Snacking at night

laura0770

Hi everyone,

Just wanted some opinions on snacking in the evening. I uaually have dinner done by 5:30, but will sometimes have a snack later on. My snack is usually a yogurt or a granola bar,but some people say not to eat after 6:00. Whats your take on this?

Pearsquared

Snacking after dinner as a cause of weight gain is actually a myth. It's only correlative, meaning that people who tend to eat at night tend to be overweight. This is usually because we tend to make poor choices at night and not think about what we're eating because we're tired and trying to relax. However, if you plan your calories out to allot for night eating, it will not cause a gain.

As a case study, I tend to eat nearly half my calories after 8pm, and this has not affected my expected rate of loss because I plan out those calories and remain in a deficit.

ninerbuff

It's a myth. Why was it perpetuated? Because most people would meet their calorie limits by dinner. Snacking after that increased total calories.
But guess what? If someone snacked up till dinner, met their calorie limit, then ate dinner...........................they would still gain weight. It's really just a matter of calories in/calories out.
Personally I eat up all the way till about 11:30pm daily right before bed. I don't eat again until 12:00pm the next day (yup I skip "breakfast"). Between then and sleep is when I take in my calories with the majority of it between dinner and bed. All well after 6pm.

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

jillianbeeee

I believe that as long as your within your calorie goal, there is nothing wrong with snacking at night. Going to bed hungry sucks. My go to? Almonds or special K cereal with skim milk. I always try to save about 150 calories for that late night snack attack. I am not going to sleep well on an empty stomach. My philosophy has been stay just under calorie goal but spread those calories out over the entire day. Its worked for me so far

laura0770

So just a little off topic here.I take it you do intermittent fasting, I usually am done eating by about 9:00 pm and don't eat my breakfast until around 11;00 am ( I get up at 6:30 every morning). I really like doing the fasting and don't find that I feel hungry at all.
It's a myth. Why was it perpetuated? Because most people would meet their calorie limits by dinner. Snacking after that increased total calories.
But guess what? If someone snacked up till dinner, met their calorie limit, then ate dinner...........................they would still gain weight. It's really just a matter of calories in/calories out.
Personally I eat up all the way till about 11:30pm daily right before bed. I don't eat again until 12:00pm the next day (yup I skip "breakfast"). Between then and sleep is when I take in my calories with the majority of it between dinner and bed. All well after 6pm.

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

JoRocka

snack away as long as you are in your calories.

I work out at 9 PM at night- I come home around 1130- I have to eat or I'll die. So I eat dinner around 1130.

You're fine. I promise.

Cyclingbonnie

If I'm hungry I have a snack. It is a myth, as many have said, that eating after 6 (7, 8, or 9 I've heard them all quoted) will cause weight gain. Not sleeping is worse on the body and if I'm hungry, I'm not sleeping. I always try to save a few calories for a snack right before I go to bed. That way I won't be hungry. On particularly active days sometimes it almost works to be a meal, cause I'm hungry. I also feel (not a scientist here) that your body works hard at repair while you sleep and it needs fuel to do that work. Long and short of it, if I'm hungry I eat a snack. I always try to have it within my calorie goal, sometimes it isn't, but most of the time it is.