Nutrient and Food Timing

There’s a reason that people have always been told that breakfast is the most important meal of day. When you wake up in the morning, your body has gone hours without food and is in need of nutrients. Therefore it will happily accept a large amount of calories and it will not store them as fat. This all goes back thousands of years ago when food was obtained on a daily basis through hunting and gathering. Our bodies are programmed to use calories we consume in the beginning of the day for energy and to store calories at night, as fat, in order to survive. Let me put to rest the idea that eating late at night causes weight gain because it doesn’t. The truth is that an excess amount of calories causes weight gain reguardless of the time of day they are consumed. However, there are certain times of the day that I believe certain types of food should be consumed.

More calories are burned earlier in the day than later at night because our metabolisms are running at a higher rate in anticipation of being active all day. At the opposite end of the spectrum is night when our metabolisms have slowed down because they know we will be sleeping soon ( this is where the myth about eating at night came from.) Now this doesn’t mean we can't eat at night, but there are certain foods that I chose to stay away from to stay a little thinner.

Carbohydrates are the bodys main source of energy and any carbs ( as well as calories) that are not used for energy are stored as fat. Because the metabolism is slower at night it is harder to burn off carbs - therefore I chose to stay away from carbs after 6 pm. Foods I chose to eat after this time are vegetables, proteins, and fats. Calories form protein and fat are used for more than just energy like carbs. They are used to repair muscle and for hormone regulation which is why I chose to eat only those later at night.

Eating big meals for breakfast and lunch as well as a medium sized meal at 3-4:00 and another at 6-7:00 has kept me full throughout the day and also thin. To be exact, I eat 550 calories for breakfast ( 300 from carbs) 550-650 calories for lunch ( 300 from carbs) 450 at 3-4:00 (200 from carbs) 450 at 6-7:00 ( 80 from carbs ) and 160 at 10-11:00 ( all from protein).

In my opinion it is in most people's best interest to eat more earlier in the day because more of those calories are naturally burned.

Tip- eat a big breakfast and big lunch and follow them with 2 smaller meals or a big dinner but go light on the carbs. And feel free to have a midnight snack that’s full of protein (like cottage cheese or any meat). I'll say it again.... Eating at night doesn’t cause weight gain. Eating too many calories causes weight gain no matter the time of day.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.