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

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Replies

  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    the only real reason i see not to eat before bed is that stomach acid can go up in your esophagus while you are sleeping causing heart burn or acid reflux like symptoms.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    *facepalm*

    You have gotten the answer you want to hear several times and you still keep going.

    Yes, if you exceed your glycogen stores you will store some fat, and once those stores get depleted fat will be oxidized again.


    If you in the end of the day, week, or month, still end up in a caloric deficit from how much you burn overall you will lose fat.

    [/endthread]
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I'm eating a cupcake in bed while I read this thread :bigsmile:
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    the only real reason i see not to eat before bed is that stomach acid can go up in your esophagus while you are sleeping causing heart burn or acid reflux like symptoms.

    I agree with this :)
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    So my work sleep schedule is get up at noon, eat a small meal, work out, eat a normal meal at 3 p.m., and work until 2:30 a.m. During the time I work, I do not get breaks, am actively moving the whole time, and cannot eat meals in front of the public. So, I go from 3:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. usually on a protein bar. Let me reiterate that this is not my choice and I don't get meal breaks. So, should I not eat from 3:30 p.m. one day til noon the next day? Also, then I would need to consume about 1700 calories in within a 3 hour period. I simply have to eat before bed or I am intermittent fasting and then when I do eat, I'm having a binge.

    If it's so bad for you, what do you suggest given what I've described?
  • chooselove
    chooselove Posts: 106 Member
    I wake up in the middle of the night in a zombie-like daze and go straight to the kitchen for a tablespoon of peanut butter. I'm still under my calories or I'll add it on to the following day. I dropped 45 lbs..
  • travishalogod
    travishalogod Posts: 25 Member
    I don't like Bob anymore
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    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...

    The process isn't linear. Also, so long as you are at an overall caloric deficit, your body is burning more than it's taking in anyways regardless of time. I eat dinner every night at 8:30 - 9:00 PM and go to bed at 9:30-10...I've lost nearly 30 Lbs...it doesn't meal time doesn't matter.

    If you eat at a deficit, you lose...if you eat at maintenance you maintain...if you eat at a surplus you gain. it's actually all very simple.
  • taylorwaylor
    taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
    I believe that its not so much "eating before bed" thats the problem... I think its more of "having shorter fasting periods".

    If you normally eat right before bed... and then wake up like 7 hours later and eat breakfast... thats ONLY 7 hours of fasting.... So when people cut off eating at about 8... and then wake up at 8, thats 12 hours of fasting. So i think THAT is what really matters...
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I believe that its not so much "eating before bed" thats the problem... I think its more of "having shorter fasting periods".

    If you normally eat right before bed... and then wake up like 7 hours later and eat breakfast... thats ONLY 7 hours of fasting.... So when people cut off eating at about 8... and then wake up at 8, thats 12 hours of fasting. So i think THAT is what really matters...

    No that doesn't matter either.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    So my work sleep schedule is get up at noon, eat a small meal, work out, eat a normal meal at 3 p.m., and work until 2:30 a.m. During the time I work, I do not get breaks, am actively moving the whole time, and cannot eat meals in front of the public. So, I go from 3:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. usually on a protein bar. Let me reiterate that this is not my choice and I don't get meal breaks. So, should I not eat from 3:30 p.m. one day til noon the next day? Also, then I would need to consume about 1700 calories in within a 3 hour period. I simply have to eat before bed or I am intermittent fasting and then when I do eat, I'm having a binge.

    If it's so bad for you, what do you suggest given what I've described?

    Yeah, working late into the night can be a problem from a number of health points. There's a lot of medical research being done on the health challenges faced by nighttime workers. In your case, you might want to eat a bigger meal after you get up at noon and then delay working out for an hour (to give your stomach time to digest your food) before eating a similar-sized meal at 3 p.m. Can you eat a light snack and go to bed directly after you get off work? A lot of nighttime workers swear by taking melatonin before leaving work (you just dissolve a tablet or two under the tongue) and then they are sleepy by the time they get home. Is there any way you can eat more while working? It doesn't seem right that you cannot eat at all during work time--do you have a union?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    .
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I'm eating a cupcake in bed while I read this thread :bigsmile:

    That should be a pop tart. :angry:
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    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:smile:

    Sweet Baby Jesus.

    Great that it works for you but I'll stick to my path :)
    <snip>have nothing to eat I get so pissed<snip>

    Hold on, we agree on something ...
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I believe that its not so much "eating before bed" thats the problem... I think its more of "having shorter fasting periods".

    If you normally eat right before bed... and then wake up like 7 hours later and eat breakfast... thats ONLY 7 hours of fasting.... So when people cut off eating at about 8... and then wake up at 8, thats 12 hours of fasting. So i think THAT is what really matters...

    KdLaWD0.gif
  • xDawnsgrace
    xDawnsgrace Posts: 436
    i think, if it's working for you, good for you, if it's not, good for you. -.-
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Because math.

    yes
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    It just won't. Trust me.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Bump to finish reading tomorrow!
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I'm eating a cupcake in bed while I read this thread :bigsmile:

    That should be a pop tart. :angry:



    But then my last birthday cupcake would have gone stale :sad:
  • cleback
    cleback Posts: 261 Member
    I just remember seeing a documentary on sumo wrestlers and how they always sleep after eating. lol But I believe they are also always eating a surplus of calories.

    I eat most of my calories later in the day (when my husband comes home and wants a substantial dinner), and I have seen losses. However, I'm thinking of changing things up a bit because I also do my workouts early in the day, and I'm wondering if eating more for breakfast won't help my energy levels for the workout.

    Maybe you'll still see losses but you might be less energized during the day?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,047 Member
    I think you're missing the point. The body doesn't burn kcal at a steady rate. Even if Bob burns 2200 kcal in a 24hr period and only consumes 1000 during his day, giving the body more kcal than it NEEDS at any one time will result in storage. Even if Bob eats his ice cream in the middle of the day, any excess kcal will be stored for later use. And once the immediate energy needs are met and glycogen has been replenished, how are the extra kcal not stored as fat?
    The key here is if it's EXCESS calories. If not, then you don't store fat. That's regardless of eating time.
    I've been consistently eating at 11pm (about 400 calories) and going to bed at 12:30am for the last couple of years. My added weight came from bulking and the holidays and not from eating at night.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • karenhray7
    karenhray7 Posts: 219 Member
    I'm eating a cupcake in bed while I read this thread :bigsmile:

    That should be a pop tart. :angry:

    with ice cream
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,047 Member
    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:smile:
    Lol, you know that carrots have sugar? And that yogurt has sugar (lactose)? Thanks for that.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    This thread has so much misinformation it's ridiculous LOL
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I'm eating a cupcake in bed while I read this thread :bigsmile:

    That should be a pop tart. :angry:

    with ice cream

    Now you get it! :flowerforyou:
  • runningwild00
    runningwild00 Posts: 109
    All i can say is, it hurts my belly if i eat too close to nighty night time.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    All i can say is, it hurts my belly if i eat too close to nighty night time.
    ^This is one of the only reasons not to.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    I can break this down into scientific equations or I can say it like this. What you burn in 24 hours is what you burn in 24 hours. I've eaten late dinners and snacks before bed, all after 7pm, since 1996 and have kept my weight off since then. So regardless of what the "experts" say, it's been my experience that it's a bunch of BS.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    Oh and KEEP IT SIMPLE!! You can post equations till your carpal tunnel kicks in, but too many people overcomplicate this!!

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