Tell me again why eating before bed won't make me fat?

KarmaxKitty

Bump.

This is the most interesting one I've found all day.

KarmaxKitty

If Bob is eating Ben and Jerry's while watching The Biggest Loser, Bob is a woman

Are you suggesting that Bob might be a Karen? lol.

No, I prefer to eat my pints of B&J alone in the dark.

The only way to properly do it. :laugh:

magerum

Meal timing is irrelevant.

calibriintx

You need to extend your timeframe to account for the entire day.

Except I'm not concerned with Bob's daytime intake. I'm not concerned with whether or not he's maintaining a deficit. Because that part is irrelevant to my question. Even if Bob is maintaining a deficit during the day, and by this I mean that his body is using stored energy while he's up and moving, or even sitting and typing. I'm talking about about the period of Bob's 24 hours when his body requires only the minimum to function. How are the extra kcal he's consumed before bed going to be used instead of stored? Bob may still be losing weight, but giving the body more kcal than it requires at any one time results in kcal storage. This is my argument.

Your title is "Tell me again why eating before bed won't make me fat?" but when answered, you continue to argue about what happens to the food while you're sleeping. Why does it matter what happens to the food while you're sleeping if it doesn't "make you fat?" Make you fat =/= temporarily stored as fat.

Warchortle

All I've seen is it may change affect HGH or other things that might make a difference for body re-composition, but not generic weight loss or weight gain.

slavonka23

My biggest meal is dinner at 21-22h...and I still loose weight!

If you're in your calories limit, you can eat whenever you want!!

StheK

Because math.

This.

karenhray7

I can't believe I just did this. But here goes. To spell it out:

Consider this spreadsheet. It represents some fictional person who has a TDEE of 2120

The hour column represents the 24 hours in a day.

Hours 17 thru 24 are sleep, so he's burning only 65 cals per hour that hour. The rest of the hours he burns 100 cals per hour.

He has 3 meals over the course of the day for 500, 300, and 750 calories respectively/

You can see that over the course of the day, he at some points reaches a surplus, and at some points reaches a deficit.



On balance, he achieves a deficit of 570 calories for this day

I invite you to create a spreadsheet of your own and divvy up the meals however you like.

If you still don't get it after this overcomplicated explanation, then I'm sorry.

Edit: er, actually, the way I laid it out, he's in a deficit all day. But you get the point? No? Probably not? I don't care.

I can't believe you did that either.

SanteMulberry

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

emtbabe

I am no expert, but I do live by Jillian Micheals rules. She says NO food after 9 and no CARBS after 7. Your body will simply turn it into fat. Even sugary food. Her thing is to eat yogurt if you neeed a snack-greek low fat of course. It works! If I am watching Hell's Kitchen and have nothing to eat I get so pissed, so I eat yogurt or carrot/celery with hummus. Then I dont feel deprived. And no booze before bed. She has it down for 2 drinks a WEEK. And beer or a lowfat vodka drink. I suggest bubblegum vodka with club soda. Lowfat, tastes great and a nice mellow buzz. Does that kinda help? lol

taso42

I am no expert, but I do live by Jillian Micheals rules. She says NO food after 9 and no CARBS after 7. Your body will simply turn it into fat. Even sugary food. Her thing is to eat yogurt if you neeed a snack-greek low fat of course. It works! If I am watching Hell's Kitchen and have nothing to eat I get so pissed, so I eat yogurt or carrot/celery with hummus. Then I dont feel deprived. And no booze before bed. She has it down for 2 drinks a WEEK. And beer or a lowfat vodka drink. I suggest bubblegum vodka with club soda. Lowfat, tastes great and a nice mellow buzz. Does that kinda help? lol

lolno

lloydrt

If Bob has 28 doughnuts and he eats 16 before he goes to bed, what does he have remaining?

DIABETES...................

Dont do it...........eating for me, IMHO caused me to gain weight

lizziebeth1028

This post is making my head hurt. I eat dinner every night between 8 or 9 pm.....most nights I'm sound asleep by 10. It's never hurt or hindered my progress eating a full meal before bed. I guess I'm a special snowflake!

sullus

I am no expert, but I do live by Jillian Micheals rules. She says NO food after 9 and no CARBS after 7. Your body will simply turn it into fat. Even sugary food. Her thing is to eat yogurt if you neeed a snack-greek low fat of course. It works! If I am watching Hell's Kitchen and have nothing to eat I get so pissed, so I eat yogurt or carrot/celery with hummus. Then I dont feel deprived. And no booze before bed. She has it down for 2 drinks a WEEK. And beer or a lowfat vodka drink. I suggest bubblegum vodka with club soda. Lowfat, tastes great and a nice mellow buzz. Does that kinda help? lol

Not at all.

