Does Time Matter?

dee_thurman

Normally I eat small meals and lots of snacks throughout the day. However, today was different and more of my calories came at the end of the day. Does it matter when you eat and how it effects your weight? I have heard on certain diets you can't eat after a certain time. etc.... Interested to hear your thoughts...

stevencloser

Nah.

franfran1821

Time doesn't matter at all. You can eat 6 small meals or two large meals during the day and you will still lose weight if you consume less cals than you burn! good luck!

Asher_Ethan

When I found out time didn't matter I magically lost 10 pounds. My whole life I was taught, "Don't eat after 6," or, "If you don't eat a big breakfast you're going to get fat." When I found out all that wasn't true I started saving my calories to eat at night and 10 pounds fell off. It was awesome.

GuidoGordo

Amen! Calories in - Calories out = Calories retained. Does not matter when you consume or expend them.

scolaris

Nope! And your body doesn't run like banking hours. Looking at this odd late meal as just part of your total week is fine...

dhimaan

No

BurnWithBarn2015

nope

dee_thurman

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

booksandchocolate12

No, but I heard you might be able to save it in a bottle.

MommyL2015

Timing doesn't matter. I save most of my calories for dinner time and evening, and it has made no difference. I was always told to eat breakfast because it's important, but the last 5 years or so, when I did start eating, is when I put on the last 10 pounds. If I eat too early, my appetite just gets really amped up and I feel like I'm starving all day. Skipping breakfast has not killed my energy levels, hasn't hindered my progress and eating a lot of calories in the late day hasn't caused any ill effects either. I don't gain magic fat because I ate a bowl of ice cream at 8:00.

Who knows why people say anything or why stupid myths seem to thrive and prosper when there's no truth behind them.
The only "magic secret" to weight loss is consistently eating less calories than you burn. For health, move more and eat a variety of foods.

cityruss

dee_thurman wrote: »

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

Because of the continual pushing of old wife's tales, myths and untruth.

trswallow

dee_thurman wrote: »

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

Usually the reasoning is that you burn fewer calories when you sleep, so it will mostly turn to fat.

Eating more of your calories late will not affect weight loss, but it can affect sleep in a couple ways:
1) Laying down with a full stomach can result in acid reflux.
2) Laying down with a full stomach, especially if it is overly full, can just be uncomfortable and leave you tossing and turning trying to get comfortable.

Poor sleep is not going to cause you to hold onto calories,but can affect the release of ghrelin and leptin, which controls hunger and satiety. This can stimulate the appetite and cravings for high-fat high-carb foods. Note most studies of the relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain are looking at individuals who are getting less than six hours of sleep routinely, so an occasional bad night should not be a concern.

kommodevaran

dee_thurman wrote: »

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

No, it doesn't matter.

Not eating after a certain time may be helpful, though - but just because food we eat late in the day tend to be more tasty and calorific than the food that is usually eaten earlier in the day; so IF the eating you do after a certain time tends to be too much of the wrong things, not doing that will certainly help you lose weight. But if you follow your meal plan and log your calories, it doesn't matter when you eat. Only what and how much.

And if for instance not eating breakfast makes you so hungry that you overeat later, it's smart to eat breakfast. But not if eating breakfast just makes you more hungry.

These kinds of tips came about in a time when counting calories weren't as easy as it is now, and setting a cut-off point would therefore be useful. Today it can be a two-egded sword - not eating with friends and family can make it easier, or more difficult, to adhere to your diet plan. You have to figure out what is right for you.

Those tips have also evolved into myths, mixed up with not really understanding the newer concepts of "metabolism" and "fat storage".

mmarie_3

As far as weight loss goes, no, it doesn't matter. However your body will get the most use of what you're eating if you eat your largest meals around when you are most active. For example my biggest meals happen pre and post workout, my carbs and fat are much higher. But I eat right before bed. Also it's best to leave a few hours between meal/snacks to give your body time to digest.

Kalikel

Some people swear by not eating at night.

You can eat late and still lose weight, but if you would rather not, then don't. Either way.

kshama2001

trswallow wrote: »

dee_thurman wrote: »

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

Usually the reasoning is that you burn fewer calories when you sleep, so it will mostly turn to fat.

Eating more of your calories late will not affect weight loss, but it can affect sleep in a couple ways:
1) Laying down with a full stomach can result in acid reflux.
2) Laying down with a full stomach, especially if it is overly full, can just be uncomfortable and leave you tossing and turning trying to get comfortable.

Poor sleep is not going to cause you to hold onto calories,but can affect the release of ghrelin and leptin, which controls hunger and satiety. This can stimulate the appetite and cravings for high-fat high-carb foods. Note most studies of the relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain are looking at individuals who are getting less than six hours of sleep routinely, so an occasional bad night should not be a concern.

You beat me to mentioning this, thanks!

FitGirl0123

It never made a difference in my experience for weight loss. Or gain, lol!

cwolfman13

If you require XXXX calories then you require XXXX calories...logically why would timing matter...you need XXXX calories.

a lot of things like this come out of the fact that many people have certain tenants that they follow for weight management because they don't necessarily log or otherwise keep a diary (I don't for example)...so having tenants like this to follow can help you control your calorie intake...but in and of itself it doesn't matter.

becgraceevemaggie

http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/time-restricted-eating/
This is a wee article I read in the new scientist which kind of made me rethink the late night eating issue. I have always rejected the anti-eating after whatever time is quoted, because of the food is food thought. I realise the experiments are on mice but it did make sense that it could also be true for humans. I fight this every day as I love, no more than that, I have a drive to eat in the evening, and find it difficult to sleep feeling hungry. Ahh the battles with our mind/hormons/genes. I did read somewhere that it makes sense in an evolutionary way to eat less in the day and more in the evening. The evening eating would have allowed our ancesters an early start on the hunter gatherer work! less valuable time needed on the morning refueling. This could be linked in with the research above, if eating later means more fat storage then its an efficiant way to eat when food is scarce. But for us this leads to obesity. Ive rambled too much but it is an interesting topic for me!!

