Will you gain weight if you eat before sleeping?

..if youre under your allotted calories for the day but eat, an apple for example, 1 hour before bed? Sometimes, work can be hectic and go on till 10-11pm. At this time, I get a tad bit hungry. So I was wondering if eating an apple or so (as long as Im under my calorie limit). But I read somewhere (cant confirm the authenticity) that if you eat before sleeping then it will be deposited as fat.

Is that trye at all? Or is that true for unhealthy junk food only?
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Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Nope, this is completely a myth. You can eat at any time of the day and not have a negative effect so long as you're meeting your calorie goal. However, I do not recommend eating while sleeping as this could present a choking hazard and you may forget to log what you ate.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    Nope, this is completely a myth. You can eat at any time of the day and not have a negative effect so long as you're meeting your calorie goal. However, I do not recommend eating while sleeping as this could present a choking hazard and you may forget to log what you ate.

    really? phew..and add acid reflux to that list also. :grumble:
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I find that sometimes having a small meal or snack right before I go to bed helps me sleep. And I have been consistently losing weight, def. not gaining.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    But isnt is true because you're not burning anything or doing anything physical and the body stores the food as fat?
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    Only if you eat and then sleep - all day, every day and never move. Then your cals eaten will probably be above what you burn and you'll gain weight.
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    Studies have shown eating before bed doesn't turn into fat if you're eating within your calorie allotment. I eat before bed all the time.

    That said - I wouldn't eat say spaghetti and meatballs then lie down to sleep. I'd stick to light foods that are easy to digest. If I eat something heavy I personally have trouble sleeping.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    But isnt is true because you're not burning anything or doing anything physical and the body stores the food as fat?

    No.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Probably with an HRM.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Probably with an HRM.

    thats crazy..that would mean the person would have to sleep with the strap on then..

    it would be interesting to see if a person burns more calories if theyre tired...or days where youve burnt more vs days less (while asleep)..interesting topic to research.
  • YaGigi
    YaGigi Posts: 817 Member
    ..if youre under your allotted calories for the day but eat, an apple for example, 1 hour before bed? Sometimes, work can be hectic and go on till 10-11pm. At this time, I get a tad bit hungry. So I was wondering if eating an apple or so (as long as Im under my calorie limit). But I read somewhere (cant confirm the authenticity) that if you eat before sleeping then it will be deposited as fat.

    Is that trye at all? Or is that true for unhealthy junk food only?

    I'm on a diet that doesn't allowed any food after 6 pm. My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth.

    But if I'm feeling really hungry, I can have a half glass of warm skim milk. It's allowed. It helps to calm the stomach.

    My doctor recommends to have something to drink tat is easy to digest. This way my digestive system is also relaxing while I'm sleeping.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    HRMs really aren't supposed to be very accurate when you're not actually exercising. More likely to have been a FitBit. According to mine I earn almost 700 for an 8 hours.

    If you think about it sensibly, if you are eating less each day than your body requires how can it possibly be making fat - whenever you're eating those calories. I had an apple before bed last night and woke up lighter than I was yesterday morning.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    But isnt is true because you're not burning anything or doing anything physical and the body stores the food as fat?

    No. First of all, your body burns calories while you sleep. Secondly you need to look at fat oxidation over the whole day, not just at night.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    ..if youre under your allotted calories for the day but eat, an apple for example, 1 hour before bed? Sometimes, work can be hectic and go on till 10-11pm. At this time, I get a tad bit hungry. So I was wondering if eating an apple or so (as long as Im under my calorie limit). But I read somewhere (cant confirm the authenticity) that if you eat before sleeping then it will be deposited as fat.

    Is that trye at all? Or is that true for unhealthy junk food only?

    I'm on a diet that doesn't allowed any food after 6 pm. My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth.

    But if I'm feeling really hungry, I can have a half glass of warm skim milk. It's allowed. It helps to calm the stomach.

    Why doesnt the doc tell u to eat after 6? did he give any reasons?
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member

    I'm on a diet that doesn't allowed any food after 6 pm. My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth.

    That COULD just be to stop you from snacking between meals!


    .
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Probably with an HRM.

    thats crazy..that would mean the person would have to sleep with the strap on then..

    it would be interesting to see if a person burns more calories if theyre tired...or days where youve burnt more vs days less (while asleep)..interesting topic to research.

    The calories you burn will approximate your BMR (although there are studies that indicate that your BMR actually increases while sleeping). People's BMR is about 50 - 100 calories an hour (depending on size, age, metabolism etc). If you are tired your TDEE will probably be lower as you will move more. Your BMR will not change however.
  • YaGigi
    YaGigi Posts: 817 Member
    ..if youre under your allotted calories for the day but eat, an apple for example, 1 hour before bed? Sometimes, work can be hectic and go on till 10-11pm. At this time, I get a tad bit hungry. So I was wondering if eating an apple or so (as long as Im under my calorie limit). But I read somewhere (cant confirm the authenticity) that if you eat before sleeping then it will be deposited as fat.

