If you stop eating after 6pm, will you lose more weigh

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  • spinitoff
    spinitoff Posts: 33
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    I usually eat about ~3-400 calories during the day until dinner at between 6-7 when I have about 1200 calories, and if I exercised that day I often continue to snack from 7-11PM for another however many calories (500-1000). Works for me...

    I tried doing it the other way that I heard was better: huge breakfast, medium lunch, tiny dinner, "shut it down" after 6pm.

    I HATED IT.

    I couldn't get to sleep being so hungry. It made me crabby, and often once I did get to sleep, I would wake up with serious food cravings, so I was also not sleeping great. For me, I need to go to sleep feeling very satiated, and taking in the vast majority of my calories later in the day is how I do it. I just find it much less mentally stressful.

    tl;dr -- Myth? I dunno. But it's a myth that other strategies aren't effective! I do the opposite, works great for me!
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    This is good information. I though it was a metabolism type issue. If you eat and go right to sleep your body never has a chance to burn off the calories and it is scored as fat?

    There are always exceptions. Maybe there is someone out there unaccounted for by the studies who gains weight eating late at night. But the current information suggests not for the majority of people and that's the best we have. This is why it's helpful to keep records of one's own experiences.
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
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    I read somewhere that your motabalism drops by 40% after 12 hours of not eating. So, if you don't eat from 6:00 pm until 6:00 am , your body has been fasting for 12 hours.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    If you stop eating after 6pm, will you lose more weigh is this a myth or not, what are your thoughts?
    This is an ongoing myth. The issue with eating after 6pm-7pm is that the ones doing it have already met their calorie goal for the day and habitually like to eat at night. I'm a habitually late night eater so I skip breakfast so I can eat at night.
    The body doesn't know what time of day it is when you eat, so timing doesn't matter. As long as your calorie are in check, you can pretty much eat anytime you want.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
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    Its true. As the solar tidal forces diminish, the rate of digestion increases because the food begins to more quickly pass through the intestines. The only way to slow this process is by sleeping upside down (have you ever seen a fat bat?) or by not eating after six.

    In fact, its best to stop eating by noon.
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
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    It's a myth.

    Nah, I don't agree. Yes, in a sense, you could say it's a myth, but what you are doing is allowing the food to digest properly. You tend to be more sedentary (most people) in the evening and your system shuts down at night when you sleep - so how would you digest those late night snacks?? The sooner you stop eating the easier it is for the body to digest. Remember (some of you) being told to wait half an hour before swimming? Similar principle.
    Nothing about this is true.
    Your body doesn't change the way it digests food based on the time of day.
    Even the 'wait an hour before swimming' has been proven false.
    http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hourwait.asp
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Nah, I don't agree. Yes, in a sense, you could say it's a myth, but what you are doing is allowing the food to digest properly. You tend to be more sedentary (most people) in the evening and your system shuts down at night when you sleep - so how would you digest those late night snacks?? The sooner you stop eating the easier it is for the body to digest. Remember (some of you) being told to wait half an hour before swimming? Similar principle.
    Your system NEVER shuts down. If that were true you would stop breathing......... and the reason people were told not to swim after eating was so they wouldn't get cramps. Old myths don't die.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
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    This may be a myth (which I don't disput), however, I do try not to eat within 2-3 hours before bed. Why? Because it works better for me. When I don't eat 2-3 hours before bed I wake feeling lighter and fresher and ready to go. When I eat closer to bedtime, even if it's just a tiny bit, I feel bloated, tired, groggy and slow in the morning and have a hard time getting motivated for anything much less my workout. There are other reasons also, but I don't have any sources handy to help me explain what I'm talking about. I've read a lot of information on both sides of this debate, and I have no idea which is most accurate scientifically. I have no interest in debating the subject - I'm just throwing out there a different perspective because it works for me. I feel much better and seem to lose and maintain weight better when I eat the bulk of my calories earlier in the day and avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed.

    If you are curious, I'd suggest trying it both ways for a while to see which works better for you. If it works and you like it, then do it. If not, then don't. Good luck!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
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    I read somewhere that your motabalism drops by 40% after 12 hours of not eating. So, if you don't eat from 6:00 pm until 6:00 am , your body has been fasting for 12 hours.

    I don't know where you read that, but it couldn't be more wrong. It takes at least 36 and in some studies as much as 72 hours for metabolism to slow because of not eating. In fact, in the first 24 or so hours, metabolism actually increases to make a person more capable of seeking out and finding food. After 72 hours without food that would be counter-productive for survival so then the body starts to slow down metabolism.
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
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    It works for me--but I have a hard time not eating at night--my worst time! When I can control my night time eating it really shows on the scale.

    I agree that it can work as a device for those who tend to overeat in the evening. I hate running out of calories to eat before 9 pm. I feel deprived if I don't have the option to have some strawberries or something. If I know I can't have another bite I'll most likely rebel and do it anyway.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    I don't eat based on time. I never go to bed at the same time every night. I just stick to the rule, "no food 2 hours before sleeping". I couldn't do this anyways, I get off work at 6, so I usually eat supper about 7-8.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    One of the biggest problems I read about is night time snacking. I think not eating after 6pm will eventually turn into an outright pig Fest at 9pm one day. Bad idea, IMO. And, I don't think it does anything at all for weight loss. You need energy when you wake up in the morning. That's quite a fast everyday.
  • spearfox
    spearfox Posts: 276 Member
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    Its true. As the solar tidal forces diminish, the rate of digestion increases because the food begins to more quickly pass through the intestines. The only way to slow this process is by sleeping upside down (have you ever seen a fat bat?) or by not eating after six.

    In fact, its best to stop eating by noon.

    ^
    Like this.:laugh:
  • kokaneesailor
    kokaneesailor Posts: 337 Member
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    I think it depends on what time zone you live in. Pretty sure it's true cause the food that you eat prior to 6pm get's locked down at 6pm so that it doesn't produce any fat and get's burnt up in your bodies little furnace room. However anything after 6 pm simply roams around your body adding fat as it travels through your entire system. But then it comes to a abrupt stop at 8 am because your little furnace room opens at that time so you can start burning food again. Hopefully this will clarify the issue.
    All this information was obtained from my 6 year old grand daughter. :smile:
  • mmitchell46
    mmitchell46 Posts: 2
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    I hope it's a myth because I don,t get home from work until 6:30 by the time i eat it's usually 7-7:30
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 888 Member
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    If it is within your calories and macros, it does not matter. 4 nights a week I teach my class at 9:00pm, so I have my protein shake at 10:30 pm. I go ahead and log it in earlier so it is in my diary and I don't go over my calories and macros.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    It's a myth.

    Nah, I don't agree. Yes, in a sense, you could say it's a myth, but what you are doing is allowing the food to digest properly. You tend to be more sedentary (most people) in the evening and your system shuts down at night when you sleep - so how would you digest those late night snacks?? The sooner you stop eating the easier it is for the body to digest. Remember (some of you) being told to wait half an hour before swimming? Similar principle.

    I eat pretty late every day and judging by my morning b-room trips I digest stuff just fine :D
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I would lose more weight, because I wouldn't get to eat dinner. Wouldn't recommend it.
  • ukloveme
    ukloveme Posts: 125
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    Some interesting thoughts, so if times doesnt matter, why do people say breakfast is important meal of day?
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Its true. As the solar tidal forces diminish, the rate of digestion increases because the food begins to more quickly pass through the intestines. The only way to slow this process is by sleeping upside down (have you ever seen a fat bat?) or by not eating after six.

    In fact, its best to stop eating by noon.

    :laugh:

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