What is the truth about eating after 6:00pm?
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Actually, it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. I had an interesting discussion with my fitness crazy, doctor, brother who explained to me that the pancreas secretes one of the hormones that is responsible for the breakdown of fat. It is called HGH or human growth hormone. It is usually at it's peak while we sleep or after exercise, because the pancreas only produces it when our blood sugar is low. The pancreas also produces insulin to move blood sugar into cells. It will not produce HGH when it is producing insulin. I understand that insulin has a half life of about 6 minutes and the pancreas continues to produce it until blood sugar is lowered. My brother has been taught that a meal before bed will significantly reduce the amount of HGH that the body produces and as a result reduce the amount of fat that is broken down (lipolysis). I would be interested in any more information corroborating or disputing this information. Thanks.
I am not disputing the science, however disputing the sleep thing. Does this mean that you can't eat before you take a nap, too? Since this happens when you sleep?0 -
If I could figure a way to eat while I sleep, I would. Look at my diary. I eat most of my food after 6 pm.0
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If it's that late than i would personally eat something lighter. Like maybe high protein, moderate fat, low carbs. Try to avoid carbs since it's the end of the day and you wouldn't be needing the carbs for any strenuous night of sleep. =D GL.0
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My nutritionist that I used to go to told me quite the opposite actually. It actually helps eating something later because it keeps your metabolism going throughout the night, instead of it taking a dive. It keeps it at a steady rate instead of the ups and downs (same reason you should eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones )
I started doing this sort of, by eating smaller 'meals' and adding in more 'snacks' (really just by breaking up what I'd eat for one meal, and eat part of that as a snack like two hours later), and also by adding a snack around 9pm. I think its helped, I rarely have instances during the day where I feel just super hungry and wanna grab anything to stuff in my mouth anymore, which is good, lol. Adding the snack later in the evening (usually a half peanut butter sandwich) seems to help me when I wake up in the morning, I don' feel like I'm starving first thing then either.
As for the original post, eat when you can, if its after 6 then so what? Better than not eating at all til the next day, skipping meals in the long run will likely make things worse for you. Hell half the time I'm on the road or just leaving work at 6, so I'd never get to eat if I followed his rules! Do what works for you and tell him to MYOB
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I'm not a scientist, but here's my experience:
- I am extremely sensitive to my blood sugar levels, so I space out my meals/snacks in order to stay stable. Sometimes this means having a snack before bed (or in the middle of the night, if I wake up starving). Keeping blood sugar levels in balance is important for everyone's weight loss, but some of us feel it directly more than others.
- I try not to eat in the evening (aside from my bedtime snack) because that's when I get the munchies, and once I start I don't stop. I'm guessing that would be a common thing for a lot of us.
- A friend of mine who is a biologist says that it's harder for our bodies to digest food when we're sleeping than when we're awake.
- Our bodies actually *can* tell time... that's what circadian rhythm is. And that's why shift workers have a harder time with weight control and general health.
- Even if the time you eat really does make a difference, I can't imagine that that difference would outweigh all of the other choices we make throughout the day/week... like maintaining a calorie deficit, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, keeping our sugar levels balanced, keeping our metabolism balanced...0 -
Here is my little experiment:
I lost 36 pounds averaging 1/2 pound a week. I made sure to drink a yogurt shot 1st thing in the morning, and had a slice of ww tst with tbls of peanut butter about 1/2 hr before bedtime. Sometimes 2 pcs and 2 tlbs if I worked out extra hard.
I am back to losing weight now, after gaining back 15 pounds. Because of reflux (new thing for me:grumble: ) I am not allowed to eat 3 hrs before bed. That makes it 5-6 as I go to bed early and get up early.
My calories have been spot on 1100-1200 because when I DO eat, I make sure it is clean and heavy protein.
I have lost 1/2 lb a week.
Thus my experimental results are: makes not a bit of difference WHEN I eat, as long as I eat in deficit (sp)0 -
haha Klewlis! I was writing my post at the same time. didnt mean to copy your experiment wording 0
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As a chronic snacker, I eat dates and popsicles and whatever right up until 9-10pm, especially if MFP insists that I have more calories left to get through, and I'm not having any trouble dropping weight. The only thing I try to avoid after 9pm is drinking too much liquid since I don't want to be getting up in the middle of the night. Every body is different, but I'd call it a myth.0
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As mostly everyone stated on this post. It is a myth! All of you who posted on this topic I Thank You for sharing ALL of this advice!
I will read the rest of the replies later and post a comment.
My Internal Medicine Doctor said to eat every 2-3 hours. To eat my first meal 30 minutes after I wake in the morning.
He also advised to not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. My Doctor is also monitoring my weight loss. I eat my first meal 30 minutes after I wake then every 2-3 hrs for the rest of the day. I stop eating 2-3 hours before my bedtime. (within the 24 hr period)
Bump this to save for later!
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Actually, it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. I had an interesting discussion with my fitness crazy, doctor, brother who explained to me that the pancreas secretes one of the hormones that is responsible for the breakdown of fat. It is called HGH or human growth hormone. It is usually at it's peak while we sleep or after exercise, because the pancreas only produces it when our blood sugar is low. The pancreas also produces insulin to move blood sugar into cells. It will not produce HGH when it is producing insulin. I understand that insulin has a half life of about 6 minutes and the pancreas continues to produce it until blood sugar is lowered. My brother has been taught that a meal before bed will significantly reduce the amount of HGH that the body produces and as a result reduce the amount of fat that is broken down (lipolysis). I would be interested in any more information corroborating or disputing this information. Thanks.
