The postulate that you can’t eat after six is ​​a fossil of our time. A myth that is worth destroying in your mind once and for all. Scientists have long proven: balanced diet before bed, like breakfast, has a positive effect on our well-being, health and, of course, physique. Nutritionists recommend eating protein and fiber in the afternoon, which help restore muscle tissue and normal operation Gastrointestinal tract, and also, if you play sports, the formation of a beautiful relief and acceleration of metabolism.

When you have a normal metabolism and there are no (or at least minimal) waste and toxins in your body, nothing will spoil your figure, and excess weight simply will not have anything to form from. I profess and preach this rule, which is firmly rooted in my lifestyle: always have dinner and only combine foods with each other. My last meal is 2 hours before bedtime - given my completely frantic and irregular working day, this best option in order to balance between the needs of my stomach and my figure.

So, what to eat at night to lose weight? Or at least not getting better! Foods for weight loss that are in my diet:

Yogurt or Kefir

Natural yogurt prepared at home is an absolutely harmless “night” product for your figure. You can safely eat it at night and not worry about extra pounds! Packed with protein, yogurt repairs and strengthens muscles, especially after a workout. This was also written about in the report in scientific publication American Journal of Physiology: Eating protein before bed stimulates protein synthesis at night and helps “grow” beautiful and, most importantly, strong muscles. In addition, lean protein is the key to weight loss, since during its processing, the body spends a significant portion of calories, which means it burns fat and “gets slimmer.”

Before going to bed, I feel free to eat not only yogurt, but I can also drink a glass of refreshing kefir (with herbs, for example). Kefir is another weight loss product that you can eat at night. Kefir is the key to the health of your intestines and the source of the “right” bacteria that contribute to it. This one is fermented fermented milk product rich in probiotics that counteract gas formation, as well as tryptophan - an alpha amino acid that promotes sleep soundly and fat burning.

Bird

To lose weight, you can eat not only liquid food at night, but also meat! Poultry, turkey or chicken, is the best way to fill you up the body's lungs and thus the “correct” dietary protein, thanks to which you can lose weight. Turkey (in reasonable quantities, of course), steamed or grilled, like kefir, contains tryptophan, which affects the quality of sleep, and the pure and easily digestible protein in this meat will restore and “build” impeccable muscle relief. How to eat turkey at night? Mmm, tasty and easy: boil, grill or steam turkey fillet, cool, cut into slices, put on crispy whole grain bread, add herbs and eat with appetite! The fiber in greens and bread will aid digestion, and the B vitamins will help absorb tryptophan.

Cottage cheese

Instead of breakfast, I eat cottage cheese in the afternoon - for dinner or even late dinner. This is a very useful product for weight loss and evening diet. Cottage cheese is rich in casein - a “slow” protein that saturates the body for a long time, helps burn fat and effectively restore muscles while you sleep. In addition, cottage cheese contains the same tryptophan, which promotes good sleep and falling asleep quickly.

Greens and green vegetables

If I come home late and realize that I have less than 2 hours left before bed, I... no, I don’t skip dinner, but simply prepare myself a salad of green vegetables and herbs with the addition of 50-100 g of cottage cheese or young cheese. A salad of cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, peppers, parsley, cilantro, arugula and other “greens” contains few calories, but a lot of fiber and a whole arsenal of vitamins! The protein part of the salad will make it more satisfying and satisfy your appetite + all the above bonuses for the figure of protein itself. In addition, greens are rich in antioxidants, and they are known to be responsible for our youth and beauty. By the way, fiber in vegetables contributes to long-term saturation and normalization of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as a good cleansing of the intestines! =) If you eat a lot of greens, you will have healthy glowing skin without acne and.

Whole grain bread

Whole grain products are an irreplaceable source of a whole complex of vitamins and elements, as well as the right “long” carbohydrates, oh yes, and fiber too. Recent studies have found that those who included whole grain cereals in their diet lost weight faster in the abdominal area than the group that ate polished cereals. For an evening snack or as an addition to the protein portion of dinner, I choose my favorite whole grain breads made from buckwheat, wheat, rice or corn. Delicious, easy and promotes fat burning! How? Whole grains contain magnesium, a mineral that regulates metabolism and helps normalize fat levels in the body.

