Eating after a evening workout

stepher80
stepher80 Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm having to start working out in the evenings starting today because my husband got a new job working days instead of evenings.

Before, I would go do my workout mid-morning and then eat lunch right afterwards. I'm pretty hungry when I'm done with any workout and since starting the C25K program, I've been burning between 300-500 calories by the time I'm done with running and any other strength training and additional cardio I've done. So I feel justified in having something to eat after a workout like that. If it's not lunch time, I usually will eat a snack like a non-fat greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom or a salad or something light.

I know you're not supposed to eat after a certain time in the evenings but what about when you work out in the evenings and then are starving and want something to eat afterwards? Should you not eat and just go to bed hungry? Is a healthy snack ok? I didn't really have dinner today (ate a Cliff bar around 6:15, about 30 minutes before heading out to workout) and got home after 8 from my workout, took a shower and was FAMISHED! I just ate three taquitos because it's what I had on hand right now and it sounded so good! Now I feel guilty for eating this late and feel like I might have screwed up my work out.

I need some insight and help on this so I can do this right. I don't want to be working out for nothing if my eating after my workouts is slowing down the effectiveness of my work out.

Ideas? Should I eat dinner and go workout later so that by the time I come home it's shower and bedtime already? I'm not used to doing the late night workout so that doesn't sound appealing to me right now but I'm willing to do it if that's what the better option is. HELP!
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Replies

  • lolly2721
    lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
    I say go ahead and eat in the evenings. My schedule is hectic with work, working out, kids and their schedules and such. We eat when we get home and sometimes that isn't until after 8:00. We just don't eat heavy meals at dinnertime. Our biggest meals are breakfast and lunch so that helps.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm having to start working out in the evenings starting today because my husband got a new job working days instead of evenings.

    Before, I would go do my workout mid-morning and then eat lunch right afterwards. I'm pretty hungry when I'm done with any workout and since starting the C25K program, I've been burning between 300-500 calories by the time I'm done with running and any other strength training and additional cardio I've done. So I feel justified in having something to eat after a workout like that. If it's not lunch time, I usually will eat a snack like a non-fat greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom or a salad or something light.

    I know you're not supposed to eat after a certain time in the evenings but what about when you work out in the evenings and then are starving and want something to eat afterwards? Should you not eat and just go to bed hungry? Is a healthy snack ok? I didn't really have dinner today (ate a Cliff bar around 6:15, about 30 minutes before heading out to workout) and got home after 8 from my workout, took a shower and was FAMISHED! I just ate three taquitos because it's what I had on hand right now and it sounded so good! Now I feel guilty for eating this late and feel like I might have screwed up my work out.

    I need some insight and help on this so I can do this right. I don't want to be working out for nothing if my eating after my workouts is slowing down the effectiveness of my work out.

    Ideas? Should I eat dinner and go workout later so that by the time I come home it's shower and bedtime already? I'm not used to doing the late night workout so that doesn't sound appealing to me right now but I'm willing to do it if that's what the better option is. HELP!

    There is no arbitrary cutoff time when you can't eat after, eat whatever you'd like whenever you'd like, while maintaining a caloric deficit and profit
  • lyndall5311
    lyndall5311 Posts: 146 Member
    I normally work out in the evening (anywhere between 6-9pm depending on kids), and I always eat something after working out, anything from fruit, yoghurt, protein drink or even dinner.

    Who said you cant eat after a certain time? If Im hungry, Im going to eat, so it could be 9.30pm when Im eating, it hasnt stopped my weight loss.
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
    Have yourself a healthy dessert like the one in my diary, put your feet up and be proud you worked out.

    Ruth
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    It doesn't matter what-so-ever what time of day you eat. I eat every day after an evening workout.
  • Thor2020
    Thor2020 Posts: 41 Member
    [/quote]

    There is no arbitrary cutoff time when you can't eat after, eat whatever you'd like whenever you'd like, while maintaining a caloric deficit and profit
    [/quote]

