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meal timing debate

135

Replies

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    ryenday wrote: »
    fuzzylop72 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    A question- I see a lot of posts on MFP which state meal timing makes no difference to weight loss. Does anyone have the cites for the peer reviewed research to back this up?

    I’m particularly interested in reading anything where they control tested meal timing in relation to bed time, not time of day.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/does-eating-at-night-make-it-more-likely-to-gain-weight/ -- sources linked at the end

    The studies that show differences are often due to the participants consuming less, not due to any physiological disadvantage of nighttime eating.

    As I read that the article’s conclusion was based upon the peer reviewed studies that exist “It is pretty hard to reach any conclusions” and none of the cited studies addressed time of eating/bedtime - all cited were about the time of eating/clock time.

    I’ll do some more research, but thus far I’ve not come across one study that specifically looks at whether sleep affects caloric intake - thus I don’t know that there is any peer reviewed scientific basis for a statement that it matters/doesn’t matter.

    Whether sleep affects caloric intake is a different question than from whether meal timing does.

    I think lack of sleep or messed up circadian rhythms certainly tends to result in higher cal intake and perhaps more problems for weight loss than that accounts for, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with meal timing, since everyone has said it doesn't matter UNLESS it affects sleep. Maybe you meant to say something else, but it seems you might be talking about something different?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I don't think it's really fair to say that meal timing make no difference in weight loss. I think meal timing can make a pretty big difference. Not from a physiological standpoint, but weight loss is as much a mental game as a physiological one. And when you eat can affect how easy it is to stick to your calorie goals.

    Eating at times that fit your personal schedule and lifestyle seems a really important thing to me. So while I understand that the gist of this thread is to refute that one should not eat just before bed or late at night, I think it is just as wrong to say meal timing doesn't matter at all.

    But the point people have been making is just the same as the one you made. It makes no difference physiologically, but might psychologically (i.e., if not eating after a time helps you not overeat in the evening). That it matters only psychologically means that for some of us it's better to eat later (if that works with our lifestyles) vs. thinking that it's necessary to figure out a way to not eat after 6 or some crazy early time (as 6 pm would seem to me).

    Acknowledging that it matters only for personal lifestyle or preference reasons allows you to find what works for you. You don't need to follow some rule (such as the person who started this gave).
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I don't think it's really fair to say that meal timing make no difference in weight loss. I think meal timing can make a pretty big difference. Not from a physiological standpoint, but weight loss is as much a mental game as a physiological one. And when you eat can affect how easy it is to stick to your calorie goals.

    Eating at times that fit your personal schedule and lifestyle seems a really important thing to me. So while I understand that the gist of this thread is to refute that one should not eat just before bed or late at night, I think it is just as wrong to say meal timing doesn't matter at all.

    But the point people have been making is just the same as the one you made. It makes no difference physiologically, but might psychologically (i.e., if not eating after a time helps you not overeat in the evening). That it matters only psychologically means that for some of us it's better to eat later (if that works with our lifestyles) vs. thinking that it's necessary to figure out a way to not eat after 6 or some crazy early time (as 6 pm would seem to me).

    Acknowledging that it matters only for personal lifestyle or preference reasons allows you to find what works for you. You don't need to follow some rule (such as the person who started this gave).

    Not everyone was saying that, or at least not clearly. There were posts that said nothing other than "it makes no difference" or something similar.
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    fuzzylop72 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    A question- I see a lot of posts on MFP which state meal timing makes no difference to weight loss. Does anyone have the cites for the peer reviewed research to back this up?

    I’m particularly interested in reading anything where they control tested meal timing in relation to bed time, not time of day.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/does-eating-at-night-make-it-more-likely-to-gain-weight/ -- sources linked at the end

    The studies that show differences are often due to the participants consuming less, not due to any physiological disadvantage of nighttime eating.

    As I read that the article’s conclusion was based upon the peer reviewed studies that exist “It is pretty hard to reach any conclusions” and none of the cited studies addressed time of eating/bedtime - all cited were about the time of eating/clock time.

    I’ll do some more research, but thus far I’ve not come across one study that specifically looks at whether sleep affects caloric intake - thus I don’t know that there is any peer reviewed scientific basis for a statement that it matters/doesn’t matter.

    Whether sleep affects caloric intake is a different question than from whether meal timing does.

    I think lack of sleep or messed up circadian rhythms certainly tends to result in higher cal intake and perhaps more problems for weight loss than that accounts for, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with meal timing, since everyone has said it doesn't matter UNLESS it affects sleep. Maybe you meant to say something else, but it seems you might be talking about something different?

    Yeah, my limited understanding is that different chemical processes occur in the body during sleep. Therefore I question whether a meal consumed right before sleep might result in a difference to the caloric uptake. I Question this, I am not saying it is true/false or even quantitatively relevant. I would just like to know if anyone has seen any reputable research addressing it.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    ryenday wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    fuzzylop72 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    A question- I see a lot of posts on MFP which state meal timing makes no difference to weight loss. Does anyone have the cites for the peer reviewed research to back this up?

