How to Eat After 6 p.m. to Help Lose Weight

How to Eat After 6 p.m. to Help Lose Weight

Overview

Eating too late prior to bed can have a significant impact on your body's metabolism. Consuming too much food or the wrong kind of foods just before you go to sleep can cause your body to store fat. This is not good if your goal is to lose fat weight. During sleep, your body primarily burns fat for energy and uses protein to repair and build muscle. In order to lose weight, plan your meals appropriately to maximize fat-burning.

Follow a Weight-Loss Meal Plan

Step 1

Eat five to seven small meals daily. Eat every two to three hours. Plan your meals so that your first one occurs within an hour upon waking and your last one falls after 6 p.m. This will help to control your portion sizes, keep your appetite in check and make your metabolism high throughout the day.

Step 2

Eat the right carbohydrates. Consume whole-grains, fruits and vegetables to keep weight loss steady. Low-glycemic carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta or bread, brown rice and sweet potatoes are carbohydrates to include in your diet. Carbohydrates that are high in sugar may keep you up at night and are best consumed before 6 p.m.

Step 3

Eat casein protein. It's found in products like cottage cheese. Casein is perfect for your last meal after 6 p.m., because unlike whey protein, casein protein is slow-digesting. In casein protein, there is a gradual release of amino acids that can last for up to seven hours, which is ideal for prevention of protein breakdown, according to John Berardi of Bodybuilding.com.

Step 4

Consume your last meal two hours before bedtime. This will allow your food to digest. If you normally go to bed at 9 p.m. your last meal should be consumed by 7 p.m. However, if your normal bed time is not until 11 p.m., then your last meal of the day should be no later than 9 p.m.

Step 5

End your day with lean protein and whole-grain carbohydrates. Protein sources should come from lean poultry or beef, fish, eggs or egg whites, whey or casein protein powders or low-fat dairy products. When you pair protein foods containing the amino acid tryptophan with carbohydrates, it helps calm the brain and allows you to sleep better, according to the Help Guide.

source : livestrong.com