how long to stop eating before bed?

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xtinalovexo
xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
in Food and Nutrition
anyone know? i cant seem to get a good stable answer. i dont get home from work until almost 6 and i try to excercise for about an hour and after my shower its already anywhere between 7-8pm. i go to bed by 10 so i dont like to eat late, but im not meeting calorie goals... i have also tried excercising before dinner, but then its almost dark.

any tips?
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Replies

  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
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    not that i follow this....but i have an app for jillian on my phone and it says dont eat after 9pm
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    Honestly, I think it depends on your schedule. You should probably give yourself a couple of hours. I usually stay up until 1 or 2 AM, so I usually don't have anything past 11 or midnight. Sometimes it's much earlier-depends on whether I feel like snacking or not. I've been trying to avoid all late night nibbling, though.
  • durhamity
    durhamity Posts: 176 Member
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    I've always been told 2 hrs before you go to bed.
  • muriah2
    muriah2 Posts: 143 Member
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    A good rule of thumb to follow is to stop eating 12 hours after you eat breakfast. (Hoping and assuming you have breakfast shortly after you wake in the morning.)
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    I've always heard 2 hours before bed as well, but, you do want to have something after your workout. As someone that has a similar schedule as yours....I started walking during my lunch break, or running immediately after work...even before my afternoon commute!

    Good luck!
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
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    I eat anytime night or day... Does not seem to make any difference, I lose or gain, depending on what I am trying to accomplish each month, strictly by the amount of calories I eat regardless of the time of the meals.
  • unmitigatedbadassery
    unmitigatedbadassery Posts: 653 Member
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    I agree with Frugalmomsrock - When I was training for the army I was told to allow 2-3 hours before bed to digest. I don't know how much of that is from a nutritional standpoint or if it's just not a good idea to have a meal right before bed. I know some people get reflux or can't sleep well if they eat too late before bed. I generally adhere to no fewer than 3 hours before bed though.
  • Q9S7
    Q9S7 Posts: 74 Member
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    Your best bet is to ask yourself what your goal is. Trying to gain weight? Lose weight? If you're trying to gain weight my suggestion would be don't worry too much about it (just don't fill up completely before bed). Toning up and losing fat is easier than gaining muscle (in my opinion) especially if youre tracking macro's. If your goal is to lose weight, many people/studies suggest not eating 2 hours before bed, this allows for gastric emptying.
    Best of luck!
    P.S. if you're not meeting your calorie goals, try moving some of your calories to earlier in the day.
  • kkauz42
    kkauz42 Posts: 537 Member
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    I was told by my Dr. not to eat 2 hrs before bed. Helps with acid not coming back up your esophagus etc.
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    It doesn't matter. Eat when you're hungry. Several days of intense workouts will often lead to hunger at 2 am. I eat because my body is still working even though I'm asleep.

    If you're hungry at night, eat a high protein, low-fat snack. The protein will be put to work making muscular repairs throughout the night and you'll wake up recovered and not starving!

    Honestly, time of day does not matter. What in the world would people who work the night shift do?
  • PJS323
    PJS323 Posts: 115
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    Depends on what time you get up & eat breakfast. You shouldn't go more than 9-10 hours without eating. I stopped eating after 8pm, and then wasn't eating until 7am, and I was getting sick. As long as you are within your calorie goal, and it's healthy, you should eat when you are hungry.
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    I think it comes down to calories in verses calories out, not when you eat them. I eat heavily at nite... helps stave off binging on "bad" stuff:

    6 pm- tea with banana on crispbread with honey
    7 pm - friut or salad
    Between 8 and 9:30 pm - dinner
    Before bed - usually around 10:30 - 11:00 pm - 8 oz skim milk and 100 calorie snack pack.

    I exercise hard so I have a lot of calories to use and I have never been concerned with the time. Ihave done pretty good. I think you need to do what fits your lifestyle and feels good/right to you.
  • xtinalovexo
    xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
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    2 hours seems doable for me! thx for the info
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Wow, misinformation a-plenty. You can eat any time. There is no magic cutoff time.
  • Aetarac
    Aetarac Posts: 135 Member
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    I think the idea of not eating before bed was mostly geared toward simple carbs because during sleep you will not be utilizing many muscles and do not need the sugars to burn. A light protein or good fat can help to keep sugars stable and ward off "midnight snack" if that is a problem. I usually eat a casein based protein food.
  • xtinalovexo
    xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
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    I think the idea of not eating before bed was mostly geared toward simple carbs because during sleep you will not be utilizing many muscles and do not need the sugars to burn. A light protein or good fat can help to keep sugars stable and ward off "midnight snack" if that is a problem. I usually eat a casein based protein food.

    yeah a midnight snack always turns into junk food. also if i eat dairy too close to be i get a stomach ache.
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
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    Wow, misinformation a-plenty. You can eat any time. There is no magic cutoff time.

    you are misinformed........ you have to give your body time to to digest your hormones time to do their thing, because if u dont stop eating after 9pm your body won't slip into a deep sleep, so you wont be as rested which causes you to be hungrier in the morning
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    Wow, misinformation a-plenty. You can eat any time. There is no magic cutoff time.

    you are misinformed........ you have to give your body time to to digest your hormones time to do their thing, because if u dont stop eating after 9pm your body won't slip into a deep sleep, so you wont be as rested which causes you to be hungrier in the morning

    This is not true. Many body builders and professional athletes eat their last meal around 10 pm. Eating a protein based snack late does not affect your ability to slip into a complete sleep cycle.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Wow, misinformation a-plenty. You can eat any time. There is no magic cutoff time.

    you are misinformed........ you have to give your body time to to digest your hormones time to do their thing, because if u dont stop eating after 9pm your body won't slip into a deep sleep, so you wont be as rested which causes you to be hungrier in the morning

    yeah, sorry katieallen7 I don't buy this so much.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Wow, misinformation a-plenty. You can eat any time. There is no magic cutoff time.

    you are misinformed........ you have to give your body time to to digest your hormones time to do their thing, because if u dont stop eating after 9pm your body won't slip into a deep sleep, so you wont be as rested which causes you to be hungrier in the morning

    Where on earth did you hear that? I will remember that as I have my last meal tonight 11:30pm, before I fall into a deep sleep. And yes I will wake up hungry. If only there was a solution to that problem... oh wait... I can eat my breakfast!

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