It is normal that many of you have heard that it is best to eat more meals first thing in the day. The reasoning behind this is quite intuitive.
By eating a lot of carbohydrates and calories earlier in the day, it is easier to burn them off throughout the day. That’s why many diet programs are easy to come by where the main thing people need to do is stop consuming calories and carbohydrates at night.
For those people who have followed this approach for years, you may discover a totally different approach to reality that will surprise you. It may make more sense to consume most calories and carbohydrates at night . Discover the 3 reasons for it.
3 reasons to eat more at night
1. Natural instinct
Primitive man spent most of the day trying to hunt and gather his food and then be able to enjoy it the rest of the day, which was usually at night. So why do we go against primitive instincts?
It is best to spend your days working and training and then consuming most carbohydrates and calories at night to restore your energy levels.
Most people do not eat these types of foods at night for fear of gaining weight, but a study conducted by the Obesity (Silver Spring) Journal in 2011 says otherwise.
In this study, a typical party pattern was compared with a more conventional dietary approach. The study found that the experimental group, which consumed the majority of their carbohydrates at dinner, experienced greater weight loss and greater reductions in abdominal circumference and body fat than the more conventional control group.
2. The numbers
Eating the majority of calories and carbohydrates seems to be contrary to most nutritional programs, but if we consume between 4 and 6 small meals and snacks a day, instead of 3 large meals, most of the time our dinner ends up being larger than breakfast or lunch. If we also add a late-night snack to the equation to avoid a 12-hour fast between dinner and breakfast, it’s easy to see how we can get half of our calories after 6 p.m.
If you train after work, or even after dinner, the numbers change even more drastically. Your post-workout recovery meal, even if it’s just a shake or shake, will increase your total daily calories even more toward the evening.
2.1 How to prevent carbohydrates from making you fat at night
When it comes to carb counting, post-loading may be the best idea. By eating natural starches like yams, sweet potatoes, and brown rice for dinner, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables during the day, you maximize your fat-burning hormones while you’re active. This results in a longer period of time in which you are burning fat more efficiently.
Think of each 12-hour period as two completely different nutritional periods. Eat lighter foods during the day to stay in your natural energy-producing state to burn fat and, during the evening hours, provide your body with the basic ingredients it needs to build and maintain muscle mass.
3. Psychology
A human instinct is to overeat to “pack” energy in times of famine. This made a lot of sense in cave days, but not today, where getting food is easy for many.
The human brain works in a pattern of sacrifice and reward. Most people can cut calories, eat light meals, and make better food choices during the day if they can reward themselves with a full meal in the evening. However, for most people it is much easier to fill up on lots of food throughout the day and to avoid eating at night.
However, believe it or not, it is very easy to get used to consuming light foods throughout the day and much more rewarding foods at night. In this way, adrenaline makes you more efficient to face daily challenges, while at night you can consume a much larger meal loaded with calories and carbohydrates, which will help you relax and rest during the night.
Conclution
People believed that the healthiest thing to do was eat large meals during the day and abstain from food at night, all with the goal of losing weight and staying in a healthier state. However, there are those who think that it is much better to consume moderate foods throughout the day and heavy foods at night for a better performance of your body.
This perspective is likely to change the way many people eat.
References
- Nate, M. 4 Reasons To Eat More Calories (And Carbs) At Night. For Livestrong [Reviewed March 2019].
