¿Eating dinner after 8 in the afternoon makes you gain more weight? We ask ourselves this every time we look at the clock and realize that, once again, we are having dinner late. Is it true that eating dinner after 8 pm affects our weight? And we live with increasingly tight schedules, between work and personal commitments that often take us to dinner when it’s almost time to sleep. So what impact does dinner timing really have on our metabolism and weight gain?
– Read: The time at which you have to have dinner to lose weight, according to Harvard
To answer this question, we consulted the Dr. Paola Lastra, digestive system specialist at the Vithas Madrid Arturo Soria University Hospital and Vithas International. From the outset, it warns us that, indeed, the timing of meals, and particularly dinner, can influence the way our body processes and stores calories. “Metabolism is affected by the circadian rhythm, our internal clock, which marks when is the best time to consume and burn energy,” says the doctor. “That’s why eating dinner early, on a regular basis, can be beneficial for our metabolic health.”
When we eat dinner late, we disrupt the rhythm of hormones such as ghrelins, cortisol or growth hormone and this causes us to store more calories in the form of fat.
The role of the circadian rhythm in metabolism
The circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that regulates various functions, including metabolism and fat storage. According to Dr. Lastra, “the circadian rhythm influences the secretion of hormones such as ghrelins, which regulate hunger and satiety, and others like cortisol and growth hormonewhich help in energy production and metabolism.” Maintaining regular meal times helps synchronize this cycle, but eating late can disrupt this harmony and promote fat storage. “When we eat late, we disrupt the rhythm of these hormones, which can lead our body to store more calories as fat”says the expert.
© sannevloetEating dinner late affects sleep and weight
Not only dinner timing but also sleep are linked to weight gain. Eating late at night can hinder digestion and affect sleep quality. As the specialist reminds us, “when we have dinner, our digestive system gets going, releasing hormones and neurotransmitters that can interfere with deep sleep”. This type of interrupted sleep is not restful, which affects our energy level the next day. “Shallow sleep reduces our level of alertness and physical activity during the day, which reduces basal caloric expenditure and promotes weight gain”, he adds.
Furthermore, when dining late, the body you don’t have enough time to process calories before bedr, and unused nutrients are stored as fat. This is what the expert states: “If you eat dinner very late and with a lot of calories, the body does not consume them completely, which can lead to weight gain and problems with insulin resistance,” explains the doctor. In the long term, this practice can affect hunger hormones, increasing the chances of overeating the next day.
And, a few hours after ingestion, the blood sugar levels increasebut they are not consumed or consumed very little, since our body enters a phase of lower energy demanddue to the lower production of cortisol and growth hormone typical of the circadian rhythm. The calories not consumed They end up being stored in the form of glycogen and fat in the tissues (adipose, hepatic, vascular, etc.). This increase in fat deposits contributes to the appearance of a insulin resistance and the metabolic problems associated with being overweight (diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, liver disease due to fat deposits, etc.).
Eating dinner late also prevents our body from having enough time to process calories before going to sleep and unused nutrients are stored as fat.
Is dinner time or total daily calories more important?
Another frequently asked question is whether the time of dinner or the total amount of calories we consume per day is more relevant. In this sense, Dr. Lastra clarifies that although the total calories count for a lot, the moment we eat also influences the way our body uses or stores them. “He excess calories, regardless of the time, it can lead to overweight, but eating late can make the situation worse because, as we said, it affects metabolism and rest, two factors that help control weight.”
© Getty ImagesHow do cultural habits influence dinner times?
Cultural habits also play a role in the relationship between dinner time and body weight. In countries like Spain, it is common to dine late and accompany meals with sausages or alcoholic beverageswhich does not help metabolic health. However, as the doctor points out, “there are also very positive habitssuch as the consumption of legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and olive oil, which can counteract some negative effects of eating late”.
On the other hand, those who have irregular or night schedules should establish meal times as constant as possiblehey try sleep between 6 and 8 hours to maintain hormone balancel. “It is important that, even if you work at night, you avoid processed foods and rich in simple sugarsand maintain good hydration,” he advises. Although it is not always easy, Following these guidelines can help mitigate the effects of late dining.
Dinner has to be light, low in calories and easy to digest, for example, a chicken or fish breast, low-fat yogurt…
What to have for dinner to avoid digestion problems and gain weight?
Dr. Lastra recommends that dinner is light and low in calories to facilitate digestion and prevent weight gain. “A healthy option is to opt for lean foods such as chicken breast or fish, accompanied by vegetables or salads, and avoid high-calorie dressings,” he suggests. Additionally, avoid simple sugars at night to prevent glucose spikes that can affect insulin and fat storage. “A skimmed yogurt It is a simple and easy to digest option for before bed,” he adds.
In short,eating early helps not gain weight? The answer is very clear: dinner time, along with appropriate food choices, It can influence our health and weight control. Dr. Lastra sums it up by stating that “total calorie content is essential for weight control, but having an early and light dinner has positive effects on metabolism and sleep.” Ultimately, the key is to listen to our body and plan healthy dinners that do not interfere with our rest or hormonal balance.