Is this myth about eating late at night true....

WinnerVictorious

Do not eat starchy or sugary carbs. Only lean sources of protein and veggies should be eaten late in the day if fat burning is the goal.

why? what's the science behind this??

If you're awake, you should be eating every 3 hrs

again why? what's the science behind this??

not trying to be argumentative, but i see stuff like this written all the time as if it's fact, but without any sort of supporting evidence that is not anecdotal.

balancedbrunette

Thank you everyone for you helpful replies, nice to get some advice from people in the same boat and other's tendancies. I am finding it hard because I want to lose around 8lb and because it's so small i'm trying to make little changes for it to come off and thought maybe the eating at night was stopping this but it doesn't seem right. I guess more exercise and more protein is the way forward.

To go into a bit of detail about this idea:


Change in fat stores is the difference between acute fat storage and acute fat oxidation. You're essentially going through periods of fat storage and fat oxidation and the difference between the two determines how much fat you gain or lose. If fat oxidation exceeds fat storage, you lose fat. If fat storage exceeds fat oxidation, you gain fat. Looking at this net difference over the course of several weeks or months is what matters. Looking at what happens overnight, or during a few hours, is very misleading and often results in people making decisions for themselves or their clients that simply isn't necessary.


As it pertains to eating during the day or night, looking at the endpoints for purposes example:


Suppose you eat all your calories during the day and lets further suppose that most of your intake is in the AM and none of it at night. In this example, you are blunting fat oxidation during the day and increasing fat storage during the day. You eat nothing before bed so fat storage goes down and fat oxidation goes up.


Suppose you eat all of your calories at night: Fat storage goes up while you sleep because you've got a gut full of food. Fat oxidation drops. However, during the day (prior to you eating all your food at night) fat oxidation goes up (you're fasted) and fat storage goes down.


The differences in fat loss or fat storage between these two scenarios will be dictated by energy balance (calories in vs calories out).


I would suggest that people choose whatever method gives them the best:


1) Dietary adherence (personal preference)

2) Gym performance


The above two factors matter a GREAT deal.


But the other stuff, like "Oh no I'm eating a carb and then not burning off, I'll get fat!" is complete nonsense and you should ignore it.

Thank you so much for explaining this, very helpful.

freddykid

I am glad to see more people with my same worries about that. I haven't gained more weight when I eat late, but I feel much more guilty about it.

lenoresaari

I have to eat when I am hungry or I can sleep; I just log it all no matter what time of day or night

darrensurrey

As I posted on the other thread started today, I eat whenever. How about a cake before bed? Yes, please!

BinaryPulsar

I haven't read the comments, so maybe someone already said this, but I'm pretty sure that if you eat past midnight you will turn into a gremlin.

WinnerVictorious

I am glad to see more people with my same worries about that. I haven't gained more weight when I eat late, but I feel much more guilty about it.

never feel guilt or shame about eating. especially not WHEN you eat. your body needs fuel. would you feel guilty about fueling up your car at 9PM? then why would you feel guilty about fueling up your body at 9PM?

Cranktastic

As I posted on the other thread started today, I eat whenever. How about a cake before bed? Yes, please!

IN for cake.

WinnerVictorious

I haven't read the comments, so maybe someone already said this, but I'm, pretty sure that if you eat past midnight you will turn into a gremlin.

i see you used your "wayback" machine for that clever comment. good job. +1

:bigsmile:

dougt333

Depends, the theory is if you break your fast, it's bad for you weight wise. LeanGains teaches that all your eating should be done in about an 8 hour time frame and the rest should be fasting. If your trying to avoid breaking it late night then the recommendation is to eat a high protien dinner so it digests slower and keeps you full, and also to eat a later dinner (even if this means eating a later breakfast) to keep the 8 hour rule.
The sheer lack of sunlight while eating will not magically give the food more calories. I actually work night shift so my entire eating schedule takes place at night.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I try not to eat at night because that's when I make bad choices. Like I almost talked myself into a bowl of cereal before bed last night when I had had a caramel sundae just an hour before.

But yeah, in general as long as it doesn't cause you go go into a calorie surplus eating at night won't make you gain weight.

jenillawafer

I don't think that it will affect your weight loss given your eating the same amount of calories throughout the day. As a rule of thumb, I try not to eat a few hours before bed. Reason being, I have trouble sleeping when I have a heavy dinner prior to laying down. I'm sure that varies per individual, so you have to do what works for you.

jenillawafer

As I posted on the other thread started today, I eat whenever. How about a cake before bed? Yes, please!

IN for cake.

I would also like some cake. SMOTHER IT IN MY FACE PLEASE!

gjulie

well if I went to bed hungry Id be awake all night Id say do what suits you best!

Helloitsdan

I ate most of my calories after 6pm yesterday and lost weight.

barb1241

I havbe a snack around 10-11pm pretty much every night. It has not stopped me from losing 63 pounds. I exercise enough so I can eat more and my body doesn't care when it gets fed, as long as it does. I try to make my calories count most of the time and you won't find fast food on my late snack list, but I do have a glass of wine, a dark chocolatre candy bar, cheese, crackers, air popped popcorn, veggies, hummus...all sorts of different things that helkp me stay happy about counting calories. It is all about eat less, move more for me, and for me it is working fine. Can't speak for anyone else, but I suspect it's the same. I think the caveat would be mindless eating late at night while watching tv or something where a person eats and eats and ends up overeating, but that is true for any time of the day, too. Maybe more likely to happen at night, dunno.