Rennet cheese

Georgian or Bulgarian feta cheese, suluguni, Roquefort, German or Greek feta, mozzarella, Adyghe or its varieties with greens - these are all foods rich in the right protein, which I safely eat before bed in a moderate amount of no more than 100 g. Especially after a good workout! Rich in protein, amino acids like tryptophan and, of course, fat, such cheeses are complete and balanced product for a separate meal. You can add fiber to it in the form vegetable salad or bread and your dinner will be the most correct, healthy and “weight loss”. BUT! Remember that 100 g of rennet cheese can contain about 300 kcal: it must be consumed in portions. Check the calorie content of a particular type of cheese on the label or relevant resources on the Internet.

Apples and bananas

Yes, they say a banana is pure evil, all starch and sugar. BUT! If you haven’t had dinner and it’s too late for a global meal + you want to sleep well without a grumbling stomach, a banana is what you need for your evening meal. Why should it be included in weight loss products? Yes, if only because banana still contains tryptophan, which normalizes sleep, and fiber, which saturates the body. One banana contains approximately 100 kcal. This one is sweet and healthy fruit will satisfy your craving for forbidden sugar and products containing it. Try making a banana-based smoothie or just freezing it a little and then blending it with a blender - you will get really delicious ice cream!

Who among us doesn’t like to look in the refrigerator after 18:00? Often it all starts with the banal: “Should I have some tea?” And it ends with eating sausage sandwiches accompanied by profiteroles or a cake thickly spread with cream.

How damn pleasant are such evening moments... Especially when the whole day has gone awry. It's just that you have to pay for pleasure. By regularly eating light carbohydrates, you can also easily fill up your body fat.

But recently nutritionists declared carte blanche to eat food after 18:00! Experts believe that a strict diet is completely unnecessary. If you choose for the evening diet healthy products nutrition.

Those that improve sleep quality and do not move the arrow on the scale to the right. Let's figure out what you can eat at night without harming your figure?

Food for the night

Chicken breast

Stewed, baked, grilled, in a steamer or slow cooker - you can cook this meat however you like. But frying it in oil is not recommended. By the way, white meat of chicken and turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which calms and prepares you for future sleep better than any herbal tea.

sea ​​fish

In terms of absorption, this product will give poultry meat a head start. The body will need about three hours to digest fish, no more. Unlike freshwater inhabitants, marine inhabitants are rich in microelements that are necessary for the synthesis of skin proteins - collagen and elastane.

Yogurt at night

Live fermented milk product promotes fast digestion a hearty dinner. If a person goes to bed after a heavy meal, he gets up in the morning with a feeling of heaviness in his stomach. Taking yogurt at night significantly reduces the load on digestive system, because it activates intestinal motility and speeds up the process of food digestion.

Green vegetables

Lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, sprouts - all these products are low-calorie, but at the same time contain healthy fiber and water soluble vitamins. The latter are necessary for the formation of skin cells.

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a perfect food product that combines everything beneficial properties dairy products. High-quality cottage cheese provides the body with easily digestible protein, fats, vitamins, amino acids and minerals (calcium, potassium, phosphorus). It is useful for pregnant and lactating women, for young growing organisms, people with increased physical activity and the elderly.

Almond

Nuts are very high in calories and healthy, so they will absolutely help kill the night worm. It is important to restrain yourself and not eat too much. 10 almonds will not only help satisfy your hunger, but will also supply your body with B vitamins and magnesium.

Buckwheat

This low-calorie cereal is a valuable source of a lot of useful microelements. Of course, you don’t need to eat a bowl of porridge at night. Here's a couple of spoons boiled buckwheat with vegetables - just what you need!

Baked apple

If you want something sweet before bed, then instead of cakes and sweets, try eating a baked apple. Place it in the microwave for 3 minutes, sprinkle cinnamon on top and pour honey. Apples are high in vitamin C and fiber and low in calories.

pumpkin seeds

Valuable source of omega-3, polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are necessary for the synthesis of skin cells (in particular, their membranes - membranes). Sprinkle the seeds on salad, meat or add to cottage cheese dishes.

