no food after a certain time

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jasminemabry
jasminemabry Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone cut off eating after a certain time, and how about if you work 2nd or 3rd shifts how do you set a cut off time
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  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    I've worked crazy shifts over the years, and have found for me personally it doesn't really matter when I eat. What matters for me is just keeping my calories reasonable.

    Though I'm working mostly "normal" hours these days, I often eat late at night/early morning before going to sleep. And as long as I hit my calorie goals, I'm fine.
  • williamwj2014
    williamwj2014 Posts: 750 Member
    edited September 2015
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    you should plan your meals with your schedule..for me, I'll usually have my last meal just about when I'm going to bed or an hour or 2 of when I'm going to sleep.


    It really makes no difference how you do it though as long as your at a deficit.
  • Moselberry
    Moselberry Posts: 2 Member
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    Your body cannot tell the time. In my experience, it's more about what you eat, regardless of time. Shift work that entails periods of inactivity/boredom or a lack of time/energy to prepare nutritious food may lead you to make poor food choices.

    When I worked nights. My go to food was a can of soup (Campbells condensed chicken soup was my favorite) and a shredded lettuce :smile:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    jasminemabry wrote: »
    Has anyone cut off eating after a certain time, and how about if you work 2nd or 3rd shifts how do you set a cut off time

    Are you asking if it is o.k. to have a meal near or at the end of the shift close to the time when you are going to sleep?
    It is o.k. to eat at that time.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    Meal timing does not matter. Your body doesn't care if it is 1am or 1pm. If you are trying to lose fat eat at a deficit. There's nothing magic about eating at certain times of the day.
  • jcow84
    jcow84 Posts: 75 Member
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    I think people often set cut off times of 1-3 hours before bed just to stop themselves from mindlessly snacking.
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    Some studies suggest that taking a break from eating, a short fast, for about 14 hours is beneficial to weightloss. Hence why many people do not eat for some hours prior to going to bed.
  • Last_mango_in_paradise
    Last_mango_in_paradise Posts: 48 Member
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    It depends on how you feel if you eat too close to when you're going to bed.
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
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    I only do that for the purpose of better bowel movements and habits (so I can be freed from fear of having constipation). Other than that, I don't see the difference and effectiveness for weight-loss.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I generally don't eat for several hours before I sleep. The time itself doesn't matter, it's just before I sleep. So, third shift might mean I stop eating at six a.m.

    I do a lot of things that probably make no difference, but work for me, like drinking a glass of water before I go to bed. They may not make a difference, but we all have to find our own way.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    jasminemabry wrote: »
    Has anyone cut off eating after a certain time, and how about if you work 2nd or 3rd shifts how do you set a cut off time

    Not eating after a certain time is about (1) if it helps you eat less, and (2) if you are one of those people who sleep poorly if you eat too soon before sleeping.

    So base it on how it affects you and when you go to bed.

    Personally, I can eat immediately before bed and it doesn't matter and I often get home late, so I usually eat dinner between 9 and 10 (and follow that by a small dessert, typically). The rule that works for me is not snacking outside of my planned eating times, so once I finish that, I don't eat anything else.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Generally nothing to eat 3 hours before bedtime. Lets your digestion system rest, and allows you to burn fat as you sleep.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    Yi5hedr3 wrote: »
    Generally nothing to eat 3 hours before bedtime. Lets your digestion system rest, and allows you to burn fat as you sleep.

    No...

    Your digestive system doesn't need to "rest", and your body will burn fat whether you are awake or asleep.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Yi5hedr3 wrote: »
    Generally nothing to eat 3 hours before bedtime. Lets your digestion system rest, and allows you to burn fat as you sleep.
    Wouldn't making your digestion system work use more calories and burn even more fat? Your position seems illogical and self-contradictory.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    AlciaMode wrote: »
    Some studies suggest that taking a break from eating, a short fast, for about 14 hours is beneficial to weightloss. Hence why many people do not eat for some hours prior to going to bed.

    The benefit of intermittent fasting is.... it's ONE MORE way of achieving a calorie deficit. Lots of other "proposed" benefits....but evidence is anecdotal at this point.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

    OP - anything that helps with your consistency is good. A consistent calorie deficit will help you lose weight.

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I don't eat any food after I've fallen asleep at night. I prefer being lucid so that I can enjoy the food.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    Sometimes you might need to not eat before bed if you have acid reflux problems, but it's not going to affect weight.
  • blkandwhite77
    blkandwhite77 Posts: 281 Member
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    We go to the gym late at night so I save calories as I know I'm going to be starving by the time I get home. I eat right before bed.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    The only way that no eating after a certain time has helped me is when I've already had enough calories and shouldn't eat anyway. (I was in a challenge and getting points for no food after 9pm, so it was that extra incentive).

    But really, I should have been stopping with the food once I'd reached my calories, regardless of the time. It was just that extra reason to do it. If you still have calories left, are hungry, and don't have heartburn issues (some people get reflex if they lie down too soon after eating), then it doesn't matter what time it is.

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