Is it right not to eat after six? So is it possible to eat after six in the evening and not gain excess weight? Dispelling an existing myth Why you shouldn't eat after 6 pm
Phrase: “I’m on a diet, so I don’t eat anything after 6 pm,” we’ve probably all heard. Refusal to eat food after 18:00 is almost a symbol of any kind. But what is it based on? Why can’t you eat after 18:00 and how will it help you lose weight?
Everything's pretty Just. Not eating at night is a sound recommendation, no matter how you look at it. After all, after eating food, there must be a period of at least some physical activity so that the body works according to the principle: “received energy - spent energy.” If, instead, you profess the principle: “gained energy - fell on the side,” then you will inevitably begin to gradually accumulate extra pounds, digesting what you eat in your sleep.
By the way, digestion of food during sleep, it has no benefit either for sleep or for digestion. We humans are not one of those species that can fall into long-term hibernation, during which they manage to calmly continue some vital activities. A female bear, for example, can even give birth during hibernation, and that’s okay. But man, the “fifth monkey,” is poorly adapted to this. Have you heard that if you go to bed on an empty stomach, you will have light and pleasant dreams? This is indeed true if everything is done correctly (more on this below), because if our body has to process the food received before bed, this interferes with sleep itself.
The process itself assimilation food turns into a process of fat deposition due to the fact that instead of physical activity, we get a complete lack of it. These are the main arguments of supporters of fasting after 18:00. There is also an opinion that after 6 pm the body, following its own biorhythms, begins to slow down its own activity, including digestive, and after 21:00 the stomach almost completely stops working - but this opinion is quite controversial and causes a lot of debate, so on It is better not to rely on it for now, until more accurate and objective facts are obtained.
However, this approach There are also many opponents. So, for many people, attempts to deny themselves food after 18:00 end in complete failure and disappointment. They fall into two extremes: either they cannot control themselves, and after eight hours without food, at two in the morning they rush to the refrigerator and begin to crack pasta and meat and sausage and cheese by both cheeks, or they simply get drunk until 18:00, so it harms their health far more than they benefit from abstinence afterwards.
Of course, after such failures people begin to lose confidence V own strength and in their own victory over excess weight, they begin to look for excuses for their own obesity, and the arguments so familiar to all of us are used: “It’s all genetics, nothing can be done” or “I have a wide bone, that’s all.” But such people, before giving up, should familiarize themselves with an alternative point of view on this issue.
The point is, they say opponents fasting after six that this approach is too cruel to to modern man. It is designed primarily for early risers. After all, as you know, they go to bed early, at 10 pm (approximately). Therefore, the recommendation to move the last meal 4 hours from bedtime is reasonable for them. But owls, who go to bed at two in the morning, can eat at 22:00. Well, who should you listen to in this situation?
To make it better figure out in this matter, it is important to understand that the essence of the issue is not some magical ritual, which will take away your kilograms if you obey strict instructions and “do not sin.” It’s about not overloading your body at night. Therefore, it is important not only what time you eat, but also what exactly.
Adherents of separate nutrition They don’t see anything wrong with eating after 18:00. But they invariably clarify that after six o’clock in the evening only light snacks are allowed. What is a “light snack” in our standard understanding? This is a glass of kefir, a couple of eggs (white perfectly satisfies hunger, but does not load us with heavy carbohydrates), bread, an apple or banana, or some other fruit.
This one has snack there are two undeniable advantages. Firstly, it will be absorbed by your body without any difficulty and will not cause harm to your figure even if you are inactive all the time before bed and do not expend energy. Secondly, you will not feel hungry and uncomfortable due to an empty stomach. And before going to bed, you won’t be tossing and turning in bed, fighting with by one's own desire immediately jump up and run to the refrigerator.
In this way, once again comes out that the truth lies in the middle. It’s really not recommended to overeat after 18:00, no matter what your daily routine is, because after six both night owls and larks usually move little. However, you should not approach this rule so dogmatically. If you return from work at 18:30, and you only manage to have dinner at 19:00, it’s not a big deal. At the same time, it would not be reasonable to completely deny yourself dinner just because “you can’t eat after six.” Eat healthy, just keep it in moderation and try not to eat heavy foods.
Dogmatism harmful in any way. Not wanting to delve into the essence of certain dietary rules, we often fall into traps, following these rules not only not to our own benefit, but sometimes even to our detriment. To prevent this from happening, you should seek a reasonable explanation from an experienced specialist for each rule.
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Is it possible to lose weight if you don't eat after 6? This question worries many girls who are trying to fight excess weight. We will try to answer it in this article.
Should you expect weight loss results if you don’t eat after 6 p.m.? How much weight can you lose if you don't eat dinner?