Lleldiranne

dee_thurman wrote: »

i guess time doesn't matter. I thought someone would at least have an explanation on why diets/people have said don't eat late night...

It may help some with calorie control, especially if they aren't really tracking their intake. But, if you're logging what you eat and don't go over calories, it won't make a big difference.

Lleldiranne

becgraceevemaggie wrote: »

http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/time-restricted-eating/
This is a wee article I read in the new scientist which kind of made me rethink the late night eating issue. I have always rejected the anti-eating after whatever time is quoted, because of the food is food thought. I realise the experiments are on mice but it did make sense that it could also be true for humans. I fight this every day as I love, no more than that, I have a drive to eat in the evening, and find it difficult to sleep feeling hungry. Ahh the battles with our mind/hormons/genes. I did read somewhere that it makes sense in an evolutionary way to eat less in the day and more in the evening. The evening eating would have allowed our ancesters an early start on the hunter gatherer work! less valuable time needed on the morning refueling. This could be linked in with the research above, if eating later means more fat storage then its an efficiant way to eat when food is scarce. But for us this leads to obesity. Ive rambled too much but it is an interesting topic for me!!

That a very interesting article ... I'd love to read the original study, too.

The big thing I wanted to point out is that the big differences were seen in a group fed a high-fat diet (while calories were held constant). For those on a regular diet (again same calories) the difference was much smaller, and it didn't state whether it was significant.

That may make it more challenging to extend to humans. I'm not a biologist, so I don't know what increased fat does to a mouse. They normally eat a diet composed of grains and vegetative substances, don't they? So they may respond differently to increased fat, even with the same calories, as a human would. (Not changing thermodynamics, but some possible effect on their activity or metabolism - there was a big change in blood work too). But then, how does a smaller window of eating, basically IF, change that. Hmmm....

ninerbuff

becgraceevemaggie wrote: »

http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/time-restricted-eating/
This is a wee article I read in the new scientist which kind of made me rethink the late night eating issue. I have always rejected the anti-eating after whatever time is quoted, because of the food is food thought. I realise the experiments are on mice but it did make sense that it could also be true for humans. I fight this every day as I love, no more than that, I have a drive to eat in the evening, and find it difficult to sleep feeling hungry. Ahh the battles with our mind/hormons/genes. I did read somewhere that it makes sense in an evolutionary way to eat less in the day and more in the evening. The evening eating would have allowed our ancesters an early start on the hunter gatherer work! less valuable time needed on the morning refueling. This could be linked in with the research above, if eating later means more fat storage then its an efficiant way to eat when food is scarce. But for us this leads to obesity. Ive rambled too much but it is an interesting topic for me!!

Aren't mice noctrunal though? Makes sense that they would be more actively eating at night.

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nvmomketo

I find eating later in the evening affects my blood glucose levels the next day, even if it is carb free, but it doesn't seem to affect weight loss.

trswallow

mathjulz wrote: »

becgraceevemaggie wrote: »

http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/time-restricted-eating/
This is a wee article I read in the new scientist which kind of made me rethink the late night eating issue. I have always rejected the anti-eating after whatever time is quoted, because of the food is food thought. I realise the experiments are on mice but it did make sense that it could also be true for humans. I fight this every day as I love, no more than that, I have a drive to eat in the evening, and find it difficult to sleep feeling hungry. Ahh the battles with our mind/hormons/genes. I did read somewhere that it makes sense in an evolutionary way to eat less in the day and more in the evening. The evening eating would have allowed our ancesters an early start on the hunter gatherer work! less valuable time needed on the morning refueling. This could be linked in with the research above, if eating later means more fat storage then its an efficiant way to eat when food is scarce. But for us this leads to obesity. Ive rambled too much but it is an interesting topic for me!!

That a very interesting article ... I'd love to read the original study, too.

The big thing I wanted to point out is that the big differences were seen in a group fed a high-fat diet (while calories were held constant). For those on a regular diet (again same calories) the difference was much smaller, and it didn't state whether it was significant.

That may make it more challenging to extend to humans. I'm not a biologist, so I don't know what increased fat does to a mouse. They normally eat a diet composed of grains and vegetative substances, don't they? So they may respond differently to increased fat, even with the same calories, as a human would. (Not changing thermodynamics, but some possible effect on their activity or metabolism - there was a big change in blood work too). But then, how does a smaller window of eating, basically IF, change that. Hmmm....

Another question is what did the mice do when they were not eating? The only way to guarantee that one group has constant access to a limited amount of food is to dose them with food every couple hours. The 8-hour group would be dosed more frequently and/or more per dose. By time the constantly fed group starts thinking about food it might be time for another feeding. On the other hand the 8-hour group might be spending a lot of the 16 hour fast scrounging around for dropped food and other activities that would increase Calories Out.

Without knowledge of behavior/activity level the rest has little meaning. It would be like talking about calories and weight maintenance of two people without disclosing the one has an active job and runs marathons, and the other has a desk job and sits around watching TV the rest of the time. They both eat the same number of calories but one is gaining ten pounds per year, maybe it's meal timing.