Category: Healthy Eating

Can Eating Late Make You Gain Weight?

For years we have been teaching a calorie is a calorie no matter what time it is consumed. I mean it makes sense. It’s dark in your stomach. How does your body know what time it is? But, there is growing research now telling us that the body burns those calories differently at night than it does during the day.

Your body has a secret fat burning process at night!

The new thinking based on the research by Satchin Panda at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, is that the body burns some of the calories you eat for fuel during the day and the rest is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. At night, your body converts the glycogen into glucose and releases it into your bloodstream to keep your blood-sugar levels steady during this fasting period called sleep.

Once the glycogen is gone, your liver starts burning fat cells for energy.

Lose weight in your sleep!

The concept that we burn fat while we sleep is not new at all. But, this new research gives some merit to the theory that a midnight snack could interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat between the time you go to bed and the time you sit down to breakfast.

So what time should you stop eating? Late night snackers tend to eat an average of 248 calories more per day than those who go to bed earlier. Most of those calories are consumed after 8pm.

Depending on what you have had for dinner that night, you may actually be hungry right before bed time. Make sure you are eating a balanced meal with lost of veggies, whole grains, healthy oils, and protein in order to feel satisfied.

Don’t go to bed hungry!

If you really are hungry and not just craving or bored, then have a piece of fruit, a 1/2 serving of yoghurt, or 1 piece of whole wheat bread to tie you over until morning.

If you are a late night snacker, you may not be getting enough sleep. This can cause weight gain. If you work the night shift, your body will adjust. However, the new research tells us that trying to “fit in” to a day schedule on your off days could be throwing your body out of whack. If you are used to having your larger meals during a swing shift, experiment with keeping the portions small when you normally would have been sleeping. Regular meals and sleep patterns seems to be the key.

Start the day of with breakfast!

Research has proven that regular breakfast eaters weigh less. When you eat within an hour of waking up, you help jump start your metabolism! Read  How Eating Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight for more details about breakfast and weight loss.

What do you do if you ate late the night before? Based on Panda’s research you want to wait 12 hours between the evening meal and breakfast. If you ate a big dinner at 11pm, then eating closer to lunch may help you burn off that late meal.

Overall the “new thinking” is telling us something we already know. While I wouldn’t get too freaked out about the occasional late night meal, regular meals and regular sleep help you lose weight and maintain it permanently!

Has this helped you with this subject? Have a late night habit you want to discuss? Please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

 

The Truth About Trans Fats

Last week I talked about why low fat diets don’t work. Check it out if you didn’t get a chance to read it. In that article I mention avoiding trans fats entirely. It got me thinking that I should follow up with more information on why. So here you go!

According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fat is considered to be the worst type of fat by some doctors. Unlike other fats, trans fat (also called trans-fatty acids) raises your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your “good” (HDL) cholesterol.

Trans fats harm you in many ways:

  • It raises triglycerides, which in turn increases the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart attack, and heart disease.
  • It increases lipoprotein which promotes a buildup of plaque in your arteries.
  • It causes more inflammation which is how your body responds to injury. Trans fat appears to damage the cells lining blood vessels, leading to inflammation. This can cause a heart attack or stroTo simplify, they not only hurt your body’s ability to fight “bad” cholesterol; they create more of it! And, trans fats leave you at a higher risk for heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

What the heck is trans fat anyway?

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. This process is called hydrogenation. Doing this to the oil helps the food stay fresh longer, giving it a longer shelf life. Sound scary yet?

Foods that typically have trans fats are:

  • commercially baked goods like crackers, cookies, and cakes;
  • many fried foods such as doughnuts and french fries;
  • frozen foods and prepackaged box foods.

Small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in some meat and dairy products. However, it’s the trans fats in processed foods that are the most harmful and that you want to avoid.

Don’t be fooled by the ingredient label — know where trans fats are hiding!

Read the labels. This is where it gets tricky! In the United States, if a food has less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving, the food label is allowed to read 0 grams trans fat. It may seem small, but eat two servings and you have already exceeded your recommended daily limit!

To be safe, make sure you read the ingredients! Since zero doesn’t always mean zero — if the label says “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil — do not buy it. That’s code for trans fat!

This sounds a little weird, but “fully” or “completely” hydrogenated oil doesn’t have trans fat. If the label simply says “hydrogenated” then it may contain trans fat. My thought here is why take the chance? If it says “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated,” don’t buy it!