    Is that trye at all? Or is that true for unhealthy junk food only?

    I'm on a diet that doesn't allowed any food after 6 pm. My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth.

    But if I'm feeling really hungry, I can have a half glass of warm skim milk. It's allowed. It helps to calm the stomach.

    Why doesnt the doc tell u to eat after 6? did he give any reasons?

    That's a diet I follow and it's prescribed by a very reputable weightloss clinic. I get tested by this clinic once a week and spent a week of treatments and diet in Swiss alps during my last treatment.

    I didn't really asked why... I've known this "no food after 6" for years and was following it, was slim, my mom has been following it for 60 years and she's 90 - 95 pounds. It's like asking "why earth is not flat", its an obvious fact for me.
  • YaGigi
    YaGigi Posts: 817 Member

    I'm on a diet that doesn't allowed any food after 6 pm. My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth.

    That COULD just be to stop you from snacking between meals!


    .

    Snacking is not allowed either :)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Bodybugg
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Probably with an HRM.

    I only use my HRM for cardio workouts. It's not accurate for anything else.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    You actually burn more calories while you are sleeping than you do exercising. I usually burn around 800 calories while sleeping, but only 300 in an exercise session.

    It does NOT matter *when* you eat your calories as long as you are in a deficit for the day under your TDEE. The calorie deficit is what matters, not when you eat.

    how did you measure your calories burnt during sleep?

    Bodybugg

    Oh I thought bodybugg was a hrm. so u need to wear a strap before sleeping?
  • No! Your body doesn't have a clock.Only your mind does.However, you should eat, just like you said, an apple or something that is not really hard to digest.That way your sleep won't be affected :)
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    You wont put on weight... but if you are like me you will sweat buckets if you do.

    I have a habit of eating right before bed, like 5 mins before even. I'll sweat so much (yeah even in winter in a freezing house) that I have to get out of bed, grab a towel, dry off, get changed & then sleep with a towel under me.

    If I don't eat before bed (say on a fasting day where I have nothing to eat at all all day) I don't sweat one little bit.


    I think I may sweat my weight out at night lol.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I have a Bodymedia Fit, which is the same ad a BodyBugg. They are meant to be worn all the time, as they measure sleep efficiency as well as calories burned, steps taken etc. It's a fantastic motivational tool and I find it to be quite accurate. The original point here though, is that meal timing and frequency is a personal preference and won't help or hinder weight loss. It's all about calorie deficit.
  • myfitnesspaller
    myfitnesspaller Posts: 74 Member
    I have a Bodymedia Fit, which is the same ad a BodyBugg. They are meant to be worn all the time, as they measure sleep efficiency as well as calories burned, steps taken etc. It's a fantastic motivational tool and I find it to be quite accurate. The original point here though, is that meal timing and frequency is a personal preference and won't help or hinder weight loss. It's all about calorie deficit.

    I see..so do you log in your calories burnt while sleeping too?
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I have a Bodymedia Fit, which is the same ad a BodyBugg. They are meant to be worn all the time, as they measure sleep efficiency as well as calories burned, steps taken etc. It's a fantastic motivational tool and I find it to be quite accurate. The original point here though, is that meal timing and frequency is a personal preference and won't help or hinder weight loss. It's all about calorie deficit.

    I see..so do you log in your calories burnt while sleeping too?
    No, the BMF syncs with Myfitnesspal and basically only logs anything over my BMR. Just the same as when you log exercise. For example today I burned 2840 calories total, with sleep and everything, and after syncing, MFP said I earned 870 calories from exercise, therefore my BMR ( including 8 hours sleep) is around 2000. I try to lose 1.5 to 2lbs a week so I eat around 2000-2400 calories per day depending on activity etc.
  • leslturn8
    leslturn8 Posts: 505 Member
    It is advised to eat 2 hours before bed as to allow your body to focus on repairing rather than digesting.
    Light foods that are fast burning are probably the best snack to eat if you were going to eat so close to bed time, that way most of it may already be going through your system.

    If you do weights or HIIT, these activities are likely to continue to burn through the night and into the next day (s) depending on your level of hard work.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I eat the vast majority of my calories in the evening and I ensure that I have some lovely carby treats just before I go to bed.

    Doesn't seem to be harming me.

    Any doctor that says there is some magic in not eating after 6pm should not be dishing out nutritional advice.

    It may. as others have said, be just to discourage snacking but there is no metabolic magic in it.

    Think about it ... Does what you put in your gob immediately get digested or does it take a while to get fully processed? A while as in hours ...
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    But isnt is true because you're not burning anything or doing anything physical and the body stores the food as fat?

    If you're asleep and you're not burning any calories it means you're dead.