Dear DM,
Is ‘late night eating’ bad for me? I am eating properly most of the times, but I’m hardly seeing any weight loss even with an exercise routine.
The Snacker
Dear ‘Snacker’,
The concern most people have with eating late at night is based on the fear that eating at these hours lead to greater weight gain and body fat accumulation.
However, that is not true.
Weight gain depends on how many calories you consume and how many calories you expend in a day. If you eat more than you expend, you WILL gain weight - regardless of whether the source of your calories are from your breakfast, lunch, dinner, or 1AM snack in front of the TV or at the stalls.
Also, however, the reality is that most people who have the habit of eating late at night usually end up reaching for the more calorie-dense foods. We’re all guilty of late night snacking, but how often do we reach for an apple when we’re ransacking the kitchen at that hour? It’s usually the instant noodles, ice-cream, chocolates, cakes, and so on - which are high in calories, therefore causing you to exceed your daily calorie intake and result in weight gain - all just because you felt like munching on something.
Sadly, it is also ‘Malaysian Culture’ to be eating at odd hours. Not only are the fast food outlets open all day now, but even the ‘mamak’ and roadside stalls are adopting this trend, and though it may be tempting to quickly point the blame these food outlets - we need to remember that we are the ones in full control of ourselves. If you find yourself pigging out at the stalls at 1:00 am, you have only yourself to blame.
Ultimately, it’s not when you eat, but what you are eating, and how much.
If you find yourself snacking on junk food mindlessly while watching the TV at nights on a regular basis, it then may be helpful to make a commitment to restrict eating after a certain hour, for example, no more eating after 9pm. This would help you get back on track in your weight loss program.
If you were to snack and consume even an extra 200 calories per day for example, you could easily add on 1pound of weight in less than a month - think about that.
DM
ACE-Certified Personal Trainer
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Good advise, DM! My take is that if you need something to munch on at night or right before you sleep, have some fruit, nuts, low-fat dairy or even a protein shake before snoozing off.
I’m a late nite snacker too sometimes, but what I choose make all the difference.
DM, i’ve read several articles explaining how our liver and other internal organs having a cleansing period during the time from 10/11 pm till 2. Is it true or is this a myth. If it’s true, wouldn’t it be bad to consume food around this time.
You’re not entirely right on this one.
At night, in the first 4 hours of sleep, your body releases up to 60% of the somatotrophin (human growth hormone, or hGH) that you will receive in any 24 hour period.
hGH is blocked by insulin, so by spiking your insulin before you sleep, you’re actually diminishing the beneficial effects the endocrine system can have in your sleep.
Further, insulin is essentially a “storage hormone”. If you eat sugar, and are not active for the next 3 hours, you’re likely to store that sugar. Now of course this doesn’t apply if your late night snack is mostly proteins and some fats. A few carbs, or low calorie carbs (like veggies) is fine, but its definitely wrong to say it doesn’t matter what you eat or when you eat it - and that calorie counts are the only thing that matters. This is oversimplifying a very complex system.
Hi Kasey, thanks for pointing that out.
stoke: Could you point me that article? I haven’t read of such claims before..
As a hypnotherapist working with people who want to lose weight, I find the main problem with late night eating is that it is usually recreational, boredom or emotional eating. These are usually additional calories that a person does not need, just wants. Closing the kitchen after the evening meal for many people is a great habit for lifetime weight loss and control.
This must have been what i was doing through highschool (dont do it) in high school u end up stayin up late out with friends or playing xbox live etc or doin work u think il go eat sum chocolate and a cup of tea so i stay away longer. and u do it every night for like 3 years, from year 7 - year 10 i think i put on liek a stone a year like that guy said 1 pound a month comes out like that and u end up fat. Then i started jogging in morning with my mate and started goin bed at like 10-12 without snacking and gradualy lost weight again.
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