Sure you have heard that if you do it you will gain weight, here we tell you the truth.
Surely you’ve heard more than one watch the rule of? Not eating after 6 p.m.? so as not to gain weight.
But how true is it that if you do it this way it is possible to lose weight or at least not gain weight?
? I? M not completely sure where this rule came from ?, says Dr. Dana Hunnes, a nutritionist at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA, assuring that there is nothing magical about that schedule.
And honestly, who gets home from work before then?
THE WATCH-WEIGHT CONNECTION
That said, even though the body doesn’t frantically accumulate food, in the form of fat when the clock strikes 6 pm, eating after that time is linked to weight gain.
And avoiding eating late has also been shown to help you lose weight.
This is because no one gets out of bed in the middle of the night to open the refrigerator and eat kale.
? People eat fried foods, sweets or other calorie-dense foods,? says Hunnes.
So, regularly, when people stop eating those late-night snacks, they tend to eat healthier (and lose weight).
Proof of this: When Brigham Young University researchers caused 29 young men to stop eating between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. for two weeks, they lost an average of half a kilo.
When they were allowed to eat at night again for two weeks, they gained just over a pound.
It’s all about calories: When they stopped eating, they cut their daily intake by an average of 238 calories.
DO YOU HAVE HUNGRY AT NIGHT? DO THIS
Many snacks are consumed without thinking, which does not help much either.
Eating without thinking is linked to overeating and gaining weight.
But, if you are legitimately hungry in the afternoon or at night, don’t be afraid to eat.
You should not endure hunger just because the clock tells you to.
This philosophy has nothing to do with weight loss and encourages an unhealthy relationship with food.
Instead, look to eat vegetables, whole grains, or lean protein, Hunnes says. And that they are small portions, you can always serve yourself more if you stay hungry.
If nighttime hunger is a common thing in you, you’re probably not eating enough for the first half of the day.
“Instead of thinking about not eating in the afternoon, focus on getting all the fuel you need during the day,” says nutritionist Anna Rossinoff, co-founder of Eat with Zest.
? My clients tell me they try to eat few calories during the day, but when they get home they eat uncontrollably,? says Rossinoff.
Your body doesn’t know what time it is, but it knows you need fuel, he explains.
What you should do: Start the day with a healthy breakfast with 20 grams of protein.
Then eat protein-rich foods every three to four hours, Rossinoff adds.
If you follow this plan and eat something after 6 p.m. don’t worry? he indicates.
? However, if you eat properly throughout the day, chances are you are not starving at night,? he concludes.