I Dare You To Go To Bed Hungry

One of my biggest downfalls over the years has been late night snacking. I am a night owl and when I am up late I get the munchies! If I added up the extra calories I have eaten after 9 p.m. I am sure it would be surprising.

The best time to be hungry is when you are sleeping because you don't realize you are hungry.

A recent study published in the journal Obesity found that mice that were fed a high-fat diet during the time they'd normally eat gained 20 percent in weight over six weeks. But mice fed the same high-fat diet during hours they should have been sleeping put on 48 percent compared to the weight they started with.

"How or why a person gains weight is very complicated, but it clearly is not just calories in and calories out," said study leader Fred Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern University. "We think some factors are under circadian control. Better timing of meals, which would require a change in behavior, could be a critical element in slowing the ever-increasing incidence of obesity.

It is thought that our body clocks could control the release of appetite hormones. This means that making an effort to eat earlier in the day could be pivotal to weight loss.

Make a goal to not eat after 8 or 9 p.m. every night. When I was young my mom used to announce that after 9 p.m. "the kitchen was closed." If you stay up late and begin to get hungry, don't worry - you won't starve in your sleep.

I Dare You To Go To Bed Hungry!

Written by Dr. Dan Davidson, founder and director of the Back Resort & Rejuvenation Health Center - and creator of the FitStronger.com and DietStronger.com programs.