How To Eat Later Dinners?

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Replies

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    londoneye wrote: »
    Here in Spain we often eat dinner at 10pm or later. The trick is eating a mid morning snack and a large, late lunch at 2pm / 3pm.

    Serious question - when do you go to work/school? I can't imagine having a 10pm dinner when everyone has to be up at 6.30am for school or work.

    I often eat dinner at 9 or later on busy nights and it doesn’t impact my 5:30 am wake time for exercise and the morning routine. Why would it?

    Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep. Most nights I'm in bed at 9.30pm and still hardly get that, it can take a while to fall asleep, might have to wake up to pee in the middle of the night (and try to fall asleep again after that)... I guess you could be one of the lucky ones who sleep deeply and without interruption though.

    I can get acid reflux if I go to bed too soon after eating too though, so I could never do that.

    Adults also have lots of stuff to do and need waking hours to get them done. I multi task almost everything I do - currently responding to MFP forums while getting steps in this morning. Getting 7 hours of sleep is a luxury I occasionally hit on the weekends, I’m striving for 6 hours during the week and that’s a step up. But if it’s a choice between an extra hour of sleep or getting up so that I can exercise - I’m prioritizing the exercise, for, you know, health.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    edited March 2018
    Francl27 wrote: »
    And totally off topic but ... @Machka9 I picked up on your comment about getting up to go to toilet during the night and just want you to realise you CAN train yourself to NOT get up during the night for a pee. I and lots of other friends of mine who I shared the solution with have done just that. A number of years ago a doctor was speaking about this subject at a well woman type of meeting - she was the one who said we could re-train our brains/bodies. What you do is when you wake up in the middle of the night and feel the urge to go you don't give in to it. Now granted, it can feel really hard to stick to, and you will feel as if you could burst, but trust me, if you do that for 2 or 3 nights in a row you will re-train your brain to not wake you up for a pee. It works I promise! :smile: Its been around 6 years since I did that and I have never had to get up once during the night since to go to the loo (and I drink coffee/tea in copious amounts).

    That's interesting... but I'm not sure how I feel about it.

    I always get dreams when I need to pee - like I'm somewhere and look everywhere for a bathroom or whatnot (it can get REALLY weird). I'm not sure I could train THAT part of my brain, Plus I have issues some times of the month when I drop water weight and can pee a LOT in a short amount of time... I'd probably pee the bed, honestly.

    The problem is ... I really do have to go, and go a lot. I have been tired enough to sleep through it on occasion, and that is not a good thing. I don't just feel like I could burst. Fortunately, so far I've always made it just in the nick of time after a mad sprint ... and then it's like Niagara Falls.

    I also have those dreams ... and yep ... they can get weird!

    And because of the type of exercise I do, I can gain 3 kg in water weight in one event. And then about 3 days later, I'm wearing a path in the carpet going back and forth to the toilet ... day and night. And I drop those 3 kg! That's like 3 litres in water weight plus the 2-3 litres I've drunk during the day gone in the space of about 24 hours.

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited March 2018
    @Machka9 and @Francl27 I pee a lot during the day, I can go every half hour some days but the re-training has worked for night time. I do sometimes dream I'm going to the loo but thankfully I have never had an accident.

    Maybe you are drinking too much water? just a thought.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    @Machka9 and @Francl27 I pee a lot during the day, I can go every half hour some days but the re-training has worked for night time. I do sometimes dream I'm going to the loo but thankfully I have never had an accident.

    Maybe you are drinking too much water? just a thought.

    Any less and my feet cramp.

    I'm only up once a night usually and twice on my water weight disposal days.

    I also don't know how old you are, but this business has only become regular in the last couple years as I move slowly from perimenopause to menopause.

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    @Machka9 and @Francl27 I pee a lot during the day, I can go every half hour some days but the re-training has worked for night time. I do sometimes dream I'm going to the loo but thankfully I have never had an accident.

    Maybe you are drinking too much water? just a thought.

    Any less and my feet cramp.

    I'm only up once a night usually and twice on my water weight disposal days.

    I also don't know how old you are, but this business has only become regular in the last couple years as I move slowly from perimenopause to menopause.

    I'm 48, and no peri menopause symptoms yet so maybe things will change for me too.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    @Machka9 and @Francl27 I pee a lot during the day, I can go every half hour some days but the re-training has worked for night time. I do sometimes dream I'm going to the loo but thankfully I have never had an accident.

    Maybe you are drinking too much water? just a thought.

    Any less and my feet cramp.

    I'm only up once a night usually and twice on my water weight disposal days.

    I also don't know how old you are, but this business has only become regular in the last couple years as I move slowly from perimenopause to menopause.

    I'm 48, and no peri menopause symptoms yet so maybe things will change for me too.

