Does It Matter When You Eat?

Imperfect_Angel

So I've heard that eating after a certain time isn't actually effective for weight loss so I just need a bit of clarification. I sometimes work late & get home about 9:30pm by which time I'd be starving so I have dinner. My evening meals are mostly protein, good fats & veg but are sometimes heavy too. Will this impact on my weight loss? Does my body know when it's too late to eat or it just doesn't care as long as I'm eating at a deficit? I know it sounds like a dumb question but I'm actually quite confused since I've heard that it actually causes me to gain weight.

Also, how many hours before & after exercise should you eat? Thanks for all your help. Xxx

DemoraFairy

Doesn't matter when you eat, it makes no difference. I always eat immediately before going to bed or I get hungry and can't sleep, and am losing weight just fine.

I don't really know about eating around exercise though, hopefully someone else can help with that.

martyqueen52

Eat WHATEVER YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT!

Timing is irrelevant, calories is all that matter for weight loss.

Now, when going to the gym I don't eat for a few hours before hand because it makes me sick working out on a full stomach. it might be the same OR different for you. All depends on your body.

That "DONT EAT CARBS AT MIDNIGHT, OR ANYTHING PAST 7" crap is Bro-science made up by morons who don't understand nutrition at all".

thegilly6

NO.

CyberEd312

Nope

Sinisterly

I used to be forced to eat "before a certain time"...
Makes no difference as long as you follow a proper caloric intake, really.

AbstractSilver

I agree with everyone else, I don't think it really matters. I have the hardest time staying on track in the evening, so I eat sparsely throughout the day so I can have a large and filling meal at night. It doesn't seem to have slowed my weight loss any.

SaintGiff

If you want to be super duper technical, yes. But functionally, no. When you eat does not matter at all in terms of weight loss. It can, however, effect your weight on the scale. If, for instance, you have been in the habit of not eating after 8:00 pm and you weigh yourself first thing in the morning then you have been weighing yourself at a fairly consistent amount of fasting. Now if you suddenly decide to eat a bunch at midnight one night and then weigh yourself in the morning, it may look like you've gained weight simply because you have food sitting in your stomach that your body has had four fewer hours to burn that what you would normally give it. Did I say that right? TL | DR: Not at all, but if you want your weight on the scale to be consistent you need to weigh yourself at a consistently fasted time.

MelissaGraham7

Personally, I can't eat within 2 hours of bedtime, although that is because I have GE reflux. I also can't eat within 2 hours of a workout or I tend to get nauseous. But these reasons are not weight loss related. Agree with all the others. Eat what and when it works for you and don't worry about it.

LexiMelo

I have really strange and scary dreams if I eat too close to bedtime!
Also, same as PP, I can't eat right before the gym - I need at least 45 minutes tp let my stomach settle, and that's with something light.
I don't think it matters for weight loss, it is just your preference. I prefer to eat all day but some people like to have strict mealtimes. It's all about what works for you!

sewingdiscontent

It doesn't matter what time you eat, as far as bedtime. I often smoke weed, eat a half a mini watermelon, and pass out at 3am, lol

Some ppl (myself included) like to work out in a fasted state though. This supposedly causes your body to pull energy from fat stores, rather than from the nutrients from a meal you just ate.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/09/13/eating-before-exercise.aspx

I should note that the ppl who are into this, are usually also into Intermittent Fasting. I haven't made a decision on whether all that is worth the trouble for the entirely hypothetical benefit, but I think they are right about working out fasted, so that is the part I do.

neandermagnon

if you're in calorie deficit, you'll lose weight and meal timing makes no difference

where meal timing *can* make a difference, is with long term compliance. That comes down to personal preference though, i.e. timing your meals in such a way as to make it easiest for you to stick to eating to your calorie goal long term. There's no point trying to force your body into an eating pattern it doesn't want to be in. At the same time it's important to avoid excessive hunger, as that can lead to unplanned overeating. But it's very individual in terms of what works for who. So long as you're in deficit you'll lose fat. So long as its sustainable for you, you'll be able to keep the fat off long term.

