6<\/p>\n Drop weight as you sleep with these nifty tips, from mackerel for dinner to a side of spinach<\/p>\n But experts say to get real results, you need to do more than just cut your biscuit intake.<\/a><\/p>\n Thankfully, this doesn\u2019t have to mean resorting to extreme measures.<\/p>\n In fact, you can shed some serious pounds<\/a> by simply eating the right foods for dinner – and it could wonders for your sleep<\/a> simultaneously!<\/p>\n You won\u2019t wake up a dress size smaller in just one night, but Kelly Mulhall, nutritionist and founder of The Natural Balance<\/a>, tells Sun Health: \u201cHaving a nutritious dinner supports the body while we sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cIn time, these fat-burning foods, paired with a calorie deficit<\/a>, can help you shift unwanted flab.\u201d<\/p>\n Research has repeatedly shown how important sleep is to burning fat.<\/a><\/p>\n At the end of a study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, participants who slept 5.5 hours lost 55 per cent less body fat than those who got 8.5 hours.<\/p>\n Those in the 8.5-hour group also burnt twice as many calories per day, and the tired participants felt hungrier thanks to higher levels of the ‘hunger hormone’, ghrelin.<\/p>\n Kelly says: \u201cIf weight loss is your goal, sleep needs to be a priority.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll find it difficult to fast<\/a> or eat in a calorie deficit if you\u2019re tired, and it will increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol<\/a>, which will make you crave sugar, slow your metabolism, and mean you store fat.\u201d<\/p>\n Two-minute ad break workoutFOODS TO BLAST FAT OVERNIGHT1. WHOLE FOODS<\/p>\n IF you\u2019re having grains, make sure they\u2019re the wholegrain variety like brown rice, quinoa or wholemeal bread.<\/p>\n In a study published in the World Journal of Diabetes<\/a>, participants were given either a diet filled with whole grains <\/a>or one rich in refined grains, such as white bread and white rice.<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Quinoa is a great addition to a salad, instead of pasta, rice or cous cous. It is whole grainCredit: Getty<\/p>\n After eight weeks, those in the wholegrain group had a significantly reduced body weight.<\/p>\n This is likely because wholegrains contain more fibre<\/a>, which increases fullness, as well as magnesium and zinc<\/a>, which decrease fat mass, scientists say.<\/p>\n Kelly adds: \u201cSimilar to alcohol<\/a>, refined carbohydrates provide empty calories<\/a> with no nutritional value.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. STEAK OUT? 6<\/p>\n You’ll be pleased to hear that steak can help you lose weightCredit: Getty<\/p>\n A STEAK <\/a>at dinner could help you to burn unwanted fat.<\/p>\n A study in the journal Obesity Science & Practice found that four weekly servings of lean beef over four months aided weight loss more than a high-protein diet containing little to no red meat.<\/p>\n Beef is packed with protein, which helps keep you full by suppressing the release of ghrelin, according to research in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome.<\/p>\n Spinach contains magnesium, which helps to promote sleep<\/p>\n Kelly MulhallNutritionist and founder of The Natural Balance<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Kelly says: \u201cProtein-rich foods<\/a> are made up of amino acids. Getting these before bed means our body has what it needs to build and repair.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re hoping to build muscle, include a fist-sized portion of <\/a>protein at dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n Vegetarian? Kelly suggests adding tofu and legumes instead.<\/p>\n 3. SOMETHING FISHY 6<\/p>\n Try and eat oily fish regularly, as it can help with regulating hunger hormones. Salmon is one exampleCredit: Getty<\/p>\n \u201cTHE omega-3 fatty acids in mackerel<\/a>, sardines and salmon help maintain cell health, reduce inflammation, and regulate hunger hormones,\u201d says Kelly.<\/p>\n A study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that three grams of fish oil per day for 12 weeks increased the metabolic rate in healthy adults by an average of 5.3 per cent.<\/p>\n Essentially, they burnt more calories at rest.<\/p>\n Separate research in Plos One discovered that when older women took three grams of fish oil every day for three months, their metabolic rates increased by around 14 per cent.