No Eating After 7pm

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Replies

  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
    Meal timing is irrelevant.

    - It doesn't matter if you eat at 7pm, 10pm, 11pm, 2am, etc.
    - You also don't have to eat every 2-3 hours.
    - You don't have to eat 5-6 or 7 meals a day.

    People don't magically lose more weight because they don't eat after a certain time.

    They lose weight because they are eating a calorie deficit under their maintenance, and they continue to lose weight through plateau's by hitting their macros every day.

    Are we STILL debating this fact?

    I didn't think this was a debate.. just thought the OP was asking some good questions.

    It's been a debate that has been broken for the past several weeks.

    Listen very close folks:

    Unless you have hypothyroidism or are diabetic, it is simply about calories in versus calories out. I have said this time after time after time again.

    It's Calories you CONSUME in your body in a 24 hour period versus your ENERGY EXPEDENTURE.

    It does NOT matter that you don't eat past 7pm. You can eat if you want to. It makes absolutely no difference.

    Do you REALLY think that if you eat a calorie SURPLUS but don't eat after 7pm that you will still lose weight?

    meh - guess i wasn't around for ALL of those BIG debates this week.
    my bad.
  • TriumphNow
    TriumphNow Posts: 526 Member
    Are we STILL debating this fact?

    that seems quite unfair .. just because you've debated this subject before .. new people aren't allowed to? great attitude.

    I was thinking the same thing. Topics are repeated on here all the time because there are new people, everyone does not see every topic posted, etc. If you already read the topic, move on after you see the subject line or post. The negative attitude helps no one.
  • QueenT24
    QueenT24 Posts: 15
    I have been down this road before and not eating past 7 has really helped me out. I got such excellent results, I am going back to it again. It is tough, but it is best for your body. After about 2 weeks, you will get used to it. Although there are certain functions your body is supposed to perform with sufficient amount of sleep, storing food as fat is not one of them.

    "Diet and Exercise Myth #9. Eating late at night will make you gain weight.

    False. “There are no ‘magic’ hours,” Bender says. “We associate late-night eating with weight gain because we usually consume more calories at night. We do this because we usually deprive our bodies of adequate calories the first half of the day. Start the day out with breakfast and eat every 3-4 hours. Keep lunch the same size as dinner, and you will be less likely to over-indulge at night, yet you can enjoy a small late-night snack without the fear of it sticking to your middle.”"
    -http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/diet_exercise.htm (link for diet and exercise info)

    http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm (this link discusses why sleep is so important to your body)

    So, from my experience, eating before seven really helps and if have to eat after that, make a smoothie or drink some light juice. Good luck!!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Int J Eat Disord. 2008 Jul;41(5):411-8.
    Exploring the typology of night eating syndrome.
    Striegel-Moore RH, Franko DL, Thompson D, Affenito S, May A, Kraemer HC.
    SourceDepartment of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, USA. rstriegel@wesleyan.edu

    Abstract
    OBJECTIVE: There is an ongoing debate about the definitions and clinical significance of night eating syndrome (NES). This study explored potential subtypes based on night eating patterns and features reported to be associated, with NES in a representative community sample of 8,250 individuals aged 15-39 years.

    METHOD: Latent class analysis was used to identify NES subtypes among 2,068 participants who reported night eating behavior.

    RESULTS: A four-class solution was judged best. Two classes appear to characterize individuals who eat very late or eat a large proportion of their daily intake after 7 pm, and two other classes are characterized by high rates of depressive symptoms. Results do not support an association between night eating and obesity in young adults. Late night eating is associated with high caloric intake, high sodium intake, and low protein intake.

    CONCLUSION: Evidence supports the validity of a definition of NES based on eating very late at night.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18306340
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    I've been doing it since Feb....I do make exceptions, such as every Friday....between Feb & May, I lost 30 lbs.- I also started walking, cut out white bread, & pasta....in May I found this site, lost another 17----(I don't eat after 7) unless I have a cocktail or two...then it's usually a salad (if I'm out) I'm a firm believer in it. Oh yes, this is my first post. It's a topic that I believe in.

    I started in Feb at 230 lbs, & now have reached my goal of 185 lbs, going as low as 183 lbs....not really interested in losing any more....

    Good Job Bro.
  • FoxCarter
    FoxCarter Posts: 127 Member
    Do you REALLY think that if you eat a calorie SURPLUS but don't eat after 7pm that you will still lose weight?

    Please let me note that I said nothing about a calorie surplus in my original post. I can do math and know that Calories In - Energy Out = Weight Gain/Loss. No big surprise there. Thanks for the heartfelt clarification. I will have to do more research on Micro/Macro nutrients to reach your information level.

