The Problem with Eating & Drinking Before Bed
Hey Angels and Alphas,
Today, we’re here to talk about a topic that many people in the fitness and weight loss community seem to be confused about. On the one hand, you have half of the fitness world claiming that eating before bed will lead to storing more fat. On the other hand, you have other people claiming that eating before bed could even help you lose weight.
Naturally, many different perspectives pop up depending on the various experiences people have had. And needless to say, you can see why this topic has become very controversial.
But today, we’re here to break down the science and answer the question – is eating and drinking before bed beneficial or detrimental to your weight loss efforts?
To get started, let’s refer this window as the time after you’ve had dinner and before you go to bed.
Maybe for you, this time looks like sitting one night watching TV or finishing up some work. But suddenly, when that first initial craving sets in, it leaves you with the choice to either eat before bed or fall asleep hungry.
If this has happened to you, here’s what you should know.
No evidence supports the idea that calories matter more just because you’re eating them before bed. However, research shows that even though it shouldn’t physiologically happen, eating before bed can lead to weight loss. But when you take a more in-depth look at the studies, you see that the reason isn’t as much physical as it is physiological.
The crux of the story is this: it turns out people who eat before bed gain weight because they have a higher chance of making it a habit. Evenings are the time when people usually feel the hungriest so that extra calorie push adds up in the long-run.
If you’re out working all day and come home starving, this can start a habit of overeating at night, being too full to eat in the morning, and coming back hungry again. This cycle easily leads to weight gain.
But avoiding sugar before bed won’t necessarily help your blood sugar levels and proper health.
Some experts mention that eating for two hours before bed will help prevent a high blood sugar level spike and the health problems that stem from it such as heart disease and diabetes. But there isn’t any conclusive evidence on the topic.
In search of answers, one study analyzed more than three years of data from more than 1500 middle-aged adults. 2/3 of them were over the age of 65.
About 16 percent of men and 8 percent of women would fall asleep within just a few hours of their dinner.
Over the last couple of years, there wasn’t any significant change in the participants levels of HbA1c – the longest-running measure for the average glucose that is considered a reliable indicator for future risk.
Most people have a problem with unhealthy habits – not slow metabolisms or eating before bed.
To make sure you’re making the right choice with your pre-bed snacks, avoid desserts, junk food, caffeine, and tea.
The golden rule is mixing a little bit of complex carbs with either protein or fat. This combination will guarantee you’re full throughout the night, that your blood sugar levels are balanced, and that you’re getting quality sleep. No snack is necessarily the best before bed, but if you’re going to go with something, go with that!
To ultimately answer the question of whether you should be eating before bed, it’s probably not going to help your weight loss efforts, but there isn’t any conclusive evidence on whether or not it’s going to harm those chances, either.
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