Melo1966

dinner...bad bad....
a snack or small meal under 300 cal.. OK...

but i never eat a meal of any size after 6pm (except on rare event occasions of course) and i usually just do a snack size meal for dinner, if that.

dinner KILLS my weight loss... just kills it.

I am sorry but you should eat dinner, under eating is as serious of a problem as over eating.
Dinner does not kill weight loss not eating enough has killed your metabolism and that kills weight loss.

sullus

This post is making my head hurt. I eat dinner every night between 8 or 9 pm.....most nights I'm sound asleep by 10. It's never hurt or hindered my progress eating a full meal before bed. I guess I'm a special snowflake!

Remember: You're special and unique, just like everyone else.

beachlover317

I know Bob. He eats Pop Tarts every night before bed. Sometimes with ice cream.

karenhray7

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

Science and logic. Thank you!

SanteMulberry

I know Bob. He eats Pop Tarts every night before bed. Sometimes with ice cream.

What is it with the Pop Tart fetish among some of the folk on this website?? Even when I was eating sugar and wheat, I thought they tasted like sweetened cardboard with sweetened plastic frosting. Ugh.

beachlover317

I know Bob. He eats Pop Tarts every night before bed. Sometimes with ice cream.

What is it with the Pop Tart fetish among some of the folk on this website?? Even when I was eating sugar and wheat, I thought they tasted like sweetened cardboard with sweetened plastic frosting. Ugh.

:sad:

sullus

I know Bob. He eats Pop Tarts every night before bed. Sometimes with ice cream.

You know Bob?? I know someone looking for him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Iq6LA7sZI

PikaKnight

I can't believe I just did this. But here goes. To spell it out:

Consider this spreadsheet. It represents some fictional person who has a TDEE of 2120

The hour column represents the 24 hours in a day.

Hours 17 thru 24 are sleep, so he's burning only 65 cals per hour that hour. The rest of the hours he burns 100 cals per hour.

He has 3 meals over the course of the day for 500, 300, and 750 calories respectively/

You can see that over the course of the day, he at some points reaches a surplus, and at some points reaches a deficit.



On balance, he achieves a deficit of 570 calories for this day

I invite you to create a spreadsheet of your own and divvy up the meals however you like.

If you still don't get it after this overcomplicated explanation, then I'm sorry.

Edit: er, actually, the way I laid it out, he's in a deficit all day. But you get the point? No? Probably not? I don't care.

Taso, if you were single, I'd snog the hell out of you right now. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

flex500

I'm not talking about a glass of milk or a small snack here. I'm talking to the people who believe that it doesn't matter when you eat your calories. I get that your body can't distinguish time and doesn't care when it gets food, but if a person eats during the hours he/she is up and moving then there is a greater immediate need for kcal and less is stored for later use. But if a person eats and then goes to sleep?

Let's say Bob's BMR is 1600/24hr. Basic math would say that Bob would burn 66.67 kcal/hr while sleeping. If Bob has a 6 hour sleep cycle, he would burn 400kcal during those 6 hours. Right?

If basic biochem holds true, when Bob eats, his body will use whatever kcal it needs to meet its immediate energy requirements and store the rest for later use. Yes?

Holding these first two statements to be true, if Bob eats 1200kcal of Ben and Jerry's while watching the Biggest Loser and then immediately goes to bed, how are the extra 800kcal used? Because if they're not used, they're stored. Right? And if only so many kcal go to replenish glycogen stores, what about the rest?

Discuss...

Your body doesn't know what the calendar is so don't think of it in such strict terms. If your body is in a calorie surplus over time you will gain weight...if it is in a calorie deficit over time it will lose weight.

Take a week for example...if you burn 18,000 calories a week and you eat 10,000 calories you will lose weight....It doesn't matter when you eat or how many times. It doesn't matter if it's breakfast or in the middle of the night.


When I diet I eat around 2,000 of my 3,500 calories in 1 meal literally 10 minutes before bed. Lost 72 pounds in 12 weeks. It's your overall energy balance over a period of time.

