In the old days, food wasn’t plenty. Families had to grow their own crops, raise their own food, and sped hours in the kitchen. As punishment, kids “went to bed hungry” if they were in trouble. This was carried through the depression era and even up through the 1960’s. However, it’s more rarely used in this day and age. Through my training, constant research, and personal trials, I have found that going to bed hungry actually helps you achieve results faster!
When I mention “hungry” this is a less dramatic version of the punishments that were used in the past. Going to bed hungry, means eating your dinner (mostly low carb dinners) and then not eating 3 hours before you go to sleep. For many this may seem difficult because they are used to eating dinner then “grazing” through the kitchen and pantry a couple hours later. After they’ve filled their bellies with high carb snacks, and desserts, they stumble to bed leaving their systems to digest the foods instead of burning fat as they sleep.
How hungry you are depends on how you eat during the day. If you want to make this fitness tip work for you, then you must eat your carbs during the day so that your diner is more of a small meal, not the grandiose ones we have been taught to eat through out the years. “Night eaters” are known to eat very small amounts for breakfast, a typical lunch and then a HUGE dinner. This huge dinner is usually followed by snacking before bed and a possible dessert somewhere along the lines.
Why Going to Bed Hungry is SO Important
Leptin is a hormone very few people know about. It’s a huge contributor to weight gain. It’s also the hormone that allows you to burn fat as you sleep! They’ve found that leptin levels are “healthier” in skinny individuals and low in those who have excess belly fat and tend to be overweight.
Night eaters experience lower levels of leptin both at night and during the day, lower levels of growth hormone, and higher levels of TSH. In general, insulin and glucose are elevated, and rates of depression are also higher.
In order to start re-balancing leptin levels so you can begin to burn fat correctly and lose weight. You have to eat low carb, or paleo meals at night. This will allow your leptin to kick in as you sleep. If you feel that you are getting too hungry try supplementing with Branch Chain Amino Acids before bed. 5 grams at night will help you control cravings.
To RECAP our Fitness Tips.
* Try to stop eating 3 hours before sleeping.
*Eat Low Carb at Night Meals
*Supplement With Branch Chain Amino Acids if you get overly hungry.
Try these fitness tips most of the days of the week. I feel that having one of two days when you don’t do this routine is ok, as long as you return to it quickly. Eating this way will help you to burn fat as you sleep and level out leptin levels. Once these begin to level out you will see a dramtic change in your body! If you love this article pass it along and spread the “fitness love” with others.
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