Eating before bed = weight GAIN

Microscopes

My wonderful mother keeps telling me this thing she heard on Oprah 10 years ago. Apparently a doctor on that show said if you eat right before bed, all those calories will go towards fat.

Is there any truth to this?

kirstenb13

Nope, your body doesn't operate on a 24 hour schedule for energy consumption. What matters is a calorie deficit over a larger amount of time, not what time of day these calories are eaten.

trjjoy

I nearly always eat before bed. It has made no difference to my weight loss.

Ready2Rock206

Was it Dr. Oz by chance? He was wrong.

joncooper1980

Quite the contrary, if you are following a weight training program its actually beneficial to eat something directly before you go to bod to help your body repair muscle damage.

abhijeetchar

Its all about calories. Eat less than your daily goal, you wont gain. Before or after does not really matters.

brynnaewilliams

So I don't quite understand the goals here . Are you supposed to eat less then the goal? If so why is it a goal ?

pinggolfer96

I sometimes eat 1200 cals before bed....weight will still go down as long as I'm in an overall deficit. You metabolism doesn't shut down when you go to sleep

Orphia

brynnaewilliams wrote: »

So I don't quite understand the goals here . Are you supposed to eat less then the goal? If so why is it a goal ?

You don't want to go over your goal or you won't lose weight.

You don't want to be too far under your goal or you risk health problems and burnout.

elsinora

Nope.

Mavrick_RN

Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

Stop living in the past.

Shrinking_Erin

@Mavrick_RN Right on. ; )

jemhh

People need to understand that their food does not digest immediately upon being swallowed. Most people are constantly digesting food from prior meals, morning, noon, and night. Eating right before bedtime doesn't change that process to put the food toward fat stores.

Dreven1989

This did work for me for a while, but purely because that meal before bed was an extra meal. Which obviously meant extra calories.

snowflake954

OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.

melonaulait

I like to eat at any time.

tkphotogirl

Nope. I snack before I sleep most nights.

mitch16

The only time eating right before bedtime causes weight gain is if you weigh yourself first thing the next morning (while the food/waste is still in your body). Completely artifactual.

Microscopes

snowflake954 wrote: »

OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.

Did you read my original post? I said in the first sentence that my mother told me this. She means well.

Microscopes

Mavrick_RN wrote: »

Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

Stop living in the past.

Sort of an odd response.

Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.

WinoGelato

Microscopes wrote: »

Mavrick_RN wrote: »

Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

Stop living in the past.

Sort of an odd response.

Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.

Editing because I clearly can't forum before coffee.

The post was a joke because you referenced dated weight loss advice.

Tell your mom to stop watching Oprah reruns. Eating before bed doesn't hinder weight loss.

msf74

No, it isn't true.

In fact, sleep could be classed (loosely) as a low intensity form of exercise and as such burns a greater % of fat to carbs so is good for fat loss

Microscopes

WinoGelato wrote: »

Microscopes wrote: »

Mavrick_RN wrote: »

Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

Stop living in the past.

Sort of an odd response.

Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.

Editing because I clearly can't forum before coffee.

The post was a joke because you referenced dated weight loss advice.

Tell your mom to stop watching Oprah reruns. Eating before bed doesn't hinder weight loss.

Ok.

I guess the "stop living in the past" part sounded a little harsh to me. Didn't sound jokey.

But it's alright.

mbaker566

oprah had a lot of advice but not all of it was true. She used to listen to dr oz. she tried fad diets.
i wish it were true. i think it was an idea originally based on late night snacks are frequently high calorie-like ice cream or pie

shadow2soul

My mom says the same thing and ya it's not true. She is stuck in that mindset and I don't think it will change anytime soon.

You would think my little brother who has always bordered on being underweight would be enough proof for her (he always eats a big meal before bed). Nope. She just says he has a freakishly fast metabolism.

BoxerBrawler

I always have a snack before I go to bed! If you have stomach issues with food when you lie down that's a different story.

Wickedfaery73

My husband tried to tell me that the other day... the guy that cant(wont) try to lose a pound and has researched nothing...lol

RobD520

For some people, late night eating is unplanned extra eating that brings them to a calorie surplus. This will lead to weight gain; but it would lead to just as much gain if it was done at 11:00 A.M. The time one eats does not matter.

kommodevaran

It could be, if eating late means eating lots of calorie dense foods, and if that isn't balanced by eating less during the day, so that you all in all eat more calories than you burn.

It has nothing to do with timing of intake. The body burns calories round the clock.

Calorie counting makes that kind of strategies redundant. It's so strange to see these ideas put forward here ALL THE TIME.

snowflake954

Microscopes wrote: »

snowflake954 wrote: »

OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.

Did you read my original post? I said in the first sentence that my mother told me this. She means well.

I'm talking about your other post--"can't lose weight eating carbs+sugar". Another myth in one day. And I'm sure your mother is lovely and means well.

LivingtheLeanDream

Utter tosh!! if you keep to your calorie allowance it does not matter one bit what time you eat.