Losing excess weight is a fashion trend today. For overweight people, it is more difficult to choose clothes, get a prestigious job, and arrange a personal life. For the sake of a slim figure, we sign up for gyms, buy memberships to swimming pools, eat more vegetables and fruits, and give up simple carbohydrates.
But a small weakness, inherent in many, can completely ruin our efforts. We are talking about late dinners. And it would be fine only at dinner: some raid the refrigerator in the middle of the night, unable to resist the sudden feeling of hunger. This habit can become fatal for a figure.
Is it possible to eat after 6 pm
Even necessary. You should not allow yourself to go to bed very hungry. So, you risk putting your body into saving mode - everything you eat during the day will accumulate until the time you decide to do without dinner again. And this is not to mention the deterioration of well-being.
It is better to say goodbye to excess weight correctly. If you plan to go to bed at midnight, then the last snack is scheduled for 9 pm, because the main thing is to maintain a 3-hour break. You just have to determine what you can and better eat at night when losing weight so as not to get the opposite effect.
At this time it is better not to use:
- baked goods, pasta;
- sweet;
- red meat;
- smoked meats, sausage;
- White rice;
- chocolate and nuts;
- sweet fruits;
- pickles;
- yogurt with additives;
- fast food.
Nutritionist's comment:
The last point should generally be excluded by a person who is planning to lose weight. After 6 pm you should give up fast carbohydrates, as well as high-calorie foods. The menu for what you can eat at night when losing weight should include only low-calorie foods. It is important to know in advance how much it is permissible to introduce restrictions in the diet in order to prevent disruption of the functioning of some internal organs. Therefore, you need to lose weight under the supervision of a specialist.
What not to eat in the evening
It is important to adhere to the daily caloric content and balance of BZHU. If they match the energy used, the person will always be in shape. Doctors and nutritionists recommend eating higher-calorie foods rich in carbohydrates in the first half of the day, as they release a lot of energy, which is necessary for daytime activity. In the evening, you should give preference to protein foods. It is not recommended to eat high-calorie foods and fast carbohydrates in the evening, which we know as sweets, baked goods, soda, etc. Unhealthy high-calorie foods include sausages, milkshakes with a lot of sugar, fried red meat, etc. You should not eat ice cream or chocolate at night. They provoke the production of endorphins, which excite the nervous system and can cause insomnia.
Eating dairy products before bed will not be beneficial. But many diets are based on this, which recommend eating cottage cheese before bed or drinking kefir with the addition of cinnamon and other spices. These foods do not have a high glycemic index, but the insulin levels are quite high, which causes the release of insulin into the blood. This is reflected on the body by extra pounds, which causes confusion among those losing weight, because kefir has almost no calories.
What foods and fruits can you eat in the evening when losing weight?
For a late meal, you should choose food that will improve the quality of sleep and will not push the scales to the edge of increase. It is worth knowing in advance that thirst is often disguised as a feeling of hunger. Therefore, before going to the refrigerator, it is useful to drink water.
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When you decide to have a snack, remember the rule - the portion should be small and the calorie content should not be high. In addition, preference should be given to quickly digestible foods.
What to pay attention to:
- Fermented milk. Here you need to choose the right one - not too fatty or low-fat. Within reason - natural yogurt or kefir. After such a snack, the stomach will not be overloaded and unnecessary energy will not be produced, which has nowhere to spend. What to do if you want to eat at night - drink a glass of kefir, this will be the optimal amount.
- Milk. This drink is recommended to be taken warm. It calms the nervous system and causes drowsiness, as it contains beneficial tryptophan. Sleep will be peaceful, because the body will not have to digest anything.
- Eggs. If you don't have allergies, this dish will be an excellent source of protein. It’s ideal if you hard-boil 2 pieces or make an omelet with tomatoes. A high-quality and not heavy snack.
- Lean poultry meat. What can you eat for dinner in the evening while losing weight: up to 150 grams of chicken breast or fillet; such meat is considered low-calorie, so it can be consumed even 2-3 hours before going to bed. Ideal with steamed vegetables.
- White fish. There is little fat in this product, but a lot of protein and benefits. If the snack is late, it is better to choose low-fat species - hake, cod or pike.
- Berries. It is important to choose carefully because not all berries are available after midnight. A glass of blueberries or strawberries contains a minimum of calories, and the benefits will be enormous. This glass contains fiber, pectin, vitamins and minerals.
- Vegetable stew. They are perfectly absorbed and work as a natural sorbent, while the most useful ones are steamed. It is recommended to add less salt, so the benefits will be higher.
What fruits can you eat at night and what not?
The best way to avoid overeating before bed is to take a closer look at the gifts of nature. And when you don’t want vegetables, a delicious pineapple is an excellent substitute for a sandwich. It remains to figure out what is harmless to enjoy and what it is better to abstain from.
Not recommended:
- Watermelon. The minimum amount of calories is 27 kcal per 100 grams of weight. But this berry has a diuretic effect, so instead of sleeping you will have to run to the toilet.
- Banana. 90 kcal per 100 grams. It will relieve fatigue, invigorate and lift your spirits. Too filling a fruit for a snack.
