Eating after 7PM

kristy8403

I'm way under my calorie goal and I want a snack. Is it ok to eat after 7PM? Does the time of day really matter? I mean I'm not going to eat a meal - just something to control my hunger.

dg09

As long as you're in a deficit at the end of the day, it doesn't matter when you eat.

IveLanded

You'll get different opinions on this here. I think that it's different for everyone. I think it's more important to spread your calories through your day. If you have then a small snack at night might not affect you.

I found that when I was eating lots of calories late at night, I wasn't losing. I don't have more than 200 after 7 and that works for me.

ZugTheMegasaurus

Time of day does not matter in the slightest. I usually consume the majority of my calories around 8PM. The reason that bit of popular wisdom is floating around is that many people will snack mindlessly at night after they've already eaten sufficient calories for the day. As long as you're not eating more total, it's fine.

AFitJamie

It seems that the "research" is generally agreed that time of day that you eat doesn't particularly matter. I do believe some people's behaviour patterns may alter if they eat later, (some may not do a workout if they just ate, etc etc etc...) which in turn may change the day..., but if you count the calories and maintain your deficit, it really shouldn't matter.

xilef76

try eating protein if you're hungry. I eat hard boiled egg whites. They are fairly low in calories and have a lot of protein. Protein curbs your hunger. I find that drinking water curbs my hunger too.

nnylee

Eating at certain times of the day is a myth. If you have the calories, eat away.

sandrinamsilva

I eat 1 to 2 small meals sometimes after 7. When I work out after work I come home famished at about 645pm. I will have my protein shake then a little while later have a small meal to get me through the night.

AFitJamie

I read a great post related to this from Sidesteel with a lot of references if you like that sort of thing. (Yes it was mostly meal frequency, but it does apply) It is Here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529002-a-compliation-on-meal-frequency

(edited to update reference and add bracketed info)

magerum

Eat whenever you want. I eat almost 2000 calories between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm, hasn't hampered me at all.

-M

This is like the 5th topic I've seen regarding this today!