Barb

SafioraLinnea

I don't eat within 3 hours of bedtime (therefore after 7:00pm) because it keeps me awake. Anything substantial in my stomach when I lay down results in acid reflux.

I've noticed a much larger correlation for me between getting enough good quality sleep and weight loss. In my personal case eating late is counter productive to a good night's sleep.

cappri

when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it.

Why? I usually eat dinner around 5pm and then don't eat again until breakfast the next day. At least during the week days, I'm a little more lax with my schedule on the weekend.

Espressocycle

No, not eating after certain hour just provides fewer snacking opportunities.

PayneAS

Calories can't tell time.

The issue is purely mental. If you find yourself snacking late at night because you are awake and bored, then yes, you'll overeat and perpetuate the myth. If you have self-control and keep within your calorie count then there's nothing wrong with eating late at night.

ElleBee66

I have never eaten late at night and I managed to put on 100 pounds over my ideal weight.

I still don't eat late and night and I have lost over 70lbs of it.

It's just about personal preference.

tigersword

I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

Respectfully submitted,

Ellen Yates
ellen@n2shape.com
N2SHAPE, Inc.
n2shape.com

Would you care to explain how the human body can store food as fat without actually digesting it first? Also, if you eat at night, and don't use that food for energy at night, why wouldn't you have energy the next day? Wouldn't the food you ate the night before give you the same amount of energy that your have from eating during the day, calories being equal?

kimberliiw

I don't have a huge amount to lose either and have been successful eating about half my calories in the evening, including carbohydrates. I think it basically comes down to what works best for you. I have much better self control during the day. Plus it's unrealistic for me to eat every three hours since I work in a lab and it's kinda gross to be munching on a carrot stick while analyzing serum, urine and body fluids.

freedski1

If it agrees with you, then go ahead and eat late at night. Eating late does not agree with me particularly well, even though I do it. I love waking up hungry for breakfast, and I don't love the feeling of last night's dinner sitting heavily on my stomach when I get up in the AM.

freddykid

I am glad to see more people with my same worries about that. I haven't gained more weight when I eat late, but I feel much more guilty about it.

never feel guilt or shame about eating. especially not WHEN you eat. your body needs fuel. would you feel guilty about fueling up your car at 9PM? then why would you feel guilty about fueling up your body at 9PM?

fear of the eating late goblin. It has been in my head for as long as I remember that if you eat late you will get fat. But so far the deficit calorie intake has proven this wrong to me. Now I if I am hungry late I eat a little bit and chase it with a huge glass of water.

melclare10

It cant be. That's all I do and I've lost 73 pounds in 7 1/2 months. Please don't listen to the media, Dr. Oz or this crazy diet advice people put out there. They do not have your body. Your body is the ONLY thing you should be listening to.

Storm_Wolf

I'm really glad someone posted all this. I've been, in general, very anxious about eating late at night because of all the here-say about it.

I'm a nursing assistant. I work (120hrs a week) 16hr shifts twice a week and every other weekend (from 7a to 11p) and when I come home at night I am hungry. I've felt so guilty about eating late at night, even tho i had the calories to spare that i've been having a bottle of water and going to bed hungry.

So...if what your telling me is true....I can go back to snacking on lunch meat at 11:30ish as long as my calories allow it? this is good news

freddykid

I try not to eat at night because that's when I make bad choices.

They say nothing good happens after midnight, but personally I make some of my best choices at night.

Velum_cado

I read something the other day that said eating after 8pm is associated with higher BMI, but doctors aren't sure why that is.

I have a feeling that if you're eating after 8pm, you may be more prone to snacking anyway. I'm sure if you're careful about your calories, eat sensibly, and get regular exercise it doesn't matter what time you're eating.

Hourglass_Lass

Thank you everyone. I appreciate all the different viewpoints about this topic; I've been wondering about this as well. Sometimes I end up sleeping late on the weekends and my whole routine gets pushed back, or as in the case of the last couple weeks, I've been dealing with a sick cat, ER vet visits at 7pm, etc., so I've had to eat when I can. I've still lost weight, but I just make sure I don't go over my calorie allotment. I used to panic about eating after 6 or 7pm, but if it happens, it happens, and it doesn't seem to slow my weight loss down.

As for myself, I remember a saying from a long time ago I try and stick to: "Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper for dinner." I tend to do this, with some snacks in between, in order to keep my metabolism steady during the day. I know if I ate the majority of my calories late at night on a regular basis, I'd sleep lousy and have vicious nightmares. I also work a regular 8-5 job and do freelance graphic design at night, so my thoughts aren't about food in the evening. Others, however, work different schedules and must change up their eating in order to fulfill their body's needs. That works for them and I say do what you have to do and if you enjoy it, it works, etc. then go for it.

I think it's all about doing what is right for YOU with the general mindset of calorie intake/deficit. Which brings me to one last point. Please remember that losing weight is not a "one size fits all" scenario. We have differences too numerous to count in body chemistry, genetic pre-disposition, metabolism, bone mass, etc. ad nauseum). It's okay to disagree with someone's information, but please try to be respectful towards those posting with the best of intentions. As we all know from experience, for every ten articles saying one thing, there are ten more refuting it. Hell, even the "experts" disagree, so there's no need to get angry or snarky. Anyone worth their own salt will do their own research on the matter outside of MFP, anyway.