Eating in the evening?

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  • amnski
    amnski Posts: 251 Member
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    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?!

    Whatever works for you...I eat and do just fine and don't wake up ravenous. For some people, it interrupts their sleep...each to their own :)
  • smspencer
    smspencer Posts: 14
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    Sorry, I meant in terms of weight loss. So many people say that if you're dieting you shouldn't eat in the evenings. The guys at my gym say you shouldn't eat after 8pm or 6pm - I can't remember which - especially not carbs. They say that to lose weight you shouldn't eat after that time.

    I seem to be naturally more hungry in the evenings than during the day, so I usually have between 300 and 500 calories left which I eat in the evenings. My weight loss is slow - practically non-existent - so I wonder if that is why?? But if I try eating all my calories during the day I feel ravenous in the evening :-/
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    Is it true that it's bad to eat in the evenings?
    Not at all. It makes absolutely no difference what time you eat. Even when it comes to weightloss. As long as your within your calorie goal, eat whatever time you feel like it.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Sorry, I meant in terms of weight loss. So many people say that if you're dieting you shouldn't eat in the evenings. The guys at my gym say you shouldn't eat after 8pm or 6pm - I can't remember which - especially not carbs. They say that to lose weight you shouldn't eat after that time.

    I seem to be naturally more hungry in the evenings than during the day, so I usually have between 300 and 500 calories left which I eat in the evenings. My weight loss is slow - practically non-existent - so I wonder if that is why?? But if I try eating all my calories during the day I feel ravenous in the evening :-/

    I doubt that eating in the evening has anything to do with your slow weight loss. I eat late in the evening nearly every day, often right before I go to bed - carbs and everything. It hasn't affected my weight loss. Are the guys at your gym nutritionists? Or are they just repeating things that they've heard from other "guys at the gym"? Even trainers are capable of giving out incorrect advice about nutrition. Perhaps ask them if they can point you to any peer-reviewed scientific studies that show that eating after a certain time will slow down weight-loss.
  • smspencer
    smspencer Posts: 14
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    Yep - nutritionists. If you eat and then sleep you're not burning it off apparently, so it is sitting there turning to fat.

    I am having so much trouble losing weight. I'm on 1600 calories and working out 4 or 5 times a week - not losing weight or inches - very demoralising.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
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    This isn't about opinions it is about science and the science shows that meal frequency and timing is irrelevant. The root of this belief is the fact that studies have found a correlation between people not eating breakfast and/eating late and being overweight. But correlation doesn't mean causation. Obviously if you have already eaten all your calories and then binge on extra cals it won't work. However if you are holding a spare 300 cals after dinner for exactly the purpose of snacking you are all good.

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