It is believed that eating after 6 is harmful. This is due to the fact that it usually decreases after 18 physical activity, and, accordingly, calories are not burned, but remain in the girl’s body in the form of fat deposits.
This statement is also justified by the fact that it is not recommended to go to bed with a full stomach, and you need to eat about three hours before bedtime. Food is not digested during sleep. Accordingly, calories also remain in the body in the form of excess fat.
There is also a third version of why you can’t eat after 6. According to this statement, the peak of work digestive system occurs at noon, and in the evening it decreases. Accordingly, everything eaten in the evening is not digested. Because of this, waste accumulates in the body and it does not absorb nutrients.
So which version of all of these is actually correct? Is it possible to lose weight if you don't eat dinner?
In fact, the whole point is that with active consumption of food in the evening, hormonal levels can be disrupted. Because of this, disruptions occur in the functioning of various organs, increasing excess weight, diseases arise. It is especially harmful to eat sweets after 6: the negative effect from it will not be long in coming.
Of course, not all people rest after 6; some, on the contrary, just start working at this time or go to the gym. In addition, there are people who stay awake until late at night, which means they do not stop expending energy at the time when everyone else goes to bed.
Such people are not prohibited from eating after 6. There is another rule for them: eat food no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Is it effective not to eat after 6?
If you don’t eat after six, you can lose weight, but you shouldn’t expect a quick effect. The first results that will be truly noticeable will appear in about 2-3 months. But here everything also depends on the features female body. For some, the weight comes off quickly, while for others it takes months to lose even 10 kilograms. There are also people who this method losing weight has no effect at all.
People who have tested this technique on themselves note that with its use, not only weight goes away, but also heaviness in the stomach.
How to train yourself not to have dinner after 6? If you decide to skip late dinners, drink plenty of fluids. A hearty breakfast is required so that the body does not fail. Also, in order not to suffer from evening hunger attacks, you should occupy yourself with something after 18.00. In addition, it helps to overcome unsweetened hunger green tea, as well as warm water. Gradually, the body gets used to the new regime and the person stops feeling hungry in the evening.
Thus, a late dinner is harmful to the body, and giving it up means benefiting yourself and your health. Only the time frame should be different for each person. If you go to bed late, therefore, have dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime. Those who go to bed at 21-22 pm need to have dinner at about 18 pm. Well, it is impossible to predict the result in weight loss that you will achieve from using such a technique in each specific case.
Every person who strives to lose excess weight at least once in their life knows many golden rules on how to do this. One of the most famous is the law: do not eat after 18 hours. But a related question always arises: who came up with this, why can’t you eat after 6?
The rationale for Why can't you eat after 6:
After the opinion arose that it is strictly forbidden to eat after 18 o’clock, the most popular versions were also found that popularly explain Why can't you eat after six in the evening?
- Biorhythmologists say that after 18 hours the body is no longer ready to process new food. At this time, he actively removes from previously received food beneficial features. That is, the body is reconstructed to a different type of work, and everything eaten after 18 will remain in the body, simultaneously being deposited into fat.
- It should be remembered that for most people the working day lasts up to 18 hours. This means that after a hard day at work, a person will be less active and, as a result, all the calories eaten will be deposited rather than burned by physical activity.
- In addition, there is a controversial opinion that the body obviously acts according to the same scheme. After the clock strikes 18 o'clock, everything inside a person is rearranged to replenish fat reserves, which means that all food will contribute to this. And after 21:00 the stomach completely falls asleep, despite the absence or presence of food in it.
- They say that it takes the body about 5 hours to process food. Although this figure should vary depending on the product you ate. But, if we take into account this particular indicator, it obviously turns out that food eaten at 18:00 will be poisoned only at 23:00, and this best option, since this is the time most people go to bed.
Despite the fact that there are many versions, the ban on eating after 18 hours cannot be justified by all people, since one must take into account the fact that there are people for whom such a regime is not suitable. These could be those who work the night shift, the well-known night owls whose bodies operate according to a different biological clock, or those who cannot live without late-night snacks. It is worth remembering that the figure “18:00” is very arbitrary and depends on many factors.
There is also an opinion that the point of losing weight is not to limit food consumption after 18 hours, but to moderate calorie intake. If you eat an apple after 6 p.m., it is unlikely to have a negative impact on your waist inches. Therefore, nutritionists recommend light snack after the time specified in the article.
How not to eat after 6?
Now, having found out why can't you eat after 6 pm, you need to figure out what to do if the desire to refuse food after 18 hours is great. You should remember a few tips that will help you keep this desire and not break:
- Try drinking plain water instead of food. In fact, very often people feel thirsty but do not understand it. Therefore, water will not only replenish your water balance, but also satisfy your hunger.
- hot bath or walk, chat with friends, read interesting book and many other options will help you take your mind off the desire to eat. The main thing is that the lesson is interesting for you, then the time will pass unnoticed.
