Why can't I eat at night?

shaelataylor

no clue...i eat whenever i want and it hasnt hurt my weight loss yet.

niftyafterfifty

It doesn't matter when you eat; it only matters what you eat! The whole not eating after a certain time is a popular diet myth; it has been proven false.

crisanderson27

I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!

You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

Logic.

again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!

The "Logic." statement just wasn't necessary considering it was in response to my "logical" thinking, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I'm sensitive. So be it.

Well, I still hope you have a wonderful night .

:flowerforyou:

ElizabethRoad

I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!

You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

Logic.

again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

Ok... I'm not seeing any smart-*kitten* attacks in this whole thread. Sorry if you took it that way. But you stated your opinion and I told you why I disagree. That's a conversation, not an attack.

AmyP619

I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!

You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

Logic.

again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!

The "Logic." statement just wasn't necessary considering it was in response to my "logical" thinking, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I'm sensitive. So be it.

Well, I still hope you have a wonderful night .

:flowerforyou:

lol right back atcha, thanks.

builtforlife

You can eat at night, just stay under your calories.

tsh0ck

uh ... calories can't tell time.

nkyjennifer

I've spent WAY too much time on these forums today, but I've seen at least 7 people emphatically state that you shouldn't eat x number of hours before you go to bed (x being 2/3 hrs or a cutoff of 7/8pm which I'm assuming translates to 2/3/4 hrs before bed). I will eat a total of 1500 calories today. I'm eating about 650 of those now (it's 9pm where I am), and I'll probably have another 200-300 in my pj's in my bed in a couple of hours. I'll go to "bed" around 11.

This is my daily routine-except I'm eating dinner earlier than usual. I'm not terribly interested in changing my schedule (unless there is a compelling reason to do so)-I'm just curious why I "can't" successfully lose weight eating at night. Since I've seen it posted several times today-I'm hoping someone can chime in and let me know the physiological reasoning behind why eating at night is bad for me.

Based on the weight you've lost, I would think you should just keep doing what you're doing. :flowerforyou:

knk1553

So the nerd in me used the database from my university to do a quick literature search and off hand I couldn't find anything about time of meals and weight gain except for if individuals were binging late at night or have night eating syndrome/ nocturnal eating/drinking syndrome. I do remember reading an article a few weeks ago (can't find it now) that showed recent research that stated that it didn't really matter what time of day you eat, I usually eat my meals late, and always have, just because I've always worked in food, and I can definitely say my weight gain was NOT because of my meal time, but what I was taking in instead. I think for most people they say they stop eating at 6 or 7 so that they don't continue to consume calories. You've lost a ton of weight, so I would say keep doing what you're doing, because its clearly working!

kelseyhere

I think it's a big fat myth- eat whenever you want as long as it is within your limits. If you read up on Intermittent Fasting (a.k.a. IF) you will find most people who eat that way consume the majority of their calories at night, and they aren't any fatter for it. I like to think of my calories in terms of the entire week rather than day-by-day. I might have a 2,500 calorie day, then 1.200 the next, so it all balances out.

Also from personal experience I say this is BS. I used to work for a TV station and never got home until 11 p.m., stuffed my face with until about 1 a.m., then went to bed. I never got fat. I just didn't overeat.

Eating at night and weight gain is correlation, not causation. Most people who eat late at night are overeating, so that's why they get fat, not because the time that they are eating.

EDesq

I've spent WAY too much time on these forums today, but I've seen at least 7 people emphatically state that you shouldn't eat x number of hours before you go to bed (x being 2/3 hrs or a cutoff of 7/8pm which I'm assuming translates to 2/3/4 hrs before bed). I will eat a total of 1500 calories today. I'm eating about 650 of those now (it's 9pm where I am), and I'll probably have another 200-300 in my pj's in my bed in a couple of hours. I'll go to "bed" around 11.

This is my daily routine-except I'm eating dinner earlier than usual. I'm not terribly interested in changing my schedule (unless there is a compelling reason to do so)-I'm just curious why I "can't" successfully lose weight eating at night. Since I've seen it posted several times today-I'm hoping someone can chime in and let me know the physiological reasoning behind why eating at night is bad for me.

