Does the time you eat affect weightloss?

JamesonEqualsLard

Okay, so I'm on a 1,500 calorie a day diet. I ate my calories yesterday, but I am a night owl who enjoys her 420 and unfortunately, I do sometimes get the munchies. My main point- after midnight I count that as a reset on my calorie intake and I count the calories ate at midnight (or 2am, however late I stay up) as the calories for later that day. I ate at 2am and only have 1,000 calories left. I never go over, so I'm still eating 1,500 calories within a 24 hour period. I know it may be a stupid question, but I don't want anything holding me back. Will eating those calories that late/close to yesterdays calories make me gain or make it a slower weightloss? Thanks in advance!

alexuh

Nope, the time doesn't affect your weight loss at all. You're at the exact same deficit, it's totally up to you how you space them out! I'm also partial to a 2am munchie when watching a dvd yay for stupidly late munchies :drinker:

JamesonEqualsLard

Thank you so much! (:

ninerbuff

Timing of meals is irrelevant to weight loss.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

geekyjock76

Your body responds to energy balance thus operates with a fuel gauge similar to a vehicle. It cares not for when you fill up; what matters is that you provide it with adequate fuel relative to maintenance needs.

JamesonEqualsLard

Great answers both of you! Thank you guys! I appreciate it! :flowerforyou:

Aaron_K123

It does in the sense that meal timing can have an effect on how satiated you feel and how satiated you feel can have an affect on how easy it is for you to hit your calorie goal. Its personal for everyone though, for me I like eating 5 times a day to stay satiated but others will prefer eating only twice a day and that is fine too.

There is no magic hour for fat loss or "bad" hour for fat gain. Spread your calorie budget out in such a way that you feel satisfied, that is it.

sunflowerhippi

As others have said time doesn't really matter. I am one who if I eat breakfast I am starving all day, but if I wait to eat till lunch I do much better and it has not effected me at all.

JamesonEqualsLard

Thanks for both the answers above me! I appreciate all input.

sheltol

I don't necessarily disagree with everyone. Exercise and a good nutrition plan is by far the dominate factor. However, check out this article. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/37269/title/Out-of-Sync/

Unknown

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darkguardian419

No.

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missiontofitness

I look at my net for the week; I'm supposed to eat around 11,000 per week for my goals. Right now I'm around 600 under my weekly goal. So even if I decided to eat a snack at 2AM, as long as I'm still at a deficit the end of the week, it works for me!

I've found that eating at certain times has not slowed me down in the least.

haleema93

As others have said time doesn't really matter. I am one who if I eat breakfast I am starving all day, but if I wait to eat till lunch I do much better and it has not effected me at all.

i'm the same ^^^
but have started eating breakfast now because i'm starving after going to the gym in the morning!!
As long as you dont go over your daily calorie allowance you should be fine..x

sheltol

You disagree with everyone because you are wrong and they are right. Sorry.
[/quote]

Obviously you didn't take time to read the article.

Few environmental factors are as reliable as the 24-hour day, and an evolutionary argument can be made for why the diurnal rhythms of the Earth’s rotation are so coupled with human metabolism. Our behavior, our physiology, and our biochemistry reflect the daily cycles of the planet, and people who fall out of sync with these cycles are more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and other ailments are also more common among people who don’t have normal sleep habits. But according to new research, it’s not just disrupted sleep that can lead to these myriad physiological symptoms; it’s also the altered patterns of food consumption that go along with keeping such strange hours.

cebreisch

Food and calories are oblivious to time. As long as you're consistent about when your 24 hour period is within which to consume your calories, you're fine.

butlersoft

Food and calories are oblivious to time. As long as you're consistent about when your 24 hour period is within which to consume your calories, you're fine.

....unless you're a GREMLIN!! Don't feed those after midnight !!

cwolfman13

Obviously you didn't take time to read the article.

Few environmental factors are as reliable as the 24-hour day, and an evolutionary argument can be made for why the diurnal rhythms of the Earth’s rotation are so coupled with human metabolism. Our behavior, our physiology, and our biochemistry reflect the daily cycles of the planet, and people who fall out of sync with these cycles are more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and other ailments are also more common among people who don’t have normal sleep habits. But according to new research, it’s not just disrupted sleep that can lead to these myriad physiological symptoms; it’s also the altered patterns of food consumption that go along with keeping such strange hours.

