Late Dinners?

erikasmith2013
erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
in Food and Nutrition
Hello:

I was wondering if it matters what you eat late at night even if you are under your calories number? Yesterday I was late for work and all I was able to get was Cliff's Almond Vanilla bar and it actually sustained me through a lunch time, job...multiple walks all over the place and my daughter's double header softball game. Then when I got home I felt so guilty I had not eaten dinner or anything else for that matter and to add to this the only thing i could actually make for dinner was Rigattoni with a Pesto sauce with Shallots and Garlic.
Was that bad to eat THAT late? Or as long as I stay under my calories it is okay to eat it?

Thanks...
p.s.
No meanie comments or even smarta** ones...they are not needed!
Thanks

Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Meal timing makes no difference

    ETA: it is personal preference and what will help you achieve your goals.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    late dinners are EVIL.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Meal timing/frequency is personal preference and has no impact on weight loss.
  • __Aid__
    __Aid__ Posts: 72 Member
    Late dinners are only bad if they cause you to snack while you are waiting, otherwise i don't see a problem :smile:

    which used to be my biggest issue
  • redwngs13
    redwngs13 Posts: 194 Member
    I eat between 9 and 10pm every night, and get to bed by 11. I haven't had any problems with it!
  • LeopardPrintedLove
    LeopardPrintedLove Posts: 34 Member
    I posted a simular thread when I first began-- and I can tell you, no it really doesn't matter. That is an old myth and simply works for people who "Stop eating at 7" because they significantly cut their calories by not eating dinner and then gorging themselves again before bed.

    Say you have 1400 calories per day-- they should be eaten between the time you wake up for the day and the time you go to bed for the night. The "when" factor generally doesn't matter.

    I will say, though, that eating several meals of equal portion (like, three 400 calorie meals plus snacks, etc), instead of one 200-calorie meal and then one 1200 calorie meal, will work better in the long run and prevent you from feeling bloated and gross when you eat a super large meal. ;)

    I have lost 50 pounds so far and sometimes I don't eat dinner until 9:30 or 10, but I eat in my macros goal. I have been on this weight loss journey since the beginning of March 2013, so only less than 5 months! Hope this helps!
  • penguinlally
    penguinlally Posts: 331 Member
    we eat late often not until 8 or sometimes even 9 - we stay up til 11 - 12... doesn't seem to be an issue - we have long active days.. always are under calorie goals ( well, sometimes really close to it! )
  • BigDaddyRonnie
    BigDaddyRonnie Posts: 506 Member
    "Stop eating at 7"

    So if you don't eat breakfast until about 7 the next morning, that is 12 hours without food. Your body tends to go into starvation mode before that 12 hours is up, therefore harboring what you are trying to lose. And if you are one who doesn't eat much for breakfast (there's a lot of people) the length of time between food and nourishment is longer and significance of starvation mode is increased.

    Eat when you're hungry. But eat smart. Eating before bed does not matter. Its how you structure your entire day that does.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    remove all the clocks in your home...that way the food cant see what time it is.





    i save my big meal for late because i go to the gym late and wanna house all teh foodz after.

    time of consumption matters not.
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    Thanks...this makes me feel better! Didn't want to blow all my hard work ;)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    "Stop eating at 7"

    So if you don't eat breakfast until about 7 the next morning, that is 12 hours without food. Your body tends to go into starvation mode before that 12 hours is up, therefore harboring what you are trying to lose. And if you are one who doesn't eat much for breakfast (there's a lot of people) the length of time between food and nourishment is longer and significance of starvation mode is increased.

    Eat when you're hungry. But eat smart. Eating before bed does not matter. Its how you structure your entire day that does.

    Nope to the starvation mode bit
  • Kicker12
    Kicker12 Posts: 52 Member

    So if you don't eat breakfast until about 7 the next morning, that is 12 hours without food. Your body tends to go into starvation mode before that 12 hours is up, therefore harboring what you are trying to lose. And if you are one who doesn't eat much for breakfast (there's a lot of people) the length of time between food and nourishment is longer and significance of starvation mode is increased.

    Eat when you're hungry. But eat smart. Eating before bed does not matter. Its how you structure your entire day that does.


    Agree with everything you say apart from the 'starvation mode' bit.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    iate dinner at like 10 last night..

    the only reason tehy says "don't eat after 8" is because gerenally people have already eaten dinner and are just snacking out of boredom. They are not really hungry. We all do it occasionally. But if you're hungry.. time be damned! Eat!
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Due to our schedules, my wife and I routinely eat dinner at 9pm or after. It's really not a problem if you are maintaining your proper calorie intake for the day.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    remove all the clocks in your home...that way the food cant see what time it is.

    LOL
  • delaniecastillo
    delaniecastillo Posts: 284
    I found eating later has made a significant impact only because I went by the whole "don't eat by 7-8" myth. I find the days I eat after I workout which is almost 9-10pm are the days I end up with less starvation, more energy in the morning, and results.

    so eat when you want just eat within your calories.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member

    So if you don't eat breakfast until about 7 the next morning, that is 12 hours without food. Your body tends to go into starvation mode before that 12 hours is up, therefore harboring what you are trying to lose. And if you are one who doesn't eat much for breakfast (there's a lot of people) the length of time between food and nourishment is longer and significance of starvation mode is increased.

    Eat when you're hungry. But eat smart. Eating before bed does not matter. Its how you structure your entire day that does.

    FALSE! That whole "starvation mode" & "You gotta eat every 2 hours to keep your metabolism going" is nonsense and has been debunked. Ever hear of Intermittent Fasting? I fast daily for 18 hours and then have a 6 hour feeding window to consume my daily macros. I'm leaner then I've ever been and there are tons of people doing this and everyone is lean as hell. Meal timing is nonsense. In the end of the day all that matters is that you are at a caloric deficit.
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  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
    "Stop eating at 7"

    So if you don't eat breakfast until about 7 the next morning, that is 12 hours without food. Your body tends to go into starvation mode before that 12 hours is up, therefore harboring what you are trying to lose. And if you are one who doesn't eat much for breakfast (there's a lot of people) the length of time between food and nourishment is longer and significance of starvation mode is increased.

    Eat when you're hungry. But eat smart. Eating before bed does not matter. Its how you structure your entire day that does.


    michael_no_stop_zps4b9bd70a.gif

    For the record, I fast from 14-16 hours every.single.day. I sure don't appear to be in "starvation mode." My TDEE is somewhere around 2,400 calories. Starvation......HA!! :drinker:
  • Bella_Figura
    Bella_Figura Posts: 4,322 Member
    Yep, I agree that the starvation mode is a total fallacy - there is no way in the world that your body goes into 'starvation mode' just because it's 12 hours since you last ate...and when you've been asleep for 6-8 of those hours as well. I routinely have a 14-16 hour gap between eating dinner and eating breakfast, and I've lost 78lbs in the past 50 weeks...I can't see how it's slowed down my rate of weight loss in any way.
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
    not at all. I work until 9 some nights and don't eat dinner until 10-10:30 and my ticker moved just fine
  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
    Four days a week I have some kind of fitness activity after work (personal trainer or exercise class) so it's often 8:00 or 8:30 before I eat dinner. That actually works really well for me because snacking during the evening used to be an issue. I make sure I get a good snack around 3:30 or 4:00 (Greek yogurt or something with some substance) and that carries me through.
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. The not eating for 12-14 hours seems to be the norm for me since I am not really a breakfast eater, but I thought from past reading that you MUST always have breakfast? If this is not correct, then GREAT because I just rather have some juice and keep it going! :)

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