Can you eat after six, and what is night weight loss?

Author: Margarita Kuts - doctor-dietitian, gastroenterologist, and body mesotherapist.
2014-09-23

During my time as a dietitian, nearly every patient who comes to me proudly claims: “I don’t eat after 6 PM!!!” But then they add, “So why am I not losing weight? If I do lose weight, the moment I eat after 6 PM, the weight comes back!”

I continue to be amazed: who came up with this? Where did this nonsense about not eating after 6 PM come from? Each time, I explain to my patients that this is false, a myth propagated by the creators of various fad diets from magazines and talk shows. The lost kilograms are nothing more than water loss, which then also returns.

I state with full confidence: eating after 6 PM is not only permissible but essential!

The fact is, if the body goes hungry for more than 10 hours—which it will, considering sleep—the body experiences significant food stress. It activates all protective mechanisms to conserve energy: it slows metabolism and conserves every gram of fat. Furthermore, it even manages to store strategic fat reserves for a "hunger war."

As a result, the next day following such "starvation," you're more likely to go "into surplus" rather than lose weight. This is a typical trap for those trying to lose weight. Don’t fall into it!

What You Can and Cannot Eat in the Evening

So, remember once and for all: eating after 6 PM is not only allowed but necessary, as long as you choose the right "evening" foods.

You can confidently eat in the evening:

• Lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit),
• Lean fish (hake, pike perch, cod, pollock, burbot, etc.),
• Cottage cheese with 0 to 5% fat content,
• Vegetables, excluding potatoes, carrots, and beets,
• Low-fat kefir and ryazhenka (up to 2.5% fat),
• Unsweetened yogurt,
• Egg whites.

You should NOT eat in the evening:

• Sweets,
• Bread and other baked goods,
• Potatoes,
• Porridge, pasta, rice,
• Fruits.

What Is "Night Weight Loss"?

Also, in defense of evening meals, let me tell you about a phenomenon called night weight loss. Yes, yes, don’t be surprised, but we can also lose weight at night, and under the right conditions, quite effectively.

The essence lies in the production of growth hormone, or somatotropin, in the pituitary gland, for which the following is necessary:

1. Intake of amino acids,
2. The absence of a large intake of carbohydrates,
3. Good sleep,
4. B vitamins, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc.

During sleep, all vital processes under the influence of this hormone will use 1 kcal more (per kg of weight). Thus, over a month of "proper sleep," you can lose about three kilograms more. Pretty great, right?!

However, a lack of amino acids (the essential building blocks of protein), insufficient vitamins, an excess of carbohydrates, and limited sleep will halt the production of this hormone. It’s worth noting that somatotropin is synthesized from 11 PM to 2 AM. So don’t miss the moment!

Additionally, a large carbohydrate dinner will prevent this beneficial hormone from synthesizing. Because in response to an excess of carbohydrates, the pituitary gland receives a signal that energy for all the processes happening in the body overnight has already arrived, so there’s no need to break down fat reserves, rendering somatotropin unnecessary. Thus, there’s no night weight loss.

When Is It Better to Have Dinner?

It is best to have dinner three hours before sleep. You can confidently eat a couple of egg whites (a source of necessary amino acids) with a cucumber just before going to bed, which will help stimulate the synthesis of the "night weight loss hormone."

So, enjoy your evening meals, but do so wisely! I hope my article proves useful to you.