Not eating past 8 pm

Murphy0126

I've been eating something high protein (protein shake, cottage cheese, small chicken breast, tuna, etc), every single night RIGHT before I hit the bed since I started this journey 18 weeks ago.

I've never felt better or looked better, and according to my doctor, my blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and body fat percentage are all continuing to improve.

I've been on high BP meds for years now, but since I've started this journey I've been taken off them because my BP is perfectly perfect.

Do I feel this is directly related to my body remaining in a high metabolic state after I sleep due to digestion? Of course not.... But I'm not willing to stop to find out.

So, load me up with protein before bed. Because I LOVE IT!

runfatmanrun

I have a peanut butter and honey sandwich right before I go to bed...around 9 or 930 every night. Like others have said, there is no reason to cut yourself off at a specific time. If it's easier to stop at 8 and brush your teeth do that. If it's easier to allot the calories for a snack right before bed, do that. But it's up to you.

bc2ct

I get terrible GERD symptoms in the AM if I eat at night so I take 2 tums and stop solid, acidic, or dairy-rich food at 8pm (so... pretty much most food though sometimes I will have a banana if necessary. I wake up at 5am most days for training and have something when I get up so I never feel hungry or anything.

runner475

Do what works best for you. Every person's body reacts differently. Jus' observe how you feel the next day. If you feel better then follow the plan.

However remember it takes sometime to form a habit. Any decisions you make try to confirm them after maybe a month of sticking to the plan.

All the best. Good Luck.

Ang108

Hey everyone,

I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to snack in the evenings. I'm so good all day and then I end up blowing it at night after dinner when I seem to want to eat EVERYTHING. I've been thinking about not allowing myself to eat anything after 8 pm. Teeth brushed, nothing else in my mouth. Has anyone on here done this before? Did you find it helped?

Meal time and weight loss are not related. When we eat is a personal preference and we all have to do what works for us. I don't start eating until 2 pm and usually have the big meal of the day between 8-9 pm and go to bed around midnight. It works for me....and it seems to work well.

maryh4844

If you get munchie, try drinking some water. Sometimes hunger is actually thirst in disguise! If you aren't satisfied after drinking it (wait 20 minutes) then try a little snack.

leggup

I don't eat after 7 pm. Not as a point, I just eat dinner from 5-6:30ish. What are you normally doing after 8 pm? Is that when you normally watch TV? I know some people have the urge to snack while watching tv/sitting, no matter what. If that's your issue, I recommend adding some activity in the time that you would normally eat. Heck, you could even earn some more calories for the day for a snack slash keep yourself busy.

MrTolerable

I have snacks after 8pm if I am truly starving, its not harmful at all if you are eating the right food. Try 4-8 almonds-eat them very slowly one by one, or a cucumber or a mushroom. Those all fill me right up!

mmickk67

When i'm being good I have a fat free yogurt with frozen berries which is 300g 150 calories. But I know where your coming from I am just the same. I find its when I have had caffeine during the day it triggers me wanting to munch at night!

lemurcat12

I find that as I get tired, I get 'munchie'. So, in the evenings when I really start wanting to indulge in something to eat, if having a cup of tea doesn't assuage the notion, I go to bed. Your body craves sleep when you're tired. If you don't give it sleep, it wants fuel so it can keep going.

That's been my experience too.

Lately I've been getting home late and so eat dinner late, always after 8 pm during the week. Not saying this is a good plan for people with small children or other schedules, but one result is no temptation to snack after dinner.

csy108

If I'm awake, I'm eating. I have a banana right before bed because I hate waking up hungry. I lost weight doing this, and I've maintained. Not eating after a certain time gives zero benefit and is Dr. Oz malarkey.

