Does skipping meals at night help with weight loss

Skipping meals at night may help with short-term weight loss, but it may have long-term health impacts. Reducing dinner intake can lower the daily calorie intake, which may lead to weight loss in the short term due to the calorie deficit. Part of the population may improve insulin sensitivity and promote fat metabolism by adjusting their eating time window through intermittent fasting, advancing or canceling dinner. But the human body still needs basal metabolic energy consumption at night, skipping dinner completely may lead to muscle breakdown for energy supply, and the basal metabolic rate gradually decreases. Long term skipping of dinner can easily lead to overeating at breakfast the next day, which in turn increases total calorie intake. Continuous fasting in the gastrointestinal tract may induce excessive secretion of gastric acid, leading to discomfort such as acid reflux and stomach pain.

Some special populations need to use this method with caution. Patients with diabetes who skip dinner may have hypoglycemia at night, and pregnant or lactating women need continuous nutrition supply. Teenagers are in a period of growth and development, with a high demand for protein synthesis at night. Restricting dinner may affect bone and muscle development. People with underlying diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers may experience worsening mucosal damage when fasting. The metabolic rate of individuals with thyroid dysfunction is inherently unstable, and blind dieting may exacerbate hormonal imbalances.

It is recommended to achieve healthy weight loss through a combination of scientific diet and exercise. For dinner, you can choose low glycemic index foods with high protein and dietary fiber, such as steamed fish paired with broccoli, which can maintain satiety and control calories. Perform aerobic exercise and resistance training every week to help increase muscle mass and maintain basal metabolic rate. If you need to adjust the dinner mode, it is recommended to develop a personalized plan under the guidance of a nutritionist to avoid malnutrition or eating disorders caused by improper dieting.