Sooo....you're suggesting that someone who is in a calorie deficit overall is going to gain weight because they stay up late? "Cuz that was the question...and if indeed that is what you are suggesting then you really don't understand any of this.[/quote]

wannakimmy

no

yogicarl

If you are a purely logical person and stick to the plan then time of eating has no bearing on whether you are likely to put on weight eating at a certain time.

Having said that - I know I become far less logical after around 10pm so I am far more likely to blow my resolve and eat junk after 10pm. So - for me - yes, eating after 10pm I am more likely to put on weight, so I avoid doing so. But it is because of the stupid things I am prone to eat late at night rather than the time of day/night I choose to eat.

skhuu

If you are a purely logical person and stick to the plan then time of eating has no bearing on whether you are likely to put on weight eating at a certain time.

Having said that - I know I become far less logical after around 10pm so I am far more likely to blow my resolve and eat junk after 10pm. So - for me - yes, eating after 10pm I am more likely to put on weight, so I avoid doing so. But it is because of the stupid things I am prone to eat late at night rather than the time of day/night I choose to eat.

I have a similar opinion. My husband works night shift, so he generally has opposite meal schedule than me and he is losing plenty of weight because he is watching his diet and exercise. I cannot eat after 8pm. If I do, then I become lazy and won't do my workout for the night.

sheltol

I'm simply trying to point out that for some people it's more complicated than just telling them to eat at a calorie deficit. That's all that gets spewed around here and if it was that easy everyone on MFP should have a six pack but that doesn't seem to be the case. New research emerges all the time and I think it's a good idea to know a little more than just eat at a deficit and you'll be golden.

sheltol

If you are a purely logical person and stick to the plan then time of eating has no bearing on whether you are likely to put on weight eating at a certain time.

Having said that - I know I become far less logical after around 10pm so I am far more likely to blow my resolve and eat junk after 10pm. So - for me - yes, eating after 10pm I am more likely to put on weight, so I avoid doing so. But it is because of the stupid things I am prone to eat late at night rather than the time of day/night I choose to eat.

I have a similar opinion. My husband works night shift, so he generally has opposite meal schedule than me and he is losing plenty of weight because he is watching his diet and exercise. I cannot eat after 8pm. If I do, then I become lazy and won't do my workout for the night.

This ^^^. Like I said in my original post. Exercise and good nutrition is the dominate factor.

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NinaMerced

Well, in my case when I eat past 10:00PM, no matter if its within my calories range I DO gain weight. For me to lose weight my last meal must be at 7:00PM

deersrunpeopleeat

Branstin

My various meal times have never affected my weight loss.

ninerbuff

I don't necessarily disagree with everyone. Exercise and a good nutrition plan is by far the dominate factor. However, check out this article. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/37269/title/Out-of-Sync/

Pretty good article to read. Here's the conclusion:

"With caution and caveats, one could speculate that this is, in part, why obesity and metabolic disorders have escalated to epidemic levels, particularly when mistimed eating is coupled with a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."

While it was fascinating to read, one part struck me in particular: shift workers and the association with higher weight and metabolic issues.
Stands to reason to me that part of it would be that's it's harder to rest when it's not "restful" sleep. Sleeping in the day is challenging because not only is there light out, but activity is higher so noise is also an issue.
What would be interesting is if they did a study on people who live is places like Alaska and check how their metabolisms run during 6 month bouts of continual daylight and darkness.
Again interesting article, but I'd still have to see more solid research before accepting that the Earth's rotational pattern is a key part in how we should consume calories.

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

Biggirllittledreams

Weight loss = calories in vs. calories out (obviously including the calories you burn merely by existing/moving, as well as though worked off through exercise).

The composition of your food does affect your metabolism (ie. very low fat diets affect your metabolism), but your caloric intake has the same effect whether you have one large meal a day, three small ones, or 6 large snacks.

KelseyDiane91

I personally stop eating about 2-3 hours before I go to bed so the food has longer to digest while I'm up and active. I PERSONALLY feel better in the morning doing this. I can tell when I've eaten right before bed, and usually those mornings I'm up about .2-.5 lbs from the day before.

Try a day or 2 of less snacking at night and see how it works for you. If there's no difference, do what you're doing now if you feel better in the morning, maybe do that a little more often. There is no cut and paste answer.