mixed reviews on eating after 8pm...

2»

Replies

  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    That "rule" was created to help prevent people from snacking mindlessly late night. I waited tables for YEARS and ate dinner at 10,11, 12 or even 1 at night (bartender and cocktail waitress at a sports bar). Didn't matter at all what time I ate. Now I eat around 7-8 since I am up at 6am every morning and am usually STARVING by the time I finish with my workout around 6-6:30. honestly as long are you are within your calorie goal you'll be fine, so if you're hungry, then eat, simple
  • ThatDarnZach
    ThatDarnZach Posts: 52 Member
    I've always wondered about this and tried to follow advice SOMEWHAT close to this (more on the "don't eat too soon before bed" train) but it's sometimes not possible. If I'm starving before bed, I need to eat something! I've never had a problem. I say just use your own judgment and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
  • nicholettebell
    nicholettebell Posts: 414
    I eat when I'm hungry. It doesn't matter what time it is.
  • arnoswife
    arnoswife Posts: 228 Member
    your body has no clock, it can not tell time! Eat when you want mostly, however I normally will stop eating 2 hours prior to bed just for digestion and fear of heartburn!!
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Well for one thing, your body won't go into starvation mode after 12 hours. Your body only starts hanging onto calories like that after prolonged lack of food- think weeks, or maybe even months for some people.

    And your body doesn't magically turn into a fat producing machine as soon as you go to sleep. Sure, you're not burning a ton of calories, but there is some roll over. There's a reason distance runners carb load for several days before a big race- they need to start building up stores of food. Most distance runners rely on carbs, not fat to power their runs, so it's not like eating a big bowl of pasta the day before a race is going to make them fat. They'll still be able to access that energy. Make sense?

    Eat whenever you want. I eat, sometimes right before bed, and I lost and am maintaining my weight just fine. If you are hungry, give your body what it needs.
  • angelalf1979
    angelalf1979 Posts: 244 Member
    The whole not eating after 8 thing is a load of bull. I go to sleep at midnight. If I don't eat after 8, I'm going to eat my damn pillow. :laugh:
  • xsabrinalynn
    xsabrinalynn Posts: 146 Member
    I eat when I'm hungry! If it's after 8 so be it! As long as you're exercising, I don't see the big deal on eating whenever you please.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    unless you swallow a clock, your stomach has no idea what time it is....


    ...so just don't swallow a clock and you'll be fine...


    (lol I almost left the "L" out of clock...that would have made for an awesome typo....)
  • theartichoke
    theartichoke Posts: 816 Member
    If you want to eat all of your 1500 (or whatever your goal is) calories 10 minutes before you go to bed then do it. You won't magically gain weight in a deficit. Meal timing is completely irrelevant. Starvation mode is something most of us on MFP wouldn't encounter in 3 lifetimes. Maybe metabolic adaptation is what you mean. Research that term instead (it's not the scary monster people make it out to be).
  • tlblood
    tlblood Posts: 473 Member
    I can't remember where I saw this, but "they" said that the time you eat makes no difference, the whole calories in vs. calories out thing. Your body can't tell time.

    However, "they" still recommended not eating too soon before bed, because if your body is digesting food while you sleep, it won't be a very restful sleep.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    If you want to eat all of your 1500 (or whatever your goal is) calories 10 minutes before you go to bed then do it. You won't magically gain weight in a deficit. Meal timing is completely irrelevant. Starvation mode is something most of us on MFP wouldn't encounter in 3 lifetimes. Maybe metabolic adaptation is what you mean. Research that term instead (it's not the scary monster people make it out to be).

    yay for the voice of reason, and the best answer on this thread...
    :drinker:
  • razzlinroses
    razzlinroses Posts: 3 Member
    Hi there! At night I normally go to bed between 10pm & 11pm. In the morning I get up between 7am & 8am. Normally I don't eat after 7:00pm. During the day I eat lite breakfast, lunch & dinner with some occasional healthy snacks in between but not always. Drink lots of filtered water and some Crystal Lite..