Lentils

A superfood for vegetarian dinners. After all, these legumes combine both proteins and carbohydrates. For dinner, it is better to choose black lentils. Plus, it cooks quickly - only 5 minutes.

Opinions on how many hours before bedtime you can eat in order not to gain weight overweight, divided. “Post-Soviet” nutritionists advocate a three-hour interval between dinner and bedtime. Women's magazines say that after six it is better not to try. Almost all bodybuilding and fitness sources insist that we have dinner with something like chicken breast with cucumber, or a pack of cottage cheese without any sweeteners. They say that this way fat will not be deposited, and we will lose excess weight faster. And Israeli scientists say that we can eat carbohydrates in our last meal and lose weight. How are things going in reality?

Carbohydrates at night and hormonal levels

Researchers from Herbew University in Jerusalem fed a group of people carbohydrate foods overnight. The test group in the study received a classic “fitness menu” of fish or breast and vegetables at night. At the same time, only the distribution of macronutrients during the day differed, but not their quantity.

Imagine the surprise of the scientists when, six months later, almost all participants in the experiment with a carbohydrate dinner showed a decrease in the percentage of fat. In addition, the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin came into balance, and the respondents’ sleep and quality of life improved.

The test group in the study also received a diet of 1500-1700 kcal, but the carbohydrates were evenly distributed throughout the day. The control group with carbohydrates at night had more stable glucose levels and no changes in appetite throughout the day. Consequently, the diet was well tolerated for them.

Insulin levels in the night eaters group were relatively stable throughout the day and did not provoke them to overeat.

Why do we overeat in the evening?

About a quarter of obese patients suffer from the so-called “night watch”. They wake up late at night from hunger and go straight to the refrigerator. Scientists have found that this behavior is not bad habit and not promiscuity. The culprit is “raging” hormones, namely cortisol and insulin. After a modest dinner of a piece of protein and a portion of vegetables, the level of the stress hormone cortisol increases sharply. This is what wakes up the unfortunate people and drives them to the refrigerator. Eating at night disrupts sleep mechanisms and contributes to fatigue nervous system, and does not allow full recovery after physical activity

“Food sleepwalking” does not contribute to weight loss, since a person consumes most of his calories in a semi-conscious state. It is clear that he will not overeat chicken breasts with cabbage, but something more interesting and high-calorie. However, many people don’t even remember evening snacks, and cannot understand why, with the “canonical” diet, excess weight only increases.

Obviously, the more we chew dry chicken breasts with cucumbers for dinner, the more we risk ending up in the group of “food lunatics.” Moreover, we should not adhere to popular advice - do not eat anything other than protein and vegetables after 16.00, or even abstain from food altogether all evening.

The ideal dinner, from the point of view of researchers, is:

• about 25 g of pure protein. This is how much we get, for example, from 130 g of boiled or grilled chicken breast;
• about 50-75 g carbohydrates. Think about something like 100g of boiled pasta or buckwheat, you can also eat legumes, wholemeal bread, brown rice or even pita bread;
• about 15-20 g fat. A salad with a spoon of vegetable oil or slices of avocado will complement evening reception food

Don't like counting macronutrients? Take a simple 20 cm dinner plate. Divide it in half, fill half with vegetables. Let them be stewed vegetables With vegetable oil or any salad. Next, place a piece of grilled meat or poultry on a quarter of the plate, and take another quarter with cereal porridge or durum wheat pasta. Do not add fatty cheese or sour cream sauces, and you will get almost the same set of macronutrients as in the scheme.

You can drink water or herbal tea with dinner, but it is better not to drink stimulating drinks and alcohol at dinner. The amount of drinking should be moderate; if the calorie intake of food is adequate (about 400-500 kcal), there is no point in “washing down hunger.”

Obviously, this is a fairly large and “heavy” meal that we cannot digest in a couple of hours. It is recommended to eat this dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime so that hormonal system“calmed down” and the sleep was deep and calm. Eat regularly and correctly, do not forget about physical activity, and you are sure to achieve all your fitness goals.

