Who can scientifically explain to me why eating before bed gains you weight?

Question

Also, why is it important to eat steadily throughout the day, versus meals?

Likewise, why is it important to eat breakfast?

Answer 1

There is a belief that anything ate right before going to be will be turned straight to fat. Not exactly true. Your body is using a lot less energy when you sleep to help you move around and do lifting and such, but a lot of work is being done by the body to heal muscles and such. You do use energy when you sleep. The food in your stomach has no way of knowing if you are awake and your digestive system does not know either. Your body will get the energy from the food and use it however. If you do not need the energy right then, then your body will store it as fat (maybe glycogen). What does matter is the overall gain/loss of calories during the day. If you are using more calories then you are gaining then you will lose weight. Plain and simple.

Now, another side to consider. Lets say that you like having a snack before you go to bed. You had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a few small snacks during the day. You are adding one extra snack at bedtime. You could probably cut out the snack and that will eliminate some of your calories you eat in a day. That way you are gaining a few less calories.

Answer 2

Well to start out it makes you gain weight if you eat before bed because your system starts slowing down and it doesnt burn calories as fast at night.

It is important to eat steadily like 6 small meals a day rather than just 3 big meals because it increases your metabolism and makes you less hungry throughout the day.

Also eating breakfast in the morning is important because it gets your brain going it kick starts your metabolism and in most cases you havent eaten for a while so you need some food in your body.

Answer 3

All your questions have to do with metabolism..the rate at which food is burned to energy for bodily functions.

It is said that your metabolism starts to slow down after 7pm. The rate at which food is burned to energy slows down, so it will be stored as fat = gain weight if you do it on a regular basis.

It is important to eat 6-8small meals a day, 2 1/2 hours apart in order to keep your metabolism running efficiently. This way...calories will constantly be burned. If you wait more than 3 hours, metabolism starts to slow down. Basically, you always want to keep it running. And another reason why people stay away from 3 meals a day is b/c they're usually very large. So after 5 hours after your last meal, you will overwhelm your metabolism with all the food out of no where. Metabolism won't be able to keep up..kinda like overload.

It is important to eat breakfast b/c it kickstarts your metabolism in the morning. Also b/c you have been fasting for many hours, and if you don't eat till noon, your body will most likely turn to muscle for energy.

Answer 4

If you eat before bed your metabolism is slowing down and you are less active, so more calories are absorbed instead of burned. It is important to eat breakfast to regain the energy lost during sleep and not be too tired during the day. Eating healthy throughout the day will help keep you energized and maintain nutrient levels needed for the rest of the day.

Answer 5

you are less active at night therefore burn less calories. morning people are usually more active so having a good breakfast is important.

read tips on healthier eating and exercise programs to help you on this site

Answer 6

It's total caloric intake that matters. When you eat those calories is immaterial. This is an old wives' tale, but eating just before bed can aggravate heartburn.