What time should I stop eating?

rita27ny

Hi,

I go to my bikram yoga class at 8pm and I stop eating at 6pm. After my bikram class I have a fiber one chocolate bar and some veggies along with water. I end up falling asleep at 2am and waking up at 7pm for work.

What time should I stop eating? Is there a cutoff time for not eating and not put on any weight?

laddyboy

3 hrs before bed as a general rule of thumb.

froggzy1015

Here is an article I read yesterday.... http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/eating-help/control-cravings/8-diet-rules-meant-to-be-broken/?page=1

I think the information on here is good for anyone trying to lose or maintain weight. Good luck!

jennywrens

I don't worry about times in terms of weight loss - certain foods will give me indigestion if I eat them before bed but weight loss wise I don't have 'rules' about times of day

4theking

When your at your calorie limit.

lexiwho

I eat until I'm out of calories for the day, sometimes this includes within 30 minutes before going to sleep. A lot of stuff I've read has said that it doesn't matter when you eat as long as you have the calories for it.

halfmarathon52

I think this is a pretty good interperation of the eating before sleep debate.

Whether or not to eat before bed is a common debate among weight-loss seekers. Though research findings are mixed, the total amount of food consumed daily, physical activity and overall lifestyle habits remain significant elements of maintaining healthy weight. While avoiding night-time eating may hold benefits for some, it is not necessarily helpful to everyone. A knowledge of how evening eating habits contribute to your weight and wellness can help you make positive dietary decisions.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/87749-eating-before-bed-gaining/#ixzz1PXFCapfH

laddyboy

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

TheKitsune6

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

bcattoes

When your at your calorie limit.

Sensible answer!

laddyboy

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

TheKitsune6

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

bcattoes

When you eat doesn't affect weight loss as a general rule. I've read posts from people who say they give themselves a cutoff because they tend to binge at night, and in that case setting a limit would be a good idea and would help weight loss. But that's behavioral and personal. By the time I get home from work, work out, shower, and fix dinner it's usually 8:30 - 9:00 before dinner is on the stove. It's never affected my weight.

trud72

totally with laddyboy,, at least 3/4 hrs before bed time!!

rita27ny

after my workout i have a light meal. gain .5lb after the meal. How can I not gain back any weight?

glassyo

after my workout i have a light meal. gain .5lb after the meal. How can I not gain back any weight?

You could not eat. (I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT!)

If you weigh yourself right after eating, that's "there's food in my body I just ate" weight. Not fat. It would happen if you drank a glass of water too.

bcattoes

after my workout i have a light meal. gain .5lb after the meal. How can I not gain back any weight?

Is that a serious question? You do realize that right after eating you would have the extra weight of the food you ate on the scale with you just as if you were holding it in your hands. Give it time to digest and your body to process/expell it. That's why it's best to weigh in the mornings.

mynameisuntz

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

Bingo!

At the end of the day, regardless of when you eat, the net fat loss will be the same assuming you maintain calories/macronutrients. If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, more fat loss will occur later in the day. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, more fat loss will occur earlier in the day. Your body seriously does not care when you feed it outside of EXTREME circumstances which, I can almost guarantee, no one here will endure.

rita27ny

I drink a lot of water and stay within my diet guideline. I workout and then drinks lots of water. I regain the lb i lost the next day. Should I cut my water intake or my food? If i cut my food intake it will be under my guidelines.

glassyo

I drink a lot of water and stay within my diet guideline. I workout and then drinks lots of water. I regain the lb i lost the next day. Should I cut my water intake or my food? If i cut my food intake it will be under my guidelines.

Are you weighing yourself every day? Don't. That way only leads to madness unless you're fully aware that the number on the scale will lie to you day to day due to too much sodium or your food not being digested yet or not getting enough sleep or the diet gods just deciding not to shine down upon you at that particular moment.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time...in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating, either wearing the same clothes or no clothing at all. Just be consistent about when you weigh yourself. Also, take measurements. Those are the true indicators of fat loss anyway.

laddyboy

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

Bingo!

At the end of the day, regardless of when you eat, the net fat loss will be the same assuming you maintain calories/macronutrients. If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, more fat loss will occur later in the day. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, more fat loss will occur earlier in the day. Your body seriously does not care when you feed it outside of EXTREME circumstances which, I can almost guarantee, no one here will endure.