— in order to slightly deceive your body, you can brush your teeth after your last meal. This will force the subconscious to conclude that it will soon be time to go to bed, rather than thinking about the next snack.
Plus, people who don't eat after 6 p.m. have a big advantage. They maintain a normal weight and manage to lose extra pounds. All this thanks to a reduced daily calorie intake. That's why you can't eat after six.
In general, the opinion that it is strictly forbidden to eat anything after six is based on “folk wisdom.” So many sayings on this topic have survived to this day. Well, for example, one of them is “breakfast is gold, lunch is silver, dinner is copper.” Or Avicenna’s famous saying that it is better to give dinner to the enemy. One cannot help but get the impression that humanity has followed a correct nutritional system since prehistoric times. And now something is broken.
But here's the paradox. Why then has humanity been facing an obesity epidemic over the past 50 years? Everything is very simple. Now food has become more accessible to us and we get an excess amount of energy. This means that you need to carefully monitor not the period of hunger, but your feeling of fullness. This will help to achieve the correct ratio of food and correctly distribute daily energy.
In general, the feeling of hunger is very similar to a pendulum. The longer you starve yourself and delay eating, the more likely you are to relapse and eat too much. For example, you go to bed at 2 am, and after 6 you decide not to eat anything. Believe me, in the morning your deepest desire will be to get to the refrigerator as quickly as possible. You will only come to your senses when you start eating the borscht with chocolate. Temporary memory loss :)
Yes, all this is clear and explainable. After 6 pm modern life it doesn't end now. Now you only come home from work at 7-8 o’clock. And your stomach can’t read your thoughts and doesn’t know that you’re losing weight. He wants energy. And, let me tell you, he does the right thing. When the break between meals is too long (more than 10 hours), the body turns on the “accumulation” mode. After this, he begins to intensively store food in reserves... and your weight “rises.”
The longer the pause between sleep and the last meal. The more likely you are to overeat
And, believe me, there are many such real examples in the practice of nutritionists. On forums you can often see information that girls are going on a diet. And after a few days they break down, starting to eat everything in the refrigerator at night. But they themselves are to blame for the breakdown - by artificially placing themselves in such a framework. The main thing in the daily diet is not to eat more than your daily caloric intake.
Is it harmful not to eat after six?
Long hunger strikes are fraught with eating disorders. Doctors even have a diagnosis of “a restrictive type of eating disorder.”
And such violations manifest themselves as follows. Today a person sits on or on - loses weight. He doesn't eat anything after 6. It would seem that he is eating right. And tomorrow, unable to control himself, he indulges in all seriousness - he eats to his heart's content. And he doesn’t just eat, but absorbs high-calorie foods in large quantities. After such a breakdown, he naturally reproaches himself and goes back on a diet. And this is a cyclical process.
Typically, the trigger for most people is the mythical “don’t eat after six” rule when losing weight. But where did this postulate come from?
And besides, she also made her contribution folk wisdom. She prompted biorhythmologists to argue that eating should be done during the daytime, while the sun is shining. It seems that food is digested better this way.
But modern science refuted this myth. The fact is that each person has his own rhythm of life. Well, imagine: work time ends at 7 pm. And then you have to drive home for 2 hours. Then it turns out that you generally need to go to bed hungry.
It seems to me that biorhythmology has made a bit of a mistake. In terms of nutrition, it has not confirmed its effectiveness and adequacy.
Won't the evening food end up on the sides?
Many are frightened by the very thought that yesterday's food will be deposited straight into fat. But such an opinion is unfounded. What matters is the total daily calorie content of food consumed.
From the point of view of modern dietetics, dinner calories should be no more than 20-30% of the total daily food intake
This is an adequate and proven value. Since we need a significant part of energy during the day for mental or physical activity. During this period, we need quickly accessible energy. But in the evening, as a rule, most people lead sedentary lifestyle- on the couch or at the computer. Therefore, such a calorie is quite enough.
But again, this is the rule for the majority. Some people have completely different work schedules - in this case, a person must select food for himself. If you have night shift, you should eat most of your daily calories before work. This will allow you to recharge your batteries. And get the smaller part after work.
How many hours before bedtime can you eat?
Remember, friends, the last meal should be 1 or 1.5 hours before bedtime. These numbers are not pulled out of thin air. They are confirmed by serious scientific research. To quickly fall asleep, there must be food in your stomach 1-1.5 hours before bedtime. Only in in this case We are not talking about dinner, but about a snack.
Eating before bed and having a full dinner are different concepts
Without harm to your figure, you can eat 100 ml of natural yogurt or drink the same amount of biokefir. And nutritionists also recommend 1 tsp. Dilute oatmeal with warm water and drink this drink.
