Is eating a big/late dinner hurting my weight loss?

gale1089
gale1089 Posts: 67
in Food and Nutrition
I usually hit the gym right after work, and spend 1 - 1.5 hours at the gym. By the time I get home it's almost 7:00pm and I end up eating around 7:30-8:00pm. Since I usually burn 300-500+ calories, I have a lot to catch up on at dinner. I usually eat 500 calories for dinner (healthy dinner + something sweet like an apple & pb2), then I go to sleep around 10-10:30 pm. My dinner consists of 4 oz. of lean protein and a lot of veggies, maybe some egg whites, so it's pretty nutrient dense. Is this slowing my weight loss eating so much so late? Are the sugar/carbs in my nightly apple bad... should i skip on that?
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Replies

  • emilyisbonkers
    emilyisbonkers Posts: 373 Member
    I tend to eat a lot of my calories at night time, and I've seen quite a lot of people do it
    I don't know if it has affected me, because I have always done it so have nothing to compare it to


    If you find it easier to stick to, carry on :)
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    No. I have my main meal between 9 and 10 pm. Timing has no relevance.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Naw, doesn't really matter when you're consuming your meals... I would avoid eating a rather large meal and going straight to bed if done so on a regular basis, but once or twice won't harm you.
  • katylil
    katylil Posts: 223 Member
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.

    This.

    Also, from your profile pic. You're tiny already, so your weightloss is going to naturally slow down as it is.

    Don't stress. Keep at it and you WILL see the number go down :)

    If not, maybe try upping your calories slightly.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
    I just hate going to bed knowing I didn't use up all those nutrients I just consumed, and that I'm maybe even storing the food as fat or whatever since I'm not exerting any energy during sleep.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    Naw, doesn't really matter when you're consuming your meals... I would avoid eating a rather large meal and going straight to bed if done so on a regular basis, but once or twice won't harm you.

    Why would you avoid this? I do it frequently, hasn't hurt me at all.

    OP: The only time this would be a problem is if you have problems sleeping with a full stomach. :)
  • Oscarinmiami
    Oscarinmiami Posts: 326 Member
    yes it does...you should eat a good breakfast a medium lunch and a small dinner...you will burn the calories during the day, but if you eat late you don't burn the calories...that has been my experience.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
    I just hate going to bed knowing I didn't use up all those nutrients I just consumed, and that I'm maybe even storing the food as fat or whatever since I'm not exerting any energy during sleep.

    That isn't how it works.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    No.

    If the profile pic is you, it doesn't look like you have very much to lose. Weight loss will be slow if you don't have a lot to lose. Perhaps you should be thinking about body fat % rather than weight. If the profile pic is not you, then more info would be needed to make any recommendations.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
    I just hate going to bed knowing I didn't use up all those nutrients I just consumed, and that I'm maybe even storing the food as fat or whatever since I'm not exerting any energy during sleep.

    Everything about this is false. Your body does continue to burn calories as you sleep...it's during this time that your muscles are repairing, etc. Food doesn't magically become fat and digestion doesn't become something new just because you're sleeping.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    yes it does...you should eat a good breakfast a medium lunch and a small dinner...you will burn the calories during the day, but if you eat late you don't burn the calories...that has been my experience.

    Could you provide some peer reviewed scientific research that backs this statement up? I'd be interested in learning more about these claims.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67

    Also, from your profile pic. You're tiny already, so your weightloss is going to naturally slow down as it is.

    Don't stress. Keep at it and you WILL see the number go down :)

    If not, maybe try upping your calories slightly.
    Thanks! I always forget how slow the process is. This is a good reminder and motivation :)
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
    yes it does...you should eat a good breakfast a medium lunch and a small dinner...you will burn the calories during the day, but if you eat late you don't burn the calories...that has been my experience.
    No...just no.
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    No! Timing of meals has nothing to do with weight loss. Calories in vs. calories out. I tend to not eat until around noon and onward and I've lost plenty.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
    I just hate going to bed knowing I didn't use up all those nutrients I just consumed, and that I'm maybe even storing the food as fat or whatever since I'm not exerting any energy during sleep.

    Everything about this is false. Your body does continue to burn calories as you sleep...it's during this time that your muscles are repairing, etc. Food doesn't magically become fat and digestion doesn't become something new just because you're sleeping.

    Thanks! I wasn't aware of this. Makes sense though
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    yes it does...you should eat a good breakfast a medium lunch and a small dinner...you will burn the calories during the day, but if you eat late you don't burn the calories...that has been my experience.

