Does it matter *when* you eat your calories?

Adam__20000

I see some people say to not eat after 8pm or something related, is there a benefit to doing this?

pinuplove

If eating late at night causes you discomfort or digestive issues, don't. Otherwise it doesn't matter.

I try not to eat late because I find it harder to sleep, but that's purely a matter of personal preference. It doesn't affect overall weight loss.

WinoGelato

Nope. Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.

Whoever these people are, stop listening to them about anything weight loss, diet, or health related.

MikePTY

Nope. You should figure out what's best for you in terms of timing. For me, I do best when I eat 4-5 meals a day, with most of them being small and one of them being larger. I find that helps me with cravings and keeps me most on track. I almost always have at least 1 meal after 8pm, sometimes 2. But it's about what works for you. There is no one right or wrong time to eat. It should be about whatever helps keep you on track.

Chef_Barbell

WinoGelato wrote: »

Nope. Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.

Whoever these people are, stop listening to them about anything weight loss, diet, or health related.

This +1

kami3006

WinoGelato wrote: »

Nope. Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.

Whoever these people are, stop listening to them about anything weight loss, diet, or health related.

^ yep yep

I eat every night before bed and have had no issues losing or maintaining and I know several people who eat the majority of their calories in the late evening. Again, with no issues.

apullum

If I eat a big meal too close to bedtime, it can be hard for me to sleep. Some people also have problems with acid reflux if they eat and then lie down. However, unless you have specific health concerns like these, there is no reason not to eat late at night. It will only affect weight loss if those late night meals put you over your calorie goal.

ruqayyahsmum

I try to stop eating before I fall asleep

Waking up because your choking on cake isn't much fun

nooshi713

It makes not one bit of difference in terms of weight loss imo.

I work different shifts so sometimes I am up all night and eat my largest meal at 3am.

JBanx256

Does your body know what time it is? What about daylight savings time? Or changing time zones? Or people who work night shift? Seriously though - the time of day has no impact. I work 12-hour rotating shifts (meaning rotating between days & nights) and for the most part I eat the same meals in the same intervals, etc, regardless. As others have mentioned, some people have digestive issues if they eat too close to bedtime etc, but that's more dependent upon the individual than anything.

For the vast majority of people, nutrient timing is a non-issue. However, in higher-level athletes who have everything else completely squared away, nutrient timing can be a factor. But we're talking about, < 1% of the population though, not your average person just looking to lose some weight or whatever.

kimny72

The reason this myth continues is because folks who try to do it end up skipping some mindless evening snacking and end up eating less calories. I'd bet it works for some people for that reason - they only snacked at night out of habit, not hunger, so it helps them break the habit. But the whole idea of your body not burning calories at night so the calories are immediately stored as fat is pure woo. I on the other hand get genuinely hungry at night and have a problem falling asleep on an empty stomach, so I save 150-200 cals to eat around 10PM or so. Your body can't tell time, and is constantly digesting food, burning fat, storing fat... it's the circle of life Eat on whatever schedule gives you energy when you need it and allows you to get a restful sleep.

psychod787

apullum wrote: »

If I eat a big meal too close to bedtime, it can be hard for me to sleep. Some people also have problems with acid reflux if they eat and then lie down. However, unless you have specific health concerns like these, there is no reason not to eat late at night. It will only affect weight loss if those late night meals put you over your calorie goal.

Exact opposite for me. A big meal before bed helps me sleep.

jseams1234

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Adam__20000

jseams1234 wrote: »

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Bro I am fine trust me! My weight is in the healthy range

jseams1234

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Bro I am fine trust me! My weight is in the healthy range

That's great to hear. Are you still running less than 1200 calories a day or have you finally increased your intake a bit? If you are in the healthy range now I'd like to assume that you are now moving into maintenance? What is that calorie allowance looking like?

Adam__20000

jseams1234 wrote: »

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Bro I am fine trust me! My weight is in the healthy range

That's great to hear. Are you still running less than 1200 calories a day or have you finally increased your intake a bit? If you are in the healthy range now I'd like to assume that you are now moving into maintenance? What is that calorie allowance looking like?

I’m still at 1000 net calories a day but once I get to the lower end of healthy weight I will try to eat more maybe 1600 or so a day

Chef_Barbell

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Bro I am fine trust me! My weight is in the healthy range

That's great to hear. Are you still running less than 1200 calories a day or have you finally increased your intake a bit? If you are in the healthy range now I'd like to assume that you are now moving into maintenance? What is that calorie allowance looking like?

I’m still at 1000 net calories a day but once I get to the lower end of healthy weight I will try to eat more maybe 1600 or so a day

That's sad.

estherdragonbat

Eating a large meal within 6 hours or so of weigh-in tends to give me a disappointing result on the scale. Not eating late the night before tends to give me a better one. But that's temporary and has nothing to do with overall weight loss.

Adam__20000

Chef_Barbell wrote: »

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

adamlai2000 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

OP... are you still underweight and eating 1000 calories a day? I don’t think meal timing should be a primary concern for you at this point.

Bro I am fine trust me! My weight is in the healthy range

That's great to hear. Are you still running less than 1200 calories a day or have you finally increased your intake a bit? If you are in the healthy range now I'd like to assume that you are now moving into maintenance? What is that calorie allowance looking like?

I’m still at 1000 net calories a day but once I get to the lower end of healthy weight I will try to eat more maybe 1600 or so a day

That's sad.

How so? If anything I feel a lot happier having lost all the weight