Weight loss tip that helped me turn the corner.

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dtpss188
dtpss188 Posts: 85
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been struggling to eke off the last few pounds despite being careful with the calories. After some thought I decided that the time of day in which I was ingesting calories might be a problem. Each evening if I was within caloric limits I would have a "bedtime" snack. So I set a new rule: No calories after dinner (assuming dinner is 3 - 4 hours before bedtime.) This has worked for me. The last stubborn pounds are peeling away and my energy levels are fantastic. I hope this helps others.

I'm sure the naysayers are ready to leap at this post - I don't give a crap. This tip works for me and makes sense with a lot of the research out there.

Did I mention I sleep better and am much more enthusiastic about a healthy breakfast?
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Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    I do this, too but reverse. I skip breakfast and lunch and eat a big dinner and bedtime snack.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    What was that bedtime snack you cut out?
  • niekkosgirl
    niekkosgirl Posts: 60 Member
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    That's a good point. It is probably not a problem for some people, but you have to do what works for you. This idea has been floating around for a long time, but it's good to remind some of us, that it's been around because for some people it's key. I have been doing the same night time snacking thing, as my husband likes to have a little snack (and he never has to worry about what it does to his waist-line!!!) and I figure I deserve it, too, if I am below calories/WW points for the day. I will be trying your strategy again, though, to see what happens. Thanks!
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    That's great that you've found what works for you! I don't like eating late at night either, mainly because it aggravates the acid reflux issues I have.

    Now, get ready for the "you dummy there is no scientific reasearch that says it makes a difference" crowd followed by....

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  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Congrats on finding the key.

    The last 10LBS are tough.

    And suddenly "it's just math" or "calories in, calories out" gets much more complicated.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
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    I'm trying to do this as well. Eating at "bedtime" is more of a habit for me than anything. And the scale reflects what I ate in the morning. Even my protein shake at night after my workout is "heavy" and the scale shows it in the morning. I'm glad you posted this and that this tip really does work. Breaking habits are challendging so I'm not "there" yet, but it motivates me to know I will get those last few pounds off finally. :smile:
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I do this, too but reverse. I skip breakfast and lunch and eat a big dinner and bedtime snack.

    Ditto.

    OP, Congrats on finding something that works for you.
  • turkeyhunter60
    turkeyhunter60 Posts: 319 Member
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    Yeah, my last ten pounds having been sitting there waiting for me to change/do something for about 5 months. Late night eating at our house is brought on by busy hectic lives that seem to settle down about 8-9 PM, then we eat. I really don't think that is very helpful. Will keep hammerin' away at it, though. Good luck.
  • andreagreen1974
    andreagreen1974 Posts: 64 Member
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    Whatever works for you! Awesome! Maybe when I get down to the last ten pounds, I'll do the same. But right now, LOVES ME a bedtime snack!
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
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    I think it is all about peoples sleep cycles and how their metabolism works. For years I worked a lot of night shifts and swing shifts and my work out session would be after work. Usually between 10 pm and 2 am. So guess when I ate dinner and had an afterwork out snack? You got it at 3 am I would eat and go to sleep by 4 am. Worked for me and I am also a sleep eater. If I dont eat enough during the day my body will wake me up and I will eat in the middle of the night and then it is usually stuff I dont even like and wont remember but see the evidence in the morning. And it never effected me. But my sister is the opposite if she eats in the evening it throws her off and she wont loose. But she also has a different sleep cycle and her body works differently. I am one of those people that can go most of the day and not be very hungry but have to eat later in the day. (clarify-even if I eat regularly all day I still seem to need to eat in the evening cant sleep if i am even remotely hungry so I save calories to eat shortly before bed to hopefully not wake up and eat stuff that will throw me completely off track)
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    Maybe this is something I need to do. But I can't go to bed hungry!:cry:
  • bpwparents
    bpwparents Posts: 359 Member
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    Same for me! I've found the same thing!
  • throttle2009
    throttle2009 Posts: 138
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    Maybe this is my current issue too. I've held at 234 for 2 weeks now. Now that I think of it I have been eating supper later the last couple weeks due to a busy schedule. I am going to try to eat at a more normal time the next few days to see if I can get the weight loss moving again. Thanks for the tip.
  • spicycanchaser
    spicycanchaser Posts: 5 Member
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    I am trying to break that habit as well. I do well for two or three nights but then I have a hard time falling asleep and I find a cup of skim milk and a bowl of Cheerios or Special K helps. It is still calories though so I am really trying to stop.
  • rockingranny45
    rockingranny45 Posts: 30 Member
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    Thanks for making me think about this. Iam down to my few stubborn pounds. I was stuck awhile back so i added strength training. But now iam gonna go back to not eating close to bedtime.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Good for finding something that works to let you sleep better and allows better adherence.