WhoHa42

no

Ulwaz

it doesnt matter when you eat as long as its within your calories for the day

SLLRunner

So I've heard that eating after a certain time isn't actually effective for weight loss so I just need a bit of clarification. I sometimes work late & get home about 9:30pm by which time I'd be starving so I have dinner. My evening meals are mostly protein, good fats & veg but are sometimes heavy too. Will this impact on my weight loss? Does my body know when it's too late to eat or it just doesn't care as long as I'm eating at a deficit? I know it sounds like a dumb question but I'm actually quite confused since I've heard that it actually causes me to gain weight.

Also, how many hours before & after exercise should you eat? Thanks for all your help. Xxx

You can eat anytime you want and whatever you want as long as you stay below your calorie goal. If I have enough calories, I will eat a bigger dinner and a desert, and I've lost 37 pounds.

As a personal preference, I have a boiled egg before my workouts because not eating anything before was making me nauseated, and I eat a regular meal after my workouts, whether it be breakfast or dinner.

glenner

From an article I read recently: "People who eat their largest, most calorie-rich meal at breakfast are more likely to lose weight and have a lower risk of developing diseases linked with body weight such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, according to a study by Tel Aviv University.
Researcher Daniela Jakubowicz and her colleagues studied 93 obese women who were randomly assigned to one of two regimented eating plans. All of the women consumed 1,400 calories a day in a moderate-carbohydrate and moderate-fat diet for 12 weeks. One group consumed 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch and 200 at dinner, while the other group inverted the order, consuming only 200 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch and 700 at dinner.The 700-calorie breakfast and dinner included the same foods, including items such as chocolate cake and cookies.
Both test groups showed weight loss after 12 weeks of a restricted calorie diet, but by the end of the study period, women who consumed the big breakfast diet lost an average of 17.8 pounds and three inches off their waistline. The big dinner group lost an average of 7.3 pounds and 1.4 inches off the waistline.
Jakubowicz said that those in the big breakfast group were observed with significantly lower levels of the hunger-regulating hormone ghrelin, which she said was an indication that the women were more satiated and had less desire for snacking later in the day than their counterparts in the big dinner group.

coconutbuNZ

As long as u stick to your daily cals and exercise for the week and you see progress with your weigh-ins - nope. I say eat when you're hungry, hard to sleep on an empty growling stomach especially when working till late at night.

WhoHa42

From an article I read recently: "People who eat their largest, most calorie-rich meal at breakfast are more likely to lose weight and have a lower risk of developing diseases linked with body weight such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, according to a study by Tel Aviv University.
Researcher Daniela Jakubowicz and her colleagues studied 93 obese women who were randomly assigned to one of two regimented eating plans. All of the women consumed 1,400 calories a day in a moderate-carbohydrate and moderate-fat diet for 12 weeks. One group consumed 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch and 200 at dinner, while the other group inverted the order, consuming only 200 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch and 700 at dinner.The 700-calorie breakfast and dinner included the same foods, including items such as chocolate cake and cookies.
Both test groups showed weight loss after 12 weeks of a restricted calorie diet, but by the end of the study period, women who consumed the big breakfast diet lost an average of 17.8 pounds and three inches off their waistline. The big dinner group lost an average of 7.3 pounds and 1.4 inches off the waistline.
Jakubowicz said that those in the big breakfast group were observed with significantly lower levels of the hunger-regulating hormone ghrelin, which she said was an indication that the women were more satiated and had less desire for snacking later in the day than their counterparts in the big dinner group.

The last sentence of that study is what ruins it. Their calories were not truly restricted to what it said. They just told them to eat that. In a controlled study where both groups actually ate the amount of calories they were told to, the weight loss would be the same.

DamePiglet

In to read later.

Imperfect_Angel

Thanks to everyone who has responded. That definitely puts me at rest since I had gone to bed really hungry thinking that I'd gain weight if I ate anything else after 8pm. Also thanks on the advice about the gym. I normally have 2 pieces of fruit or boiled eggs at least 45 mins before any workout then eat 30 minutes after a work out. Again, thanks for your help

mamadon

It doesn't matter in the least. I work 12 hours graveyard shifts, so my meals completely switch around for half of the week. It hasn't effected me at all.