Eating Late Question ???

sarahlauren18
sarahlauren18 Posts: 128 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
Ok so I dont work out until after my kids are off to bed. After I work out I usually have atleast 300-500 extra calories because of me working out. Now my question is, I know for a fact I should be eating those back BUT should I really be eating late at night??? Last night I snacked on carrots and dill dip because I was sooo under my calories for the day. I dont to ruin or under all the work I am doing by eating at night ??

help !!

Replies

  • rache12581
    rache12581 Posts: 54
    I just read an article about how "eating after 6 will cause weight gain" is actually a myth. I hope it's true b/c most night I am not home from work untill after 6:30.
  • nkster781
    nkster781 Posts: 235 Member
    You definitely do not need to eat them back. In fact you don't really want to. Just make sure you hit your original food goal. If it is 1400 make sure to get as close to it as possible. Do not eat under 1200 calories or risk going into starvation mode. Drink lots of water have some protein after your workout and you should still lose weight. The big thing here is consistency.
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
    I think its a myth too. Its all about calories in versuses calories out.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    You should make sure to eat them- try to account for them during the day. When I know I'm planning a workout I often get home from work "over my goal" and then workout then eat and come out pretty close. Just cuz you burn them late at night doesnt mean that has to be when you eat them.
  • Jitteryspork
    Jitteryspork Posts: 550 Member
    From all the studies I have read I have come to the conclusion that there is not a specfic TIME you need to stop eating by... and by TIME I mean what the clock says.. Your body physically doesnt tell time.. I mean, sure it can feel the warmth from the sun and the cold night air, and probably has some sensors that detect the light etc... but if your body could talk, without using the brain and your eyes, I am sure it wouldnt be able to tell you what time of day it is.

    The point I am getting to is that I am sure you can eat anytime you want, just make sure you eat your last meal at least 1 - 2 hrs before you sleep. Your body's metabolism slows down when you sleep (NOT AT "NIGHT") and if you eat something just be aware that it might not burn off like it would if your body is awake. So if you eat at 8pm... that is OK! Just don't go to bed until 10...

    That being said.. remember to get your 8 hrs in because that is essential to this weight loss journey too...

    SUGGESTION: On the nights you know you are working out, eat more. Throughout the day throw in an extra snack or so. I know the red numbers at the bottom of the journal are intimidating and scary.. but that may make you feel more motivated to burn the extra off, and then you can go to bed not worried about the snack you had 30 minutes ago! :)

    GOOD LUCK! :)
  • Jitteryspork
    Jitteryspork Posts: 550 Member
    You should make sure to eat them- try to account for them during the day. When I know I'm planning a workout I often get home from work "over my goal" and then workout then eat and come out pretty close. Just cuz you burn them late at night doesnt mean that has to be when you eat them.

    EXACTLY!
  • sarahlauren18
    sarahlauren18 Posts: 128 Member
    Thanx everyone.. I think I will take the advice of eating more througout the day so that i dont have to account for all those uneaten calories late at night !! My stomach tends to start growling after working out so thats why I usually snack on something !!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Well by the same token you can save room for a post workout snack- I like chocolate milk - about 150 cals or less depending on your milk/syrup ratio.
  • Hsanders3961
    Hsanders3961 Posts: 245 Member
    Quick question for you all...i am new to all of this so please bear with me. Why do we want to eat the calories back that we just burned off? Isn't that counter-productive? I know our bodies need the energy to sustain and keep going, i just cant seem to comprehend the need to eat them back.
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    Quick question for you all...i am new to all of this so please bear with me. Why do we want to eat the calories back that we just burned off? Isn't that counter-productive? I know our bodies need the energy to sustain and keep going, i just cant seem to comprehend the need to eat them back.
    Simply put: If your body needs 1200 cals to survive and you eat 1200 cals and work off 500, your body now only has a total of 700 cals to live on for the day. Where will it get the rest of it's energy from? Some from fat, some from your muscles and some from your vital organs. If that trend were to continue, you would find that you are feeling incredibly hungry, you are losing muscle mass, you generally feel like crap, and also your body would say "hey, we must be somewhere where there is no food, let's hang on to every last calorie we get" thereby tanking your metabolism. Hope it helps clear it up a bit.
  • Jitteryspork
    Jitteryspork Posts: 550 Member
    The amount of calories we are eating per the MFP calculation is already a reduced amount compared to what our body needs to maintain the current weight. So if we are already consuming less to burn the calories and our body is not "starving" but definately obtaining less then what it was used to previously then we would only be shocking it into starvation if we were to take even more away! Like dwarfer22 said.. it would begin to hang on to every calorie possible for fear so that it continue to function.
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