Eating Late at Night and Weight Gain: Is There Any Relation?

More often than not, we crave eating late at night, but is it healthy?

Even though you may not like to admit it, chances are that you have occasionally found yourself in the kitchen late at night, eating something sweet, salty, or carbohydrate-rich while not being hungry.

Researchers are coming closer to figuring out why people overindulge at night and whether those calories cause more damage than those ingested earlier in the day, such as increasing the risk of weight gain and chronic diseases like diabetes.

Let’s look closely at the relationship between eating late at night and weight gain.

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Health Impacts of Eating Late at Night

The practice of eating late at night has long been linked to weight gain. The prevailing belief, however, is that calories are calories, regardless of when they are consumed, and that eating more calories than you expend is what leads to weight gain.

Eating late at night is a sign of craving. (Image via Unsplash/ Anastasia Nelen)

Individuals indulge in eating late at night for several reasons, many of which have little to do with hunger, such as to satiate cravings or to relieve boredom or stress. Moreover, after-dinner snacks are frequently uncontrolled and often consist of hefty servings of calorie-dense items (such as chips, cookies, and candy) consumed in front of the TV or computer.

It's all too simple to swallow the entire bag, carton, or container in this scenario without realizing it. However, eating too close to bedtime can result in indigestion and sleep issues in addition to those useless extra calories.

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Does Eating at Night Cause Weight Gain?

Most individuals aren't in the mood to prepare a three-course dinner late at night, so late-night snacking typically consists of high-calorie, convenient foods like chips, cookies, and fast food. Instead of being an indicator of an empty stomach, cravings for salty food may be a sign of dehydration.

Eating late at night prevents appropriate digestion of the calories you consume. As a result, your body stores them as fat. Moreover, eating late on a regular basis teaches your body to store calories as fat, which causes weight gain.

You might end up eating high-calorie foods late at night. (Image via Unsplash/ Jeshoots)

Moreover, this may cause you to experience heartburn and indigestion. A person's risk of developing cancer is lower if they eat dinner at least two hours before bed.

While attempting to reduce weight, consume 90% of your daily caloric intake before 8 pm. Eating every three to four hours has the advantage of regulating blood sugar, which in turn curbs cravings and hunger.

You see, your metabolism improves when you eat dinner two to three hours before going to bed. There is no acid reflux at night since the food has time to be properly digested. Dinner and breakfast ought to be separated by 11 to 12 hours. This promotes the best possible digestion for you.

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What to Consider When Eating before Bed?

Remember, the ideal situation is for you to avoid eating anything before it is nighttime. Yet, that isn't always practical. If your dietary habits are messed up due to your job, and you need anything to consume, steamed or uncooked vegetables are ideal if you're truly hungry.

If you plan to include a light, nutritious snack after dinner as part of your daily caloric intake, there is nothing wrong with doing so.

Its good to avoid eating late at night. (Image via Unsplash/ Pablo Merchan Montes)

To prevent overeating, choose a portion-controlled snack, avoid eating in front of the television, and pay attention to your food as you eat.

Packaged 100-calorie snacks, modest amounts of popcorn, ice cream bars, low-fat yogurt, and fruit are a few healthy alternatives to consume while eating late at night.