Will you gain weight if you eat before sleeping?

ninerbuff

Foof is fuel... I think ya dont need much fuel to lay down and sleep. Just enough so ur tummy rumbling doesnt keep u awake. I never eat right before bedtime. Food needs to digest a bit before i am horizontal otherwise im uncomfortable. Its all very personal. To keep a quick metabolism i eat like 5 or 6 times during the day...but not within 2 hrs of bedtime.

Unfortunately this is also a myth.

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Sarauk2sf

When I say "my doctor" I mean a doctor who is specialized in weightloss, has post doctoral in weightloss, has been working in weightloss for decades, has weightloss clinics and published books and researches (not sure if translated in English).

My doctor has been practicing since medieval times. He has a Knighthood in medicine. He prescribes a good blood-letting for colds and for weight loss. He has many scrolls penned by his very hand. He is also a scribe.

Cooooooooooooooool

jenilla1

...My doctor is very strict about no food after 6, so it's not a myth...

Whatever. :indifferent:

I've never been overweight and I easily maintain while routinely eating before bed. A light meal or snack actually helps me sleep. It's different for everybody, though. Some people shouldn't eat before bed because they have acid reflux issues. The one thing I do know, is that the amount of calories you are taking in is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss or maintenance.

I know a woman who has been "dieting" for years and only gets bigger as the years go by. The one thing she always swears by is no eating after 6pm. It's been decades, and she is religious about it, yet it still hasn't helped. She insists that it helps because she says that if she didn't do it, think how much bigger she WOULD be. That sounds like crazy talk to me. I think she needs to try a new routine - like maybe staying at a calorie deficit? All this other gimmicky stuff is just a distraction.

YaGigi

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Then we shouldn't even be a species that's alive since early man actually ate that way. One meal a day.................the rest of the time was hunting and gathering.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stone Age people lived for 30-35 years maximum Doubt they were really healthy.

silverteacup

You actually do burn a lot of calories while you sleep and if you need a snack before going to bed maybe keep it light. If you go to bed hungry you won't sleep or have trouble falling asleep which means you will not rest. Rest is essential if you are going to effectively lose weight. So yes, have a snack if you need too I do all the time but I keep it light and don't stress about needing to eat if your body needs it needs it.

Showcase_Brodown

Let me highlight it for you. The word "just" especially.

I concede. That changes everything. You win.

+1 for antique medicine.

YaGigi

I want a goldbladder...sounds exotic.

Wasn't that in a Bond film?

Perhaps ..though I prefer goldmember. I prioritize certain body parts for their importance.

I like the way you think!

Oh I'm sorry for the mistake. It's gallbladder.

English is only my 3rd language so I do make silly grammar mistakes.

What's your excuse?

Sarauk2sf

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Then we shouldn't even be a species that's alive since early man actually ate that way. One meal a day.................the rest of the time was hunting and gathering.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stone Age people lived for 30-35 years maximum Doubt they were really healthy.

Predators, lack of modern medicine, starvation etc etc have a little bit of a bearing on that don't you think?

Sarauk2sf

I want a goldbladder...sounds exotic.

Wasn't that in a Bond film?

Perhaps ..though I prefer goldmember. I prioritize certain body parts for their importance.

I like the way you think!

Oh I'm sorry for the mistake. It's gallbladder.

English is only my 3rd language so I do make silly grammar mistakes.

What's your excuse?

For what?

pastryari

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Then we shouldn't even be a species that's alive since early man actually ate that way. One meal a day.................the rest of the time was hunting and gathering.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stone Age people lived for 30-35 years maximum Doubt they were really healthy.

They didn't have the medical abilities/treatments we have now.

Phoenix_Warrior

I just ate wheat thins, hummus and a mocha. 7:08pms. *hangs head in shame*

Sarauk2sf

I just ate wheat thins, hummus and a mocha. 7:08pms. *hangs head in shame*

Ermegherd.......

magerum

The data my doctor has shows that it would cause weight gain AND health problems if eating all of your food before 6 pm.
So this kind of recommendations should depend on health circumstances of an individual. Therefore should be done by a medical professional after a medical exam. Not by someone on a forum. Would you agree?

