Will Eating at Night Make You Fat?

Is it OK to eat at night? Are you going to get fat if you eat at night after 6pm? These are just a couple of questions people have when it comes to planning their weight loss program.

It’s About Calorie Balance

The important thing to remember when it comes to weight loss is calorie balance. When calories in are greater than calories out, you are going to gain weight. It doesn’t matter if you eat all your food in one meal, or if you wake up in the middle of the night to eat. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. The opposite is also true. If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. It doesn’t matter if you eat one, two, or ten meals a day. Weight loss comes down to calorie balance.

On the other hand, our goal is not to lose weight. Our goal is to lose fat. What you eat and when you eat it can affect your body composition. So how does all this relate to eating at night?

Read more about the difference between weight loss and fat loss.

The key to eating at night and maximizing fat loss, is to keep carbohydrates to a minimum. The reason for this is because carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar gets too high, insulin is released in order to store the excess glucose in your blood. The problem with this is that when insulin is high, growth hormone is low, and vice versa. These two powerful hormones are inversely correlated.

Maximize Growth Hormone at Night

We want our growth hormone (GH) to be able to do its job at night. Remember, the two times when GH is at its highest is after a high-intensity workout, and while you are sleeping at night. If we go and eat a high carbohydrate meal right before bed time, our body’s ability to release this powerful fat loss hormone will be inhibited.

Read more about how to naturally increase growth hormone.

If you want to eat at night, which is perfectly fine, try to make it a protein, fat, and low carbohydrate meal. You want this meal to be a solid meal – no shakes. You need this protein to be broken down and assimilated slowly for the long night ahead. Solid food accomplishes this. If you add some healthy fat to this meal, it slows down the absorption even more. And if you really want the perfect nighttime meal, add some healthy green vegetables. These veggies are low in carbohydrates, and they have plenty of nutrients and fiber. It’s the fiber that’s going to slow down the digestion and glycemic index (GI) of your food even more.

Read more about how to manipulate the glycemic index of a meal in your favor.

Examples of Perfect Nighttime Meals

Here are just a few examples of meals you can eat at night.

• Beef, broccoli, and nuts
• Egg and spinach omelet
• Chicken and spinach salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing
• Beef, asparagus, and 1 tbsp omega 3 oil (essential fatty acids)

All of these meals follow the principal of eating a lean protein, a healthy fat, and a fibrous low carbohydrate vegetable. This will keep a nice steady supply of protein for your body to use to rebuild muscle while you sleep. It will provide essential fatty acids for good overall health, and it will give you nutrient dense vegetables to supply your body with all the nutrients it needs to function optimally. It does all of this while keeping your insulin levels low to prevent fat storage, while at the same time putting your body in an optimal hormonal state to lose fat and build muscle while you sleep.

Any of the green veggies in this list of healthy foods can be eaten at night.

So don’t be afraid to eat at night. Just be mindful of what you’re eating. Your body needs nutrients to function at its best, especially while you’re sleeping. You’re about to undergo an 8-12 hour period without food. This is your time for recovery. Make the most of it by giving your body what it needs to lose fat and rebuild muscle.