Ummm, if you eat most of your calories earlier (tapering your meals) you will burn off more of it with daily activity as opposed to eating a larger meal at the end of the day when you're less active...so yes it does matter. Unless you're working out at night, you want the smallest meal at the end of the day and at least 3 hrs before bed.
Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand. Walking / Daily activities increase HR and consumes more calories than does sleeping.

bunchesonothing

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

Bingo!

At the end of the day, regardless of when you eat, the net fat loss will be the same assuming you maintain calories/macronutrients. If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, more fat loss will occur later in the day. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, more fat loss will occur earlier in the day. Your body seriously does not care when you feed it outside of EXTREME circumstances which, I can almost guarantee, no one here will endure.

Ummm, if you eat most of your calories earlier (tapering your meals) you will burn off more of it with daily activity as opposed to eating a larger meal at the end of the day when you're less active...so yes it does matter. Unless you're working out at night, you want the smallest meal at the end of the day and at least 3 hrs before bed.
Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand. Walking / Daily activities increase HR and consumes more calories than does sleeping.

Except, if you're not overeating and tracking your calories, you're not necessarily worried about future burn with that food, later in the day. You're filling an empty tank.

mynameisuntz

Ummm, if you eat most of your calories earlier (tapering your meals) you will burn off more of it with daily activity as opposed to eating a larger meal at the end of the day when you're less active...so yes it does matter. Unless you're working out at night, you want the smallest meal at the end of the day and at least 3 hrs before bed.
Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand. Walking / Daily activities increase HR and consumes more calories than does sleeping.

Let's make 2 things clear:

1) If your maintenance is 2,000 calories in a 24 hour span, then you will burn that amount in a 24 hour span.
2) If you eat 1,500 calories in a 24 hour span, then you will be in a 500 calorie deficit.

Now explain to me how meal timing or tapering meals negates the fact that, regardless of when you eat, you will have burned 500 stored calories at some point during the day: be it earlier in the day or later in the day.

"Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand."

Funny you say that considering you are utterly and completely wrong.

laddyboy

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

Bingo!

At the end of the day, regardless of when you eat, the net fat loss will be the same assuming you maintain calories/macronutrients. If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, more fat loss will occur later in the day. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, more fat loss will occur earlier in the day. Your body seriously does not care when you feed it outside of EXTREME circumstances which, I can almost guarantee, no one here will endure.

Ummm, if you eat most of your calories earlier (tapering your meals) you will burn off more of it with daily activity as opposed to eating a larger meal at the end of the day when you're less active...so yes it does matter. Unless you're working out at night, you want the smallest meal at the end of the day and at least 3 hrs before bed.
Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand. Walking / Daily activities increase HR and consumes more calories than does sleeping.

Except, if you're not overeating and tracking your calories, you're not necessarily worried about future burn with that food, later in the day. You're filling an empty tank.

I'm assuming we are talking about losing weight so a calorie deficit it what I'm thinking.

bunchesonothing

Here's the thing. It take about 3 hrs for your body to process the food in your stomach. You also burn calories while you sleep. Do you want to burn food in your stomach or stored fat? Over a short period of time this might not make a difference but over the long run it adds up. When i'm cutting I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. When trying to add muscle I eat right up to bed time.

You're body doesn't magically store everything as fat because you are asleep. Excess nutrients are stored as fat but if someone is in a deficit your metabolism doesn't just shut down. Yes, it slows, but no studies actually show any link between fat storage and eating before bedtime. It's fantastic if that works for some people to prevent overeating but there is no science to back up that claim.

I didn't say that. What I said was you still burn calories while sleeping...if you're stomach is empty the energy required to run your organs has to come from somewhere...fat stores.

The math on that doesn't add up. If you'd eat the same amount and the only difference is the time you are eating then you would have exactly the same BMR, fat burning, food digestion, all of that. The only difference is what burns when - not how much.

Bingo!

At the end of the day, regardless of when you eat, the net fat loss will be the same assuming you maintain calories/macronutrients. If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, more fat loss will occur later in the day. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, more fat loss will occur earlier in the day. Your body seriously does not care when you feed it outside of EXTREME circumstances which, I can almost guarantee, no one here will endure.

