When to stop eating before bed

Goldenbast

I have been reading around the internet about proper meals and such but one area that is contradictory is eating before bed. I have seen the whole range, from 15 minutes to 3 hours! And all of these come with seemingly sound nutritional advice and even references to various scientific articles. So I decided to ask it here:

When should a person stop eating before bed and why?

krystalselanders

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

Nopedotjpeg

There is no time where you have to stop eating before bed, unless you have intestinal issues or something.

Goldenbast

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

I don't mean a specific time, for example that would not work for me because I am on a graveyard, I wake up at 3pm and goto bed at 7 am..I exercise somewhere around 2am.....just wondering how long in general..

rudegyal_b

ive heard 2 hours but i eat pretty close to bedtime

Nopedotjpeg

It's a myth. Simple as that. There is no time. Your body is always functioning, thus always using calories. The only reason people tend to try to limit it is because some people tend to overeat at this time because you're more tired and use food to try to satiate the tiredness.

krystalselanders

i personally stop eating 5 hours before bed.

kellylara93

I find I lose weight wayyyyy quicker when I stop eating more 5 or 6 hours before bed.

For example, I try not to eat after 6pm, but I won't go to sleep until 11 or 12.

But in the time after 6 I drink about 2 or 3 litres of water. Weight just falls off.

Maybe I'm just weird...

ninerbuff

I have been reading around the internet about proper meals and such but one area that is contradictory is eating before bed. I have seen the whole range, from 15 minutes to 3 hours! And all of these come with seemingly sound nutritional advice and even references to various scientific articles. So I decided to ask it here:

When should a person stop eating before bed and why?

Once you reach your calorie goal limit for that day. The is NO scientific peer reviewed studies that show that eating after 7pm causes any calories to turn to fat. Fat is gained when you are in surplus.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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ninerbuff

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

Myth.


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Nopedotjpeg

Looks like the myth perpetuaters are out in droves tonight.

krystalselanders

works for me

Nopedotjpeg

works for me

That doesn't mean anything as far as an actual time cut-off for the general consensus, which has not been shown to make any difference in any actual science.

krystalselanders

works for me

That doesn't mean anything as far as an actual time cut-off for the general consensus, which has not been shown to make any difference in any actual science.

i was giving advice, not scientific information

xraychick77

It's a myth. Simple as that. There is no time. Your body is always functioning, thus always using calories. The only reason people tend to try to limit it is because some people tend to overeat at this time because you're more tired and use food to try to satiate the tiredness.

this above...


i also work night shift. I do my workouts after work, and I intake a whey isolate protein 'shake', and some sort of breakfast right before bed. Whether its complex carbs or protein before bed, it wont affect weight loss or gain. what you should avoid are sugary simple carbs, fruits etc. this will spike insulin and thats not good, as it can promote fat storage. a good steady influx of nutrients from proteins and complex carbs are much better to eat before sleep.

kellylara93

No need to be so rude about it jee..she was just offering her opinion.

Nopedotjpeg

No need to be so rude about it jee..she was just offering her opinion.

Who's being rude? I'm disagreeing, and showing that there's no evidence for it. Why is it always considered bad in our society to try to base your information off of science rather than hearsay?

takehimaway

Night shifter.
I might eat fruit/cheese/a yogurt before I go work out at six in the morning.
I sometimes eat a Ramen [yes, a ramen!] before I got to bed around eight or nine. I weigh LESS when I weigh myself when /I/ wake up, not when the rest of the planet wakes up.

stephaniethomas80

i dont eat right before bed because I get acid indigestion, but I agree that it is a myth not to eat before bed

Contrarian

Your body cannot tell time. You can eat at any time of day or night. As long as you are within your caloric intake goals, it does not matter. Trust me.

Goldenbast

I realize that once you eat your needed amount of calories that's it..but WHEN to eat them?

If you eat 3 hours before bed, lets say you eat at 7pm and go to bed at 10pm and wake at 6am and eat by 7am....so you would not eat anything for 12 hours.

The eat hours before bed mindset argues that when you sleep you are only burning a minimal amount of calories and your metabolism slows down naturally, that when you eat and then sleep your body will just store it as fat, and that upon waking you will not be hungry and have a chance of skipping breakfast...therefor losing the metabolic boost you get when you eat breakfast.