    In summary: I feel pretty confident that restricting eating after 7pm makes you change your habits. For those that are inclined to snack on sweet/salty goodies, this a habit that will cut their calories.
  • ONCEALWAYS
    ONCEALWAYS Posts: 6 Member
    Calories in calories out that is the key. I think that being mindful of what you are eating is also key. I think the decision in not eating after a certian time encourages mindfulness. For example, if you are like me and mindless eating tends to start at 8 but I decide that I'm not going to eat anything after 8 that's FEWER CALORIES ... and those mindless calories are probably excess calories.

    So stay in your calorie range, or on program for whatever you are following..... calories in calories out. If not eating after a certian time encourages mindfull eating then more power to you.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    One thing to note here is that while there is no metabolic effect to eating after 7pm, for some there may be habits and eating late is overly tempting and could cause a binge.

    So, I could see where there could be psychological reasons not to do it but metabolically there is no difference.
  • julsofdenial
    julsofdenial Posts: 225 Member
    I generally try not to eat late. But my hubby doesn't get home until 7 and sometimes we don't end up eating until past 8. Then if I am hungry at 10 or 11, I eat something like a cheese stick or some almonds to tide me over.

    I usually don't get to eat breakfast until 9:30 or 10 AM, so if I went from 7pm to 10am that would be a long fast!

    I don't worry too much about timing... i just stay within my goals. If I am hungry, I eat something sensible.
  • FoxCarter
    FoxCarter Posts: 127 Member
    So, I could see where there could be psychological reasons not to do it but metabolically there is no difference.

    Thanks for the succinct explanation. Much appreciated :-)
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    Meal timing is irrelevant.

    - It doesn't matter if you eat at 7pm, 10pm, 11pm, 2am, etc.
    - You also don't have to eat every 2-3 hours.
    - You don't have to eat 5-6 or 7 meals a day.

    People don't magically lose more weight because they don't eat after a certain time.

    They lose weight because they are eating a calorie deficit under their maintenance, and they continue to lose weight through plateau's by hitting their macros every day.

    Are we STILL debating this fact?

    I didn't think this was a debate.. just thought the OP was asking some good questions.

    It's been a debate that has been broken for the past several weeks.

    Listen very close folks:

    Unless you have hypothyroidism or are diabetic, it is simply about calories in versus calories out. I have said this time after time after time again.

    It's Calories you CONSUME in your body in a 24 hour period versus your ENERGY EXPEDENTURE.

    It does NOT matter that you don't eat past 7pm. You can eat if you want to. It makes absolutely no difference.

    Do you REALLY think that if you eat a calorie SURPLUS but don't eat after 7pm that you will still lose weight?

    Everybody is different and there are many debates on this topic. Bottom line is people need to find what works for them.

    Now bodybuilders will tell you to gain weight to eat before bed...why do you think that is? So that you have fuel to rebuild muscles. You're still burn calories when you are sleeping. You don't magically stop cuz your asleep. So it would seem to reason that stored fat burned as fuel to sustain your bodily functions would be preferred over food in your system. Like I said, everyone is different and will see different results with this. To say...don't do it, it means nothing is just flat out wrong.
    Just me buck 2 80. (nothing is 2 cents anymore).
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    My sister has lost 50lbs within the last year, with her 'only' change being not eating after 7pm. I can tell you for a fact that she eats less than she used to (not cramming her face) and is making a few better food choices. In the evenings we are usually winding down from our day and sometimes I get the munchies for something sweet. Not eating after 7pm could save me 500-1500 calories a week.
    What do you think of not eating 3 hours before bedtime? Is a calorie a calorie no matter when it is consumed? Or does eating before turning in for the night become stored fat/energy?

    With calories being the same in both situations, meal timing is irrelevant. Only daily cumulative intake is what matters. Eat when its convenient for you.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    And I am not saying you won't lose weight if you eat after 7. Just to clarify.
  • Ilovedrinkingtea
    Ilovedrinkingtea Posts: 597 Member
    Meal timing is irrelevant.

    - It doesn't matter if you eat at 7pm, 10pm, 11pm, 2am, etc.
    - You also don't have to eat every 2-3 hours.
    - You don't have to eat 5-6 or 7 meals a day.

    People don't magically lose more weight because they don't eat after a certain time.

    They lose weight because they are eating a calorie deficit under their maintenance, and they continue to lose weight through plateau's by hitting their macros every day.

    Agreed. It doesn't matter the time that she was eating. The point and the success is that she is no longer eating that additional 500+ calories per day that she was before. She cut out a bunch of junk calories and this is why she lost weight, regardless of time of day. Now, it is true that we do tend to snack and binge eat in the late evenings....so giving yourself a policy of not eating after 7pm might be really beneficial if it stopped you from reaching for those sugary, salty snacks in the evening.

