Do you stop eating at a certain time at night?

jennifer_417

Usually when I go to bed. Don't like crumbs in my sheets.
Seriously, though, meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss.

snickerscharlie

cajun_belle wrote: »

For weight loss, it's important to stop eating 3 hours before going to bed.

Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss - the amount of food you consume within any 24 hour period *is* relevant, though. It's a matter of personal preference when you eat or don't eat.

I stop eating whenever I'm out of my allotted calories for the day.

Since I eat my first meal around 1 - 2pm (I don't eat breakfast) this rarely causes an issue for me. I eat a good lunch and dinner, and then have plenty of calories left over for evening snacks, which is when I prefer to eat.

I lost 75 lbs in under a year and reached my goal weight 2 years ago this way.

trigden1991

I find it extremely hard (impossible) to eat whilst asleep so I normally stop then.

VeryKatie

No.. I even ate a granola bar in bed last night lol.

Stopping at a certain time is just another form of intermittent fasting. Some people find it helps, some don't.

Snowdusk

I used to think the same as you, but it really doesn't matter

Need2Exerc1se

No, but I have a certain time that I generally try not to eat before (1 pm). Usually it's closer to 2 - 2:30 p.m. It's not a hard and fast rule though, if I get really hungry before I eat. A little hungry and I wait it out.

LivingtheLeanDream

No, if I have calories left I'll eat them regardless of the time - timing doesn't matter.

sardelsa

No not really. Most nights I have a snack right before bed.

And if I am starving in the middle of the night I will usually go and grab something.

Maxematics

I normally stop eating 2 to 4 hours before bed for no other reason than not wanting to wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. If I wake up hungry in the middle of the night I won't eat because it will keep me awake, so I just sleep it off. None of this matters for weight loss, gain, or maintenance though.

endlessfall16

VeryKatie wrote: »

No.. I even ate a granola bar in bed last night lol.

Stopping at a certain time is just another form of intermittent fasting. Some people find it helps, some don't.

hehe

NOT eating per whatever rule tends to help more than hurt. Immediately, you have a narrower window and don't constantly stimulate your appetite.

eddlandos

Nope, Scrambled Eggs at 10PM if there was no time to have breakfast.

jdbulger1018

I'm a night snacker so I try to not eat anything after dinner. I usually eat dinner between 5-6 and I tell myself the kitchen is closed after that. I don't have any calories left at that point and I know I'm just eating bc I'm bored. I also go to bed around 9 and I have found if I eat right before I go to sleep then I wake up super hungry. My body is weird like that !

AnvilHead

I make sure I stop eating before I fall asleep. Otherwise it presents a choking hazard.

Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss.

ladyreva78

I usually stop eating at least 2 hours before I go to bed. Dealing with the occasional mild hunger at night is a lot easier than dealing with acid re-flux. That usually means I stop eating at around 7pm on weekdays during the normal work week. Vacation and weekends varies depending on what I'm doing and where I am.

So unless there's a medical condition (or it helps you better stick to your calorie deficit - to each their own after all), meal timing has absolutely no importance.

annteja

Yes. I eat only between noon and 8 pm.

BoxerBrawler

Not eating before bed is only helpful if you have some type of stomach issues that will bother you when you lay down, like acid re-flux, like the poster before me mentioned. If there's food in your stomach, you're going to digest it. Meal timing doesn't count unless you're doing some kind of specific training and even then it doesn't count in terms of weight loss, but in terms of energy levels. For example... I eat when I'm hungry, doesn't matter what time of day or night it is. But yesterday I planned out my food types and times specifically because I had a Muay Thai stripe/stress test last night so I needed that burst of energy and didn't want to be hungry, but didn't want to feel full and bloated either.

mitch16

I try to, not because of weight loss implications, but because I find I don't sleep very well on a full stomach.

victoria_1024

I love late night snacking. I have 4 young kids so my only time to sit and really enjoy my food is after they're asleep. So I always save at least 300 calories for 9 pm. Sometimes I work until 8 and have been known to eat as much as 600 calories right before bed. I lost 90 lbs doing this, been in maintenance for a year.

stelly76

I got to bed around 10pm and try not to eat after 7pm for a couple of reasons: 1. I am prone to acid reflux and a Dr. told me years ago to stop eating a couple of hours before bedtime and 2. 90% of the time I'm not actually hungry and would find myself just eating out of boredom. For that 10% of the time I do get a little snackish, I will have a small, low caloric snack. Except for the 5% of the time when I say screw it and have some ice cream.

JaydedMiss

I always eat right up till i sleep, I start eating later in the day to manage having spare calories for before bed snacks, I love them and they help me sleep beter