Some basic facts:
- Your body runs on Circadian Rhythm that tells your body what time of day it is.
- During the day your body is alert & active. During the night, when it’s time to sleep you feel tired.
- Conventional wisdom says that during the night, your body’s metabolism is slow & hence whatever you eat gets stored. Unless you indulge in some physical activity such as a brisk walk, all the stored food gets converted into fat. Slow metabolism leads to weight gain is a myth
When you eat is not important !
When you sleep after consuming food late at night, you still burn calories since:
- Your brain is working/active
- Body burns a lot of calories during Rapid Eye Movement(REM). This is also the stage of sleep when you dream a lot
- Calories are also required for normal functioning such as breathing, pumping blood & keeping all the organs functioning
- Body does lot of repair work on cells, tissues & muscles during the night. All of this requires calories
How much you eat is more important!
- Anything eating between bedtime & night meal is extra meal which means consuming more calories
- Eating in addition to all their meals during the entire day results in weight gain.
- This has nothing to do with slowing of metabolism. It’s that we are not planning that extra calories at night.
- Lot of late night foods consumed is junk since you do not have much healthy meal options during night.
- If you are going to eat late at night, prefer having real food! Stay away from junk food. Eating Apple is better than having a bunch of cookies.
- Even if you want to have some junk or Ice cream at night before going to bed, plan by consuming less in earlier meals & make up for it the next day by having smaller breakfast.
If the timing of meal & eating real fruit stressed you & you want to be told what you should, then hop on to your fitness journey with Passion for Fitness.
Our one-on-one coaching pairs you with certified international coach who will get to know your goals & lifestyle & structure a plan not only for your body, but also for your schedule & life. We remove uncertainty from your diet & timing of meals to help you take control of your life.