    This is complete bull. Timing of meals is irrelevant.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    As others have stated, it does not matter at all when you eat. I eat right up until I go to sleep everyday.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    yes it does...you should eat a good breakfast a medium lunch and a small dinner...you will burn the calories during the day, but if you eat late you don't burn the calories...that has been my experience.

    ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wrong.

    I eat sometimes half my calories after 11 PM.

    I work out from 8-11 PM often times. You're fine OP. Just make sure you hit the calorie mark where you want it- your body continues to do things it night- i'ts not like a computer going into stand by.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    It's nearly 1am here and I just finished eating for the day. It's never hurt me.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    No. I eat my 2500 cals from noonish to bedtime, and so almost half of them are consumed between 6 and 10 pm. I very rarely eat breakfast. It's calories in vs out.

    As to the no energy burned during sleep...my fitbit flex begs to differ. I burn about 400-500 cals just sleeping, and that's an underestimate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Nope...my biggest meal of the day is usually dinner and I eat it around 8:30 or so...hasn't been an issue for me. From about 3:30 in the afternoon and on I take in around 1300-1400 calories on average with pre/post workout consumption and dinner.
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    I believe this myth about not eating late is just another way for people to control their total calorie intake. Most people have more control in the morning and during the day than at night. So in an effort to control total calories consumed, nutritionists would advise to not eat at night.
    I eat late and almost every single day have an apple or some other snack right before I go to bed. This hasn't stopped me from losing weight.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67
    Thank you so much everyone!! I will definitely continue on with what I'm doing. Good to know it hasn't been affecting all my hard work!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    No. Nutrient timing is irrelevant. Calories in vs calories out.
    I just hate going to bed knowing I didn't use up all those nutrients I just consumed, and that I'm maybe even storing the food as fat or whatever since I'm not exerting any energy during sleep.

    You "burn" 24/7. The vast majority of your daily calorie requirements are just to keep you alive and all of your organs and everything else functioning properly. To boot, your sleeping hours are generally where you have the greatest fat oxidation.

    You don't just store fat because you're sleeping. If I were to sleep all day or be in a coma, I would "burn" roughly 1780 calories with just my body functioning. Those calories are what as known as my basal calories or my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). On top of that number you have your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis...you day to day stuff like getting out of bed, dropping a deuce, driving to work, walking around, cooking, cleaning, etc)...then you have your TEF (Thermic Effect of Food), yes...you burn calories digesting food...and finally when it's all said an done you have this tiny little calorie burn from your EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogensis). For most people, EAT makes up only maybe 10-15% of their total calorie requirements (obviously would be more for an athlete or someone training for an event).

    So...again...you don't just store fat because you are sleeping...you are "burning" calories constantly.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    Here is something else that will blow your mind. If you blow your calorie budget by 100 calories today, but are below your calorie budget by 100 calories tomorrow, it will have the same effect as being right on budget both days. Don't overthink it and make it more complicated than it has to be. :wink:
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    i eat the bulk of my calories at dinner/evening time. i eat very light during the day. ive had zero issues with losing weight when sticking to my allotted calories for the day (a deficit)
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    Here is something else that will blow your mind. If you blow your calorie budget by 100 calories today, but are below your calorie budget by 100 calories tomorrow, it will have the same effect as being right on budget both days. Don't overthink it and make it more complicated than it has to be. :wink:

    ^^ this too!
  • mereditheve
    mereditheve Posts: 142 Member
    The short answer is that it's highly unlikely. Calories in/calories out is the most important metric. And just because you don't exercise immediately after eating doesn't mean you aren't burning calories. You do still burn calories during sleep, assuming you still breathe, your heart stil beats, etc...

    There are some studies that suggest late night eating, as in eating right before bed, might not be the best practice. Here's one such study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130129080620.htm One of the major problems with eating late at night lies not in the timing of the meal per se, but in what we tend to crave at night. As long as you are continuing to eat healthy foods in the evening, that should not be a concern.

    There are some things to avoid at night because they may negatively impact your sleep. Alcohol late at night tends to disrupt sleep so if you want a glass of wine, drink it early in the evening (or morning, who am I to judge?). And of course, caffeine and other stimulants at night aren't great for restful sleep either.

    BTW, no matter how many scientific studies show how people, on average, respond, you're kind of your own guinea pig and it's ok to decide what works for you.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    ...Alcohol late at night tends to disrupt sleep so if you want a glass of wine, drink it early in the evening (or morning, who am I to judge?)...

    That's funny. Enough whiskey and I am sometimes out for hours :tongue: :flowerforyou:

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