This bit of information here, for me, reinforces that you should pay more attention to how many hours before bed you are eating as opposed to what time of the day you are eating. As many others have stated, your body isn't paying attention to what the clock says, so when you get those hunger pains and it is late in the evening I would consider when the last time I ate was, drink some water to make sure you aren't thirsty or just having cravings, and so long as it is in your calories for the day eat something light, like a lean protein and/or something leafy and green. Try to give yourself a bit of time before heading to bed, though, to digest and junk.
On a side note, I am sure your husband means well, and I am wondering if maybe his rule of not eating after 6pm is based on the assumed schedule of a high school athlete (from what hasn't been blocked out about high school, I have vague memories about it starting early in the day....)0 -
If he gives you trouble just tell him you're eating on Hawaiian time.
)
this! 0 -
Keep this in mind/ calories don't know what time it is0
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Most days I will eat as late as 11pm, it doesn't seem to have affected my loss. I wake up not feeling hungry so breakfast is usually after 10am..if I don't eat late in the evening then I end up coming up short on calories and that DOES affect my loss.0
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On a side note, I am sure your husband means well, and I am wondering if maybe his rule of not eating after 6pm is based on the assumed schedule of a high school athlete (from what hasn't been blocked out about high school, I have vague memories about it starting early in the day....)
That is an excellent point.
I don't even finish work until well past 6pm (and I workout after I finish work). What--I don't eat at all?
Ya know, there might be a lot of studies that show that you shouldn't eat after a certain time for maximum fitness. The same about working out in the morning. I guess my dreams of going to Olympics will never materialize. Oh well.0 -
My advice:
Eat breakfast like a king
Eat lunch like a prince
Eat dinner like a pauper
Make sure to add a couple snacks in to balance it all out0 -
Definitely not true. The calories you put into your body go into what you could think of as a "calorie bank." Your body uses what you need for energy out of the bank, and anything left over in the bank will start getting stored as fat. But your metabolism doesn't just shut down at a certain time of day.
Now, I do try to cut out (or at least cut down) my carbs in the evening, but that has nothing to do with calories. Carbs cause an insulin spike in your system, and as long as your body has that easy access sugar to burn off, it will not turn to the fat stores for energy. Since I'm less active at night, I assume the sugar I put into my system will just hang out there for a longer period of time.
Hope that helps.
I got told this a Thai Boxing Coach too...0 -
Actually, it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. I had an interesting discussion with my fitness crazy, doctor, brother who explained to me that the pancreas secretes one of the hormones that is responsible for the breakdown of fat. It is called HGH or human growth hormone. It is usually at it's peak while we sleep or after exercise, because the pancreas only produces it when our blood sugar is low. The pancreas also produces insulin to move blood sugar into cells. It will not produce HGH when it is producing insulin. I understand that insulin has a half life of about 6 minutes and the pancreas continues to produce it until blood sugar is lowered. My brother has been taught that a meal before bed will significantly reduce the amount of HGH that the body produces and as a result reduce the amount of fat that is broken down (lipolysis). I would be interested in any more information corroborating or disputing this information. Thanks.
Well that's pretty accurate. That's about grade 12 bio/ 1st year uni. I learned about it in my grade 12 bio. I hadn't heard about that last point though. All I knew about was HGH is released when blood sugar is low and insulin when it is high. Both are part of the cycle and stop when the blood sugar level is normal. Maybe I'm just mixing up my hormones though, but I thought that even before you eat a meal, your body knows and starts producing insulin before you even eat to prepare for the sugars.
I honestly could be mixing up my hormones altogether, so I can't remember the class very well xD0 -
So, is he planning to cook the dinner then, if he doesn't want you eating past 6pm??
I refuse to believe that every single person's body works on a clock that switches on the "store everything as fat" mode on the dot of 6pm. Does he mean 6pm Eastern daylight saving time? or central time? or mid-Mongolian time? What about when I travel and cross three time zones - do i stop eating at 3pm then?
Tell him to stop making life difficult and go do something useful like vacuum the house. That always gets my husband off my back!0 -
It's not true. Your body doesn't just say "oh snap, it's after 6pm..gotta start turning this food directly into fat"!. Doesn't work that way...
Love this!0 -
Actually, it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. I had an interesting discussion with my fitness crazy, doctor, brother who explained to me that the pancreas secretes one of the hormones that is responsible for the breakdown of fat. It is called HGH or human growth hormone. It is usually at it's peak while we sleep or after exercise, because the pancreas only produces it when our blood sugar is low. The pancreas also produces insulin to move blood sugar into cells. It will not produce HGH when it is producing insulin. I understand that insulin has a half life of about 6 minutes and the pancreas continues to produce it until blood sugar is lowered. My brother has been taught that a meal before bed will significantly reduce the amount of HGH that the body produces and as a result reduce the amount of fat that is broken down (lipolysis). I would be interested in any more information corroborating or disputing this information. Thanks.
Well in 12th grade your hormones are still pretty mixed up.
Well that's pretty accurate. That's about grade 12 bio/ 1st year uni. I learned about it in my grade 12 bio. I hadn't heard about that last point though. All I knew about was HGH is released when blood sugar is low and insulin when it is high. Both are part of the cycle and stop when the blood sugar level is normal. Maybe I'm just mixing up my hormones though, but I thought that even before you eat a meal, your body knows and starts producing insulin before you even eat to prepare for the sugars.
I honestly could be mixing up my hormones altogether, so I can't remember the class very well xD0
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