Many myths revolve around diets for weight loss. One of them says, “You don’t have to eat en evening to lose weight.” In this article, we will tell you why dinner is important for weight loss and why you should not miss the last meal of the day.
Does dinner help you lose weight or gain weight?
Some people choose not to eat dinner because they are trying to lose weight. However, this habit actually has the opposite effect.
The reason is very simple: When the body does not receive food for some time, it “awakens” a state of anxiety, similar to when the body gets into a dangerous situation. In this state, the body stops consuming energy because it stores it to withstand the situation.
Therefore, instead of consuming fewer calories, the body accumulates them. However, this does not mean that you have to go to the other extreme.
The body will suffer in both cases. So, it is very useful to organize your daily calorie intake.
In the morning, you need to eat more so that your body has all the energy and nutrients it needs to cope with daily activities.
At noon you still need “fuel” to continue.
However, at night, your body needs only a little, because you will soon be asleep. Dinner is easy – it’s not the same as eating nothing.
Therefore, we do not recommend completely canceling the last meal of the day.
If you don’t eat dinner, you can wake up at dawn so hungry that you open the fridge and eat whatever you find there (this is known as night eating syndrome).
Conversely, if your dinner always (or several times a week) contains foods rich in fats and carbohydrates, then most likely you will gain weight or you will find it harder to lose weight.
Carbohydrates and fats are stored in the body, and they are difficult to eliminate because we sleep and do not train at night.
If you want to lose weight, we advise you not to miss meals, especially dinner, which is important for weight loss. Instead, you can choose healthy foods, such as yogurt, salad, soup or some fruit.
It is important to limit calorie intake, but not enough to feel hungry before bed or sleep on an empty stomach.
Why dinner is important for weight loss
When a person wants to lose weight but does not want to follow a very restrictive diet, the secret is mainly to change the dinner menu.
Today, many people make the mistake of skipping breakfast. Then they eat something light at noon to work on, and at night they taste heavier foods and eat in restaurants.
This habit can greatly complicate weight loss. After dinner, we do only things that burn very few calories, such as watching TV, talking, reading, or sleeping, so our body stores calories. That’s why this last dish should be as light as possible.
What is the perfect dinner?
The ideal dinner does not leave a feeling of “overcrowding” and is not filled with carbohydrates, fats, and sugars. Of course, you should also ideally not consume alcohol during dinner.
Therefore, you should focus on consuming protein-rich foods. They should come from low-fat foods such as turkey breast, hake, salmon, and green leafy vegetables.
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