYN stories.
Weight loss hinges on consuming fewer calories than you burn. However, when you eat matters, too. Consuming most calories earlier in the day offers several advantages: better sleep (avoiding late-night indigestion), improved energy levels throughout the day, stable blood sugar, and reduced nighttime snacking and potential overeating. Late-night eating often involves unhealthy, high-calorie choices driven by factors other than hunger, such as stress or boredom. Therefore, shifting calorie intake towards earlier hours can significantly aid weight loss efforts
Although eating late at night or past a certain time does not put the pounds magically on us, it definitely effects:
Our sleep cycle
The choices of food we eat (higher calorie foods)
The amount of food we eat
Taking all of this into consideration, it’s important to remember that there are no “bad” foods. Food is just food and if you are craving those cookies or chips, you can have them. Making sure you have them earlier in the day will allow you more time to burn those calories off and put them to good use instead of the body storing them as fat.
A good suggestion I like to tell my clients is to have your higher caloric foods pre and post workout or on the days you are more active. Your body will put those calories to good use- especially after a productive sweat session.
Your appetite and cravings for certain sweets can be managed more efficiently by having most of your meals earlier in the day. If you struggle with eating late at night, try and take note of why you are doing it. Many times, it’s an emotional reaction rather than a physical one.
There’s a lot of shame and discomfort for people around the topic of food so taking the time to recognize your individual triggers as well as coming up with a strategic plan of action for meal planning throughout the week can go a very long way in helping you stay on track working towards your fitness goals.
