night time: when to stop eating?

Mkristinek

I usually eat whatever I need to make up my macro/calorie gaps. I stop eating at 9pm, but only because I do 16/8 intermittent fasting (Lean Gains), so I don't eat again until 1pm the following day. I normally go to bed around 9:30pm. Usually a cup of fat-free greek yogurt, a scoop of whey protein isolate, some chopped up fruit, some slivered almonds, Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal, and enough unsweetened vanilla almond milk to blend the protein shake and everything together.

What is the benefit of this type of fasting? Very curious...

cjpg

I don't have a cut off time. I eat when I'm hungry and do not eat when I am not hungry.

I generally am not hungry past 11pm, but if I'm genuinely hungry after 11pm and have some calories left to be consumed, I have a yoghurt or a tea with 2-3 biscuits. This is not set in stone, I just listen to my body and give it what it needs, not what it wants.

1COOLPHATMOMMA

Correct me if I am wrong or misinformed.......I was always taught that anything eaten after 8pm turns to fat. What is the truth here???? Good question.

glassyo

I eat right up until I go to sleep (I literally take my last bite and go to bed) and I've lost fine.

And just as an aside, I eat most of my calories at that time too.

monty_williams

Correct me if I am wrong or misinformed.......I was always taught that anything eaten after 8pm turns to fat. What is the truth here???? Good question.

Just misinformed.

Sidesteal

Eat anything that fits into your remaining calorie and macronutrient goals for the day. Preferrably something that you enjoy and that won't cause you sleep issues.

As far as when? It makes zero difference to your body composition as long as you're remaining in a deficit.

What matters is the balance between fat oxidation and fat storage and if you're in a deficit over the course of time you'll net fat loss, regardless of WHEN you eat.

Contrarian

I eat in bed.

HMonsterX

Eat anything that fits into your remaining calorie and macronutrient goals for the day. Preferrably something that you enjoy and that won't cause you sleep issues.

As far as when? It makes zero difference to your body composition as long as you're remaining in a deficit.

What matters is the balance between fat oxidation and fat storage and if you're in a deficit over the course of time you'll net fat loss, regardless of WHEN you eat.

Cheers.

QFT.

gp79

It comes down to what works for you. If eating late at night allows you to meet yout nutritional goals than do that.

rjmwx81

Correct me if I am wrong or misinformed.......I was always taught that anything eaten after 8pm turns to fat. What is the truth here???? Good question.

You were misinformed. Think about it logically for a minute. What happens if you work nights and 8PM is your lunch time? What if you're eating on a plane and you cross a time zone?

Your body is constantly using energy, even when you sleep. Meal timing doesn't matter a bit.

raevynn

Yes. Stop eating before you go to bed. Don't eat again until you get out of bed.

Yeah, cuz the crumbs are uncomfortable to sleep on.

That, and if you are still eating when you fall asleep, you may choke.

raevynn

I eat in bed.

Tacos?

monty_williams

Yeah, it's also a good idea to avoid sleep walking and eating while you're asleep too, unless of course you can also manage to log it into MFP and it fits into your daily calories/macros.

davecreed

what to eat at night time other then fruit?

when to stop eating before bed?

fat free milk...and dairy...whey powder. I like skim milk or 1% late at night cause its a slower releasing protein than whey and its low on the glycemic index as well. There is no definitive proof in regards to reducing calories later in the day...but i think for some its a good idea...you'll just have to try some different ways for like 2 weeks and see what you look like/weigh after each week or 2 and decide weather carbs are good for you closer to bed time or not.

sheystar

i read somewhere it should be 3 hrs before you sleep. so for me i eat dinner before 9 because i go to bed around 12.

Athijade

There is no real reason you have to stop eating at a specific time before sleep when it comes to weight loss.

That said, some people have to be careful due to other reasons. For myself, I try not to eat within an hour and a half to two hours before bed. This is because I have, in the past, had issues with heartburn. So, I do what I can to prevent it from happening. If I do have to eat closer to bed time, I find I have better luck with dairy based products.

kellasaurusrawrrex

Depends on when I sleep...

MissFit0101

If it does not affect your sleep there is no reason to stop at any specific time. I will eat right up to bedtime and on rare occasion, in bed. :bigsmile:

JDMPWR

Time had nothing to do with it, if you are worried about gaining wait. It's all about maintaining a deficit. You can eat at 2am and wake up at 4am and see a weight gain on the scale and that's only cause your body has not burned it off yet BUT that does not mean you have gained weight.

Justjoshin

When I run out of calories!