Does Skipping Dinner Help You Lose Weight?
Many people choose to skip dinner when they are trying to lose weight. The answer that if skipping dinner to lose weight is true, it is a bit complicated, since everything will depend on what you eat or if you do not eat anything, if you have eaten before or not and how often this happens.
Although it is not necessary to have a large meal, dinner can provide us with the last nutrients of the day, thus shortening the period of overnight fasting. Also, as we already know, the more hours we spend fasting, the greater the feeling of hunger at the next meal.
However, if we do not skip dinner but have a nutritious and healthy snack, the difference between having dinner and not doing it will not be very marked. Of course, the foods that we consume at dinner are not usually those that we can eat during the afternoon, in the afternoon snack. So if you prefer this option, make sure that the snack is healthy food.
Instead of skipping dinner, it is better to eat as soon as possible …
Media such as The New York Times have called our attention to our habit of dining after 10 at night. Despite the fact that the debate on the time change in our country is a current issue, we have not decided to take the definitive step that synchronizes our working hours with the logical rhythm of the planet.
Dining late is one of the main reasons that make us gain kilos. The results of studies by Spanish researchers and published in the International Journal of Obesity , confirmed the benefits of advancing the timing of meals.
Other results have also been published that supported this theory but in an exaggerated way. The work was carried out at the University of Louisiana and proposes to reduce all daily food intakes to a margin of six hours, even anticipating dinner time until before two in the afternoon, which practically implies skipping dinner.
Tips to lose weight without skipping dinner
There is no specific quorum when determining the perfect dinner to lose weight because it all depends on the tastes and willpower of each one when making one or another ingestion.
What is a common denominator is that when choosing, better proteins and vegetables, better fish than meats, and vegetables and fruits in their boiled and hypocaloric version to sleep.
Salads are not always a good option
Many salads contain so many ingredients that they are a calorie bomb. Sometimes a steak garnished with vegetables is better than a salad with salsa or other unhealthy seasonings.
Regarding healthy foods in a salad, it is advised that they include:
- Lean protein.
- Unsaturated fats such as olive oil or nuts, but without excesses.
- Seasonal vegetables.
Keep in mind that a good serving of protein has been shown to promote healthy lean mass and help achieve a better body composition.
Be careful with ” light” products
The consumption of light or “low-calorie” products is becoming more and more fashionable . However, professionals point out that these products or the menus that include them are not designed by nutritionists. Therefore, their daily consumption is not a guarantee that they are the best option to lose weight.
Habits matter more than dinner itself
If you are trying to lose weight, the first thing you should do is establish some dietary guidelines to cover both caloric and nutritional needs. This is evidenced by a study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition . It is recommended that you try to advance the time of meals, and with this, dinner time is included.
It is not always good for the body to stop eating. Try to eat 5 meals throughout the day, distributing the nutrients appropriately. If you intend to establish an intermittent fasting protocol, consult a professional first to guide it correctly.
Skipping dinner may not always be a good option
If you start skipping meals, when you lose weight and return to your normal eating habits, you will quickly gain weight again. And finally, do not forget to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, it is the key to losing weight.