    This all started when I was about 49 ... and had been perimenopausal for about 6 years then. Lots of issues! Getting up once (or twice) in the night is the least of my worries. :)
  • m287668
    m287668 Posts: 13 Member
    I used to eat late, now that I'm dieting, I just can't wait until 8:30pm to consume my calories. I need to eat earlier to have the energy to get through the evening. On days when I'm mountain biking after work, I'll eat a late dinner but I've also earned the extra calories for a 2nd dinner.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    londoneye wrote: »
    Here in Spain we often eat dinner at 10pm or later. The trick is eating a mid morning snack and a large, late lunch at 2pm / 3pm.

    Serious question - when do you go to work/school? I can't imagine having a 10pm dinner when everyone has to be up at 6.30am for school or work.

    I often eat dinner at 9 or later on busy nights and it doesn’t impact my 5:30 am wake time for exercise and the morning routine. Why would it?

    Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep. Most nights I'm in bed at 9.30pm and still hardly get that, it can take a while to fall asleep, might have to wake up to pee in the middle of the night (and try to fall asleep again after that)... I guess you could be one of the lucky ones who sleep deeply and without interruption though.

    I can get acid reflux if I go to bed too soon after eating too though, so I could never do that.

    But we don't always get 7 hours of sleep. That can be a bit of a luxury.

    I eat late, then I'm busy all evening and usually get try to get to bed by 1 am ... but it is often a bit later than that. Sometimes as late as 2 am. I do try really hard not to go to bed later than 2 am, but once in a while ...

    I'm asleep seconds after my head hits the pillow (thank you, exercise!)

    However, I'm up once or twice in the night (thank you, tea)

    However, I'm asleep again as I climb back into bed (thank you, exercise and general exhaustion)

    And I'm up anywhere between 7 and 8 am. :)

    But they should try to get it.... For, you know, health.

    Some people seem to be able to get by on less. Sleep requirements vary between people.

    I actually think people should try to get it, and I've read enough to make me think they aren't that different, and those of us who routinely get by on 5 hours or so (I'm always proud and happy when I manage to get 6 consistently) are just used to it and might well feel better (and train better) with more sleep.

    It's hard for me, though, since I always think I don't really need it and am being lazy/self-indulgent if I prioritize it.

    I routinely eat at 9, go to bed around 11, and get up at 5 (sometimes 5:30), which would be great. Too often I end up going to bed at 11:30 or 12, though. I do fall asleep pretty instantly when I go to bed.

    Last night I got stuck at work, left around 10, ate not long before 11, stayed up way too late afterwards (was super wired from work) and then overslept to 6:30, which is rare for me.

    I am lucky that I can eat and immediately go to bed and it doesn't bother me a bit, but often when I eat extra late I can't get myself to go to sleep right away for other reasons.

    In a perfect world I suppose I'd eat around 8 or 8:30, go to bed at 10:30 and get up at 5:30, but eh, it's hard to make that happen.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    On the flip side, I can't imagine getting up and eating breakfast at 7am or earlier. I get up at 6:45am on weekdays, but don't eat until 1pm. High protein snack around 4-5, then dinner at about 7:30, maybe 8pm. Late night snack of about 100 calories with wine or beer, then bed around midnight or 1am. I don't get as much sleep as I should during week.

    I guess you're used to what you're used to! For us, it's not cultural, since I know plenty of people who eat dinner by 5 or 6pm. Hubby doesn't get home until 6 at the earliest, so dinner has always just been later.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    I am trying to figure out how people eat dinners so late.

    I see people eating dinner at 8 PM or 9 PM and don't know how they wait that long.

    I know if you eat a later lunch or a really big lunch it helps however that's not always possible. Also I'm curious if anyone know a way to do this without snacking between meals.

    I already posted...

    But really, I think you'll find that the vast majority of people who eat around 8 or 9 are also people who don't get home until later in the evening...either they work later or they have other goings on that either have them arriving home later or otherwise busy later into the evening.

    I could see how 8 or 9 would seem late if you're home in the late afternoon or early evening...don't do evening workouts, etc.

    If I'm lucky I'm home right around 6...during my busy season I often have to keep longer hours...if I go to the gym after work it's more like 7:15. On non lifting days I typically do my cardio in the evenings...so by the time I get home at 6, gear up and get on the bike and finish, it's usually somewhere around 7PM...then shower and I still have to cook.

    Getting home at 6 or 7 and not eating until 8 or 9 is pretty equivalent to getting home at 4 or 5 and not eating until 6 or 7.

    I also don't understand how people get home and dinner is ready 15 minutes later unless someone else is cooking for them...Dinner is typically our favorite meal because we're preparing it fresh...breakfasts and lunches are typically leftovers or hodgepodges of food to get us through the day...dinner is our actual meal that we savor.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    I also don't understand how people get home and dinner is ready 15 minutes later unless someone else is cooking for them...Dinner is typically our favorite meal because we're preparing it fresh...breakfasts and lunches are typically leftovers or hodgepodges of food to get us through the day...dinner is our actual meal that we savor.