    I second that.
  • hamptons903
    hamptons903 Posts: 8
    I think the important thing is to try to avoid eating 1-2 hours before you go to sleep. Like you, I'm often starting after my evening workouts, and you won't be able to rest well on a hungry stomach. I would have a small healthy snack after your workouts and don't feel a bit guilty about it! Just keep tracking!
  • stepher80
    stepher80 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks for all the quick responses! I feel much better! I've read in some health articles (probably fitness magazines) and also from friends who work out and have successfully lost weight, that you shouldn't eat after dinner (felt like it was implied that it's around 7pm-ish) so your body isn't adding calories to burn while you are sleeping or something. I guess it's not as big of a deal as I thought! It's just been gnawing at me for a long time and I've felt paranoid about eating too late in the evening. One less thing to stress about!
  • sjweld
    sjweld Posts: 14 Member
    I lost all my weight while eating 1/2 cup of regular (not low fat) ice cream 4 or 5 nights a week (9:30 or 10:00 p.m.). I make healthy choices throughout the day, go on several walks and am otherwise fairly active. If I have calories left, I'll eat. May not work for everyone but it has certainly worked for me!
  • LowcarbNY
    LowcarbNY Posts: 546 Member
    I know you're not supposed to eat after a certain time in the evenings

    Who said that? The same guy who said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" ?


    I play tennis after work, don't get home til 8:30pm , I'm luck to prepare and eat dinner by 10 pm. OH, btw, I eat almost ALL of my daily calories at this time.

    Have lost 36 lbs this way in 70 days

    What's the alternative? Not working out? How could that be better?
  • winf
    winf Posts: 764 Member
    Eat whatever time you want. Your metabolism doesn't know what time it is. A nutrient rich bedtime snack gives you body raw material to make repairs with while you sleep.
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    DId you know in Korea they think leaving your fan on all night can kill you? I mean it's like a widely accepted "fact" amongst educated people.

    This " Can't eat before bed, in evenings, past 7 PM, after dinner" etc, is exactly like that.
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
    As long as the calories are in your daily calorie budget, you can eat them whenever you like. If you eating at a deficit, it should not matter....

    I don't like eating anything big before a run. I have a light snack before an evening workout and then eat something afterward.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    I just had supper at 10 PM. And I'll probably have something else to eat before bed. The whole not eating after a certain time thing is crap.
  • stepher80
    stepher80 Posts: 37 Member
    I know you're not supposed to eat after a certain time in the evenings

    Who said that? The same guy who said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" ?


    I play tennis after work, don't get home til 8:30pm , I'm luck to prepare and eat dinner by 10 pm. OH, btw, I eat almost ALL of my daily calories at this time.

    Have lost 36 lbs this way in 70 days

    What's the alternative? Not working out? How could that be better?

    Not working out was not an alternative for me. I was going to work out later and eat earlier. But now I'm not worried about it. Apparently I'm doofus. ;)
  • stepher80
    stepher80 Posts: 37 Member
    DId you know in Korea they think leaving your fan on all night can kill you? I mean it's like a widely accepted "fact" amongst educated people.

    This " Can't eat before bed, in evenings, past 7 PM, after dinner" etc, is exactly like that.

    I think I believed it because so many people I know who have lost weight said that this was their "big secret".

    That's funny about the fan thing in Korea. Sounds like Brazilians who think swimming after you eat will kill you or cause you to drown and that you cannot drink cold beverages after working out or being hot because your body will go into shock! lol. I grew up hearing some pretty funny things...
  • jibbala
    jibbala Posts: 76 Member
    I have never followed any type of plan that does not allow for eating after a certain hour. I lost 40 lbs eating very late dinners because I had no other choice. I cant imagine working out and then not being able to eat after and skipping dinner. By all means...eat when you can. As long as its within appropriate calories...eating after dinner COULD put you over your deficit. But if its not there is no problem with it at all!
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    I know you're not supposed to eat after a certain time in the evenings

    Who said that? The same guy who said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" ?


    I play tennis after work, don't get home til 8:30pm , I'm luck to prepare and eat dinner by 10 pm. OH, btw, I eat almost ALL of my daily calories at this time.

    Have lost 36 lbs this way in 70 days

    What's the alternative? Not working out? How could that be better?

    Not working out was not an alternative for me. I was going to work out later and eat earlier. But now I'm not worried about it. Apparently I'm doofus. ;)

    You're not a doofus, these myths are so widely spread that it's no wonder we believe them. I mindlessly believed this one too up until a couple of years ago. I look back now and think, well derrrr, its obviously totally illogical.
  • c3jaam
    c3jaam Posts: 77 Member
    I usually work out late, (9pm or after) and I usually eat. I wondered as well if it was bad, as I had heard it was.
    Good to read all the feedback.
  • judybrim
    judybrim Posts: 82 Member
    No you're not a doofus! You're just learning like the rest of us! And from everything I've read, heard and done: it doesn't matter what time you eat. Just make sure you're working off more than you're eating in a day. If eating small or large amounts before bed doesn't bother your quality of sleep then go ahead. Just monitor your own body! Great job getting your workouts in! Keep it up! :D
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    No you're not a doofus! You're just learning like the rest of us! And from everything I've read, heard and done: it doesn't matter what time you eat. Just make sure you're working off more than you're eating in a day. If eating small or large amounts before bed doesn't bother your quality of sleep then go ahead. Just monitor your own body! Great job getting your workouts in! Keep it up! :D