Is it possible to eat bananas and pomegranates when losing weight in the evening: only if you are planning a party, not bed. And pomegranate will make your face feel swollen in the morning, as it contains a lot of water.
A small list of what to eat at night when losing weight, if you really want to:
- Orange. 40 kcal per 100 grams. It perfectly helps cope with hunger, improves immunity, and together with grapefruit it will help burn fat. But people with gastritis should be wary of it because it can irritate the stomach.
- Apples. The perfect way to not feel hungry. 47 kcal per 100 grams, pectin and vitamins help improve skin condition, the fruit itself is quickly digested. The main thing is to choose varieties that are not too sweet or sour, otherwise you will quickly want to eat.
- Mango. 65 kcal per 100 grams. Tangible benefits for vision, is one of the fruits that can be eaten in the evening when losing weight.
- A pineapple. 52 kcal per 100 grams. It is able to cleanse the body of toxins and waste, saturates, and normalizes cholesterol levels. But it is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems. Before replacing your evening snack with slices of juicy pineapple, you need to check the state of your digestive system.
Nutritionist's comment:
Is it possible to eat grapefruit, orange and tangerines at night when losing weight - yes. Citrus fruits do an excellent job of fat-burning, strengthening the walls of blood vessels and the immune system. But they are only suitable for people with a strong stomach. Otherwise, trying to get by with fruit before bed can result in cutting pain and gastritis. In most cases, the mucous membrane is damaged and requires long-term treatment, during which weight loss will have to be forgotten. To avoid this, it is better to be under the supervision of a specialist.
As for other fruits, it is better not to overeat. For example, you can eat kiwi in the evening when losing weight, if there are no problems with the digestive system. People with ulcers and gastritis are not recommended to abuse this fruit. It cannot be stored in the refrigerator or processed thermally, otherwise it will lose all its beneficial properties.
When it comes to persimmons, the opinions of experts are ambiguous. On the one hand, a large number of amino acids help reduce insomnia and irritability. Tryptophan helps reduce depression, and light protein and glucose saturate a person with the necessary boost of energy for the morning. Is it possible to eat persimmon in the evening while losing weight - yes, but most of the fruit is water, so in the morning it is quite possible to wake up with a swollen face.
Berries are a great substitute for any snack. They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and do not contain harmful cholesterol or fat. The only negative is that you need to start eating them little by little, as they can cause irritation of the mucous membrane. Therefore, it is better to eat one small handful without discomfort than to eat two and get irritated.
In addition, the berries should not be thermally processed, otherwise the entire beneficial effect will be lost.
Why you shouldn't eat at night
Late-night snacks, like late dinners, are dangerous not only for your figure. They can cause serious health problems, sleep disturbances, or premature aging. At night, the human body adjusts to a slower mode, metabolic processes become less active. This leads to food being poorly digested. The pancreas secretes enzymes, and the gallbladder secretes bile. Due to slow digestion, food ferments in the gastrointestinal tract and bile stagnates. Over time, this can cause stones to form. The released glucose is not used as energy but is stored as fat, and the released glucose interferes with sleep.
Proper nutrition is based on choosing a diet where calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are in harmony with human activity. For example, athletes need to consume more protein than the average person so that their muscles are not depleted during training.
What can you eat for dinner in the evening while losing weight: list
What to do if you want to eat at night - prepare a healthy, light snack from something that will harm your weight and health:
- Boiled chicken breast or fillet with vegetables, or, as an option, make a soufflé from the meat.
- A couple of soft-boiled eggs – 155 kcal/100 grams. They provide light protein and are quickly absorbed by the body.
- A small amount of lean fish - hake, pike perch, pollock, cod, trout or salmon. If you bake it, the calorie content will be small - from 80 to 150 kcal for every 100 grams.
- A small amount of rabbit meat - 100 grams will be enough. Calorie content at 155 kcal.
- A handful of pumpkin seeds. 50 grams contains half the daily dose of magnesium, which helps prepare you for sleep and relax.
- Buckwheat with kefir or vegetables is another option for a hearty and healthy dish.
- Low-fat cottage cheese with added fruit.
This is not a complete list of what you can eat for dinner when losing weight or at night without harm, so as not to gain weight. But to add something to it, you need to consult a specialist.
List of foods you should avoid
It is important to remember that not every dish can be used as dinner. Some drinks are generally not recommended to be drunk after 18:00:
- energetic drinks;
- anything that contains caffeine;
- alcohol - the exception is light wine.
In addition, you should avoid ingredients with a low glycemic index. They will take a long time to digest and cause restless sleep.
In addition to fatty or sweet foods, it is necessary to exclude:
- any legumes, cabbage and zucchini - they create excessive gas formation;
- pasta;
- sausages;
- any pickles;
- yoghurts with fillings;
- mayonnaise.
Nutritionist's comment:
You should not indulge in heavy foods or those that take a long time to digest. It is not recommended to take an extra portion or eat heavily before bed. All the energy that does not have time to be spent will be deposited on the sides and stomach. But you can’t undereat either - you need to create a balance of both consumed and spent. A specialist will help you develop the right system that will not harm your health.
