Are you a person who feels that skipping dinner could lead to weight loss? But it will actually not. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the three major meals of the day which should be consumed. If dinner is avoided in order to cut down calories then it might end up leading to unnecessary food cravings. Such cravings would end up in weight gain instead of weight loss. In order to achieve weight loss, mostly you should go with light dinners which are easily digestible such as salad or a bowl of dal chawal. Let’s tune in to find out whether skipping dinners will lead to weight loss.
Is it a good idea to skip dinner?
In order to lose weight, it’s important to create a calorie deficit. It is mostly said that one should eat fewer calories in that later part of the day. Heavy and balanced meals can be consumed during breakfast or lunch as we need to keep going. Eating less in later parts of the day doesn’t mean that dinner should be skipped. People have a belief that skipping dinner would slim down their waistline by cutting extra inches. Read also Low Calorie Dinner Recipes For Weight Loss
Dinner is counted as a major meal that supports weight loss. According to many nutritionists, main meals should not be skipped to lose weight. It also observed that many people replace main meals with just simple snacks or salads by thinking that they could down some calories. Some even end up not eating anything. This is actually not right and won’t end help you out in long run.
A person should learn to manage their hunger hormones rather than suppressing them. People suppress appetite by going with light salads and skipping main meals. Avoid that and tune with hunger hormones so appetite is maintained and healthy practice is carried for the rest of life.
Will skipping dinner supports weight loss?
According to a recent research study, skipping dinner might encourage towards gaining weight. In a nutrients study conducted in January 2021, it was found that those who regularly skipped dinner gained more weight. Dinner skippers were obese and had found higher in their BMI than those who do eat dinner. Both genders faced the same problem of weight gain in studies.
How skipping dinner causes weight gain?
People who skip dinner usually end up with late-night snacking’s which becomes the root cause of weight gain. They keep on nibbling food until they reach the bed. Amanda Nighbert who specializes in weight loss says that when dinner skippers load on snacks that lack nutrition in them. These snacks are low in fiber and protein and high in carbohydrates and sugars. Fibre and proteins are the key nutrients for weight loss. Such sugary snacks can fill the tummy and can crave to eat more and more.
Talking about the typical dinner menu usually consists of home-cooked meals which cover food groups required by the body. A dinner meal should be balanced and healthy which helps to avoid unnecessary cravings. When veggies and proteins are taken during dinner, it keeps a person full till late at night and helps to avoid other cravings at night. This avoids weight gain. Read Also Pre and Post Workout Meals: Time Your Nutrition
Ways to skip dinner for weight loss
Skipping dinner will help in weight loss if intermitted fasting is practiced than by following regular dinners. Intermitted fasting can work as a powerful weight loss tool and give many positive health results to common people as well as celebs. This type of fasting is known as circadian rhythm fasting which showcases our traditional eating patterns. Read also 7 Days Fruit Diet Plan For Weight Loss
In ancient times it was a practice to start meals when the sun rises up and end by eating when the sun sets down. This type of eating pattern supports weight loss and also helps to manage weight effectively. Even other positive health results such as low blood sugar levels and better sleep can be achieved with its practice.
Just like we demand rest after a tiring day, the same way our stomach also demands rest. Our body prefers to burn fat during the night which helps in weight loss. It’s advisable to consume meals 3 to 4 hours before bedtime so that the fat burn process can start. If we eat at the wrong time, especially during the night then higher levels of glucose are released in blood streams along with insulin.
Large meals practiced lately cause to release of glucose in the blood and also hinder our digestive system. As mentioned the bodies work to break down fats, when this glucose is released it works to break down glucose levels rather than by burning fat. The imbalances created in the body will affect sleep quality and affects energy levels also. Person experience low energy levels during the next day rather than being active. So, many health experts recommend wrapping meals at least 3 to 4 hours before the meals.
Contradictory study
Still, research is going on which indicates that skipping dinner could lead to weight loss. This is so in 2017 a study conducted in The Journal of Nutrition by over 50,000 people showed that people who took the longest breaks between meals reported lower BMI’S.
Best ways to manage calorie intake
Skipping dinners could either lead to weight gain or weight loss but the reason why you are skipping is actually important. If you opted for some heavy snacks then skipping dinner is a good idea in order to manage your calorie levels. This helps to prevent weight gain. If you are planning to skip dinner then plan your meals accordingly. This helps to distribute calories evenly throughout the day.
People who practice intermittent fasting usually skip dinners as they have to consume their required calories within the eating window. But intermittent fasting becomes more challenging to practice as the fasting window is prolonged. In order to keep yourself full go with healthy and filling snacks so that you don’t feel hungry during the fasting period. Intermittent fasting is not a specific diet but an eating pattern that is a lifestyle change. If you are planning to skip dinner then go for intermittent fasting which helps you with weight loss.
Weight loss tips to follow at dinner to lose weight
These tips will not only help you lose weight but will also teach you how to manage meals. It also helps you to establish a connection with food so that hunger is avoided to max levels.
1. Skipping meals is not a solution
If someone is trying to lose weight they should not avoid any of the meals. Meal skipping should not be their priority. As people believe that skipping dinners would lead to weight loss, it’s absolutely wrong. Skipping dinner will in fact make your body lethargic when you woke up in the morning. Many people prefer heavy breakfasts which account for maximum calories. This should be avoided and equally calorie distribution should be practiced. Read also 11 brown bread recipes for weight loss
2. Between meals
A snack is a must between lunch and dinner. If snacks are avoided then it will make up end more during dinners as your appetite is to the highest. A mini healthy snack will keep you full and helps to avoid loading on dinners.
3. Go light with dinners
Light meals are always preferable before bedtime. Heavy and fried foods hinder the digestion process and make it harder for the stomach to digest. When high-calorie dinners are taken it only leads to fat deposition and eventually weight gain. Light meals are easily digestible and aid in weight loss.
4. Food quantity
Avoid hoarding foods. Always balance your meals throughout the day so that you will learn to distribute meals. Even if intermittent fasting is practiced learn to avoid heavy meals and stay in balance. Read also Breakfast Foods for Burning Belly Fat
5. Food distractions
Avoid using social media or watching television during meals, especially dinners. This is because a person tends to eat more while using social media. It’s a good practice to enjoy silent meals in order to establish a connection between mind and body. This way fewer calories are taken and weight loss is also achieved.
Few light dinner ideas which help you with weight loss
- Traditional dal chawal
- Soft khichdi with curd
- Chickpeas salad with olive oil and veggies
- Quinoa one-pot meal
- Grilled chicken with veggies
- Smoked salmon with asparagus
- Baked taco shells with grilled tofu
The information provided here is for general reference purposes. It’s not expert advice. For more health and fitness ideas you can check out our Instagram handle @beautifulyoufit.
People have a myth that skipping dinner helps to reduce belly fat, which actually does not. According to a study published in the journal of Nutritional Biochemistry where research was conducted on mice showed that skipping dinner helped to actually increase belly fat.
Skipping a meal can slow down your metabolism which causes you to gain weight. A slow metabolism will also cause hurdles in weight loss too. The person’s body starts to increase the production of cortisol hormone which leaves us stressed and hungry at night. The body attends a survival mode when meals are skipped or we go log time avoiding meals.