Ummm, if you eat most of your calories earlier (tapering your meals) you will burn off more of it with daily activity as opposed to eating a larger meal at the end of the day when you're less active...so yes it does matter. Unless you're working out at night, you want the smallest meal at the end of the day and at least 3 hrs before bed.
Really, this is common sense...this is not that hard to understand. Walking / Daily activities increase HR and consumes more calories than does sleeping.

Except, if you're not overeating and tracking your calories, you're not necessarily worried about future burn with that food, later in the day. You're filling an empty tank.

I'm assuming we are talking about losing weight so a calorie deficit it what I'm thinking.

Right, but if we've set a goal with myfitnesspal and don't go over that goal with our calories, the deficit is still there. We are filling up to the predesignated point that we've decided on.

JNick77

This topic is kind of a mixed bag, I've seen experts on both sides of the fence. The one item that does seem to be at general consensus is to limit your carb intake near bedtime.

Shellybelamour

I'm with Laddyboy to an extent.

The body needs energy when you sleep. If you eat shortly before going to sleep, your body will utilize the food you just ate for that energy instead of the stored nutients/fat. I have read multiple studies saying some things are okay to eat before bed, and some things you should absolutly not eat right before bed (like carbs, sugar).

In essence, going to bed on an empty stomach causes your body to burn fat as a means of energy to keep your systems working throughout the night. As laddyboy said, this is probably not something that will give drastic changes...but it should certaintly be taken into consideration.

mynameisuntz

I'm with Laddyboy to an extent.

The body needs energy when you sleep. If you eat shortly before going to sleep, your body will utilize the food you just ate for that energy instead of the stored nutients/fat. I have read multiple studies saying some things are okay to eat before bed, and some things you should absolutly not eat right before bed (like carbs, sugar).

In essence, going to bed on an empty stomach causes your body to burn fat as a means of energy to keep your systems working throughout the night. As laddyboy said, this is probably not something that will give drastic changes...but it should certaintly be taken into consideration.

Not true.

Caloric deficit is all that matters. The time you eat is irrelevant. Let me explain again:

If you eat most of your calories earlier in the day, you burn more calories from fat later in the day.
If you eat most of your calories later in the day, you burn more calories from fat earlier in the day.

How is this concept so difficult to grasp?

R4z0r4Mm0

I used to think meals had to be spread out during the day - eating every 3 hours became a habit. Lost over 50lbs doing it this way.

This last few weeks, I've been eating my highest calories later in the day, 2-3 cheat meals a week, chocolates even before bed, fat loss has actually increased and muscle strength and mass is maintained. Exercise levels are consistent with the previous 50lbs. Results = 64lbs lost so far. Both ways work well for me - as long as the net calorie deficit is controlled.

I've read that once I get closer to my ideal weight and low body fat % - only then does meal timing and macronutrients timing make a real difference, and even then it's still quite minor. I'm at least 6 months away from that.

I'm not a diet snob - so I'm always open to new ways of eating as long as it's sustainable. Being open to new ways of losing fat actually led me to MFP - and has kept me from getting bored, I hate routine.

Lately I've been testing Leangains and Eat Stop Eat with much success.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

spiritcrusher

Lol, so much broscience in this thread.

There is no such thing as a time when you should stop eating, you can eat whenever you want in a 24 hour period until your desired caloric intake is reached. I just don't recommend filling up on simple sugars before going to bed because it's wasted energy.

spiritcrusher

I'm with Laddyboy to an extent.

The body needs energy when you sleep. If you eat shortly before going to sleep, your body will utilize the food you just ate for that energy instead of the stored nutients/fat. I have read multiple studies saying some things are okay to eat before bed, and some things you should absolutly not eat right before bed (like carbs, sugar).

In essence, going to bed on an empty stomach causes your body to burn fat as a means of energy to keep your systems working throughout the night. As laddyboy said, this is probably not something that will give drastic changes...but it should certaintly be taken into consideration.

False.

Your body consumes polysaccharides of glucose (glycogen; short term energy stores in your liver) for energy while you sleep, not triglycerides... unless you're in starvation mode.