People are really afraid of eating late at night. So much so that you may think you need to check under your bed for cheeseburgers before you go to sleep.
But is this fear actually warranted? Will eating before bed cause you to gain weight? The answer is complicated, but you don’t have to be terrified of nighttime cravings.
Here’s all you need to know about eating at night, weight gain, and how to control cravings.
Calories don’t have a clock
While eating at night can lead to bad habits, the time of day has no effect on how your body reacts to calories. Let’s talk about calorie surpluses vs deficits.
Calorie surplus: If you eat more calories than you burn in a day, you will gain weight.
Calorie deficit: If you eat less calories than you burn in a day, you will lose weight.
So, in order to gain weight, you have to eat more calories than you burn. The major reason nighttime eating has been associated with weight gain is it often pushes you over your calorie limit.
A lot of studies have shown that people who have a habit of eating at night choose unhealthy, high calorie foods. They also eat more of them. This puts them in a calorie surplus and therefore they gain weight. It’s not the time of day, it’s the calories.
Controlling cravings
If you struggle with nighttime eating and find yourself gaining weight, you might want to change your habits. That can be difficult to do. We all love to eat popcorn and ice cream in bed sometimes. Here are a few tips to start curbing your nighttime eating habits:
Eat your last meal closer to bedtime
Human beings naturally get hungry over time. Because we don’t usually go to bed immediately after dinner, our bodies start to metabolize and digest our dinner. This leaves us hungry and eager for the pantry.
Try moving your dinner back an hour. You’ll find yourself going to bed with a little bit more in your stomach. You won’t have as many cravings because you just ate.
Have healthy snacks ready to go
Food quality is a big issue with nighttime eating. After a long day, we don’t ever want to cook a nice healthy snack. We opt instead for the processed, prepackaged food that’s easy and tasty. These junk foods – like cookies, popcorn, pastries, ice cream, chips – are not friendly to the waistline at any time of the day.
Instead, opt for something more nutritious and filling, such as fresh fruit, air popped popcorn, or a protein shake. These options are low in calorie and will keep you full for longer.
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