<\/p>\n 4. FIBRE POWER<\/p>\n THESE tiny but mighty foods are filled with fibre<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey keep you full<\/a>, meaning you don\u2019t need to snack,\u201d Kelly says – but you should eat them alongside protein.<\/p>\n Research published in the journal Obesity Science and Practice found that focusing on protein and fibre together is vital for long-term weight loss success.<\/p>\n Another study in Frontiers revealed that after 16 weeks, participants who ate a fibre-rich diet lost more weight than those who didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Fibre includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, wholegrain carbohydrates and avocados.<\/p>\n To focus your diet on fibre, have porridge oats or wholegrain cereal for breakfast<\/a> and snack on seeds, nuts and fruit between meals.<\/p>\n Make sure to include vegetables at both lunch and dinner. Potatoes with the skin on is a fiborous dinner, or you could try a curry with various vegetables and an added can of chickpeas or lentils with brown rice.<\/p>\n 5. GO GREEN 6<\/p>\n Spinach is a great addition to any meal to help with weight loss. It can be thrown in almost everything from a salad to a smoothie or a pastaCredit: Getty<\/p>\n A SIDE of steamed spinach could be the secret to better sleep – and a slimmer waistline.<\/p>\n Research in the journal Appetite found that spinach extract taken with dinner could increase levels of the fullness hormone, GLP-1, helping to reduce post-dinner munchies.<\/p>\n Another study found five grams of spinach extract taken daily over several months resulted in 43 per cent greater weight loss than a placebo.<\/p>\n Kelly says: \u201cSpinach contains magnesium, which helps to promote sleep, so while not a direct weight loss aid, it ensures you feel motivated tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. SPICE UP YOUR LIFE 6<\/p>\n Get experimental with your spice rackCredit: Getty<\/p>\n LIVEN up your meals and support overnight fat burning by sprinkling in some herbs and spices<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey not only make our food taste great, but also contain powerful polyphenols and antioxidants that can reduce appetite, promote blood sugar balance and reduce cravings,\u201d says Kelly.<\/p>\n Specifically, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, garlic, ginger, nigella seeds and turmeric have an impact on body weight, BMI, and hip and waist circumference.<\/p>\n That\u2019s according to research in the Journal of Functional Foods, which saw participants take one to three grams every day for four to 16 weeks.<\/p>\n SHOULD I REALLY STOP EATING AFTER 6PM?<\/p>\n THE \u2018no calories after 6pm<\/a>\u2019 rule has been debated for years.<\/p>\n While the calories you consume at 6pm are the same as those at 9pm, you should ideally finish dinner by 8pm to give your body time to digest while awake, Kelly says.<\/p>\n Overnight fasts of around 14 hours have been shown to reduce hunger and boost mood and energy in research by King’s College London.<\/p>\n Plus, eating late could cause a sugar spike just as your body is naturally trying to wind down.<\/p>\n \u201cYour body might \u2018wake itself up again\u2019, then you may go to bed later, sleep can be disrupted, you feel unrested, and the cycle continues,\u201d Kelly says.<\/p>\n Research published in the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics found that those who had their last glucose spike of the day before 5.40pm lost three times as much weight as those at 8.40pm.<\/p>\n The 5 best exercises to lose weight<\/p>\n By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist<\/p>\n EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to, particularly at this time of year, when the rain is as relentless as your craving for carbs.<\/p>\n So how do you find the right\u00a0workout<\/a>\u00a0for you?<\/p>\n As a PT and fitness journalist, I\u2019ve tried everything.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs,\u00a0strength training<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Pilates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at\u00a0Christmas<\/a>!<\/p>\n The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rb-02-04-sleep_comp_fa5a7b.jpg\")
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