Thanks to this snack, the required level of glucose and other nutrients will be maintained in the blood. And this, in turn, will contribute to a state of comfort, which is conducive to sleep. Ideal if you drink natural at night fermented milk product(no sugar, of course).
Well, I don’t recommend having a full dinner before bed. After such a meal, the digestive processes occurring inside you activate your vitality. Your body will need to process the entire volume of food into energy. After a heavy dinner, the rate of falling asleep slows down significantly. You will toss and turn for a long time before you pass out. In addition, the likelihood of overweight increases.
To avoid weight gain, eat dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime. And 1-1.5 hours before, make a small snack
In this case, you will not go to bed hungry. And in the morning you won’t pounce on food like the starving Tumba-Yumba tribe on caught prey :)
The diet should be such that it pleases and brings a feeling of satiety and comfort, and not satiety. The problem arises when a person begins to create restrictions and conventions. The greater the likelihood that such a system will quickly get boring and there will be a breakdown.
What should the ideal dinner be like?
Remember that the main thing when losing weight is not to eat more than a day's worth of calorie. So first. Typically, the daily requirement for the average person is from 1500 to 2500 kcal.
A simpler way to calculate your daily calorie intake is as follows: your ideal weight (what you want) x 26.4. The result will be your daily norm. And of this amount, approximately 20-30% should come from dinner.
The perfect dinner follows the simplest rule of the plate. Conventionally divide it into 4 parts: ¼ is for the side dish, ¼ is for vegetables, ¼ is for protein products and the remaining ¼ is fruit. If you follow this rule, your body will receive all the essential nutrients.
Flour products and sweets are definitely not suitable for dinner. In addition, it is recommended to exclude cheese from the evening diet due to the fact that it is a fatty product.
I advise you to approach the preparation of the evening menu with all seriousness. The food you consume should please you and give you a feeling of satiety and comfort. Usually, if a diet is filled with restrictions and conventions, it quickly gets boring and the person losing weight breaks down. The same is true for dinner. If you starve yourself or eat in tiny portions, a breakdown is inevitable.
Watch another interesting video from an expert:
conclusions
Now, you are convinced that the opinion that “you can’t eat after six” - another myth? If you follow this rule for a long time, the person losing weight will periodically break down. And then he’ll give up on it all and start mindlessly consuming high-calorie foods in the evening.
Therefore, you can and should have dinner. Whether or not to eat after six depends on what time you go to bed.
I wish you to eat without restrictions. Keep it in moderation, and let your dinner be tasty and healthy, and not resemble a boring diet. My dear readers, do not forget. And share links to articles on social networks. Easy slimming for you! Bye bye.
Is it possible to eat after 6, and if not, then why? This problem is often pondered not only by those losing weight, but also by people who simply monitor their health. And, like any theory, the statement that late dinners are not very healthy has both ardent supporters and those who fundamentally disagree with it. Let's figure out why it's harmful to eat after 6.
According to fans of the theory of biorhythms, it slows down with sunset, so the food we eat after sunset is not digested properly and turns into waste that clogs the body. And all the energy received is not consumed by us, but is transported directly to fat depots, and settles there as hated fat. This is a rather controversial theory, but there are still rational reasons why you should follow the rule of not eating after six:
- at night, a full stomach can put pressure on the diaphragm and interfere with normal breathing, which affects the quality of night rest not only better side;
- During sleep, the stomach and digestive organs work less intensively than during the day, and food eaten at night will linger in them for a longer period, and this provokes putrefactive processes in the intestines, and as a result, problems with the organs gastrointestinal tract;
- again, if food stays in the stomach for a long time, its mucous membrane is exposed to hydrochloric acid for too long, which increases the risk of developing gastritis and stomach ulcers.
And yet, it’s no secret that many of us, if we have breakfast in the morning, do it purely symbolically; at lunch, which most often happens at work (if it happens at all), you don’t eat much either. But in the evening... There’s a super hearty dinner (we haven’t eaten all day), and cookies, nuts, kirieski in front of the TV. So it turns out that in the evening we gain not just a daily, but a three-day calorie requirement.
In this case, there is only one recipe - to put your diet in order. You should have 3 main meals, and 3 snacks in between. Dinner is really better to have at 6 pm if you go to bed at 21:00-22:00. If this is not the case, then remember: the last meal should be 4 hours before bedtime.
Well, for those who have firmly decided to adhere to the rule of not eating a single piece of field 6, here are some tips on how to do this:
- If you want to eat, drink. Firstly, water will fill the stomach, and secondly, the centers that are responsible for thirst are located nearby in our brain, and we often confuse their signals.
- Do something interesting, watch a movie, read a book, go for a walk.
- After dinner, brush your teeth immediately, this will help you mentally prepare for bed.
- Go to bed early.