I know what you’re thinking — what about restaurants?

Good news! Many cities around the country are banning the use of trans fats in restaurants. In California the ban is statewide!

Many restaurants are responding to this health risk and switching the oil they use. Examples are Mc Donald’s, Burger King, The Cheesecake Factory, and Carl’s Jr. Use Google to find out if your city has banned trans fats. If not, check into the restaurants you frequent to make sure they have made the switch. A large serving of french fries in some restaurants can contain 5 grams or more of trans fats!

Don’t deprive yourself — but preserve your health!

I do not believe in deprivation when it comes to food. And, I believe in a balanced approach to a healthy diet, so I don’t normally call any food “bad.” However, when it comes to trans fats I can confidently say never eat them! You don’t have to eliminate the food! You just might need to find another brand or try making it yourself.

Please let me know if this has helped you understand the topic better; and ask away if you have any questions.  I love to hear from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

How to Lose Weight Without Feeling Deprived Or Hungry

Woman is Hungry Dieting

My friend wants to lose weight, so we were discussing weight loss the other day. She loves to cook and has a very healthy diet.  My friend believes it’s all about portion control.

Hang on! Here’s a trick you can use that goes way beyond portion control!

She’s right that reducing portion sizes can spur initial weight loss for many people. Or, at the very least stop the weight gain! However, after 20 plus years of helping people lose weight, I’ve learned that there’s more to it than portion control. For long term weight loss and management, you want to pay attention to portion sizes AND the calories in your food choices!

When you hear low calorie, you often think you have to give up on flavor or the foods that you really enjoy. Unless you frequent fast food chains on a daily basis, that is simply not true. The trick to losing weight without feeling deprived is substituting low-cal recipes for the original recipe.

Here are six yummy recipes you can convert to be lower in calories:

1) Buffalo Wings — 52 calories each. You have to eat a lot of wings to get full (maybe 10, so that would be 520 calories)! Buffalo Chicken Thighs from Cooking Light Magazine — 318 calories per two thighs.

2) Traditional recipe of Sesame Beef Stir-fry — 563 calories per serving. That doesn’t include the rice! Sesame Beef Stir-fry from Cooking Light Magazine — 230 calories per serving.

3) One plate at an Indian Buffet — 900 calories. Indian Spiced Chicken and Rice from Fitness Magazine — 376 calories per serving.

4) Homemade Macaroni & Cheese is a whopping 858 calories per serving! For some that’s half of their daily calories! Creamy Light Macaroni Cheese from Cooking Light Magazine — 390 calories per serving.

5) Traditional Pork Tacos — 419 calories per two tacos. Chipotle Pork Tacos from Cooking Light magazine — 299 calories per two tacos.

6) One battered large piece of cod — 556 calories. Never mind the fries! Crisp Crusted Fish Fillets via cooking light magazine — 291 calories per Serving. [minor changes to this section for consistency in formatting]

In most of these examples the caloric difference is major! Over time these extra calories add up for either weight loss or weight gain!

Wouldn’t you like a little dessert and still maintain your weight?

Maybe you are happy with your weight and just want to maintain. If that’s you, congratulations! Choosing the lower calorie meal allows you extras like dessert or a glass of wine without gaining a pound. If weight loss is your goal, the lower calorie meals will allow you wiggle room to splurge a little without sabotaging your efforts!

If you eat out often, try making the low cal version of your favorite dishes and bring the leftovers for lunch. By replacing traditional restaurant dishes with the lighter versions you are cutting down on the calories. Plus you will save time and money!

When eating out becomes less of the norm and more of a treat you are more likely to lose weight.

Can’t avoid eating out often? Here are some tips: 

  • Subscribe to a free calorie tracker like loseit and learn how many calories are in the typical restaurant meals you eat.
  • Look for the lower calorie meals on the menu and order them!
  • Choose fruit for snacks.
  • Substitute high calorie drinks with lighter fare (a glass of wine has less calories than a traditional margarita).
  • Save splurging for the weekly dinner with your spouse, friends, family, etc.

For more tips on how to eat out and still lose weight, go to my most recent article on this subject.  Here’s the link.

It is totally possible to lose weight without feeling deprived or hungry! Moderation in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “to lessen the intensity of.” Choosing lower calorie versions of your favorite meals and correct portion sizes fits this definition!

What secrets can you share that have helped you lower your daily calories? Is there anything specifically you would like to ask me? I love to hear from you! Please comment below!

Blessings!

Jennifer