The opinion about the dangers of night snacking is very common, and the dieters first of all tend to completely abandon their dinner. In fact, this hypothesis is highly questionable. It is not the mealtime that has greater influence on weight gain, but the amount of eaten food and its calorie content. It turns out that eating at night is possible. You just need to know what exactly to eat.
Is it worth giving up dinner?
The feeling of hunger intensifies in the evening- it is a well-known fact. It is caused by physical fatigue and a strong emotional load during the day. Besides, it is a defensive reaction of the organism, which is getting ready for an extended break from eating in this way. During starvation, lipoprotein lipase enzyme is activated, and it begins to accumulate fat. This process can take up to 10 hours. Therefore it is impossible to completely abandon dinner, but one should eat right food.
Why cannot we eat everything in the evening?
During sleep, the pituitary gland begins to actively produce the growth hormone, and its effect is aimed at burning fat cells. This means that during the night all metabolic processes in the body are carried out by burning fats. However, the blood sugar level increases after a hearty dinner, which helps produce large amounts of insulin. This process blocks the growth hormone effect. The pituitary gland receives the signal about the inflow of additional energy and stops spending the reserves of the organism to maintain its life. That is why people cease losing weight in their sleep.
What can you eat at night, if you want to lose weight?
The habit of eating at night and the desire to lose weight are quite compatible things. There is a list of foods that you can eat before going to bed in order to lose extra kilos, and it is quite long.
- Dietary meats that are absorbed quickly enough. This can be chicken, turkey, rabbit. The proteins that make up these products suppress appetite and increase the body’s metabolic processes involved in the process of burning calories. However, they need to be cooked or baked, or even steamed.
- Boiled or baked fish: low-fat varieties of cod, pollack, hake, or pike. These products contain many beneficial vitamins with low fat content. Fish dinner contributes to lower cholesterol and is involved in the formation of amino acids.
- Seafood contains a lot of protein and contributes to rapid saturation of the body.
- Chicken eggs. They contain biotin (vitamin H), which accelerates metabolism and promotes the breakdown of fat cells.
- Low-fat cottage cheese is considered an ideal option for late dinner. It includes a lot of protein; it is low in fat and carbohydrates, it is easily absorbed by the body and enriches the intestines with lactobacilli. It is desirable to eat cottage cheese as a separate dish, but you can add some yoghurt or water.
- Raw, boiled or steamed vegetables. These are low-calorie foods without sugar. They are able to rid you of hunger and reduce your weight. Preference should be given to cabbage; you should reduce the amount of carrots and beets and eliminate potatoes completely.
- Yoghurt contains no sugar, but it has a lot of calcium and protein. It does not cause heaviness in the stomach, but it improves digestion and satisfies hunger.
What should you do if you’re hungry at night?
Hunger can come back at night, even if just an hour has passed after dinner. Try not to yield and do not rush to the refrigerator; instead you can try to outsmart your appetite.
- A glass of water is often enough to quell hunger. It does not contain calories, but the liquid fills the stomach and reduces appetite.
- Ice cubes can also help deceive the body. They influence receptors like taste anesthesia. And the brain receives a signal about the saturation of the organism. Cold water not only quells hunger, but also promotes weight loss. After all, your body will have to spend extra energy to heat it.
- You can enjoy a soothing herbal tea or warm milk with a spoonful of honey. This will help relax and saturate the body.
What can you eat just before going to bed to satisfy your hunger and not to gain weight?
It’s time to go to bed, and you still feel hungry. Then you can choose some of the following products.
- Half an apple, a few slices of orange or grapefruit, some dried fruit. Fruits will raise blood sugar levels, and the stomach will have a feeling of satiety. But we should not eat a lot otherwise we may provoke the increase in insulin levels.
- Lettuce or cabbage promote digestion and help in reducing weight. At least, these products contain few calories; on the contrary, they have a large amount of vitamins. In addition, the process of chewing satisfies hunger.
- A small handful of non-fried nuts without salt. It is better to choose pistachios or almonds, since they are considered the most low-calorie nuts.
The belief that there is no need to give up a late dinner and night snacking is very helpful for everyone who wants to reduce weight. But there is one important condition: you cannot eat everything. Extra kilos will go away, if the diet contains nothing but allowed products.
