no food after a certain time

jasminemabry

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

robertw486

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

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

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

RodaRose

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.

Unknown

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jeffpettis

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

I think people often set cut off times of 1-3 hours before bed just to stop themselves from mindlessly snacking.

AlciaMode

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

It depends on how you feel if you eat too close to when you're going to bed.

niniundlapin

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

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

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

Generally nothing to eat 3 hours before bedtime. Lets your digestion system rest, and allows you to burn fat as you sleep.

jeffpettis

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

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

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

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

Sometimes you might need to not eat before bed if you have acid reflux problems, but it's not going to affect weight.

blkandwhite77

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

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.

Ready2Rock206

I think that rule is ridiculous and the people who can follow it have entirely too much time on their hands. I have a job and a life - not eating after 5 or some other made up magic time isn't at all realistic. I'm not even home until 9 or 10pm.

lizzocat

while timing doesn't matter, do what works for you. Personally, I am hungry all day until I get home, so I usually eat 90% of my calories while at work, and then have either a snack or a light 300 calorie meal at night. A lot of the time, I don't eat at all after 5:00 pm. I don't do this as a 'rule' but rather, I listen to my body.

ninerbuff

You should cut off eating when you've reached your daily calorie limits. Whatever time that may be.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

MeiannaLee

When I was 15 I stopped eating after 7pm and lost about 20 pounds that way.
But its all about deficit. I must have been eating less than I was burning.

glassyo

Mycophilia wrote: »

I don't eat any food after I've fallen asleep at night. I prefer being lucid so that I can enjoy the food.

I have totally nodded off while chewing food at my computer.

I'm not even kidding.

OP, unless it interferes with your sleep, you can eat up to and including being in bed. Just watch out for crumbs.

southhamptonmike

If I'm short on calories during the evening , I will have yogurt and maby some flax seed and walnuts; If I ate my limit of calories then I just go to bed without anything else.

Regaining_life

Not really. I tend to eat 5 times a day and that includes a small snack around 9.30 pm. I always factor a snack in at that time because it stops me from raiding the cupboards and indulging in unplanned chocolate and sweets (I'm a night time grazer!)

CjF1960

Being a diabetic, I find that my morning sugar readings are much better if I don't eat after 7:30 in the evening, especially have to go easy on the carbs in the evening.

urloved33

i eat when i am hungry. period.

Azuriaz

I prefer to do this for the rather stupid reason that late night eating tends to show up on the scale (as water/other not so nice stuff weight). And since I'm still way too dependent on that stupid thing for my progress reports, I hate seeing a number go up rather than down.