Do you need to eat less at night? The simple answer is no, you do not. Just make sure that if you are eating at night that you are not overeating. Over consuming any food late in the day is likely to cause weight gain related to nighttime eating.
Your metabolism does drop when you are sleeping, but that simply lowers your daily energy expenditure and it is your 24 hour energy balance that really matters for weight gain and weight loss.
Studies have shown that there is no real difference in successful weight loss when eating three square meals or eating more often. The catch is that total energy intake must remain the same whether you have 3 or 6 meals throughout the day. The benefit of eating 5 to 6 smaller meals instead of 3 larger meals throughout the day is that the smaller meals may assist in appetite management. This means that you will be less likely to overeat at meals.
The choice of how much to eat at night all depends on what you have eaten up until that time. If you are below the recommended calorie intake for that day, you can afford to be more flexible and eat more at night. If you have consumed over the amount of calories you need in one day from your morning and afternoon meals, eating at night will need to be limited.
Guidelines to follow when eating at night to prevent overeating are:
¨ Focus on planning your meals during the day so you feel less hungry at night.
¨ Break social pressure of going out for late night drinks and snacks.
¨ Break negative eating habits, such as emotional eating as an escape from a stressful day.
Source: www.ptonthenet.com
