"No eating after 7pm!"

Frank_Just_Frank · February 2014

People always come up with these rules. Isn't it always technically after 7pm?

Fishshtick · February 2014

7 pm where? You realize of course that it's always after 7pm somewhere in the world.

Candi_land · February 2014

I have a pretty busy schedule and most of the time I don't eat dinner till after 10pm during the week, and it hasn't hindered my progress so far.

learnerdriver · February 2014

I don't think time makes a dinner EXCEPT if you are a mindless snacker after dinner (that's me!) + go continuously over.

AsianSuperfly · February 2014

People are not Gremlins.

sarahmichel101 · February 2014

People are not Gremlins.

****MOST people
Im convinced it has to happen, don't crush my girlhood dreams.

Frank_Just_Frank · February 2014

People are not Gremlins.

You haven't met my kids

dbmata · February 2014

So I am asking a legit question, I'm not debating or anything.
I've heard from so many people that eating after 7 pm (or is it 8 pm?) is bad, and for whatever reason, I can't really remember.

In which time zone?

Lulz.

It's just brosci.

Luckee_me · February 2014

I'm a late night snacker, I haven't noticed it causing me a problem unless I don't leave myself calories to snack on.
Good luck to you.

Luckee_me · February 2014

People are not Gremlins.

You haven't met my kids

This totally.

navyrigger46 · February 2014

I just downed roughly 1K from Del Taco, It's near midnight here and I'm off to bed. This is a fairly normal thing for me, usually 2-3 times per week. I also occasionally have a bowl of ice cream or some other carb laden sugary food half an hour before bed, or sometimes in bed, the ticker doesn't lie, and meal timing is irrelevant.

Rigger

MysteriousMerlin · February 2014

The ONLY reason I don't eat my last meal of the day past 7pm is because I will have f-ed up dreams with a full stomach.

If we ate dinner relatively early (around 5-ish), I will have a snack about an hour before bed, as I take several medications that have an effect on my blood sugar.

bstebbs1960 · February 2014

I will say for me that if I eat anything after dinner that no matter if it is healthy or not, it seems to derail my diet. One week, I watched everything that I ate, ate great, did all my workouts, and at the end of the week, I had lost no weight. Stayed even for the week. I went back and looked through everything and realized that the only thing that could have been the issue was that I was snacking every night. Was snacking healthy but then I wondered if eating after 7 p.m. was causing me to derail my diet. So, the next week, I did everything the same. Ate basically the same, did the same workouts, and did not eat a thing after 7 p.m. That week I lost 6 lbs. And this wasn't at the beginning of my weight loss, this was after I had already lost 30 lbs. so for me, eating after 7 p.m. is not something I should make a habit of.

wannakimmy · February 2014

If it were true then all people who work 3rd shift would be screwed.

LOL So true. I work 3rd shift...

Really tho, I don't think it matters in regards to weight loss.

pkw58 · February 2014

I will say for me that if I eat anything after dinner that no matter if it is healthy or not, it seems to derail my diet. One week, I watched everything that I ate, ate great, did all my workouts, and at the end of the week, I had lost no weight. Stayed even for the week. I went back and looked through everything and realized that the only thing that could have been the issue was that I was snacking every night. Was snacking healthy but then I wondered if eating after 7 p.m. was causing me to derail my diet. So, the next week, I did everything the same. Ate basically the same, did the same workouts, and did not eat a thing after 7 p.m. That week I lost 6 lbs. And this wasn't at the beginning of my weight loss, this was after I had already lost 30 lbs. so for me, eating after 7 p.m. is not something I should make a habit of.

Thanks Bstebb1960! I really try to get all my calories in by 7 pm and I generally go to bed between 9 and 10 pm every night. I actually added a new meal time on MFP "After Dinner Snacks" so that I can see how many I have during the week and how it impacts my maintenance. I tend to plateau more with the more after 7 pm eating.

twixlepennie · February 2014

So I am asking a legit question, I'm not debating or anything.
I've heard from so many people that eating after 7 pm (or is it 8 pm?) is bad, and for whatever reason, I can't really remember.