CyberEd312

I am no expert, but I do live by Jillian Micheals rules. She says NO food after 9 and no CARBS after 7. Your body will simply turn it into fat. Even sugary food. Her thing is to eat yogurt if you neeed a snack-greek low fat of course. It works! If I am watching Hell's Kitchen and have nothing to eat I get so pissed, so I eat yogurt or carrot/celery with hummus. Then I dont feel deprived. And no booze before bed. She has it down for 2 drinks a WEEK. And beer or a lowfat vodka drink. I suggest bubblegum vodka with club soda. Lowfat, tastes great and a nice mellow buzz. Does that kinda help? lol

I gotta disagree with Jillian...... and I can give her 311 good reason why..... (as I can sit here and hear my wife in the other room doing her workout to Jillian's 30 day shred video.... ROFL) but seriously been eating 500-700 calories "In Bed" every night and it never once hindered my weight loss......

SanteMulberry

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

Science and logic. Thank you!

You're welcome.

karenhray7

This post is making my head hurt. I eat dinner every night between 8 or 9 pm.....most nights I'm sound asleep by 10. It's never hurt or hindered my progress eating a full meal before bed. I guess I'm a special snowflake!

How do you know it hasn't hindered your losing? Not trying to be argumentative, just curious. Did you not eat late for a period of time and then compare loss rates?

flex500

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

Science and logic. Thank you!

there is just as much science on the other side. The amount their body's would have prospered would have been minuscule. it's very similar to the "OMGZ you must eat breakfast and every 3 hours to rev your metabolism". We are finding that "rev" is like little putter with a negligible difference. It is so minuscule people would do much better to focus that energy more on overall diet and training.

bpotts44

You need to extend your timeframe to account for the entire day.

Except I'm not concerned with Bob's daytime intake. I'm not concerned with whether or not he's maintaining a deficit. Because that part is irrelevant to my question. Even if Bob is maintaining a deficit during the day, and by this I mean that his body is using stored energy while he's up and moving, or even sitting and typing. I'm talking about about the period of Bob's 24 hours when his body requires only the minimum to function. How are the extra kcal he's consumed before bed going to be used instead of stored? Bob may still be losing weight, but giving the body more kcal than it requires at any one time results in kcal storage. This is my argument.

They are digested then used or stored. They will be removed from storage later and oxidized assuming that he remains in caloric deficit in the future. You are over thinking the whole thing.

karenhray7

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

Science and logic. Thank you!

there is just as much science on the other side. The amount their body's would have prospered would have been minuscule. it's very similar to the "OMGZ you must eat breakfast and every 3 hours to rev your metabolism". We are finding that "rev" is like little putter with a negligible difference. It is so minuscule people would do much better to focus that energy more on overall diet and training.

Science that says excess kcal consumed at night (or any other time) are not stored as glycogen and fat? That would be the other side.

SanteMulberry

Aside from some bio-chemical/medical issues, it really doesn't make much difference when you eat your calories. However, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal before retiring because it is likely to contribute to reflux esophagitis (which many obese folks suffer). In addition, there is the problem of insulin spike (following a blood sugar surge from a heavy meal) suppressing human growth hormone (which is mainly secreted in the first couple of hours of sleep). Adequate levels of growth hormone are desirable for weight loss and other health points. Exercise does stimulate the secretion of growth hormone slightly, but it is unlikely to make up for the loss of nighttime secretion due to high caloric intake before bed.

Ghrelin (please, no gremlin pix) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone and ghrelin is high when we are hungry. So going to bed a little hungry is not a bad idea from a bio-chemical standpoint. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is also a potent stimulator of growth hormone--as opposed to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which suppresses it. Since many, many obese folk have high blood sugar issues anyway, it is unwise for them to eat large meals before bed.

I know there will be people here who will say, "I have lost 114 pounds and I have always eaten nearly all my calories after 7.p.m." While that may be true, their bodies would have probably prospered a bit more by eating lightly in the evening (if at all).

Science and logic. Thank you!

there is just as much science on the other side. The amount their body's would have prospered would have been minuscule. it's very similar to the "OMGZ you must eat breakfast and every 3 hours to rev your metabolism". We are finding that "rev" is like little putter with a negligible difference. It is so minuscule people would do much better to focus that energy more on overall diet and training.

I'm not sure you can make that as a blanket statement. A man who is 40 secretes less than half of the growth hormone secreted by a teen-aged boy. How do we know that the man doesn't need to maximize his growth hormone in order to stay healthy and vital while losing weight? I'm not talking about the burning of calories except in a tangential way. The burning of calories goes on 24-7, but missing out on ANY growth hormone just doesn't seem like a very good idea when it can be easily avoided by refraining from heavy eating before bed. And there is still the issue of reflux esophagitis spurred by heavy eating before retiring. Just seems sensible to avoid heavy eating late in the evening.