Everything You've Heard About Bedtime Snacking Is Wrong.

One of the key first steps I ask my clients to take is incorporating a small, healthy and reasonable bedtime snack. Why? To boost their metabolism! I know you are thinking, but bedtime snacks make you fat.  Or: Don't eat past 8 pm.

Why are you thinking that? Because this is the information you have been fed by the diet industry. It is true choosing the wrong bedtime snack (ie icecream, cheesecake, or a slice of bread) may have negative effects on your waist-line, however choosing the right foods can lead to a metabolism slowly burning through the night. 

In a Florida State University study, fit college-age men who consumed a 150-calorie carb- and protein-rich shake 30 to 60 minutes before bed increased their metabolisms. When researchers did the same experiment with young obese women, they saw improvements in blood pressure and metabolic function. With the men, they found it didn't even matter what the men were eating, they had increased metabolic function. 

Why does increased metabolic function provide a benefit? If your metabolism is burning more calories it will be easier to capitalize on this for weight loss. Now, it didn't matter what these young, active men ate at night, they still had quicker burning metabolisms, you won't find me telling my clients to eat ANYTHING. Partly why the diet industry stressed no food late in the evening, is this is when people tend to reach for more caloric, fattier, more craving-driven choices that do not aid an individual in weight loss efforts.

Ready for some free tips? It's better NOT to choose fruit as a dessert right before bed. If you like fruit after dinner, eat it right after dinner (or with dinner). It is better to choose a mixture of a complex carb and protein. And it's best to eat this meal 2-3 hours after dinner but before bed. Examples of late night snacks I recommend to my patients:

• Hardboiled egg and half a slice of whole wheat toast

• One brown rice cake with 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter (with no added sugar)
• Low fat greek yogurt (plain) with 1 tbsp granola
• Simply a handful of nuts
• Hummus and carrots
• 2 low fat string cheeses

I know for some this seems counter intuitive, however the metabolic benefits yielded from a portion of protein and some good carbohydrates being burned as fuel while you sleep provides you with an engine that is still slowly burning when you wake up.

This is part of why my clients have such success with weight loss. We are turning the diet world upside down. My clients are eating more than they were before and losing weight while not feeling hungry. It does take discipline to make the right choice of food right before bed, and I admit it isn't the sexiest thing to grab a handful of peanuts as you march towards your room, however you will feel better as your body changes as it takes advantage of your new metabolic rate.