No food after 8pm

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kalm3
kalm3 Posts: 67 Member
in Getting Started
My question for you all is should I cut myself off after a certain time of day? I struggle with wanting snacks at night. No sure what will curb that. Maybe if I just growl it out until the morning I'll finally lose the weight. Lol Anyways, Thoughts and opinions appreciated. TIA

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  • revolucia78
    revolucia78 Posts: 196 Member
    edited March 2016
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    You don't need to cut yourself off at a certain time - it won't make a difference with weight/fat loss. If you have a problem with snacking at night then I would suggest having some low cal snacks on hand so you can grab those instead of your norm. You could try air popped popcorn, cucumbers, lowfat or sugar free pudding cups (because they are usually only around 60cal), applesauce, some yogurts, salad, string cheese, etc.

    ETA: If you feel like it would be beneficial for you, go for it, but my point is that you don't need to and IMHO it could be more sustainable if you don't as long as you find a way to fit in those snacks. For example, I wanted to have ice cream occasionally while I watch movies before going to bed and instead of restricting that I found a good low cal ice cream I love and when I have calories left over I measure it and fit it in.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    It doesn't matter what time you eat for weight loss. Spread out you calories so that you have enough left for evening snacks.
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
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    kalm3 wrote: »
    My question for you all is should I cut myself off after a certain time of day? I struggle with wanting snacks at night. No sure what will curb that. Maybe if I just growl it out until the morning I'll finally lose the weight. Lol Anyways, Thoughts and opinions appreciated. TIA

    No, as long as you're under your calorie goal, it makes absolutely no difference regardless of what anyone tells you
  • OfficialDSXIII
    OfficialDSXIII Posts: 91 Member
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    As others have already said it's all about total calories, so no, stopping at 8pm won't make a difference. However, if you do feel the need for late snacking it could be that the foods you have eaten throughout the day are not satisfying you. I'm not sure what your daily intake is like, but some things that could help include cutting out calories from drinks, eating more raw vegetables w/ meals, and maybe even skipping some foods earlier in the day in order to eat more later.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    edited March 2016
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    The whole myth about food after a certain time is because people tend to eat differently later at night (Night eating sydrom and nocturnal snacking: association with obesity, binge eating and psychological distress - International Journal of Obesity, 2007), so it helps curb that tendency to do that.
  • kalm3
    kalm3 Posts: 67 Member
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    Thank you all so much! So many helpful tips. Glad to know it's more myth than rule. I'll go out and get low cal snack for night time. :D
  • missyfitz1
    missyfitz1 Posts: 93 Member
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    We did a fitness challenge at work where you would get points for good behaviours such as eating fruits and veggies, exercising for at least 30 minutes, avoiding sugary sweets, etc. One of the behaviours was "not eating after 8:00" and I refused to deny myself points for this. On some days I would get home at 9:00 after strength training and cardio for two hours, and you can bet I was going to eat my healthy snack after an intense workout. I tried to explain this to the woman who organized the challenge, and she didn't get it because she read on the internet that it's bad to eat after 8:00 because your body will store it all as fat while you're sleeping.

    This is a pervasive myth but it is definitely not based in fact! The danger is sitting on the couch while you watch TV and mindlessly eating the wrong foods, but like others have said, if you plan it into your daily calories and find options that help you to achieve your goals, you will be fine!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    If I had to stop eating at a certain time with no evening snacks, I'd probably have killed someone a long time ago out of hanger. I prefer eating at night and work it into my day.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Whatever works best for you. You can save calories for later in the day. You can save them for a big dinner that will keep you full through the evening. Some people do better with bigger lunches. You just have to find what works for you. I typically don't eat until 1 pm, then I literally eat until 10. I really prefer eating at night.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    missyfitz1 wrote: »
    The danger is sitting on the couch while you watch TV and mindlessly eating the wrong foods...

    Ah yes. One of life's greatest pleasures.

    OP - I save calories for night eating. Because what fun is it to watch a great show with nothing to eat??!! Just watch out for peanuts in the shell during March madness, lol.



  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Nonsense. I have a job and a commute - I am lucky if I ever eat dinner before 8pm. These silly rules are made up by people with too much free time on their hands!
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    You can do it however you want to. I don't eat after 5pm, don't want to, and find it helps my weight.
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    I don't eat after 9:30. I find I sleep better this way plus I don't like feeling full at night.

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