How bad is it...

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kerikitkat
kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
in Food and Nutrition
to eat a good portion of your daily calories after 8pm?

I know some people swear by not eating after 7, etc, but is there truth to this in your experience? My husband and I don't even get home and have dinner ready until 7. On days that we exercise, we sometimes wind up with hundreds of calories left over just before bedtime. My husband remedies that with beer or ice cream, but I try not to do that.

For example, tonight we just finished a really good run and I have 954 calories left. It is 9:17 pm. If I eat a big smoothie and some peanut butter, etc, to use up (most of) those calories, is that bad?

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  • kerikitkat
    kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
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    to eat a good portion of your daily calories after 8pm?

    I know some people swear by not eating after 7, etc, but is there truth to this in your experience? My husband and I don't even get home and have dinner ready until 7. On days that we exercise, we sometimes wind up with hundreds of calories left over just before bedtime. My husband remedies that with beer or ice cream, but I try not to do that.

    For example, tonight we just finished a really good run and I have 954 calories left. It is 9:17 pm. If I eat a big smoothie and some peanut butter, etc, to use up (most of) those calories, is that bad?
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    Nope. I don't think so. I think as long as you eat what you're supposed to, it doesn't matter when you eat.
  • alyfin
    alyfin Posts: 103
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    I think it depends on when you go to sleep. My mom gains weight it she eats after 5, but she goes to bed around 8. I go to sleep between midnight and 2 am and I am generally okay eating until 10ish. It also helps if you don't fill those calories with junk.
  • age1389
    age1389 Posts: 1,160 Member
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    As long as your within your calories your good.
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
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    I agree with alyfin. You don't want to be full when you go to bed.
  • travelbug
    travelbug Posts: 153
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    I love to save some calories to eat later in the day as I hang out at home but I would try to keep that to only an extra few hundred. If I plan to workout I'd eat more calories earlier in the day rather than have 900 calories sit in my belly all night.
  • alyfin
    alyfin Posts: 103
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    Another thing about eating before bed...

    A study found - decide how much you want to believe it - that people who go to bed full are less likely to have sex than those who merely feel satisfied. (no pun intended :)
  • kerikitkat
    kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
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    Another thing about eating before bed...

    A study found - decide how much you want to believe it - that people who go to bed full are less likely to have sex than those who merely feel satisfied. (no pun intended :)

    :laugh: :love: I definitely believe that.

    I definitely try not to use my excess cals on junk before bed. Tonight I made a 450 cal smoothie and then I'll probably have peanut butter and see if I want to eat anymore.

    It seems logical to me that it wouldn't matter if I eat at any particular time, but stuffing up and going to bed is probably not super smart.

    ... as my husband walks by with a giant sundae... :noway:
  • walnut
    walnut Posts: 216 Member
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    Another option - I'd guess that it wouldn't make much of a difference if you were to eat those extra calories tomorrow instead.
  • readytomove
    readytomove Posts: 50
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    I work long days, from 6A to 6P or 8P, and my husband works 3:30P-12AM, so what I do to make sure that he has a good dinner (No offense to the men out there, but, girls, wouldn't they be lost without us? Well, us and McDonalds :bigsmile: ) is when I get home, I exercise and straighten up, then depending on the time, I try to catch a quick wink of sleep, then I get up at 12 and make him dinner, something simple, but something that I can work to fit for my calories, ex. I made him a seasoned pork chop, I had chicken, we each had a salad, I made steamed veggies, made him a baked potato, and I will generally open a can of biscuits and make him a couple (I know, I cheat :embarassed: ) So I just save 300-400 calories, then I eat with him, so that I don't miss out on *our* time...then we'll sit up until about 2, and go to bed :love:

    I've lost 32 pounds officially doing it that way, so I don't really think, in my opinion, that it matters when you eat, just WHAT you eat

    (Sorry about rambling up there....it's been a long day.....I work in a nrsg home, and I've got someone not doing so hot today......:sad: )
  • CyclingDiva
    CyclingDiva Posts: 492 Member
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    A calorie is a calorie no matter what time of the day you eat it. Since you just got done with a run your body is still burning calories at a higher rate. You will be fine and you need to replenish.
    Kelly :bigsmile:
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    I don't think it matters what time you eat, but that's a lot of calories to eat at one time. If you know you're going to be exercising later, you could eat more calories earlier in the day to have a more even distribution.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    There have been articles posted on here stating that there is no proof of adverse effects of eating late at night. If anyone has any proof to the contrary I'd love to read it, otherwise I'd say its totally ok to eat after 8pm.
  • kerikitkat
    kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
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    I don't think it matters what time you eat, but that's a lot of calories to eat at one time. If you know you're going to be exercising later, you could eat more calories earlier in the day to have a more even distribution.

    I try to do this... but sometimes I just don't know IF or HOW MUCH we're going to do!! :wink:

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