Middletown Personal Trainers Thoughts
on Midnight Snacking…Is It Good or Bad For You?
People often ask Middletown personal trainers if midnight snacking is
good or bad while hoping they get the go-ahead to eat in front of the
television. But late night snacking is on the list of major causes of
weight gain, because while you are sleeping the metabolism is at its
slowest rate. In addition, the midnight snacking usually involves foods
you should not be eating in the first place.
Regardless of your fitness level or health concerns, we are confident that our Uniquely Yours personal trainers can help you. We are an experienced, knowledgeable, and proven team dedicated to helping people just like you become fit and healthy. Contact a
Burlington personal trainer today for a free consult if you are ready to make your fitness goals a reality!
Your System at Rest
Everyone has a basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the amount of energy
used while at complete rest. Another way to look at it is the BMR is
the amount of calories you burn while sleeping. Your metabolism is
always working, but not at the same rate.
During the evening hours and while sleeping, your metabolism slows
down. You are not burning as many calories as you do during the day
while moving around. When you eat food late at night, you are adding
calories to your body that are not needed so they are stored.
Those midnight snacks cause your body to store nutrients in the form of
fat. The rule of thumb is to not eat food after 8PM at night and some
doctors recommend avoiding snacks after 6:30 PM or 7:00 PM. Middletown
personal trainers realize that sometimes it is not practical to eat
that early when you are balancing work and home responsibilities.
When your system is at rest there is no need for additional calories.
You can always keep in mind that losing weight comes down to a matter
of burning more calories than you consume. You don’t burn many calories
while sleeping so late night snack calories are excess calories that
lead to weight gain.
Middletown Personal Trainers Know That Good Eating Habits
Exclude Midnight Snacks
Eating after dinner while sitting in front of the television is
considered a bad eating habit. A habit is something you do without
conscious thought. If you are used to eating food late into the
evening, your stomach is conditioned to demand food and chances are you
will thoughtlessly reach for the snack food to satisfy the cravings.
Food is also used as a time filler and a comforter. After a hard day at
work it is satisfying to reward yourself with a big bowl of ice cream
covered with chocolate syrup. You will feel better if you instead
workout with Middletown personal trainers after a hard day.
But that is precisely another problem with late night snacking. Evening
snacks usually consist of foods with low or poor nutritional value.
They are normally foods like cake, cookies, ice cream, butter drenched
popcorn, or potato chips. In other words, you are eating unhealthy
high-calorie foods which can cause even more weight gain.
Eliminating the Cravings
If you are a late night or midnight snacker, you probably experience
cravings the same time each evening. To lose weight, avoid weight gain,
and/or decrease your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases, an
important step you can take is to eliminate the late night snacks.
If you find this to be very difficult to accomplish, a good beginning
is to substitute the high calorie nutritionally poor foods with healthy
snacks. You can also take up a hobby or do something which takes your
mind off food.
The goal should be to end the midnight snacking, and Middletown
personal trainers can help you find a way to stop. You will discover
you will sleep better and feel better. Instead of focusing on the late
night snack, you can make sure you eat a healthy breakfast when you
start your day.
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