Eating in the evening if you still have calories to spare

jayemes

I didn't make a ton of great food choices today, but I did exercise, so I'm still 300+ calories under for the day - but it's 9:30 at night and I'm going to bed in an hour.
I'm considering having a protein bar just to get some more calories/protein in for the day, but is that stupid? I have over 20 pounds to lose, so being at a deficit is a good thing, but how far is too far?
I'm not hungry. I'm drinking water. I can totally do without it.
Advice?

macchiatto

If you're not hungry, I'd skip it (unless you're, say, trying to hit a protein goal).
I usually have an evening snack; I have insomnia as it is and can't sleep if I'm hungry so for me it works and I always leave calories for it.

nyponbell

I would leave it - worst case scenario you will eat that extra tomorrow because you are hungry then.

But then I am also the kind of person who would have trouble stopping with the evening snacking once I got started (especially if I'm "supposed to" eat more).

ElizabethHanrahan

If you are only eating back your exercise calories or it doesn't happen often, go ahead and skip it. If you are often under calories, I would choose more calorie dense items. Eating back only a portion of your exercise calories is probably a good thing since most are often over estimated.

jayemes

Yes it's just exercise calories, and no it doesn't happen often at all lol
I'm gonna skip it and not worry