Also note that spices can provoke hunger after just a couple of hours.
Top 10 Worst Foods to Eat at Night
No less important for creating a healthy diet is the concept of insulin and glycemic index. They show how quickly carbohydrates are absorbed by the body, causing a spike in blood sugar. Based on the indicators of such indices, it is possible to determine which foods with high indicators are not recommended to be eaten at night, especially for overweight people. If you do not spend the energy obtained during their breakdown into glucose, they will be deposited as fat reserves. For an evening snack, even a few hours before bed, it is better to choose foods with minimal carbohydrate content.
How to combine products correctly
To get results, you need to build the right scheme. Traditionally, the diet consists of three groups of components:
- Protein. In order for them to be digested well, it is necessary to create an acidic environment. Among the popular and healthy representatives: meat, nuts, legumes, eggplants, fish.
- Fats. Animal and vegetable - butter or vegetable oil, cream, sour cream and similar ingredients.
- Carbohydrates. To be quickly converted into energy, an alkaline environment is required. The most prominent representatives: honey, pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, jam, fruits, berries, sugar, rye and oats.
Nutritionist's comment:
What is healthy and should you eat to lose weight at night? Something that won’t harm you and something that doesn’t contain many calories. It is necessary to create a diet in advance, consult with a specialist and keep a food journal in which everything eaten will be recorded. A professional nutritionist at Elena Morozova’s clinic will select the necessary diet for you, taking into account the condition of your body and your intended goals. But the main thing is that it will help you form healthy eating habits so that the desire to eat before bed no longer comes to you.
Healthy dinner options
To achieve results and see how the arrow on the scale smoothly moves towards decreasing numbers, you should eat right. To do this, choose healthy and light meals for your evening meal:
- Vegetable soup with chicken. You can add greens if you wish. Hot broth has a positive effect on the stomach and calms the nervous system.
- Omelet with tomatoes and spinach. Light protein combined with vitamins.
- Salmon with broccoli. Easily replaced with vegetable salad. The meat is quickly digestible, the vegetable is rich in fiber.
- Breast with stewed vegetables. The bird can be steamed or in the oven; the side dish is stewed under the lid with a minimum of salt and seasonings.
- Beef cutlet with salad. Usually supplemented with fresh carrots and cherry tomatoes.
The most controversial component during an evening snack is the curd mass or the whole product. Is it possible to eat cottage cheese at night or in the evening when losing weight - yes, but with caution. It actively stimulates muscle gain and helps restore muscles. It has everything that stimulates weight loss:
- low calorie content;
- calcium;
- protein.
But uncontrolled consumption can lead to deterioration of kidney function and increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. Therefore, it must be used with caution.
How to overcome the urge to eat before bed
You can't fight the feeling of hunger. It is better to eat something healthy, with a high glycemic index and low in calories. A little soup or broth, half a serving of cottage cheese or cheese, stewed vegetables or lean meat are perfect.
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It is recommended to control the amount you eat and not to overeat before going to bed. It is optimal to have dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime and have a glass of kefir snack an hour before bedtime. This regime will help you lose weight, you won’t have to suffer from the desire to get into the refrigerator and overeat in the morning.
It is important to take a rational approach to the issue of nutrition. Otherwise, you can disrupt your metabolism, the return of which to normal will take a long time and will negatively affect your health. There are no magic foods that you specifically need to eat to lose weight overnight. First of all, you should pay attention to your diet. Advice from clinic specialist Elena Morozova will help you not only balance your menu, but also lose weight. Then the result will last for many years.
How vegetables behave in the stomach at night
Even those who successfully control their insatiable appetite during the day may become overwhelmed by hunger closer to night. But if in the morning or at lunchtime allowing yourself to eat too much is not so dangerous, by the evening the risk of ruining your figure with high-calorie foods increases several times. Therefore, in order not to suffer from hunger, you need to opt for a light and satisfying snack that your stomach can easily handle even in the evening. Is it possible to eat vegetables at night in this case? The answer is obvious: yes, and not only as a side dish for meat, but also as an independent dish.
It's no secret that all foods are digested at different speeds. For example, it will take the body 3 hours to digest a serving of fresh vegetables—white cabbage, carrot or beet salad—and all this time it will receive nutrients with a minimum of calories. Cookies and sweets are digested faster - about 2-2.5 hours, which means that the feeling of hunger after such a snack will appear earlier, as well as problems with your figure and health. Of course, all organs of the gastrointestinal tract continue to function even at night, including processing food that was received during the evening snack. But they don’t need extra stress, so experts recommend having dinner at least 2.5-3 hours before bedtime, so that the stomach can work in a lighter mode at night.
However, vegetables, no matter how healthy and low-calorie they may be, should also be consumed in moderation, especially for those who have problems with the digestive system. For example, with colitis, an abundance of fresh greens in the diet, especially in the evening, can result in bloating and diarrhea, and raw carrots in large quantities are unsafe for patients with gastritis or ulcers during an exacerbation.