The eat closer to bed mindset argues that doing this is bad because your body could go into a catabolic state and after keeping food from your body for such an extensive period of time that when you do eat when you wake up that your body has a bigger chance of storing the food as fat.

From reading all these things I kinda fall in the middle category....eat something light about an hour before bed, don't go to bed feeling full but don't go to bed on a completely empty stomach either....what do you guys think?

briocktj

I have always heard not past 7 p.m. as everything you eat after 7 turns to fat, but lately I have heard that that is not true, that there really isnt a time to stop... so I would say as long as you are eating healthy.... anytime is okay

Nopedotjpeg

I realize that once you eat your needed amount of calories that's it..but WHEN to eat them?

If you eat 3 hours before bed, lets say you eat at 7pm and go to bed at 10pm and wake at 6am and eat by 7am....so you would not eat anything for 12 hours.

The eat hours before bed mindset argues that when you sleep you are only burning a minimal amount of calories and your metabolism slows down naturally, that when you eat and then sleep your body will just store it as fat, and that upon waking you will not be hungry and have a chance of skipping breakfast...therefor losing the metabolic boost you get when you eat breakfast.

The eat closer to bed mindset argues that doing this is bad because your body could go into a catabolic state and after keeping food from your body for such an extensive period of time that when you do eat when you wake up that your body has a bigger chance of storing the food as fat.

From reading all these things I kinda fall in the middle category....eat something light about an hour before bed, don't go to bed feeling full but don't go to bed on a completely empty stomach either....what do you guys think?

You're over complicating this. A website that pops up on a Google search is as relevant as "some guy said...." Just eat less foods, keep it mostly healthy, and try to get active.

ninerbuff

i was giving advice, not scientific information

Noted, but when giving advice it should have some good actual evidence (not anecdotal) to support it. If someone actually questioned why you believe eating after 7pm has the food turn to fat, how do you support that proof?


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

I realize that once you eat your needed amount of calories that's it..but WHEN to eat them?

If you eat 3 hours before bed, lets say you eat at 7pm and go to bed at 10pm and wake at 6am and eat by 7am....so you would not eat anything for 12 hours.

The eat hours before bed mindset argues that when you sleep you are only burning a minimal amount of calories and your metabolism slows down naturally, that when you eat and then sleep your body will just store it as fat, and that upon waking you will not be hungry and have a chance of skipping breakfast...therefor losing the metabolic boost you get when you eat breakfast.

The eat closer to bed mindset argues that doing this is bad because your body could go into a catabolic state and after keeping food from your body for such an extensive period of time that when you do eat when you wake up that your body has a bigger chance of storing the food as fat.

From reading all these things I kinda fall in the middle category....eat something light about an hour before bed, don't go to bed feeling full but don't go to bed on a completely empty stomach either....what do you guys think?

After countless hours researching scientific peer reviewed study,I know it's a myth unless several other peer reviewed studies show a possible opposition. Haven't seen one yet. Have seen a lot of blogs and articles, but not peer reviewed study.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Naybelline

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

this

Goldenbast

Then you are saying that it doesn't matter if you eat 3 hours before bed or 3 minutes....that just doesn't seem right to me. I am not trying to over complicate things, I just want to know how it works correctly. I am making a great effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes eating in ways that is beneficial to my body and cutting out ways that are harmful....

Yes, I researched this on the internet, which is why I posted this topic because all the information is contradictory. I was hoping for a discussion on it with people offering what works for them and what doesn't...actual experience has to count for something.

Nopedotjpeg

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

this

Read my name out loud. There's my rebuttal.

jenilla1

Neither the time of day nor my sleep schedule have ever made a difference. I just stop eating when I run out of calories!!! :laugh:

ninerbuff

ive heard between 7-8pm. you want to stop eating because you aren't active at night usually, and it will all turn to fat....

this

Untrue. Research has proven it to be false. Time to know the truth.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

hunnyspice

Personally I try to stop eating at least half an hour before I go to bed. If I wait too long and start getting hungry then I'll wake up ravenous and overeat in the morning.