    I lost all my weight while skipping breakfast, eating late at night and having ice-cream in bed. Eating late does not impact my sleep, in fact it allows me to sleep better as I am not hungry.
  • dtpss188
    dtpss188 Posts: 85
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    To answer some of the questions and comments:

    My snacks would typically something like nuts, or maybe dry cereal, basically something I could pick at as I was reading before bed. Again, this was kept within my caloric limits. But it was just before sleeping.

    To respond to another comment, I can't and won't go to bed hungry either (or at least not terribly hungry.) So this is where it becomes a timing issue. Going to kids wrestling matches, or band concerts etc... makes this a challenge, so on some busy evenings I bring my dinner with me so I can avoid eating at 5pm (too early for me) or at 9pm (too late for me.) Basically, I'll eat at 6 - 7 if I plan to sleep at 9 - 10.

    I have found that breakfast and lunch are extremely important meals for me so I cannot blow them off.

    I originally started reading up on belly fat when I decided to set this "rule" for myself. This led me to a lot of speculation that when you eat something and then go to bed WITHOUT utilizing any of the calories that you just ate, the glucose needs to go somewhere... So if not stored in muscles and liver as glycogen, then perhaps straight to the fat cells....

    And as i prefaced my original post with, "It is working for me." I do hope that it works for others..

    By the way, one other component of this rule is that I try to be a bit active AFTER dinner to get my body consuming some of the dinner calories. It doesn't mean I do a full blown workout, but just that I try to keep some body motion in the period between dinner and sleep. Good luck everyone.
  • bpmartyr
    bpmartyr Posts: 141
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    :



    I have found that breakfast and lunch are extremely important meals for me so I cannot blow them off.

    I originally started reading up on belly fat when I decided to set this "rule" for myself. This led me to a lot of speculation that when you eat something and then go to bed WITHOUT utilizing any of the calories that you just ate, the glucose needs to go somewhere... So if not stored in muscles and liver as glycogen, then perhaps straight to the fat cells....

    .

    .

    As others have said: I am glad you have found something that works for you. Here comes the but ...

    But, if your science was accurate I would be a fatty. I eat pretty much all my carbs for the day, including simple sugars, right before and even in bed. Sometimes as much as a 200-300 grams of carbs in a single sitting, to restate, right before bed. Do I look like a fatty? And I was a fatty before so it's not like I am just one of those naturally skinny guys.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    Did I mention I sleep better and am much more enthusiastic about a healthy breakfast?

    Read: starving in the morning!!

    lol

    Congrats OP, different things work for different people. To me, it doesn't really matter what time of day I eat. If I hold out on my evening snack, I feel like I'm going to throw up from the moment I open my eyes until I eat something. I get pretty hangry
  • bethFromDayton
    bethFromDayton Posts: 112 Member
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    Now, get ready for the "you dummy there is no scientific reasearch that says it makes a difference" crowd followed by....

    I'm someone who likes to see scientific research for claims, but in this case, scientific claims aren't relevent.

    He didn't make a claim that something was the 'right way' to do something. He shared a tip that has worked for him. It may work for him because he eats the same number of calories as he used to, but earlier in the day, or it may work for him because by not eating the evening snack he's cut out 200 calories per day.

    I believe i've read studies that show that time of day one eats doesn't make a difference, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make a difference for *anyone*--it means it didn't make an overall difference.

    There's a significant difference between anecdotes (of which this is a valid one) and scientific claims (which this is not).

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