Oh man, I better keep eating most of my calories after 6 pm, like I usually do. Yesssss.

The 6 pm or 8 pm or whatever time cutoff having anything to do with weight management given the same number of calories in a day has been dis-proven time and time again. Allow me to echo the wisdom again: Meal timing and frequency don't matter.

Of course this is a strategy that may work for you by placing limits so that you don't overeat, and if it does, good for you and your doctor. But the important thing to understand is that it is all about the calories in/out.

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Said no one ever.

My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

You may want to look into your weak constitution.

Consider this study showing that “reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.” - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19246357

This study which found “diets differing substantially in glycemic load induce comparable long-term weight loss.”- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17413101

Astounding results of Professor Mark Haub who lost 27lbs and improved markers of health while eating a diet consisting of Twinkies.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Flexible dieting
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11707550

Cranquistador

MY doctor says eat whenever I want within my calorie range.

NinjadURbacon

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Then we shouldn't even be a species that's alive since early man actually ate that way. One meal a day.................the rest of the time was hunting and gathering.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stone Age people lived for 30-35 years maximum Doubt they were really healthy.

but it was all organic

Calliope610

I just ate wheat thins, hummus and a mocha. 7:08pms. *hangs head in shame*

Don't look now, but your goldbladder is dying.

ninerbuff

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Then we shouldn't even be a species that's alive since early man actually ate that way. One meal a day.................the rest of the time was hunting and gathering.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stone Age people lived for 30-35 years maximum Doubt they were really healthy.

Medical advancement helps with longevity in years. This isn't disputed. However, the point is that they survived on one meal a day.
And actual peer reviewed science would back up that it's total calories per day that make the difference, not how many meals or relevance to time.
Heck, I don't eat breakfast and eat up till 11:30pm. Somehow following the actual researched science has kept me at a steady weight and optimal health.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Phoenix_Warrior

I just ate wheat thins, hummus and a mocha. 7:08pms. *hangs head in shame*

Don't look now, but your goldbladder is dying.

I would've loved it more if I knew what it was.

I'll bury it in the backyard next to my goldfish.

DavPul

The data my doctor has shows that it would cause weight gain AND health problems if eating all of your food before 6 pm.
So this kind of recommendations should depend on health circumstances of an individual. Therefore should be done by a medical professional after a medical exam. Not by someone on a forum. Would you agree?

Oh man, I better keep eating most of my calories after 6 pm, like I usually do. Yesssss.

The 6 pm or 8 pm or whatever time cutoff having anything to do with weight management given the same number of calories in a day has been dis-proven time and time again. Allow me to echo the wisdom again: Meal timing and frequency don't matter.

Of course this is a strategy that may work for you by placing limits so that you don't overeat, and if it does, good for you and your doctor. But the important thing to understand is that it is all about the calories in/out.

I might sound shocking.... But it's not just calories in/out. Your body is not a calculator to simply count in/out. It's a complicated machine that needs proper functioning. Not just energy which is calories but necessary nutritions and regularity. And during my weight loss the goal is not just to lose weight but also to stay healthy while supporting this complicated mechanism called human body.

If it was only about calories in/out, I could've starved all day and at 10 pm had only daily McDonald burger, French fries and a soda or pizza (within 1200 calories) and by your theory I'd lose weight. Probably I would lose weight. But I'd also ruin my health. My digestive system would be ruined, my stomach and goldbladder would die in pain after just a month of this 'diet'.

Your goldbladder will die if you eat after 6pm?

That's how you've read it? Ok, cool.

Oh, so is it if you eat before?

Oh, I get it...you are using the strawman argument of eating all junk food. Well, I am pretty sure no-one has actually said that it is a good idea.

And even if she did eat one pizza per day at 10 PM could still lose weight and her health could still improve. Last year when I was single and working 12 hour days my diet consisted of a $5 Hot n Ready pepperoni pizza from little ceasars that I'd eat @ 10:30 PM before going to bed. My diary would be pizza, protein powder, and cookies from the customer lounge at work. Lost weight, blood work improved, energy levels were thru the roof.

<<<profile pic was taken last November after 3 months of pizza and cheap pizza diet. I'm happy to report that all these months later my goldbladder is still intact