Is this actually a legitimate issue? What IS the issue?

Is it *certain* foods after a *certain* time that are bad-- or anything after a certain time?

I guess I'm really confused.
Thanks in advance!

At the end of the day/week, it comes down to if you've stayed within your allotted calories. Timing of those calories doesn't matter and it's a preference thing. However, for me I don't eat after 7pm because I used to have a bad habit of night time mindless eating-I'd sit down at 8pm and proceed to eat an entire bag of chips, package of cookies etc. I dealt with that habit while I was in the weight loss phase, by cutting back my eating window to 7pm, and it's something I've since carried over into maintenance. It's one of the tools I use, to keep me on track

Myhaloslipped · February 2014

My dad is constantly telling me not to snack during the evening. I just ignore it, because there is no talking to him when he feels that he is right about something. Lol, I love my daddy to death, but you know how parents are. You just can't tell them anything sometimes.

F1953 · February 2014

If it has caffeine in it, that may be affecting your quality of sleep.

SugaryLynx · February 2014

I copied this a few years back so I could remember it. Not sure where i got it. Hope it helps!
Carbohydrate consumption causes a significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat burning. That’s a recipe for disaster in the late evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately, slow-digesting protein isn’t.
Instead, slow-digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.
You may have heard that eating before bed is a big-time “no no” for those looking to lose weight. In fact, you’ve probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight… even worse!
Well, there’s good news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles. In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE your fatloss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting, high-quality protein.

Thank you. Where did you get this?

It's crap is where they got it. Explain my non love handle, slowly fat losing body from eating ice cream, chips and other foods like literally an hour before bed? Just stop worrying about it, it's nonsense. Outside of a possible tummy ache, there are no ill effects of eating at a certain time. Your body doesn't care when, just that it's being fed. I mean, timing is relevant to YOU in terms of sustainability and adherence to your diet but in weight loss, the only way you GAIN fat is in a calorie surplus. Period.

QuietBloom · February 2014

Nope eat whenever you want. It's a very old dieting myth.

Meal timing may effect weight loss.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3756673/

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20460/full

Chezzie84 · February 2014

I never eat an evening meal before 7pm due to my partner and I not walking through the door from work until 18:30.
Personally I don't eat after 20:00 but that's because I like to give myself time to digest before I go to bed

Think about people who work night shifts... they eat at very antisocial times.

Dsree7 · February 2014

I am glad I found this post. I tend to snack a lot and go over my calorie count in the evening. 8-10 pm is really bad for me, I get really hungry and end up going over my calory count. I am 5'7 , 159 lbs and still breastfeeding, so I dont know if that's why I am often hungry at night.
Feeling hopeless

FitForRiding · February 2014

Boo to Dr. Oz!!!
You would need a warehouse and 48 hrs a day to eat all the stuff he promotes!

HealthyMakeover · February 2014

Thank you to everybody that has answered !

BenjaminMFP88 · February 2014

The effect of meal timing is so small it's hardly worth consideration. That being said, I wouldn't even consider worrying about the time of day you eat unless you are practicing intermittent fasting or something etc.

mekkzy888 · February 2014

I used to think eating after 8pm was bad but it's a complete myth that it affects weight loss. Binging on food late at night CAN be a problem for some people but it's not the timing that's an issue - it's their bad habits and the binge itself. Sometimes if I miss lunch or don't get enough calories during the day and I still feel hungry I'll eat a meal as late as 12am!! But as long as it's within my calorie deficit it won't make any difference. I find that eating shortly before bed even helps me sleep and it's easier to remember my dreams.

LittleMissYoYo · February 2014

The main thing you have to remember is during the evening time your body starts to slow down, so I have a rule, no eating 3 hours before bed time! Not necessarily at 7pm but I try not to eat after 8 or 9pm xxx