Light Dinner to Lose Weight

The key to weight loss is consuming fewer calories than you burn. Putting your body in a calorie deficit triggers your fat stores to be used for energy. If you eat a low-calorie diet throughout the day, only to come home after work and binge on food, weight loss will be impossible. Choosing a light dinner can ensure that you finish your day the healthy way. This will help you rest easy and stay motivated.


Set Up For Success

If you know that you want to stick with light eating at night, obtain sufficient nutrients and calories throughout the day. If you are not eating enough during the day, you will set yourself up to be ravenous come dinnertime. This puts you out of control and makes good choices very difficult. Be sure to have breakfast and lunch every day. Depending on when you eat lunch, try to fit in a healthy afternoon snack to moderate your hunger until dinner. Eat several fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep your energy up without consuming excess calories.


Satisfying Low-Calorie Options

"Physiology and Behavior" published a 2009 study based on the concept of low-energy-density eating. This study found that foods with a high water content were very filling because, despite low calorie amounts, people tended to consume a consistent weight of food. Prepare clear soups or salads with light dressing for dinner. Try to fill up on vegetables and stews with a high water percentage. The extra water in foods like lettuce helps you feel satisfied but does not have many calories. Choosing low-energy-dense foods is an effective strategy for preparing a light dinner.


Be Prepared

Plan your meals. After a long day, it can be tough to get home and try to come up with creative, filling, light meals. Make sure you have ingredients on hand that are fast and easy, such as frozen steamed vegetables or microwaveable brown rice. Take time on the weekends to prepare large dishes, like a pot of low-calorie soup. That way when it comes time to make dinner, you have a foolproof light meal option.


Watch Desserts

Sometimes extra calorie intake is not from dinner, but happens after dinner. Late-night snacking is a surefire way to sabotage your day. If you know you are vulnerable to this behavior, keep sweets and snacks out of the house. Come up with an alternative that fits into your calorie plan. A 2004 study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that replacing late-night snacks with cold cereal and low-fat milk helped support weight loss in regular night-snackers. If you prefer to eat a little something extra before bed, make sure you plan for it and count it as part of your totals for the day.