    I'm with these folks. I eat my dinner mostly anywhere between 8-10pm and since I've been calorie counting and doing what MFP says, the weight's been mostly coming off and it doesn't seem to matter at all when I've eaten xx
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    Meal timing is irrelevant.

    - It doesn't matter if you eat at 7pm, 10pm, 11pm, 2am, etc.
    - You also don't have to eat every 2-3 hours.
    - You don't have to eat 5-6 or 7 meals a day.

    People don't magically lose more weight because they don't eat after a certain time.

    They lose weight because they are eating a calorie deficit under their maintenance, and they continue to lose weight through plateau's by hitting their macros every day.

    Are we STILL debating this fact?

    I didn't think this was a debate.. just thought the OP was asking some good questions.

    It's been a debate that has been broken for the past several weeks.

    Listen very close folks:

    Unless you have hypothyroidism or are diabetic, it is simply about calories in versus calories out. I have said this time after time after time again.

    It's Calories you CONSUME in your body in a 24 hour period versus your ENERGY EXPEDENTURE.

    It does NOT matter that you don't eat past 7pm. You can eat if you want to. It makes absolutely no difference.

    Do you REALLY think that if you eat a calorie SURPLUS but don't eat after 7pm that you will still lose weight?

    Everybody is different and there are many debates on this topic. Bottom line is people need to find what works for them.

    Now bodybuilders will tell you to gain weight to eat before bed...why do you think that is? So that you have fuel to rebuild muscles. You're still burn calories when you are sleeping. You don't magically stop cuz your asleep. So it would seem to reason that stored fat burned as fuel to sustain your bodily functions would be preferred over food in your system. Like I said, everyone is different and will see different results with this. To say...don't do it, it means nothing is just flat out wrong.
    Just me buck 2 80. (nothing is 2 cents anymore).

    You have not read lean gains then, because Bodybuilders to use this method as part of the bulk/cut routine.
  • TheSarahHill
    TheSarahHill Posts: 185
    I finish work at 10pm in the evening and always cook an evening meal when I get in. I get home before 11 and usually go to bed about 12 so it's probably not too bad, I walk home from work too which is 30 minutes.

    Just becareful of the choices :-)
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    I eat most of my calories at night and it doesn't cause any problems for me.

    I believe a calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter the time of day you eat as long as you are averaging a set amount. Your sister probably lost all that weight because she was binging on bad food at night. The whole "not eating after 6/7 pm" thing CAN really help people who have a bad habit of overeating at night. I like my bedtime snacks so I save calorie room for them.
  • Vhovell
    Vhovell Posts: 286
    I find the earlier I eat the hungrier i get before bed. If i eat around 6:30/7pm i'm ususally hungry around 9-10pm. I try and ignore my hungry if i'm going to sleep within half hour
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member

    All are not very reliable sources.

    For one the ones quoting the study at Northwestern fail to point out that the increase in weight was not do to eating late but that:
    #1- The people who ate later ate more food and less healthy food.
    #2- They slept longer and thus were less active.

    All studies are not created equal and this one isn't a good one.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    If I eat late, I will see a gain on the scale the next day guaranteed.

    Well, since it's nearly impossible to gain substantial fat over night. This is probably just weight from food. If I eat/drink a lot late, I'll weigh more in the morning too. Then I can check later in the day and I'll be back down to my normal weight. I think that's pretty normal. It's not fat.
  • agent300
    agent300 Posts: 73
    i think it's just easier for some people to just say they arent going to eat after 7 instead of understanding the science of your body and why the timing and frequency of meals dont matter.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Pfffft science. You know we shun that here.
  • tladame
    tladame Posts: 465 Member
    When you eat makes no difference if you stay within your calorie budget. What this probably has done for you sister is to stop the mindless eating that many participate in at night. For some people if they eat at night they lose control and eat beyond their calories.

    This is what I was thinking too. If I'm hungry before I go to bed, I'll eat a little something because I can't sleep on an empty stomach. But I do make it something small, like a few tablespoons of nuts & raisins.
  • pork_belly
    pork_belly Posts: 144
    If not eating after a certain time reduces how much you are eating then that is good. The bottom line is that it works. I agree with the folks here that what time you eat does not matter. I myself just recently started IF (intermittent fasting) using the Fast-5 approach. The feeding window is from 5PM - 10PM. It works for me. Since starting this schedule I've lost 3 lbs in one day.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    My brother's cousin's uncle's best friend lost 100 pounds by only eating AFTER 7pm. Take that OP!
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    i think it's just easier for some people to just say they arent going to eat after 7 instead of understanding the science of your body and why the timing and frequency of meals dont matter.

    * DING * DING * DING * We have a winner!
This discussion has been closed.