Is it okay to eat after 6pm

rikkejanell2014

Will i gain weight by eating before bed?

jennybearlv

Calories can't tell time. I've lost 30 pounds eating most of my calories after 6 PM.

rikkejanell2014

They say because you sleep soon.

Dano74

No. No. And no.

Just ate a Twix Ice Cream bar. And 3 brownies. And it's 11:22 pm. I will be drinking a carb loaded shake at 1 am. Then plan to go to bed 5 minutes after.

As far as my anecdotal experience, I do this almost daily. Last weigh in I lost .5 lbs and dropped body fat.

Wynterbourne

120 lbs lost and I've eaten right before bed plenty. Your body doesn't have a clock and digestion doesn't change when you're asleep. If you want to eat after 6pm eat after 6pm. To gain weight you have to be in a calorie surplus. The clock had nothing to do with that.

dutchandkiwi

Your metabolism does not have a built in clock.
I have been loosing my weight while eating my evening meal between 19.30 and 21.00 most evening - It just is our schedule.

PS Who are those elusive 'they'? Because they are totally wrong

jenilla1

That's an old dieting myth. It doesn't matter when you eat, as long as you stay within your calorie goal. It's just personal preference for some people to time their meals like that. I eat late at night all the time and I've been maintaining at my goal weight for over 5 years. Don't even worry about it.

nutmegoreo

rikkejanell2014 wrote: »

They say because you sleep soon.

"They" say a lot of things that don't make sense. If it disturbs your sleep or causes heartburn, don't eat before bed. Personally, I find a small snack before bed to be satisfying. I find it much harder to sleep with a growling stomach. Increasing the likelihood I will get up and overeat in a sleepy (less controlled) state.

Chieflrg

Only if puts you in a surplus on average.

Alatariel75

Total myth. Your body works 24/7 to digest food and doesn't slow down when you sleep - in some ways it works harder then. The only reason not to eat close to bedtime is if it gives you heartburn or disturbs your sleep.

reyoflightphoto

This "myth" has to do with late night eating after already consuming the food you needed during the day. In other words if you already ate the calories you burned and then you eat more you will gain weight. This surplus typically takes place at the end of the day for fairly obvious reasons. If you are tracking what you eat and didn't eat all your calories yet when it is late then you can still eat them. The key is only to not go over. That's all. I personally prefer to save a lot of calories for nighttime. When I am busy it's easy not to eat. But when it quiets down at the end of the day I want food. I also like to sleep with a full tummy. Lost all my weight doing that.

cityruss

Yes to the title.

No to the question.

Noreenmarie1234

No it doesn't matter, I eat 90% of mine between 9-2 am! If you want more, there is a thread asking this pretty much every single day lol. Search it and you will find all the answers and personal stories and examples from members .

paperpudding

Extremely rarely would I ever have dinner before 6pm - and often not till 8 or later.

has not stopped me reaching my weight loss goal.

Kristi26

I eat dairy free ice cream every single night ( I'm lactose intolerant). In bed. I'm still losing steadily. It's all about staying in a deficit, not what time you eat.

That said, there are lots of people on here who like intermittent fasting and find it helpful for their nutrition goals. This is what you are basically describing. I've done it but don't love it. I'd rather eat what I want when I want within my calorie limits.

You figure out what works for you and then do that. You have to decide if it's something you can live with for life because losing weight and keeping it off has to be a lifestyle change to stick. Good luck!

WinoGelato

OP where ever you are getting these weight loss tips from just stop visiting that site...

Chef_Barbell

Who's they? :huh:

Meal timing is irrelevant.

Machka9

Who's 6 pm?

I'm in Australia, on the east side. Should we use my time?

Or should we use the Greenwich timeline? Or the International Dateline?

What happens when Daylight Savings comes or goes? Do you need to stop eating at 5 pm for half the year ... or 7 pm?

What happens when you travel? Do you go by your home time zone ... or the one you travel to?

And is 6:01 pm after 6 pm, or could it be considered before the next 6 pm?

Carlos_421

This is a myth based on a myth.
It is a myth that you will gain weight from eating before bed because it is also a myth that your metabolism slows down while you sleep.

crzycatlady1

Meal timing/frequency is a preference thing. Eat however works best with your lifestyle/schedule and just make sure you're hitting your calorie targets.

snickerscharlie

The only time you shouldn't eat after 6pm is if you've already hoovered your calorie allotment for the day by then.

Otherwise, it doesn't matter one bit.