    I’m particularly interested in reading anything where they control tested meal timing in relation to bed time, not time of day.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/does-eating-at-night-make-it-more-likely-to-gain-weight/ -- sources linked at the end

    The studies that show differences are often due to the participants consuming less, not due to any physiological disadvantage of nighttime eating.

    As I read that the article’s conclusion was based upon the peer reviewed studies that exist “It is pretty hard to reach any conclusions” and none of the cited studies addressed time of eating/bedtime - all cited were about the time of eating/clock time.

    I’ll do some more research, but thus far I’ve not come across one study that specifically looks at whether sleep affects caloric intake - thus I don’t know that there is any peer reviewed scientific basis for a statement that it matters/doesn’t matter.

    Whether sleep affects caloric intake is a different question than from whether meal timing does.

    I think lack of sleep or messed up circadian rhythms certainly tends to result in higher cal intake and perhaps more problems for weight loss than that accounts for, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with meal timing, since everyone has said it doesn't matter UNLESS it affects sleep. Maybe you meant to say something else, but it seems you might be talking about something different?

    Yeah, my limited understanding is that different chemical processes occur in the body during sleep. Therefore I question whether a meal consumed right before sleep might result in a difference to the caloric uptake. I Question this, I am not saying it is true/false or even quantitatively relevant. I would just like to know if anyone has seen any reputable research addressing it.

    I wonder about this too. Would I have lost weight more quickly if I'd eaten earlier in the day? Since I'm now in maintenance now it doesn't really matter, but I'm still a curious.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    i'll see if I can find some of the research I've looked for previously - but 2 studies that I remember reading

    1) a snack before bed (higher protein) can help with lean muscle recovery in women
    2) a carb-y snack can improve quality of sleep - I know that I sleep like the dead when I incorporate a bowl of cereal before bed and no issues with weight loss
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Even if there was a difference, I imagine it would probably be slight. For me, it's easier to adhere to a deficit when I eat when I want and that, for me, includes later dinners (8 PM or so). I feel the same way about alcohol. Maybe I would lose weight faster if I completely eliminated it, but that's a way of life that I'm not particularly interested in so I'll sometimes have a drink within my deficit. In both cases (eating late and sometimes drinking), I know that I'll still lose weight if I'm at a deficit and that's what matters to me.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    fuzzylop72 wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    A question- I see a lot of posts on MFP which state meal timing makes no difference to weight loss. Does anyone have the cites for the peer reviewed research to back this up?

    I’m particularly interested in reading anything where they control tested meal timing in relation to bed time, not time of day.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/does-eating-at-night-make-it-more-likely-to-gain-weight/ -- sources linked at the end

    The studies that show differences are often due to the participants consuming less, not due to any physiological disadvantage of nighttime eating.

    As I read that the article’s conclusion was based upon the peer reviewed studies that exist “It is pretty hard to reach any conclusions” and none of the cited studies addressed time of eating/bedtime - all cited were about the time of eating/clock time.

    I’ll do some more research, but thus far I’ve not come across one study that specifically looks at whether sleep affects caloric intake - thus I don’t know that there is any peer reviewed scientific basis for a statement that it matters/doesn’t matter.

    Whether sleep affects caloric intake is a different question than from whether meal timing does.

    I think lack of sleep or messed up circadian rhythms certainly tends to result in higher cal intake and perhaps more problems for weight loss than that accounts for, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with meal timing, since everyone has said it doesn't matter UNLESS it affects sleep. Maybe you meant to say something else, but it seems you might be talking about something different?

    Yeah, my limited understanding is that different chemical processes occur in the body during sleep. Therefore I question whether a meal consumed right before sleep might result in a difference to the caloric uptake. I Question this, I am not saying it is true/false or even quantitatively relevant. I would just like to know if anyone has seen any reputable research addressing it.

    I want you to think about this logically and critically.

    Does it makes sense on a molecular level that a biological system would modify metabolic pathways?

    Metabolic pathways are set and only react to stimulus - this being the presence of molecules (food). The miracle of life does not begin or end by sleeping/waking. Imagine the outcome if this had an impact? How would this impact people on differing sleep cycles - off shift workers & long shift workers. How would this impact people in a coma?

    There are specific chemical processes that occur during sleep cycles, but these have almost no impact on metabolism. Now there is an impact when individuals are sleep deprived, but this is a matter of dramatic hormonal imbalance resulting.

    Exactly...and if things were this complicated, the human species would have died off eons ago...

    Really? From what?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    One thing I've always wondered is who are these people who can have their last meal at 6 or whatever...and what do they do? I don't remember the last time I was home from work anytime before 6...sometimes I'm just leaving the office.

    Yeah, I had a 4 hour daily commute for more than 14 years and rarely ate dinner before 7:00 and was in bed by 8:00 - 8:30. The last year I was working I lost almost 40 lbs. without changing anything except the number of calories I was eating.

    Yikes...4 hours would suck. Mine is typically 2 hours...sometimes 2.5 hours round trip if traffic is extra bad...but yeah, 6 PM is generally the earliest I get home. If I go to lift after work I'm not usually home until 7:30 or later.