Can you eat carbohydrates after a workout? What to eat before and after training for weight loss

“Night glutton” is a terrible enemy of almost everyone who tries to adhere to healthy image nutrition. He doesn't let you fall asleep and drives you to the refrigerator in dark time days. Alas, it is difficult to resist him, for many it is impossible. But you can give in and eat something not very harmful.

By the evening, food is processed in the body much worse than in the first half of the day, since all processes in our body slow down and it prepares for sleep. And you go there - a cutlet, fatty, sizzling. What a gift! And it will not be digested properly and will settle almost entirely on the thighs.

But jokes are jokes, and in the evenings people also want to eat. And if you come home around 10 pm, after a busy day, then how can you not eat here. Of course, we need to have dinner. But not every dinner will be good shortly before going to bed.

There are several rules: firstly, dinner should not be the main meal of the day. If you can’t have a normal lunch, then shift the focus to breakfast. And dinner should be as light as possible, but at the same time noticeable.

Secondly, it is advisable to wait a little after eating and not immediately fall into bed. And third, consider avoiding eating close to bedtime. Best time for dinner - 3-4 hours before bedtime, and one hour before - you can drink a glass of kefir or milk.

But remember that abruptly tearing yourself away from the refrigerator is not an option. You'll still fail. You can make your dinner as light and healthy as possible. To do this, our 9 late-night snack ideas will come in handy.

What you can eat before bed:

1. Sandwich

But not plain, but on wholemeal crackers. Such a snack will not only satisfy your hunger, but will not affect your figure.

2. Kefir

Drink kefir. Not only does it aid digestion, but it is also a source of protein and calcium and is sugar-free.

3. Porridge

Cook yourself some porridge. If you think that it is only good in the morning, then you are mistaken. Just remember that the cereal should be whole grain and the milk should be low-fat. Milk also contains substances that help you fall asleep.

4. Baked apple

If you want something sweet before bed, then instead of cakes and sweets, try eating a baked apple. Place it in the microwave for 3 minutes, sprinkle cinnamon on top and pour honey. Apples are high in vitamin C and fiber and low in calories.

5. Turkey meat

Another way to eat and sleep peacefully is baked turkey meat. Make a turkey sandwich using fiber-rich wheat crackers as a base.

6. Frozen juice or fruit

If you really want ice cream, we recommend freezing the juice in a mold in advance. This way you get a fruity, refreshing dessert, but without the sugar and fat. Another alternative to ice cream is frozen bananas, which can be dipped in yogurt before freezing. They are lower in calories, and the potassium they contain is an excellent sleep aid.

7. Almonds

Nuts are very high in calories and healthy, so they will absolutely help kill the night worm. Here it is important to restrain yourself from eating too much. 10 almonds will not only satisfy your hunger, but will also supply your body with B vitamins and magnesium.

8. Coconut milk with strawberries

Coconut milk is an excellent source of calcium, protein, iron, vitamins E and C, as well as… nicotinic acid- yes, yes! After all, the first sign of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease is precisely its deficiency! Well, everyone knows the beneficial properties of strawberries: they also contain vitamin C, folic acid and magnesium, and plus everything, it is low in calories.

9. Soy products

Do you want to munch on some chips? Take soybeans. They are also salty and crispy, but they have much less fat and calories than potato ones.

Regular stressful shocks and long working hours lead to the fact that many people postpone dinner at night, which subsequently leads to the fact that a person can gain weight. Being at home in the evening, most people now and then have time to look into the refrigerator in search of tasty food.

The question arises, what is allowed to be eaten at night and does it cause harm to the body?

Is it possible to eat at night?

There is a certain group of foods that are allowed to be consumed before bed.

It has the following properties:

• Speeds up metabolism
• Burns fat deposits
• Reduces weight
• Lose weight even with minimal physical activity
• Helps reduce weight in cardiovascular diseases

Why can't you eat sweets at night?

During sleep, the pancreas works at full capacity to synthesize the largest amount of insulin.

During the night, the human body produces exactly the amount of glucose that is necessary to quickly and efficiently obtain energy in the morning.

Unused sugar residues are deposited in the form of subcutaneous fat. For this reason, nutrition experts do not recommend eating sweet and flour confectionery products at night.

