Is it bad to eat late at night? This question has sparked a lot of debate in the last few years. Many people think that eating late at night will lead to weight gain or make it harder to lose weight. Others think that it doesn’t matter what time you eat as it has no effect on weight gain or loss.
Losing weight is based on one thing: the number of calories you take versus the number of calories used. For example, if you take in 1800 calories per day to maintain your weight, it doesn’t matter what time of day you take in those calories. If you have some of those calories at 7 pm or 10 pm, it’s still the same amount.
There are many misconceptions about late night eating which accounts for the belief that late night eating makes you gain weight.
Are you guilty of any of these late night eating habits?
- Mindless snacking while watch television. If you just are eating junk food snacks and not paying attention to how many calories you are consuming, and it just happens to be late at night, you will gain weight! This is a boredom problem. Cut down on your snacking and go exercise instead!
- Too much time between meals. If you eat lunch and wait until late at night for dinner, chances are you will eat too much. It is a fact that if you go too long without food, your body can go into starvation mode, your blood sugar will drop and you will feel like eating everything in sight. Be smart and carry healthy snacks with you to keep your energy going and avoid that starving feeling later at night.
Remember the golden rule to losing weight: create a calories deficit. You need to burn more calories than you take in. Your weight loss is based on the size of your calorie deficit, not eating at night! Learn 6 tips to stick with a healthy diet.
You need to expend 3,500 calories more than what you eat to lose one pound. By creating a 500 calorie deficit each day, you would lose 1 pound in 7 days.
Watch your calorie intake and eat healthy, whether you eat late at night or not!
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