    Agree on the sleep thing, personally I like to eat straight before bed, but if I eat something really sugary (which is rare) I have insane nightmares :-(
  • prettygirlhoward
    prettygirlhoward Posts: 338 Member
    Maybe it depends on your body.... My doctor told me not to eat 2 hours before bed. But I usually do because I don't get home until after 6pm and go to bed at 9pm.
  • vallbacka
    vallbacka Posts: 1
    a lot of people lose weight by not eating after dinner because that is the easiest way for them to get a caloric deficit.

    Most people just need to eat better, not less, and do more activity in general, not just exercise.
    Look at our great grandparents(unfortunately we cant even say grandparents anymore)
    they didn't even have gyms, and most of them ate a lot of white flour and fatty stuff, they just didn't eat
    as much and were working all the time.
    Keep up the great work everyone on all the weight loss!!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
    HGH is released naturally every 3 hours or so, and I think trying to manage a post workout meal to prevent that release is really not necessary and maybe a little too analytical considering the body will manage to shed fat regardless of any particular meal. imo
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
    HGH is released naturally every 3 hours or so, and I think trying to manage a post workout meal to prevent that release is really not necessary and maybe a little too analytical considering the body will manage to shed fat regardless of any particular meal. imo

    Yeah, I am probably thinking about it too much but everyone wants the edge when cutting body fat no matter how small it may seem. :)

    I know you produce HGH on a regular basis but don't you produce more than usual after a rigorous workout routine? From my understanding, insulin is always being produced too but you just make more of it when you ingest carbs.


    .
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
    HGH is released naturally every 3 hours or so, and I think trying to manage a post workout meal to prevent that release is really not necessary and maybe a little too analytical considering the body will manage to shed fat regardless of any particular meal. imo

    I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your posts since your one of the few members that likes to talk about actual cell metabolism.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
    HGH is released naturally every 3 hours or so, and I think trying to manage a post workout meal to prevent that release is really not necessary and maybe a little too analytical considering the body will manage to shed fat regardless of any particular meal. imo

    Yeah, I am probably thinking about it too much but everyone wants the edge when cutting body fat no matter how small it may seem. :)

    I know you produce HGH on a regular basis but don't you produce more than usual after a rigorous workout routine? From my understanding, insulin is always being produced too but you just make more of it when you ingest carbs.


    .
    Most HGH (70+%) happens when we get a good nights sleep. After that is cycles and yes insulin will blunt HGH production and yes IF can increase HGH as well and a few more tricks but, sometimes the difference between optimal and decent is minuscule. Personally workouts and meal timing should be a what works best for the individual for long term compliance. If someone was training for contest readiness, or an athlete looking for an edge in performance, then fine, get a trainer, dietitian and manager and go to town, but for the everyday person, not so much.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    Eating after a workout can interfere with your HGH proteins. You produce HGH proteins after exercising. This is bad if you are trying to cut body fat as HGH proteins is one of the primary proteins that breaks down fat. Try and wait at least 1 hour before you eat anything after exercising. If you really have to eat, stay away from carbs as it is the insulin created from the carbs that would hamper HGH's ability to break down fat. Eating before a workout is what you want to do.


    A link to the study is below. Be careful and disregard his conclusion/results because it does not match what he really tested for.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/eating-or-fasting-for-fat-loss-a-controversy-resolved-0


    .
    HGH is released naturally every 3 hours or so, and I think trying to manage a post workout meal to prevent that release is really not necessary and maybe a little too analytical considering the body will manage to shed fat regardless of any particular meal. imo

    I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your posts since your one of the few members that likes to talk about actual cell metabolism.
    Thank you. I can't help that I'm nerdy like that, so it's not my fault. :smile:
  • Diamond05
    Diamond05 Posts: 475 Member
    Your body doesn't make the difference in the time you eat. A calorie at 9:00 will still be a calorie at 21:00. I don't like to eat too much late , I started having acid reflux lately and I exercise at night 90% of the time and sometime an hour before bed. I do have a snack after every time to refill my protein like protein shake, cottage cheese or a can of tuna might throw in a few veggies. This eating haven't prevent me from losing weight at all.Plus I hate most of my calories from diner... Its actually a good thing to eat after a workout, so you can refuel those muscles you worked.

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