When going on a diet, most people automatically think that late-night eating is a big no-no.
In their mind, since they are going to bed right away, they believe that anything they do choose to eat will pretty much turn directly to fat.
This, however, is not the case at all.
Total Calories Count When It Comes to Fat Loss
First up, it's important to realize that the thing that will be of utmost importance when it comes to fat loss is total calorie intake.
Regardless of when you eat your calories, if you don't eat more than your body burns, you will still lose weight.
Likewise, regardless of when you eat your calories, if you eat more than your body burns, you're going to do the opposite - gain weight.
So, by the law of thermodynamics, eating at night is not going to strictly cause weight gain in and of itself.
Feelings of Satiety On a Weight Loss Diet
Next up, you need to consider your feelings of satiety. The thing with eating too much at night is that it likely means you aren't eating enough during the day (assuming you're eating the corect level of calories).
This will likely leave you feeling hungry throughout the day and you could start noticing a lack of energy.
Difficulty Sleeping
Finally, the last thing to point out is that if you're eating too much right before bed, you may have trouble sleeping. While this is not directly tied into weight loss, a lack of sleep does increase cortisol levels, which then promotes an increased chance of fat accumulation around the stomach.
On the other hand though, going to bed on an empty stomach and hungry likely isn't a good thing either, as that could keep you awake just the same.
So, next time you're wondering about eating before bed and weight loss, keep these points in mind.
As long as you carefully plan out what you're going to eat and fit it in with your daily calorie totals, you shouldn't have any issues with weight loss.