What time do you stop eating? (1 Week "Group" here?)

mharriskc

I, too, am a night owl. I work the 3 pm-11 pm shift. I usually eat my dinner around midnight, then go to bed around 2 am. Breakfast for me is when I am on my way to work around noon or 1 pm. I usually don't eat at work, due to the time restraints on breaktime. I am going to try to eat only a light meal or at least reduce the portions of my late night meal.

happyhiram

Eh, as long as you can control yourself and not eat over maintenance level when it comes to calories then there's no certain time you have to stop eating over a 24 hour period.

So I'm very sporadic when I eat. No certain time I stop.

JennetteMac

I rarely get a chance to even begin eating till gone 7.30 as a busy working mum, so if i want to enjoy my meagre rations ( which I really do) then I have to be eating quite late.
Have heard you shouldn't eat after 6pm, but I can't try that till the school holidays. Maybe I will.

samatalma

Whenever I am either no longer hungry, or have used up all my allowed calories. I don't care if I have my desert 20 mins before bed...

^^This. I wake up completely famished in the morning if I don't have a snack before bed. I don't like that feeling. So, I eat before I go to bed.

Faye_Anderson

Don't eat after 7pm, only drink water, even though sometimes I am awake until 5am, but I'm never hungry in that time x

Hola723

I stop when I am out of calories for the day. Sometimes that is 4pm, other times it is 11pm if I am out at a bar with friends. Just depends on the day and the circumstances.

whtlatina1214

yay so glad im not alone in this lol i need to make a time too but sometimes dinner in my house aint on the table till about 830 soidk

ParisArkw

I did good with two nights. One night, I had a late dinner with a friend, and the other night I gave into temptation. =( Tonight, though, I absolutely will not eat after 8pm...!

chrisdavey

I did good with two nights. One night, I had a late dinner with a friend, and the other night I gave into temptation. =( Tonight, though, I absolutely will not eat after 8pm...!

WHY? There is no cut off time that you have to stop eating by!!!

ParisArkw

I know. But I deal with the problem of over-eating when its nighttime. Does that bother you....? Maybe you have better self-control than I do, but as a matter of fact, most of my over-eating happens at night. Also, it is generally thought to be good to stop eating a few hours before you go to bed. So why not?

jeni_Giedd

7 or 8 p.m. but I drink lots of tea and water after that!

jrcox520

Eating before bed doesn't effect weight loss. I've found out that if I've had too few calories over the day (around 1300ish) I will always wake up in the middle of the night hungry. So I eat a couple hundred calories and don't worry about it - its never caused any problems. Getting a grip on emotional eating is what most people struggle with, I think. I've also noticed that when I do get up and eat in the middle of the night that I will wake up the next morning starving, hunger pains and all. I rationalize this is because my midnight snack has kept my metabolism up through the night instead of slowing it down by means of overnight fast. The word breakfast itself is not coincidental.

ParisArkw

Eating before bed doesn't effect weight loss. I've found out that if I've had too few calories over the day (around 1300ish) I will always wake up in the middle of the night hungry. So I eat a couple hundred calories and don't worry about it - its never caused any problems. Getting a grip on emotional eating is what most people struggle with, I think. I've also noticed that when I do get up and eat in the middle of the night that I will wake up the next morning starving, hunger pains and all. I rationalize this is because my midnight snack has kept my metabolism up through the night instead of slowing it down by means of overnight fast. The word breakfast itself is not coincidental.

From the sound of it, you burn a lot more calories than most people probably do. No matter how much I eat, I will never wake up from being hungry in the middle of the night. And when I wake up, I am always hungry, but not /starving/ (unless I did a particularly strenuous work out the previous day.)

chrisdavey

I know. But I deal with the problem of over-eating when its nighttime. Does that bother you....? Maybe you have better self-control than I do, but as a matter of fact, most of my over-eating happens at night. Also, it is generally thought to be good to stop eating a few hours before you go to bed. So why not?

I eat the majority of cals at night so no it doesn't bother me.

If you are sticking to your cal/macro goals then that is all that matters not when you consume them.

ParisArkw

I know. But I deal with the problem of over-eating when its nighttime. Does that bother you....? Maybe you have better self-control than I do, but as a matter of fact, most of my over-eating happens at night. Also, it is generally thought to be good to stop eating a few hours before you go to bed. So why not?

I eat the majority of cals at night so no it doesn't bother me.

If you are sticking to your cal/macro goals then that is all that matters not when you consume them.

I know. I do not keep track of my calories. I just aim to eat healthfully, and I find it easier to do so by not eating at night.

chrisdavey

I know. But I deal with the problem of over-eating when its nighttime. Does that bother you....? Maybe you have better self-control than I do, but as a matter of fact, most of my over-eating happens at night. Also, it is generally thought to be good to stop eating a few hours before you go to bed. So why not?

I eat the majority of cals at night so no it doesn't bother me.

If you are sticking to your cal/macro goals then that is all that matters not when you consume them.

