Stop Eating After ____ PM To Lose Fat
I brought up a question that we got the other day…and get pretty regularly.
It was from Linda, a stay at home mom of 4 who has the "pooch" around the middle.
So the question was "What time do I need to stop eating carbs each day?"
Depending what you read, it varies.
And you know why?
Because there is no "magic" time to stop eating carbs. Or stop eating anything for that matter.
NOW, with that said, we surely wouldn’t encourage you to sit down for a Thanksgiving Dinner and then roll over and call it a night. But if you’re physically hungry at night, eat something…
The "Secret" behind diets that recommend not eating after dinner is that many times the foods chosen at this time are junk. It’s actually a good strategy when trying to lose weight.
Watching TV or a movie … and chips, ice cream, and other snacky high calorie items come to mind. These all add up and when eating and watching TV, they’re all mindless calories that add up quickly.
Bottom Line: If you do in fact eat mindlessly after dinner, committing to making that your last meal is smart — you’ll save calories and usually save yourself from eating a bunch of extra belly fat gaining foods.
…but if you are in fact physically hungry (and not just bored) what should you choose? Here are 4 great options.
- Handful of Raw nuts
- Cottage cheese and some fruit
- Celery and natural peanut butter
- The Mohr Results Protein Blizzard (watch the video how to make this HERE)
April 30th, 2010 at 5:17 am
Right on the mark I think. I am at my goal weight and I have been now for years. I eat after dinner, but it is not mindless eating. It has to be thought out and controlled. Nothing wrong with eating at night if it's for a specific purpose. I follow the principle of 5 to 6 small meals/day and workout 30-45 mins/day. Nothing wrong with an occassional night out of celebration with ice cream or skipping a workout 3 times a month. I believe it depends on where you are in your life and how much it will help or hurt you and don't give up if you screw up and get off the train, just step back on the next one coming to the station and try, try again.
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May 1st, 2010 at 9:40 am
I definitely agree. Your body can't distingush between a calorie eaten at 8am vs 8pm. The only issue with late night eating is that is usually when people make bad food decisions- chips, ice cream, etc… I would suggest not eating anything high carb though late at night just because you'll just be going to sleep so there will be no activity.
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Aaron Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Your body CAN tell the difference between sugar eaten at 8pm and protein eaten at 8pm. One reason why I suggest to my clients to nix the GRAINS after lunch is because when people eat grains, they are frequently highly processed as well calorie dense. So not only do they get a big rush of calories but also a sudden insulin burst to cram much of the carbs into their already maxed out carbohydrate stores. If carbohydrates are not used, they’ll be stored.
Protein has a higher thermic effect of food, and is slower in digestion. This gives us more protein to use for rebuilding the organs and systems for the body as well as a slower digesting food that won’t cause a huge insulin spike.
Look at Dr. Mohr’s recommendation and you’ll see that they are all fruit or veggie paired with a protein. These are complex foods that take longer to breakdown in the stomach and still take a while to be absorbed in the intestines.
Face it, grains/flour products are an easy way to pack on the calories and as a result, pack on the calories.
Decrease grain intake and replace with fruits and veggies.
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