Eating in the evening?

smspencer

Is it true that it's bad to eat in the evenings?

ElizabethRoad

Nope.

smspencer

But isn't it just sitting there all night turning to fat, as you're not burning anything off?

stuffinmuffin

But isn't it just sitting there all night turning to fat, as you're not burning anything off?

Nope. Your body uses energy just to function, beat your heart, digest, create new cells.....it's not just exercising/movement that burns calories.

ElizabethRoad

No, that's silly. You burn calories all the time - 500 a day for your brain, another 1000 or so for the rest of your organs. And if you don't completely burn everything you ate that night, you will keep burning it the next day. The body never shuts down, never stops burning calories, and it doesn't magically reset at night.

BrianSharpe

But isn't it just sitting there all night turning to fat, as you're not burning anything off?

That's a myth, weight gain or loss isn't dependent on a single day let alone a single meal (unless you are somehow capable of consuming obscene quantities of food). You burn calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - while you're asleep & awake. You burn more per hour during active periods.

As long as you are staying within your caloric / nutritional goals eat whenever you want.

smspencer

OK, thank you very much :-)

llkilgore

Is it true that it's bad to eat in the evenings?

Not unless you have problems with heartburn if you eat too close to bed time.

kadins_momma07

I agree with them! I remember reading about that somewhere lately too. I actually schedule myself to eat before bed. I do my elliptical in the evening/night while I watch tv, so sometimes I'm on there for an hour and am hungry...so I just plan on having a snack before bed almost every night, hasn't stopped me from losing weight

irisheyez718

I eat a cup of ice cream at midnight every night. It doesn't matter what time you eat.

AliciaStaton

I try and eat before 8pm. If I feel hungry later I have some fruit or a packet of weight watchers crisps but all is recorded on mfp

Debbe2

It truly doesn't matter when you eat as long as you keep within your daily calorie goal. Unless... you find that at night you show less self control because you're tired, bored etc. then I recommend staying out of the kitchen and working on those other issues.

jessicae1aine

I have a snack before bed to take my handful of meds with. I've lost 3.4 pounds in a week and a half, and I'm less hungry first thing in the morning - and thus less hungry all day long.

amnski

But isn't it just sitting there all night turning to fat, as you're not burning anything off?

That's a myth, weight gain or loss isn't dependent on a single day let alone a single meal (unless you are somehow capable of consuming obscene quantities of food). You burn calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - while you're asleep & awake. You burn more per hour during active periods.

As long as you are staying within your caloric / nutritional goals eat whenever you want.

YEP! So true...I eat all day long, including a snack before bed...if not I go to bed hungry and wake up even more hungry and cranky. Doesn't matter when you eat, it is what and how much that matters Keep your log accurate (it is the non-logging and misjudging how much you eat that will do you in long before eating after 8pm lol)

medicinemantoo

eating in the evening is fine. the myth of not eating after 6 or at night probably started like this:

lets say you're eating 2400 calories a day to maintain your weight, but you're not really keeping track. you eat health meals but you nibble on this or that and sneak something else, etc... during your day. But by dinner time (or after dinner) you've already consumed your 2400 calories, you just think it's less ('cuz you're not counting). So eating more in the evening is putting you over your 2400 calories and you gain weight. get it?!

your body doesn't care when you eat; just what you eat. if you are really tracking your calories you can eat whenever you want.

myth debunked.

albayin

But isn't it just sitting there all night turning to fat, as you're not burning anything off?

That's a myth, weight gain or loss isn't dependent on a single day let alone a single meal (unless you are somehow capable of consuming obscene quantities of food). You burn calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - while you're asleep & awake. You burn more per hour during active periods.

As long as you are staying within your caloric / nutritional goals eat whenever you want.

YEP! So true...I eat all day long, including a snack before bed...if not I go to bed hungry and wake up even more hungry and cranky. Doesn't matter when you eat, it is what and how much that matters Keep your log accurate (it is the non-logging and misjudging how much you eat that will do you in long before eating after 8pm lol)

I just want to admire how amazing you look! those abs...so jealous

conniehv40

I can't eat at night because I usually have already eaten my calories. I try to stay away from food if it is because I am bored versus hungry.... (doesn't work too well with a weak will power, but ....)

albayin

eating in the evening is fine. the myth of not eating after 6 or at night probably started like this:

lets say you're eating 2400 calories a day to maintain your weight, but you're not really keeping track. you eat health meals but you nibble on this or that and sneak something else, etc... during your day. But by dinner time (or after dinner) you've already consumed your 2400 calories, you just think it's less ('cuz you're not counting). So eating more in the evening is putting you over your 2400 calories and you gain weight. get it?!

your body doesn't care when you eat; just what you eat. if you are really tracking your calories you can eat whenever you want.

myth debunked.

This could be true! I know some people sware by "skipping" dinner making them lose weight. They eat big breakfast and lunch and that's all. Nothing after 3 pm...But I always wonder how many calories they actually consume even without the dinner.

albayin

I can't eat at night because I usually have already eaten my calories. I try to stay away from food if it is because I am bored versus hungry.... (doesn't work too well with a weak will power, but ....)

I try to spead out my calories throughout the day until bed time. but my weakness is at night too. I wonder if I do the reverse, like eating the majority of my calories during the day so I wouldn't feel so hungry at night....Some people claim it works for them.

amnski

I just want to admire how amazing you look! those abs...so jealous

:blushing: :flowerforyou:

smspencer

I'm so confused by this. So many people say not to eat in the evenings. Even the trainers at my gym say don't eat after 8pm. It seems there are two very different opinions on it - wonder which is right?!