Adelle Davis, called the "first lady of nutrition" by many, advised people to "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Indeed, eating at night was long thought to contribute to weight gain, because we are less active at night. However, some more recent studies have contradicted that notion, saying that eating at night doesn't affect your weight. Although there is no firm consensus, following some basic principles can help keep your weight in check, even if you do like to sneak a late-night snack now and again.
Weight
The factors contributing to weight gain and loss are complex, but the main principle remains the same: you need to expend as many calories as you consume to keep your weight balanced. This is controlled by what and how much you eat, as well as exercise. One common problem is that many people eat larger meals or high-calorie junk food at night, which can easily contribute to exceeding your caloric expenditure.
Basic Metabolic Rate
Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to go through basic functional processes, such as cell growth and repair and hormone replacement. This number of calories needed when you are at rest is called the Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. So, even when you are sleeping, you are burning calories. According to the Mayo Clinic, your basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60 to 75 percent of the calories you burn every day.
Expert Opinions
Studies that have been done regarding late-night eating have had differing conclusions, but most experts suggest that late-night eating has little effect unless taken into account for total calories consumed. For example, a 2003 study on Rhesus monkeys by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that it made no difference in weight gain whether the monkeys ate at night or during the day. More recently, however, a 2009 study done on mice at Northwestern University suggested that the circadian rhythm -- our internal clock cycles that regulate our daily cycles of feeding, activity and sleep -- had an effect on weight. Mice who ate when they were supposed to be sleeping gained twice as much as mice who ate at their normal times for activity. The researchers did suggest that more studies needed to be done on humans to verify their conclusions, however.
Strategy
The best way to keep your weight under control is to monitor your calories expended and consumed. Writing them down in a journal will help keep you focused and aware on a daily basis regarding the choices you are making. If you have to eat at night, keep the meals smaller and avoid foods high in sugar and fat, or foods that have a lot of spices. They are hard to digest and can irritate your gastrointestinal tract, especially if you are prone to heartburn. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating your last meal at least two hours before you go to bed. Eating or drinking too much right before you go to bed can affect your sleep, and lack of sleep can throw off the hormones that control appetite, which can often lead to weight gain.
References
- University of Columbia; Eating at Night = Weight Gain: Myth or Fact?; January, 2009
- Science Daily; Scientists Dispel Late-Night Eating/Weight Gain Myth; 2006
- Mayo Clinic;10 Tips for Better Sleep; July 2009
- Mayo Clinic; Metabolism and Weight Loss -- How You Lose Calories; October, 2009
- Science Daily; That Late-Night Snack: Worse Than You Think; September, 2009
- Adelledavis.org
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