You might be wondering what “time” does when it attaches itself to a diet description. Well, some of you may have guessed or already know; However, the Six O’Clock Diet has something to do with restricting mealtimes. With this diet, you can regularly eat anything until six in the evening. Your next meal will follow the next morning when you wake up. This diet is also known as the “after six”.
The concept lies on the metabolism and activities of the body. It is more active during the day and therefore burning fat and calories is faster and easier than when your body is inactive. Everything you ate in a day would be hard to burn off if you continuously chew food while your activity level drops. Apart from that, food is “stored” by the body at night. Most bodily functions are turned off when we sleep, slowing metabolism and accelerating weight gain.
Why six o’clock? Some say it’s just the right time between night and day. If you stop eating at this point, you’re giving your body some time to process all of the food you’ve eaten without having to deal with more calories and fats ingested.
One thing to remember about the Six O’Clock Diet is that you can eat in the morning, but not all you want. The idea is to eat what you need, not what you can. You still have to watch what you eat and what you need. If you overeat during the day, your body may not be able to burn off all of the excess you’ve ingested. When that happens, you will only gain weight. In the same way, don’t undereat during the day and stop eating after six. This leads to stress and fatigue, making you more ill than healthy. What some people do is eat four to six meals and snacks instead of three full meals a day.
Of course, Six O’Clock diets have their pros and cons. And just like any other diet, it’s not for everyone. The After Six Diet can be very useful for people who have those urges to raid the fridge at night or eat while watching TV. However, in some people, it can cause insomnia and trouble sleeping. Plus, the after-six diet can also make you eat a lot during the day because of that feeling of “making up for lost time.” It’s supposed to be a diet program, not an eating race against the clock.
But what does the After Six Diet have in common with other diets? The main thing here is discipline. If you’ve made a commitment to not eating after six, you must also make a firm commitment not to overeat during the day, even though you still need to eat properly and healthily to meet your body’s energy and nutritional needs .
Thanks to Basma Jalloul
