How bad is it to eat afyer 6-7pm?

linnyrhea

I eat a healthy dinner around 5-5:30 but as soon as I get my oldest kid to bed at 9 im dying for a snack, how bad is it to eat that late?

ElizabethRoad

It's not bad at all. Eat whenever you want.

CMmrsfloyd

There's nothing wrong with eating late as long as:
1- You have calories left in your daily goal to spare and
2- It doesn't interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep

If it makes it hard for you to sleep comfortably, don't do it. If you're out of calories for the day, don't do it or choose something light.

I always snack at night. When the sun goes down I get hungry. I go ahead and plan it into my calorie plans for the day and it has not hurt my weightloss one bit. :-)

infamousmk

As long as you don't go over your calories there is no reason to not have a snack. If you are going to over your calories, you may want to think about what you're eating at dinner to make sure you're getting all of your food groups/macros/etc.

linnyrhea

Sorry about the typo in the title

Thanks for the input, I always have about 300-400 calories left after dinner, if not more and I usually make a healthy choice for a snack at night, I was just under the impression it was bad to eat later at night (must have read that somewhere)

I feel better now

I usually grab an apple or banana, greek yogurt or low fat popcorn after my kids are asleep Now I know I can eat it and not feel guilty.

ElizabethRoad

A lot of people think you shouldn't eat after a certain time at night, so I'm not surprised you've heard it somewhere. It's not true, luckily!

SwannySez

Aside from increasing the potential for spontaneous human combustion, everybody who's already posted is right.

CMmrsfloyd

The whole 'don't snack after dinner' thing works well for people who don't know anything about calories, it stops them from eating 'extra calories' mindlessly while watching TV. But if you're aware of your calorie needs and know that you have extra in your budget in the evening, the snacking isn't hurting you like it might a dieter who is unaware of their body's caloric needs for weightloss. :-)

bikinibeliever

I eat after 6 or 7.....been working fine for me....21 pounds since Feb. 1st.

adamb83

I was wondering about this too.... but even later. I almost always wake up in the middle of the night (2am-ish) with a huge desire to get a snack. Previously, this would be my binge eating time, so maybe it's left over from those days, or maybe I just get hungry at that time. I sometimes grab a granola bar or something small, but I worry about eating so late like that (and then going back to bed). Still, I'm of a similar mind as these responders.... if I had left over calories in the day, then why not?

onequirkygirl

I sure hope it's okay. Some days I work til 9 or 11pm and don't eat until I get home......sometimes I eat 600 calories at midnight. Hasn't affected my weight loss. I used to be overweight even when I'd stop eating after 6pm, ha!

ashnm88

I eat when I'm hungry. So if its late, then its late.

Bentley2718

I was wondering about this too.... but even later. I almost always wake up in the middle of the night (2am-ish) with a huge desire to get a snack. Previously, this would be my binge eating time, so maybe it's left over from those days, or maybe I just get hungry at that time. I sometimes grab a granola bar or something small, but I worry about eating so late like that (and then going back to bed). Still, I'm of a similar mind as these responders.... if I had left over calories in the day, then why not?

It might be that you are waking up hungry because you didn't eat enough during the day. If I go to bed with too many calories left over, I will wake up in the middle of the night hungry and not be able to sleep until I eat. If it doesn't bother you to wake up, then I guess it's not a problem. I usually try to eat enough so I don't have this problem.

lynheff

As an RN who used to work night shift I can tell you it doesn't matter when you eat. Your body will process those calories the same way it does the others. If you know you want a bedtime snack, just plan for it with your calorie allotment. Good luck!

AtticusFinch

I often eat after 7pm, no big deal - just give your digestion a couple of hours to cope with it before bed.

On NO account however eat after midnight !

soaps54

I do it all the time since dinner for me can be anywhere from 7-9pm and it's been fine. Go for it.

darkmouzy

For me I usualy stop eating between 8-10 depends on how much I have to study and calories left that night but never after 10 because If i have a full stomach or even a snack before directly sleeping I will not sleep lol

Everyone's different

Paulbp4

I was wondering about this too.... but even later. I almost always wake up in the middle of the night (2am-ish) with a huge desire to get a snack. Previously, this would be my binge eating time, so maybe it's left over from those days, or maybe I just get hungry at that time. I sometimes grab a granola bar or something small, but I worry about eating so late like that (and then going back to bed). Still, I'm of a similar mind as these responders.... if I had left over calories in the day, then why not?

Trying a good protein source before going to bed will make you more likely to feel full and not wake up. I used to wake up in the middle of the night before I started eating cottage cheese right before bed.

annareeves0

One thing Im learning is to manage my own weird little bad habits. It turns out that I can eat really healthily all day but I want to eat non stop all evening. Rather than try to fight that (and fail like I have on every other diet so far0 Im learning to work with it. I eat great, really low calroie meals all day and save a lot of calories for the evening. That way if i wanna jam sandwich at midnight, its fine i cna have it! Some days I am eating as many as 1000 calories on snacks but as I am still within my limits (most days!!!!) Im not going to worry about it. I dont think when matters so much as how much in total.

Paulbp4

I often eat after 7pm, no big deal - just give your digestion a couple of hours to cope with it before bed.

On NO account however eat after midnight !

Why not eat after midnight? Hell if its after midnight it goes on to the NEXT days calories!!

Bikini_Bound150

Some evidence shows that eating a healthy snack before bed is healthy because it will keep your metabolism running strong over night. I don't see ANYTHING wrong with an evening snack We don't even eat dinner till about 7 anyway since we get off work at 5 and hit the gym till 7!