    Occasionally when I have special events with my husband, families & friends, sometimes we'll eat dinnet late after 8pm, When that happens, I notice when i go to weigh myself in the morning, I gain a few pounds back, ugh. So I try not to nag my hubby, families & friends to try and plan the dinner before 7pm for special occasions too but often it doesn't work that way as I hope. On normal days, we'll eat & finish dinner before 7pm.

    Penny
  • mandiibayybee
    mandiibayybee Posts: 53
    Thanks everyone!
  • Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt
    Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt Posts: 226 Member
    I'm a night owl too, and my trainer said it was ok to eat later IF it was low in fat, wasn't full of carbs, and if I didn't eat anything within 2 hrs. of bedtime. No carbs after 7 was the general rule, and while its a hard one to stick to at first, it did make a difference pretty quickly on the scale.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    and my trainer said it was ok to eat later IF it was low in fat, wasn't full of carbs, and if I didn't eat anything within 2 hrs. of bedtime. No carbs after 7 was the general rule,


    your trainer is full of broscience...
  • cbevan1229
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
    The last thing I eat every day (drink really) is a glass of whole milk - about 150 cals worth, in the 20 minutes before I turn in for the night. Lots of nights I don't eat dinner until after 8, have a snack around 10, and go to bed between 11 and 12. I've been losing at a nice steady pace - it hasn't slowed my progress in the least. I don't put much stock in eating by the clock.
  • george29223
    george29223 Posts: 556 Member
    the only reason you dont eat after ten is the nom nom nom noises keeps everyone else awake
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 274 Member
    i don't think it matters really.
    i j ust know that you are suppose to eat a certain amount of hours before sleeping.
    because if you eat too close to sleeping, you will not get the sleep you need, especially if you're working out and trying to lose weight.
    your body will be too concentrated on digesting.
    so it's not completely "rested", whereas if you eat i think it is 3 hours before sleep, i could be wrong, your body is completely rested and you go into a better rested sleep.
    that's all i've heard, do not know if it is true.
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Hi there! At night I normally go to bed between 10pm & 11pm. In the morning I get up between 7am & 8am. Normally I don't eat after 7:00pm. During the day I eat lite breakfast, lunch & dinner with some occasional healthy snacks in between but not always. Drink lots of filtered water and some Crystal Lite..

    Occasionally when I have special events with my husband, families & friends, sometimes we'll eat dinnet late after 8pm, When that happens, I notice when i go to weigh myself in the morning, I gain a few pounds back, ugh. So I try not to nag my hubby, families & friends to try and plan the dinner before 7pm for special occasions too but often it doesn't work that way as I hope. On normal days, we'll eat & finish dinner before 7pm.

    Penny
    The real solution is to just not weigh yourself the morning after a special event :flowerforyou:
    Really, it doesn't matter what time you eat. If you're noticing an uptick on the scale the next day, it's just water weight.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    and my trainer said it was ok to eat later IF it was low in fat, wasn't full of carbs, and if I didn't eat anything within 2 hrs. of bedtime. No carbs after 7 was the general rule,


    your trainer is full of broscience...

    Agreed.

    And this is where I'd insert my "eat a dick" advice. It's also low in carbs.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    <<< fasts for about 16-18hrs a day. (muscles haven't fallen off & not dead yet)


    Quite often eating last meal of the day in bed. (doesn't magically wake up fat)
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    and my trainer said it was ok to eat later IF it was low in fat, wasn't full of carbs, and if I didn't eat anything within 2 hrs. of bedtime. No carbs after 7 was the general rule,


    your trainer is full of broscience...

    Agreed.

    And this is where I'd insert my "eat a dick" advice. It's also low in carbs.

    haha! see the middle of page 2...I specifically advised AGAINST swallowing a c(L)ock...
  • sherylawalker
    sherylawalker Posts: 8
    I don't think it matters overall. Esp if you are eating healthy food. My late night indulgences tend to be desert. I just hate the morning after weigh in when the scale goes up...sure it goes back down eventually though. I would also significantly up your water intake in the evening/ night hours because it may be thirst instead of hunger.

Categories