'Nother Newbie Question About When (How Often) To Eat

Skinnytime

I've read so much about eating every few hours to keep the metabolism in gear and blood sugar levels stable. Many of you here have done a lot of research ... how accurate is it?

I am a big night time eater. I will eat during the day, just not huge calories or meals. Small protein carb, nutrient dense food. However, at night, I like a really good, high calorie meal.

As long as I'm not going over my calories for the day, do you think my eating a big meal, like 800 calories of 1,440, is going to hinder weight loss, or am I okay?

I know I just have to experiment and see, but if anyone has experience with eating the bulk of your calories at one meal I'd appreciate any feedback you can share.

Skinnytime

I've read so much about eating every few hours to keep the metabolism in gear and blood sugar levels stable. Many of you here have done a lot of research ... how accurate is it?

I am a big night time eater. I will eat during the day, just not huge calories or meals. Small protein carb, nutrient dense food. However, at night, I like a really good, high calorie meal.

As long as I'm not going over my calories for the day, do you think my eating a big meal, like 800 calories of 1,440, is going to hinder weight loss, or am I okay?

I know I just have to experiment and see, but if anyone has experience with eating the bulk of your calories at one meal I'd appreciate any feedback you can share.

xbonbonx

I'm definitely not an expert, but you should be okay especially at first.

I save most of my calories for night too, cuz I am a night owl. I usually eat a little every 2 hours to keep myself full. I couldn't stand to wait any longer at first. hopefully I can eventually work up to only eating every 3 or 4 hours.

I really think you won't be hindering your weight loss. you might need to lower that meal a little as time goes on, but for the beginning it should be fine.

ivykivy

I also am a night owl. I eat big for dinner. I don't now if it is half my cals though. Most of my calories are protein at night. But in my experience it doesn't hamper my weight loss. But everybody is different.

destiny_206

My trainer said to stay away from carbs at night. I only saw him 2 ties to help with the nutrition side and do measurements and body fat %. Anyways he said to do carbs earlier in the day so your body uses them instead of storing them and to do many little meals, when i was losing weight the best it was when I was sticking to this and doing lots of little like 200-300 calories meals.

lessertess

If you talk to most body builders, nutritionist and PT's they will tell you to eat small meals throughout the day: normally about 3 hours apart. This keeps your body furnace working and helps boost your metabolism. At work last year we engaged a company that offers weight loss/healthy lifestyle programs and they adviced the same thing. This is assuming that those mini meals are healthy and not packed with sugar or refined carbs as that would defeat the purpose of stabalizing your blood sugar.

I can tell you that it works for me.

However, I'm a big proponent of doing what works for you. Although this might be an optimal plan, it's not the only one. In the long run, weight loss is all about creating a calorie deficit. If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight.

Try it, see if it works for you but don't feel like you have to adopt something that doesn't fit with your lifestyle.

Thamber

I have done research and it does not seem to matter when you eat. The only information I found ( and I cannot find it now ) was something about if you only eat one huge meal a day I think it can increase your hunger hormone or something. Someone who knows more can chime in please Dont quote me on that since I cant find the research now lol.

Having said that I eat small breakfast, snacks and lunch and eat my heaviest meal at night and I am losing weight fine. I also ate like this for yrs and yrs before when I was maintaining and I was thinner. I think you have to do what works for you. I do change it up sometimes just to keep my body guessing, but that seems to be the natural eating habit for me.

Thamber

BTW I agree with lessertess find something that works for you. I have tried many things including breakfast like a king etc...ect... and it did not work at all for me. I gave it a few months too so it wasnt like a one day thing. I was sick and sluggish in the morning I wanted a nap by lunch and I was starving by dinner lol..

Just like sleep patterns ( some of us are night owls ) I believe we all have our own eating patterns and I am not going to spend my life fighing myself. I believe in knowing thyself and working with that so that I am not in a constant battle.