Not eating at night because you will gain weight is an old tail. Digestion takes place ALL the time, in fact digestion IS the Aging process...whatever that means to you, maybe eat less -age less? Anyway, eat whenever you can tolerate it. Everyone can't eat at night before laying down because of digestion problems as well as stomach problems. When I was younger, I could eat anytime and hop right in the bed...NOW, the food might come back up in My throat and I HATE laying down on a full stomach. NOT to mention that a full stomach is NOT conducive to sex-making or Love-making. Whatever, Do what You can Tolerate. It's NOT good staying on MFP Forums to much, Tales and Shyt Flies here with all kind of weight and health myths...you may blow your success if you follow forum advice to much. Forums are READ and FOLLOW AT YOUR OWN RISK!

ElizabethRoad

except for if individuals were binging late at night or have night eating syndrome/ nocturnal eating/drinking syndrome.

This can be a problem for some people. And it's not a bad idea to say "no eating after 8pm" for those who tend to do a lot of mindless snacking. But of course that is because eating at night causes them to eat too much.

Mommy2Avaj

Yeay!! This is good news for me. I'm a late nightdress, not going to bed before like 3-5 am if I go to bed at all ( insomnia)

Duck_Puddle

I'm pretty sure it has to do with your activity level during those hours. During the day when you're up and moving around, your body allows you to burn the calories that you're consuming. At night, most people just sit around and then when you go to bed your body is completely still and shut down. That was always my take on it.

Your body does NOT shut down at night, if it did, you wouldn't wake up.

Despite the ensuing mini-melee over this...this was kind of my take on the whole thing. That the assumption was that while sleeping, the body did "nothing". But this would be where the famed BMR comes into play keeping me doing nifty things like breathing and such while I sleep. I've been successful eating when I'm hungry (which happens to be at night) and not eating when I'm not hungry and eating less & exercising. I wasn't really thinking of changing that up anytime soon. But I saw it posted like it was gospel-right up there with 3500 calories/pound kind of gospel-so I was genuinely curious if there was a physiological reason. I know Oprah said it so it must be true...

BeantownSooner

I don't think there really is an issue with eating at night but if you think about what's happening there's probably some valid reasons why many suggest you don't.

When you go to sleep your Heart Rate is very low (check it 1st thing when you wake up in the morning and you'd be shocked at how low it actually is). I'm usually in the mid-50's. Now think about your workouts you attempt to increase your heart rate to a level that allows you to burn more calories. So if you have a full stomach and your heart rate is in the 50's or 60's you'll very likely wake up still somewhat full and/or depending on what you ate some of it could be converted to fat.

My perspective on it is pretty simple. If I'm starving I will eat something little but I attempt to not eat after dinner whenever possible. My belief is that if I go to bed on a completely empty stomach my body will consume calories, i.e. fat, while I'm fast asleep even if it's at 50 BPM so that I can stay alive. I just look at it as an BONUS opportunity to supplement my diet and exercise programs. I also figure my digestive organs do a lot of work during the day so why not give them a little rest at night!

In the end if it's healthy food there probably isn't an issue with eating at night. Now if it's Pizza, McDonald's, etc. you get what you asked for I suppose.

becoming_a_new_me

This is why:

tigersword

I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!

When you're at rest, is when your body actually does the majority of its repair work. Trust me, this isn't a 'low calorie usage' process.

Edit ~ Oh and Tigersword? He's one of the most naturally intelligent people I've ever known. When he says something, you can bet it's been researched...heavily...before he opens his mouth.

Well, most of the time at least. :drinker:

13roots

I go by Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition book. Calories in, calories out, doesn't matter what time of day.

In my opinion, if we craved steamed broccoli and celery sticks at midnight instead of ice cream and a chocolate danish, there wouldn't be this misconception of it being bad to eat at night. Its about *what* you're eating at night, not when you're eating it.

ElizabethRoad

My belief is that if I go to bed on a completely empty stomach my body will consume calories, i.e. fat, while I'm fast asleep even if it's at 50 BPM so that I can stay alive. I just look at it as an BONUS opportunity to supplement my diet and exercise programs.

The thing is, it's not a bonus at all. If you go to bed on an empty stomach then your body will consume fat for fuel. Sure.

What you're missing is that the same thing would happen throughout the day as long as you're eating at a deficit. Your body will use the food you eat and also some of your fat.

If you prefer to stop eating at a certain time, there's nothing wrong with that. Just know that it's about personal preference, and it won't make you lose weight faster.

robot_potato

I only restrict myself from eating while i sleep, due to the choking hazard. I think we've lost enough weight between us to know that calorie's can't tell time. I just try to eat fruit and veg if it's late as i find it harder to restrict how much ice cream/chips/crap i eat later in the day. Damage control.