Does it matter when I eat my calories?

_EndGame_

So I work strange hours. Usually end up having breakfast at around 6PM, so often my food diary is onto the next day, whilst I'm still logging food for yesterday (I hope that makes sense)

So anyway, like now for example, I'm in the UK, I'll be having my last meal of the day in around an hours time (it's 3.27AM right now, btw) then say around 6AM I'll be going to bed. Now, assuming I stay within my calorie allowance, does it make any kind of difference when I eat my food?

I've always looked at it like, the day starts when you wake up and finishes when you go to sleep, so regardless of time, as long as I stay within my calorie allowance, it doesn't matter what time I eat?

Just wanting peoples opinions on this, or to hear from people who have similar eating/working/sleeping patterns as myself!

_EndGame_

Just to add, I've always been kind of nocturnal. Having breakfast after 5PM is kind of the norm for me!

herblackwings39

It hasn't been an issue for me. I normally track from the time I get up till the time I go to sleep. That might be 8am till 12 pm or it might be 11 am till 3 am.

AJ_G

As far as body composition, gaining weight, losing weight, gaining fat, losing fat, etc, meal timing, meal frequency, and number of meals a day have absolutely no effect at all. One 2000 calorie meal a day vs five 400 calorie meals a day will have the exact same effect on your body composition. The only difference may be how it affects your mood and your appetite, and how it makes you feel, which are all personal to you.

magerum

As far as body composition, gaining weight, losing weight, gaining fat, losing fat, etc, meal timing, meal frequency, and number of meals a day have absolutely no effect at all. One 2000 calorie meal a day vs five 400 calorie meals a day will have the exact same effect on your body composition. The only difference may be how it affects your mood and your appetite, and how it makes you feel, which are all personal to you.

This ^^


In the last 75 minutes I've eaten: 24 oz chicken breast (cooked weight), 1/2 lb spinach, 1/2 lb mixed veggies, 3/4 lb white potato, 1/2 lb cornbread w/ butter, 3 cups cinnamon toast crunch w/ 1/2 cup milk, 3 cups chocolate fiber one w/ 1/2 cup Milk, and a pint of ice cream. Didn't eat all day prior. I normally don't eat all at once, but that is just how it worked out today.

_EndGame_

As far as body composition, gaining weight, losing weight, gaining fat, losing fat, etc, meal timing, meal frequency, and number of meals a day have absolutely no effect at all. One 2000 calorie meal a day vs five 400 calorie meals a day will have the exact same effect on your body composition. The only difference may be how it affects your mood and your appetite, and how it makes you feel, which are all personal to you.

That pretty much explains everything.

Thanks!

JennOnTheRocks

I am on the night schedule too! I wake up at 9:00 PM and go to bed about 1:00 PM the following day. I typically do not eat anything after 8:00/9:00 AM and I try to stay away from starchy carbs and sugars before bed, especially since I workout in the mornings not before bed. It has really worked for me. Maybe switch up your eating, what you are eating, and when you are eating and see how it affects you. The great thing about MFP is the tracking really allows you to hone in and tweak the process to work the best for YOU!
Cheers!

Jenn

_EndGame_

I am on the night schedule too! I wake up at 9:00 PM and go to bed about 1:00 PM the following day. I typically do not eat anything after 8:00/9:00 AM and I try to stay away from starchy carbs and sugars before bed, especially since I workout in the mornings not before bed. It has really worked for me. Maybe switch up your eating, what you are eating, and when you are eating and see how it affects you. The great thing about MFP is the tracking really allows you to hone in and tweak the process to work the best for YOU!
Cheers!

Jenn

Yeah, the tools on MFP are really great. It's made my weight loss far easier than it would have been without it.

Hindsight is a great thing. I really never had any idea just how unhealthily I was eating until I started logging my calories, then when I knew how much I was actually eating, the fact I was so overweight made sense!