Consequences of eating at night

Food eaten at night does not leave its mark on the body.

Regular snacking before bed may cause the following problems and diseases:

• premature aging;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes mellitus;
• obesity;
• osteochondrosis;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• nervous disorders - apathy, depression, irritability;
• gallstones;
• digestive system dysfunction;
• sleep disorders.

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What can you eat at night without harm?

In order for the foods eaten at night to bring exceptional benefits to the body, you need to know which of them can be used to satisfy hunger before bed.

Products:

How many calories can you eat at night?

The caloric content of food eaten at night should not exceed more than 500 Kcal, You are additionally allowed to eat 2 fruits or a small handful of prunes (dried apricots). To satisfy your hunger in the evening, it is better to use protein foods.

Causes of night hunger

Experts identify several common reasons for the regular feeling of hunger before bed. Let's look at them in more detail.

Gastrointestinal diseases

A common reason for late-night eating is considered to be improper work. digestive tract, namely the production of gastric juice.

As a rule, this violation normal in people whose work takes place at night.

The juice produced by the stomach in excessive quantities causes discomfort (in some cases a burning sensation), which signals the brain about a “false” feeling of hunger. Eating food at night means drowning out discomfort. But at the same time, the body does not rest, but tries to digest the amount of food received during non-working hours.

Thus, a person aggravates the problem, which subsequently leads to the development of more serious illnesses such as gastritis and ulcers.

Stressful conditions

When any stressful condition occurs, the body receives nervous exhaustion and emotional fatigue.

At the same time, a person’s self-preservation system is triggered to temporarily increase the body’s functional capabilities for salvation.

Regular manifestation of stress, depression and apathetic states activate this system and increase the synthesis of the hormone cortisol, which causes the body to seek and store energy.

Chronic stress reduces protective functions body, increasing the risk of infectious diseases.

Subject to availability nervous state And constant feeling hunger, it is necessary to reevaluate life, taking measures to calm it down.

Malnutrition during the day

The main and common reason for the presence of night hunger is due to the lack of correct mode day and nutrition.

The human body adapts to the resulting conditions, which are reflected in work biological clock and endocrine system.

Subject to proper nutrition and a person’s daily routine, after 6 pm the hormone melatonin begins to be produced, which is responsible for normalizing sleep. And the hormone leptin, synthesized in daytime, makes you want to eat delicious food.

If the daily routine is disrupted, the production of hormones also changes, therefore, a person has no appetite during the day, and begins to awaken closer to night.

How to protect yourself from night trips to the kitchen?

We suggest you familiarize yourself with a few tips on how to avoid going to the refrigerator at night:

Before going to bed, be sure to take a walk fresh air, after which you are allowed to drink a sedative herbal infusion or warm milk with honey.

What can a pregnant woman eat at night?

Nutrition during pregnancy should be balanced and correct. This is required for normal development child.

• Raw quail eggs;
• Meat products - pork, beef or veal;
• Cereals - rice, buckwheat;
• Dairy products - cheese, cottage cheese, kefir;
• Drinks: Protein shake 30 minutes after an intense workout.

Prohibited foods for people actively involved in sports:

• pasta;
• sausages;
• alcoholic and carbonated drinks;
• black and green tea, coffee, cold drinks, cocoa;
• dried fruits;
• sweets;
• fruits.

Having finished training, the body is in an excited state, therefore, additional toning will harm:

• will increase blood pressure;
• will have a destructive effect on muscle tissue;
• worsen the psycho-emotional state.

For a person who regularly visits the gym at least 3 times every 7 days, the calorie content of dinner should not exceed 500 Kcal, when building muscle mass- 800 Kcal, and for weight loss - 300 Kcal.

Recommendations from experts! For effective training and without harm to health, it is recommended to eat food with high content carbohydrates - muesli, oatmeal, natural yogurt, unsweetened fruit.

You shouldn’t put too much strain on your digestive system, the main thing is to have a little snack.

In order not to be tormented by the question: “What to eat at night to lose weight?”, it is important to monitor your lifestyle, quality and diet, move more and walk in the fresh air more often. And if you feel a little hungry, use approved foods. In this case, there will be no harm to the body if the portion of food is small.