I know. I do not keep track of my calories. I just aim to eat healthfully, and I find it easier to do so by not eating at night.

umm...you know that is what MFP is for right? Seems odd to be on this site if you're not using it?

melvac

I eat every 2 to 3 hours . At night I drink Zeal protein drink with water. I has the nutrients to keep my metabolism up especially since I am going all night with no nourishment. I don't eat anything with hi fat or carbs at night. This has worked for me since august 1 and I hve lost 60#'s in that time frame...

Shoechick5

I usually don't eat after dinner which is around 6 - 6:30

Crystal_Pistol

I never stop eating unless I'm not hungry. I am known to wake up in the middle of the night and if I feel hungry, drink water and if the hunger remains, eat something.

chrisdavey

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

groovygirlnextdoor

I find I sleep much better if dinner (around 6) is my cut off time. If I am desperate, which I don't allow myself more than a couple times a week, I will have a string cheese or a weight watchers 100 calorie snack. I lost 10 pounds changing nothing else but this last fall. It takes a couple of months for your body to really believe that you're serious. And I had trouble sleeping at first. But it is a really fundamental life change that, after you get used to it, will help you on your way to long term health. Best wishes for success!

RunLiftEat

There is no benefit from not eating after a certain time. Eating right before you go to sleep is no different than not eating after a certain time. The only way it would affect your loss is if you eat over your limit.

Rayman79

I find I sleep much better if dinner (around 6) is my cut off time. If I am desperate, which I don't allow myself more than a couple times a week, I will have a string cheese or a weight watchers 100 calorie snack. I lost 10 pounds changing nothing else but this last fall. It takes a couple of months for your body to really believe that you're serious. And I had trouble sleeping at first. But it is a really fundamental life change that, after you get used to it, will help you on your way to long term health. Best wishes for success!

Why do you think you are on the way to long term success? Is it the antiquated belief of not eating at night time, the trouble you have sleeping or the constant feelings of self deprivation that make you see this as a long-term winning plan?

Thunderrose1

I have to stop eating at 7pm. Any later and I tend to eat a whole other meal. But when I am so hungry my stomach hurts is sit down with a bag of ice cold celery ( I happen to like it) and stuff my face with it till I don't want to eat any more. I don't eat celery any other time so it works for me. I am not tired of it. There are probably other safe foods you can eat a lot of in a sitting.

Thunderrose1

I find I sleep much better if dinner (around 6) is my cut off time. If I am desperate, which I don't allow myself more than a couple times a week, I will have a string cheese or a weight watchers 100 calorie snack. I lost 10 pounds changing nothing else but this last fall. It takes a couple of months for your body to really believe that you're serious. And I had trouble sleeping at first. But it is a really fundamental life change that, after you get used to it, will help you on your way to long term health. Best wishes for success!

Why do you think you are on the way to long term success? Is it the antiquated belief of not eating at night time, the trouble you have sleeping or the constant feelings of self deprivation that make you see this as a long-term winning plan?

Rayman79, I know eating late doesn't make you fat. If your metabolism is running good and you have good muscle mass you can eat anything anytime. I know for me it is a matter of numbers. Calories in = Calories burned. If you take in more than you burn then you store it as fat. So for some of us using a cut off time helps us till we can get up to speed physiologically. Also some of us (me) have limitations that keep us from reaching that faster metabolic rate so we have to be responsible with our intake to stay healthy. We live in an over indulgent society and we are all learning to be healthier.

Thunderrose1

I eat every 2 to 3 hours . At night I drink Zeal protein drink with water. I has the nutrients to keep my metabolism up especially since I am going all night with no nourishment. I don't eat anything with hi fat or carbs at night. This has worked for me since august 1 and I hve lost 60#'s in that time frame...

I fight acid reflux. Do you have any problems with that when you have you protein drink at night?

monicalynne68

Don't go by the clock. Go by your calories. I work nights. As a result, I'm used to being up all night. So even on my days off, I'm typically up until 2 or 3 in the morning. If I quit eating at 6pm, I'd be starving by the time I finally went to sleep. Go by how many calories you have left under your goal and try to choose healthy snacks at night so you have nothing to feel guilty about. If you just have to have that sweet treat, try hershey minatures. They satisfy your sweet craving and they are only 40 cal a piece. If salty chips are your thing, buy them in those individual snack packs and only have 1

ParisArkw

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

Why does this bother you so much?

HonkyTonks

Meal timing is irrelevant. If you want to eat late at night, eat late at night. Just stick to your calorie target, and save 200 calories for late night snacking.

Thunderrose1

Again, I fight acid reflux so late night eating has a consequence attached to it. As far as using the clock, that is what helps me stay in my calorie count. And even if you are on grave yard shifts you still have a cycle of eating that is similar to daytime workers. It is all a matter of perspective. I choose not to eat after 7 because I know myself and my short comings. I am glad not everyone has to stop at 7. It would be terrible if everyone had G.E.R.D.