Does it matter when you eat during the day?

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Replies

  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    GRRR...This isn't religion! It's not about belief. Yes there is a definite answer! NO, everyone is NOT different, and all of the other cliche' cop outs we hear when people don't know anything more. They always default to ..."what works for you......everyones different...." No you're not. barring disease or malfunction, your body works like all the others. Period. It's the industry and the slack trainer,dietician,blog,doctor,website,t.v. show, etc., or individual effort that's different. Grrr.....

    Sleeping on calories is fine. As a matter of fact, there are some studies that state many benefits to this and to actually eating carbs (oooh evil) at night. And as a simple observation, many other mammals do this. Furthermore, yes, it's just pseudo science, just like eating more meals makes your metabolism higher which is false or breakfast is the most important meal of the day or is needed or should never be skipped, etc, which is all false. The problem is that through poetic justice, it sure seems like it makes sense. But it's all false. The research has been done on all of this stuff. There is no question anymore, only those that don't know any better simply because the industry is crappy and un regulated or for simply not really looking into it, or knowing where to look. Google is not going to usually accomplish that, and people don't like reading much nowadays. It's not all the consumers fault. No I'm not special because I know this or that. I just can't drive this idea home enough. Most of this industry is poorly researched and much of any research is funded by people/companies that have an interest in it's outcome, just like the food pyramid and governmental lobbyists and EVERYTHING you read, hear or see in magazines, on TV, or Radio. All of these sources are for businesses and media to make profit and conduct business. Nothing wrong with that, but it is CAVEAT EMPTOR !!!!!

    Eat when you're hungry and or when it is most suitable for you, or most comfortable. The only thing about eating at night is potential for indigestion or reflux, if you're prone to such. The mechanisms that support and drive beta oxidation and fat burning are thousands or depending on who you ask, millions of years old.

    Furthermore, caloric expenditure is usually only about 20 to 40% from skeletal muscle. Usually on the lower end. So around 80% of the body's caloric expenditures comes from everything besides the muscles! As I like to remind people, when was the last time you thought about your spleen? Your lungs? Your bone marrow?. All of it is burning calories.

    So please stop repeating this mantra. You're only confusing others.

    I will be covering all of this more in depth in the near future on my site and I will be siting studies, as I have already have, just more.... TheFitnessTutor.com
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No It doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done No it doesn't matter the research has been done

    ^^^^This,, I work a swing shift and eat at all times of the day on differnt days. time does not matter only calorie count.
  • lives21
    lives21 Posts: 78 Member
    Eating lots of calories and then sleeping on them doesn't give them a chance to burn off, so they get stored instead. It's better to eat lighter at night and more during the day. Try a snack in the afternoon so you'll eat a less heavy dinner. That's what I've been doing and it's seemed to work, but I'm also keeping an eye on my calories too. Dinner used to be my biggest problem, and even though it's still my biggest meal of the day, it's only about a third of my daily calories now.

    It's super that you've found a method that's working for you, but that burning off at night stuff is an old wive's tale. For that to be true, we would have to digest and use our calories immediately. That's not how metabolism works. It's about long term deficit. If you have the calories left and it doesn't bother your sleep, you can have ice cream before bed every night if you want to.

    I've never actually heard this was a myth, thanks for the heads up!
  • aeg176
    aeg176 Posts: 171 Member
    This thread is the reason why I need to be on this site and learn what is fact or fiction. Thank you for posting this question I have been mislead for too long! This truly changes things for me! Thank you to all who responded!
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    Hell people come to this site and display what's wrong with the industry. Just stay on your numbers and do your most important work, which is staying on top of that intake. How many times have you seen praise for over-exercising or continually coming in lower than your caloric goal??? ....it's a goal...not a limbo stick...then we want to wonder what happens to our metabolisms...or why we can't make our bodies do what we want. Well, for one, let's take a look...you've been under eating by 200 or so calories every day(or worse)...which equated to about 5000 calories last month or worse in some cases...do that for a few months and then wonder why your body isn't doing what it "should".... It's not about what the hands on the clock says...it's about what you put in your body. If you need more calories, a shot glass and olive oil are your friends. Or NATURAL peanut butter, etc. Yes that's right. Yes that's what people smarter than myself also say.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Eating lots of calories and then sleeping on them doesn't give them a chance to burn off, so they get stored instead. It's better to eat lighter at night and more during the day. Try a snack in the afternoon so you'll eat a less heavy dinner. That's what I've been doing and it's seemed to work, but I'm also keeping an eye on my calories too. Dinner used to be my biggest problem, and even though it's still my biggest meal of the day, it's only about a third of my daily calories now.

    100lbs lost says that it is OK to eat a big meal later at night , go to bed, and still shed the fat.....I hardly ever get home from the gym before 8pm, then still have to cook, so dinner time for me is around 8:45pm.....and lots of times bed by 10pm....
  • ohhman10
    ohhman10 Posts: 40
    I don't get home from work till 9:00 at night and I always eat cause I'm hungry... And I'm still loosing weight. As long as I'm within my calorie limit. :)
  • TaniaB_79
    TaniaB_79 Posts: 52 Member
    Glad to hear from others as well, we have a family meal between 6.30 and 7.30 pm and most of my calories are in this time (except the devil wine if I have cals left over), I lost two stone a few years ago in the same routine before more wine, too much chocolate and less exercise meant I put it back on. I don't feel particularly hungry during the day but a decent meal at night stops me snacking.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Eating lots of calories and then sleeping on them doesn't give them a chance to burn off, so they get stored instead. It's better to eat lighter at night and more during the day. Try a snack in the afternoon so you'll eat a less heavy dinner. That's what I've been doing and it's seemed to work, but I'm also keeping an eye on my calories too. Dinner used to be my biggest problem, and even though it's still my biggest meal of the day, it's only about a third of my daily calories now.