OP never said anything about eating at a certain time chemically defying the body's handling of calories. The post was solely about tactics to control her own eating behavior, i.e., breaking her habit of overeating by late night snacking. Someone who eats a banana every night before bed obviously doesn't need to put thought into such tactics, but that doesn't mean a lot of other people haven't created game plans like this.

csy108

[/quote]
Meal time and weight loss are not related. When we eat is a personal preference and we all have to do what works for us. I don't start eating until 2 pm and usually have the big meal of the day between 8-9 pm and go to bed around midnight. It works for me....and it seems to work well.
[/quote]

Yes, but meal time and overeating may be related - for most people who overeat they probably are. The OP's point was that meal time and overeating are related, so she was asking about tactics to help her change her habits.

changingL1sa

Thanks everyone! Definitely some helpful tips. I know it's all about calories in/calories out, just looking for a way to stop myself from putting too many calories in in the evening lol It's definitely a mindless eating in front of the TV thing. I've been planning yoga classes around 8 to give me something else to do, but on nights when that's not doable I'm just going to set the strict rule of it's past 8, you can't eat anything else. Not a permanent solution, but hopefully it will help me to change my habits.

SonicDeathMonkey80

If I'm awake, I'm eating. I have a banana right before bed because I hate waking up hungry. I lost weight doing this, and I've maintained. Not eating after a certain time gives zero benefit and is Dr. Oz malarkey.

OP never said anything about eating at a certain time chemically defying the body's handling of calories. The post was solely about tactics to control her own eating behavior, i.e., breaking her habit of overeating by late night snacking. Someone who eats a banana every night before bed obviously doesn't need to put thought into such tactics, but that doesn't mean a lot of other people haven't created game plans like this.

My tactic is to eat a banana. It's filling. That's my response, and I'm deeply sorry you didn't care for it.

runner475

Thanks everyone! Definitely some helpful tips. I know it's all about calories in/calories out, just looking for a way to stop myself from putting too many calories in in the evening lol It's definitely a mindless eating in front of the TV thing. I've been planning yoga classes around 8 to give me something else to do, but on nights when that's not doable I'm just going to set the strict rule of it's past 8, you can't eat anything else. Not a permanent solution, but hopefully it will help me to change my habits.

I take yoga some evenings. My yoga is Vinayasa Flow. I'm always starving when I get back from the studio. This is jus' a note.

Like I said before every persons body reacts differently. Yours may not be acting same as mine after late Yoga class.

Jruzer

One of my best tips is to arrange things as much as possible so you don't have to rely on willpower. Because that can break easily.

I like to eat in the evenings, so I structure my day so that I eat something like a third to a half of my calories after 10 PM. That's when the house is quiet, and I can enjoy eating without having to worry about wolfing down food between meetings or before flying out the door. It feels pretty sweet to have 1000 calories left 2 hours before bedtime.

ashiunia

On workout days, I eat dinner between 9-10:30 pm... and then sometimes follow up with a snack and even a 3 oz piece of flourless chocolate cake - I average over 2000 calories everyday. I'm doing Stronglifts so I have a hard time saying "no" to myself after squats and barbell rows. In the past 4 months, I went down 25 pounds (171 now) and I have hypothyroidism. I do minimal cardio, too - 5 minutes of warm-up and swimming once in a while but I stay active throughout the day, however. Everyone is different and I'm glad that my approach easily fits into my lifestyle.

DanaDark

I've done it. And yeah, I am in the same boat.

I can be good all day. But after around 9pm for me, suddenly its SNACK ON. I personally know I have little to no self control beyond that time. If I allow for one snack, it can and does turn into 600+ calories of various items.

Brushing my teeth and calling it a nutritional day keeps me from doing that.

krawhitham

I prefer not eating after 8 or 9 PM if I can help it, it makes me feel really good and energized in the morning. I feel lethargic and sleepy in the morning if I eat or drink past 9PM.

verptwerp

I don't even get home from work until 8 or 8:30 ....... dinner is usually late ...... but I can still manage to snack until bedtime if I'm not careful

Best of luck with whatever plan works for you !