One of the most important keys to your weight loss journey is not eating before bed. Eating before bed gives our body immediate fuel to be used as energy – the only problem is we don’t need energy at this time. The food that is not used for normal body processes (our bodies are still active when we sleep) is left to be digested by the body and is eventually stored. This is a lot of activity for a body that wants to be resting!
While on a weight loss journey we want to maximize the number of pounds we can lose everyday in a healthy manner. A great way to do this is to stop eating 2 hours before we go to bed. Not eating before bed allows our body’s natural sleeping metabolism to help us burn fat while we sleep. Instead of the sleeping energy processes using our pre-bed snack for fuel they are able to breakdown fat to gather energy to recover from our day. This is an important part of any weight loss journey and can be stalled by eating before bed.
By not eating after 8 pm we are limiting those extra calories that we may have eaten! Stop the madness and save yourself from these extra calories by not eating before bed.
Getting a good night sleep is important for everyone. It helps us re-energize from long, tiring days, rebuild our muscles from intense workouts, and relax our mind from the stresses of daily living. Eating before bed can have negative effects on our sleep quality. It can make us feel bloated, uncomfortable, stuffed or too hot. It can ruin our sleep. On top of that many people experience acid reflux if they eat in bed or eat and lie down right away making getting a good sleep much more difficult. If you feel like your sleep has been interrupted by poor digestion or stomach issues make sure you aren’t eating 2 hours before you go to bed.
Foods to Avoid Before Bed
You will notice that your ‘eating before bed’ choices aren’t always the best. Another reason to cut nighttime bingeing is the food choices. Sitting in front of the TV after a long day usually leads to a bowl of ice cream or potato chips. End this cycle by not eating before bed.
The following list is foods or food groups you must avoid before bed:
- Bread products, Grains, or Rice
- Unhealthy fats such as fried foods or potato chips
- High dairy foods such as ice cream
- Too much of anything
- High sugar alcoholic drinks
What to Eat Before Bed if you are Really Hungry
Sleeping is the perfect time to give our body a rest from food. It wants to digest what it already has to deal with and doesn’t want you to add to the fire. This is saying that you are sticking to your 5-6 smalls meals per day and aren’t overly hungry at bed time. I will list a few pre-bed snacks for those who NEED an after dinner snack.
There are going to be times when you need to eat before bed. Don’t go to bed hungry. If you can’t help it and need an after supper snack you need to try these few tips:
- Re-evaluate your daily meals – are you eating enough throughout the day? Have you eaten every 3 hours today?
- Make sure you are eating vegetables, a lean protein and a healthy fat for supper. This combination will keep you feeling full longer.
- Try one of these after supper snacks – Kale Chips, Celery with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter or 14 Almonds
Reducing the Want to Eat Before Bed
One of the main reasons people eat at night is they don’t eat enough during the day. Many people have their biggest meal at dinner and then snack before bed. This extreme hunger from not eating during the day causes over-eating and worse cravings at night. The best way to prevent this is to eat small meals every 3 hours throughout the day and keep your body burning.
Much of our bedtime snacking is caused by stress. Stress is such a huge factor is stalling weight loss and can ruin your efforts if you let it! Recognize your stress don’t let it consume you. Do not turn to food in times of stress. One of the best ways to cut your nighttime binges is to reduce your overall stress! Try things like mediation, yoga or massage to reduce your stress and prevent eating at night.
Here are other ways to stop eating before bed:
- Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day.
- Keep all junk food out of your house.
- Form a habit of not eating after a certain time (if you go to bed at 10 pm stop eating every night at 8 pm)
- Do your workouts in the morning.
- Eat protein, healthy fats and lots of vegetables at supper time.
(via Damy Health)