    Ever wonder what this "BMR" thing is that people talk about? i.e the amount of calories we would burn per day IF WE WERE IN A COMA, if we can do it in a coma I'm sure we can keep digesting while we are asleep.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
    nope, you're fine. The more you eat in one sitting, the longer it takes to digest it all. In the case of an evening meal, I think that a larger meal at the end of the day is preferable, especially if you load up on protein.. giving your body enough to make it through the night without hurting your lean muscle mass.
  • SheRa1964
    SheRa1964 Posts: 155
    What is VEGA?

    I believe it does matter.

    Like not eating high sugar/carb anytime before bed (eating heavy protein has shown to increase the amount of REM sleep when I tracked it with ZEO).

    I tend to follow the nutrient consumption as described by VEGA - especially on workout days. That has helped me recover faster from workouts.

    Your question will not get a definitive answer here though... Trial and error
  • Librarymind
    Librarymind Posts: 20 Member
    I think it Does matter what you eat during the day. It matters that you get the nutrition that your body needs, especially healthy fat for the brain so that you won't be desperately craving fat. Healthy fat is found in whole eggs, coconut, olives, nuts, seeds, and other things.

    I do think it's better to eat the biggest meal for breakfast, and the smallest meal for dinner. But it's also important to get enough to prevent hunger later on. Is it crucial? Probably not. I did have one trainer tell me that people should eat only protein after 6pm. I don't know about that.

    But it does matter what we eat. It helps to eat healthy food.
  • justkeepgoing1010
    justkeepgoing1010 Posts: 8
    Not really. It hasn't affected me. I eat most of my calories in the evening because we like to do family dinners. Being indian, I eat a lot of carbs in general lol I know a lot of people say limit carbs after certain time but that's difficult for me to do...it hasn't affected my weight loss so I'm sticking to the plan I have :)
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    The question is loaded. before the science gurus jump on me, let me tell you why it matters (sorta).

    most people that are moderately or severely overweight develop an emotional connection to food, one that isnt always so easy as the scientific literature would have you believe. I don't think a blanket statement can be issued to all people about meal frequency and timing, as it's such an individual affair. I've read the studies, reviewed them, and many have design flaws, or at least leave more questions unanswered. Just to read the abstract and then make a recommendation based on it, is also not the best way to approach things.

    Back to the question, theoretically all that matters in the whole grand scheme of things is if you're in a calorie deficit. That being said, if you find it easier to maintain that deficit with a rigid, structured, and restrictive eating pattern, then it does matter when you eat. You eat the same time everyday...you do it for years, and ingrain that pattern of healthy living despite it all. Once you have that down. you may take freedoms with the science that exists. I spent the first 3 years of my journey eating 8 meal a day of "clean" foods.

    You must notice, by now that all the "fit" people will try very hard to "debunk" dieting myths, regardless of if they have some value, despite being scientifically invalid.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    Just to read the abstract and then make a recommendation based on it, is also not the best way to approach things.

    True for so many things in life.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    The question is loaded. before the science gurus jump on me, let me tell you why it matters (sorta).

    most people that are moderately or severely overweight develop an emotional connection to food, one that isnt always so easy as the scientific literature would have you believe. I don't think a blanket statement can be issued to all people about meal frequency and timing, as it's such an individual affair. I've read the studies, reviewed them, and many have design flaws, or at least leave more questions unanswered. Just to read the abstract and then make a recommendation based on it, is also not the best way to approach things.

    Back to the question, theoretically all that matters in the whole grand scheme of things is if you're in a calorie deficit. That being said, if you find it easier to maintain that deficit with a rigid, structured, and restrictive eating pattern, then it does matter when you eat. You eat the same time everyday...you do it for years, and ingrain that pattern of healthy living despite it all. Once you have that down. you may take freedoms with the science that exists. I spent the first 3 years of my journey eating 8 meal a day of "clean" foods.

    You must notice, by now that all the "fit" people will try very hard to "debunk" dieting myths, regardless of if they have some value, despite being scientifically invalid.

    Agreed, but it's a technicality. You're talking about the consumer,emotional patterns,etc. not the science, if I read that correctly. That's why I say eat when you're hungry or when you want, and stay on top of your macs. If rigidness makes one feel great, then do rigid. If not eating after a certain time of day makes you feel better about whatever, then do that. Whatever is easier to stick to, is what I said. But one still needs to eat enough, and eat the right amounts.

    I agree that most research has something if not alot to be desired. For the record, I'm one of the few that reads more than the abstract and I have to pay to do that of course. But at the end of the day, it's not even necessary for the average person to worry about. The greater problem is the spreading of unnecessary nonsense, straight lies, misrepresentations, correlations sold as causation, urban myth, pseudo-bro science, etc., etc., In the face of such, all one can do is try to speak truth to the chaos. I would rather someone site a bunch of abstracts then repeat a falsehood.

    To be as picky or specific as you imply, one needs to address the concept of insulin resistance, thermogenic effect of foods, and the FACT that a calorie is NOT a calorie, and head down that billion-forked rabbit hole that still generally leads back to the same place.

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