    Leftovers I guess. I mean, typically dinner is ready when my husband gets home too as I'm the one cooking it, lol.
  • Ebony_Kitty
    Ebony_Kitty Posts: 41 Member
    I travel a lot for work so sometimes I eat dinner at 4pm if I have an early go the next morning, or sometimes I eat at 10pm if I get home late. But when I am home, I like to eat at 7 or 7:30 so I can watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. My other half travels for work as well so that is my one TV treat when I am home alone in the evening. When we are both home and eat out, we usually make our reservations for 7 or 7:30. I guess it just depends on how flexible you are and what else you have going on in life.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 667 Member
    I’ve always been an intermittent faster. Not for weight loss reasons so much, but for energy levels. Fasting gives me crazy energy. I’m up at 8am, and have several big mugs of coffee. I’m working by 9:00 and find if I stop for food, I end up wanting a nap. And no, it’s not because it’s a high carb meal. Even tuna on salad does that to me. So I drink water until about 3pm. If I’m hungry then, I’ll have a protein bar, or fruit. Most days I don’t feel hungry until 5pm. That’s when I have my main meal. A dinner. Usually 500-600 calories or so. Then at 8pm, I have a bowl of yogurt or cereal. Then at 9pm or so I sit down with a HUGE bowl of air popped popcorn with coconut spray oil & chocolate protein powder sprinkled on. Then I have a couple of fudge bars. I eat up until 11:00, and am in bed by 12 or 1:00.
    I sleep better with food in my stomach. Hunger wakes me up otherwise.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    edited March 2018
    .

    too lazy to fix my comment with quotes sorry.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    londoneye wrote: »
    Here in Spain we often eat dinner at 10pm or later. The trick is eating a mid morning snack and a large, late lunch at 2pm / 3pm.

    Serious question - when do you go to work/school? I can't imagine having a 10pm dinner when everyone has to be up at 6.30am for school or work.

    I often eat dinner at 9 or later on busy nights and it doesn’t impact my 5:30 am wake time for exercise and the morning routine. Why would it?

    Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep. Most nights I'm in bed at 9.30pm and still hardly get that, it can take a while to fall asleep, might have to wake up to pee in the middle of the night (and try to fall asleep again after that)... I guess you could be one of the lucky ones who sleep deeply and without interruption though.

    I can get acid reflux if I go to bed too soon after eating too though, so I could never do that.

    7 hours of sleep is rare for me. We often get to bed after midnight and I get up at 5:00am for Bible reading, or 6:00am if I feel I need the extra hour to sleep. I might stay in bed until 7:00am on Saturday morning, or 6:00am if I plan to read. Sunday is an early start, but I could possibly get 7 or 8 hours sleep that night from 9:00pm to 5:00am Monday morning.

    Waking during the night is no problem for me. I can go to the toilet and straight back to bed and fall asleep again right away.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    And totally off topic but ... @Machka9 I picked up on your comment about getting up to go to toilet during the night and just want you to realise you CAN train yourself to NOT get up during the night for a pee. I and lots of other friends of mine who I shared the solution with have done just that. A number of years ago a doctor was speaking about this subject at a well woman type of meeting - she was the one who said we could re-train our brains/bodies. What you do is when you wake up in the middle of the night and feel the urge to go you don't give in to it. Now granted, it can feel really hard to stick to, and you will feel as if you could burst, but trust me, if you do that for 2 or 3 nights in a row you will re-train your brain to not wake you up for a pee. It works I promise! :smile: Its been around 6 years since I did that and I have never had to get up once during the night since to go to the loo (and I drink coffee/tea in copious amounts).

    Interesting, but we know that children who don't wake during the night will wet their beds. I've always heard as adults, we'll damage our bladders if we don't go when we need to, and men will damage the prostate. But, it's always good to hear another new angle to these things!!
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    snacks and business. Also my job forces me to eat lunch at 2-3 pm so I am fuller.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,312 Member
    I wish I could get used to eating at 8. I eat dinner around 5 & a little snack at 8 but I'd like it the other way around as I get hungry after 8
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Weekdays, I work out after work, so I eat dinner late--around 8:30 or 9pm. I eat multiple small meals during the day instead of several big ones. I eat a snack to tide me over and make sure I don't get uncomfortably hungry during my workout. Sometimes I have some Isopure (protein powder with electrolytes) during my workout as they're almost all at least an hour and a half. I am often pretty hungry when I get home, but it works for me.

    Meal timing is about what works for you. If eating late doesn't work for you, don't do it. But if you can tweak your meals during the day, it just might!
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    Mon + Tue (uni days) 19:00/20:00.
    Wed (half uni day) 17:00/18:00, unless it's a race night then it's 16:00.
    Rest of week if I'm not working it's 17:00/18:00.
    Days I work till 20:00, it's 21:00 +
    Days I work nights it 16:30/17:30.
    Eating out it's 19:30 ish.