Yes, You Can Eat Right Before Bed And Still Lose Weight--Just Stick To These Foods

Yes, You Can Eat Right Before Bed And Still Lose Weight--Just Stick To These Foods

By Kurtis Bright

Some Great Bedtime Snacks That Actually Help You Lose Weight

Do you know what a typical sumo wrester’s training regimen consists of? They may look like oversized, pudgy infants, but in reality they train to be incredibly strong.

What you really won’t believe is their diet: do a quick image search, it will blow your mind. Massive cauldrons of stew, endless plates of meat, fish, rice, and dozens of egg rolls--no matter how hungry you are, it is enough to make you slightly ill to contemplate.

And traditionally, these already huge men would typically lie down for a nap after a meal like this, working off the theory that as the metabolism slows down to sleep mode, the body will retain as much of that weight as it can, a desirable outcome if your job is to be heavy and solid enough to push another giant man out of the wrestling ring.

Which is pretty much standard thinking in all diet programs: try not to eat too soon before bed. Some intermittent fasting schemes suggest you forgo food for six to eight hours before bed.

But despite the wisdom of the sumo, there are actually some foods that are good to eat before going to bed, foods that will actually help you lose weight. Here’s a sample tray:

• Cheese - Cheese comes loaded with protein and healthy fats, delivering a filling, satiating punch without overloading you with too many calories. The fact that cheese contains tryptophan will also help you toddle off to dreamland more readily.
• Greek yogurt - A modest serving of unsweetened Greek yogurt (if not unsweetened, at least go with unflavored; they use way too much sugar in the flavored ones) packs in plenty of protein at a relatively low caloric trade-off, usually only about 100 to 150 calories depending on the brand and how much sweetener is used. Add a sliced banana or some pineapple or berries for a tasty, healthy snack. Yogurt can also help with indigestion or heartburn, helping you sleep easier.
• White-meat turkey - Hello, Mr. Tryptophan! Turkey is also low in fat and full of high-quality protein, so even a couple of slices will leave you satisfied and sleepy.
• An apple with peanut butter - Apples are a surprisingly dense food that is rich in fiber and not too high in calories. Ad a spoonful of peanut butter with its protein-rich nutritional profile, and you’ve got a healthy snack that will leave you satisfied and feeling full without weighing you down like a sumo.
• Carrots - Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack is an amazing diet food that you can eat practically as much as you want virtually anytime. Try this: weigh out a handful of carrot sticks on a kitchen scale. Now add a few more. And a few more. Now check a diet app to see how many calories that is costing you--you will be floored at your mound of carrots only coming in at double digits in the calorie count. And you will also be floored by how full this fiber-rich food leaves you feeling.
• Bananas - A banana weights in at a modest 100 calories, and they also contain satiating fiber and sleep-inducing tryptophan--not to mention much-needed potassium. And for us lazy, busy types, the fact that they are self-contained is a big plus too: no dishes to do!

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