Eating cut off time

jnettiedotson

I have a hard time eating at a normal time. By the time I get done running around all day with my kids, get home, feed them, feed the twin babies, get them to sleep, etc....it's already 9 when I can finally shower/eat/pee. I know it's not good to eat so late, but I gotta eat right?

taso42_DELETED

It's fine to eat late. The only issue you might possibly have is if it gives you indigestion or gives you trouble sleeping to eat that late. If not, then there is no issue whatsoever.

Schwiggity

Unless you have GI issues, there's no problem with eating late. I just ate my dinner at 10pm.

rileysowner

Let me third that. No reason not to eat late in the day. It will make absolutely no difference to your weight loss.

jnettiedotson

What about if I go to bed immediately after? If this is not true, why have we been told this our entire lives? Why why why, LOL

Schwiggity

Because old wife's tales have ruled weight loss for a long time.

Seajolly

It doesn't matter what time you eat, but watch the sodium late night. I always try to drink at least 2 cups of water after my dinner to help with flushing out the sodium and avoiding bloating.

Juniper88

We are totally on the same operating schedule! My kids (5.5 and 4) finally went to sleep @ 10 pm. Mon - Thurs they have sporting activities so this will be the 'norm' all summer. Night time eating is my absolutely worst offense! - with sleep depravation not too far behind.

Everything I have read has said "NO NIGHT EATING!" as it is the kiss of death for a sluggish metabolism, a slow start to the morning and a guaranteed way of gaining weight. So, what is to be done? What is the "most" correct answer?

That being said, I have noted that some of the other MFPeepers who have responded that it is "not a big deal" have experienced weight-loss success. So, is their success not proof that they are NOT wrong and it really is not such a big deal? This issue perplexes me!

taso42_DELETED

What about if I go to bed immediately after? If this is not true, why have we been told this our entire lives? Why why why, LOL

I very, very regularly eat and go to bed right after. I often end up eating dinner anywhere from 8 to 10PM, and then have a shake anywhere from 11 to midnight, then go right to bed after.

I would personally love to see this "you shouldn't eat late at night" myth die.

Schwiggity

What about if I go to bed immediately after? If this is not true, why have we been told this our entire lives? Why why why, LOL

I very, very regularly eat and go to bed right after. I often end up eating dinner anywhere from 8 to 10PM, and then have a shake anywhere from 11 to midnight, then go right to bed after.

I would personally love to see this "you shouldn't eat late at night" myth die.

^this.

rileysowner

The myth is perpetuated because people think the body shuts down when they sleep. Nothing could be further from the truth. While a person sleeps their body is busy doing things like repairing muscle damage and the like from exercising, producing various hormones, and more. All that takes energy. Yes, you do have the added energy use of your daily activity, but have a look sometime and realize that your BMR is the amount of energy your body uses just to stay alive. It does not include any of your daily activity and for most people it is the vast majority of the calories you burn in a day. That is burned whether you are in bed sleeping or up and awake. Thus, it does not matter when you eat.

The other reason for this myth is that many people who eat at night are involved in mindless eating, and thus over-eat. Therefore the problem is not the calories eaten at night, but eating too much. Frankly, whether you eat too many calories late at night or too many through the day stopping at say 6 or 7PM, you will gain weight.

The long and short of this is it is a myth. Stay within your calories with good quality food and you can eat whenever you want.

dls06

I eat the bulk of my calories at night. I have not had a problem losing.