Cut off eating time.

LaurieRny

So for some reason I have always cut off my eating at 7.30pm when dieting...I cant remember where I read it or heard it.
However im getting huge cravings and hunger pangs usually around 9.30ish and Its making me start to wonder if im cutting off at the right time?
Iv heard you need to stop eating 4 hours before you sleep however I never go to bed at the same time and see to drop when I drop lol so its easier for me to have a time to cut off.

Any advice would be great thank u!

Sauchie

It's best to stop at least 3 hours before your bedtime

sharoniballoni

I've heard this before, too. However, I have not found that eating right before bed hinders weight loss. I cannot go to bed hungry. I can't sleep when I'm hungry. So I eat pretty close to bedtime.

rtmama

Personally, I don't have a time limit for eating. if I am truly hungry, I eat. I just try to eat something healthy...some nuts, a 1/2 serving of very dark chocolate, fruit.

Are you consistently going under your calories? If so, you might need to eat more, or eat a better quality of food. Your diary is private so it's hard to give advice on why you are hungry.

Good luck!

elliecolorado

Personally I don't have a time I stop eating. I eat right up until I go to bed and it hasn't slowed down my weight loss at all. I always make sure I have calories left for a snack or 2 after dinner. If you are hungry, eat.

melizerd

I plan for a snack about an hour before bed, I try to have something with protein in it which keeps me full and protein is slowly digested as well.

As you can see it hasn't hindered me.

marnieinMB

For me it's not when you it BUT what you eat. I work til 4:30-5 am and when I get home I am usually hungry. I often eat a few slices of turkey or roastbeef, some times a granola bar, and a few times a frozen meal. None of this has prevented me from losing 43 pounds.

LaurieRny

Wow these are all really helpful tips! I think im going to try a few weeks without a cut off point. Save maybe 100 calories for a snack before bedtime.
Thank you everyone

cheri03

There is no science to back up not eating in to the evening. Your body does not process calories better during the day vs the night.

marnieinMB

It's best to stop at least 3 hours before your bedtime

Did you get this advice from a nutritionist or doctor? No offense but it seems that so many people on this site become experts after losing weight. This may work for you but it might not be the only way to do things.

marie_2454

I don't have a cut off time at all. If it's 10:30 and I'm hungry and can afford to eat a snack and still stay within my daily calories then I do. I haven't had any problem regularly losing weight either.

Ilovedrinkingtea

Some good answers here and some impressive weight loss - well done folks! xx

mystiedragonfly

The cut off eating time rule was made by people who work a normal 9 to 5 job and never have to worry about running around or working out really hard.

You should eat when your body is hungry. Ignoring hunger pings add stress to your body. Adding stress to your body causes it to divert to primal needs. AKA... storing fat.

Eating right should be a lifestyle to be done everyday. If you don't stop eating at a certain time when you are not "dieting", why would you expect your body to be okay with not being feed at the same time when you are dieting?

If you are hungry, eat. Your body isn't demanding you eat a whole cheesecake. Just a small turkey sandwich or hand full of carrots.

P.S. I usually have a pot of tea and something simple like an english muffin or protein cookie before bed.

Collinsky

I agree with what Mystiedragonfly said: if your body is legitimately hungry, and you ignore that, you're telling your body there isn't enough food to eat... which causes your metabolism to panic and hold on to fat to get you through the famine.

I eat right up to bedtime, and have lost 1.5 lbs a week (my goal loss)... I find that trying to cut myself off earlier leads to sleeplessness and binging on something buttery/carby/sweet, and sometimes cravings into the next day. Eating a satisfying, healthy bedtime snack makes all the difference for me. I always aim to space my calories out over the day so that I can eat that late snack without going over my cals, because it's the overall caloric deficit that leads to weight loss - not when you eat.

nosey_rosey

A quote from Chalene Johnson " Kitchen is closed at 7pm" I try not to eat after 7 but sometimes I have a small snack if I am feeling super hungry. I try to drink some water and wait for about 30 min and hope the feeling goes away

eillims13

I agree with some previous posters, I can't sleep if I am hungry, and even if it wakes me up in the middle of the night I will get something small...usually half a cup of cottage cheese. It's tricky though, because I am a late night snacker and I have to keep myself away from food when I'm bored and waiting to fall asleep...

Atlantique

You don't need to stop eating at a certain time in order to lose weight. People seem to believe that you do, but it's simply not true.

If you're starving after dinner, there are a few things you can do.

First, determine if you're actually hungry or if you're simply bored. If you're bored or munching out of habit, chang your evening routine so that you aren't bored or sitting in front of the TV. If you're hungry, then either eat something small or re-think your dinner. Maybe your dinner needs to be later, or maybe it needs to have more protein and fat in order to keep you satisfied until bedtime.

Collinsky

PS if you are getting enough calories, and enough of your macro and micronutrients every day, then it could be that you're slightly dehydrated. I always drink some water when I think I'm hungry, because I'm one that has apparently been feeling "hungry" when I'm actually thirsty. Who knew?

If that's not it, it might be that you need to increase your calories a bit, or that you're not getting a good balance of macros, or that your body is telling you to eat because of another deficiency. Also, for me, fatigue contributes to feeling like I'm ravenous... I think being physically tired and mentally stressed easily leads to feelings of hunger, as your body chemistry is trying to right itself when it's not getting the rest it needs.

Just my two cents! :-)

tanyaMax

I always have a midnight snack and I got to bed anytime from 1am-3am and i am losing weight

LaurieRny

These are all brilliant tips! Thank you. Im guna give it a go for a few weeks and see if I feel any less hungry at night.
I think I got my cut off tip from a friend who has lost around 8 stone in 2 years so I thought she knew what she was talking about to be honest.
Thank you all x

mynameisuntz

You can stop eating whenever you want. Your body doesn't care what time you eat. Like, at all.