It is often thought that it is enough to eat balanced and play sports to lose weight. Except that in reality, small details can make the difference on a daily basis and sabotage our goals. This is the case with this bad habit, deciphered by our dietitian-nutritionist, Alexandra Murcier.
Snack after dinner: a reflex to banish
After a hearty or even balanced dinner, many of us want to finish the meal by “A sweet note “. Popcorns, chocolate cookies or vanilla ice cream are then welcome on the sofa. However, this very commonplace reflex is not without consequences for your health … and your line.
“”At night, insulin sensitivity decreases, which makes the body less effective to manage carbohydrates “confirms Alexandra Murcier. “”The storage of fats is favored at night compared to the day. Studies highlight also that dinner too late or at night involve weight gain, with equal calorie intake “she continues.
Conclusion ? It is strongly advised to distinguish the feeling of hunger from the simple desire to eat. “”Hunger is a physical feeling, the desire to eat is more emotional “recalls the expert.
“Thus, if you are hungry two hours after dinner, you have to rebalance the meal, because it is potentially too light, and may not contain enough proteins that create satiety, or not enough carbohydrates, which bring energy in the long term, or not enough fibers, which creates reaction hypoglycemia”, says Alexandra Murcier.
What if we crack to “compensate” our emotions?
Sadness, stress, anger, loneliness, frustration … When we do not know how to express or welcome what we feel, our body and our brain are looking for a way out. And this can take the form of a “refuge” behavior, as by emptying the Nutella jar.
“”If the desire to eat is linked to emotions, it is necessary to identify the one that triggers it (stress, fatigue, boredom …) and try to manage emotion other than with food (listen to music, make meditation, go for 5 minutes …) “advises the dietician-nutritionist.
“”I often advise my patients to brush their teeth just after evening meal rather than doing it before bed, to avoid snacking in the evening “finally concludes the specialist.