Do a random search online for weight loss tips and you'll probably see someone saying you shouldn't eat at night. Or to be more specific, don't eat after 8pm.

These people believe that our metabolism slows down at night, and the energy we consume at this time is more easily stored as fat instead of being burned as energy. Sounds reasonable, right? It's actually just serious nonsense.

Does metabolism really decrease at night? Is eating at night more likely to make you fat than eating during the day? Is it easier to lose weight if you eat more calories during the day than if you eat more calories at night? If you also have these questions, I believe you will have a better understanding after reading the article.

For years, online "weight loss experts" have claimed that our metabolism is fastest in the morning, then slowly decreases throughout the day, and is slowest at night. Therefore, they believe, you should eat more in the morning and less at night to avoid fat gain.

There is also an old saying, eat like an emperor in the morning, eat like a prince at noon, and eat like a beggar at night. But is this really the case? Does your body burn fewer calories at night? If that's true, does that mean eating more calories at night will make you gain more fat?

Before we dive in, let’s define “metabolism.”

In other words, when we say metabolism, we are referring to the body's ability to use various chemical processes to produce, maintain, and break down various substances and make energy available to cells.

So what does it mean to have a fast metabolism or a slow metabolism? These differences refer to your body's metabolic rate, which is the total amount of energy your body uses in a day to complete the many functions in metabolism. Generally speaking, when we talk about metabolism, we're talking about basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is how many calories your body needs to stay alive (excluding physical activity). So when someone says your metabolism is "slow," what they mean is that your basal metabolic rate is slower than normal, and vice versa.

So does your basal metabolic rate slowly decrease throughout the day? Won't. Also, even if that were true, it doesn't make you more likely to gain weight if you eat at night. Why?

First, research conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that BMR does not change significantly while you sleep, let alone the night before you go to sleep. That is, your BMR is the same in the morning, afternoon, evening, and even while you sleep.

So what does this all mean? Eating more calories in the morning may increase energy expenditure and reduce cravings, but this effect appears to be less pronounced or not necessarily true in all situations. Overall, how much you eat has a greater impact on long-term body composition than when you eat it.

Although many people believe that metabolism slowly decreases throughout the day and that eating more at night will make you more likely to gain weight, this is not the case. Your metabolism is relatively stable throughout the day. Even if your metabolism does slow down at night, it does not mean that you will gain weight easily if you eat at night. The only way to gain weight is to create a caloric surplus for a period of time.

Although eating a heartier meal in the morning may improve metabolism, this effect is not significant, and it does not mean that weight loss will be better in the long run. Of course, I am not "against" eating breakfast, I am just telling everyone that you have more choices and don't be limited to one type.

Again, just choose what you like and suits your actual situation.

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