Not eating after 5pm... does this work?

Kirst30
Kirst30 Posts: 27
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Although in my case I would probably try 7pm, on the basis that it's a real miracle if I get to sleep before midnight, ha ha!

Does anyone have any thoughts about this method? Any success stories?

Kirsty xxx
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Replies

  • lemonllama
    lemonllama Posts: 124 Member
    I think it works!! For a week or so I ate dinner at about 5pm (instead of 7-8) and then would try to go to bed early (thanks tylenol pm!) and i lost a lot of weight that week!! Then I got back in the habit of eating at 730ish, which is better then 9 I guess!! but lately i've been trying to eat my main meal by 5:30 pm, and if im hungry later maybe a light snack by 730- then just water, i seem to notice it on the scale more when I do!
  • pinkygirl1223
    pinkygirl1223 Posts: 5
    I've read that it doesn't matter when you eat its the amount of calories. I have to stop eating 3 hours before bed because of acid reflux. I hope this helps :)
  • tnmomma32010
    tnmomma32010 Posts: 7
    I don't get home from work until almost 6 pm, but I do try not to snack at night. I will eat dinner of course, but I try not to snack or drink anything (except for water) after dinner. In my experience, I tend to gain weight more if I am munching in the evenings.
  • oEmmao
    oEmmao Posts: 466 Member
    the reason that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is because you may not have eaten for 8-12 hours, and this puts pressure on you pancreas, from what my health lecturer has told me

    your body works overtime as you have not eaten in so long, so its important to have a good brekkie

    so if you are not eating from 5pm, you may not be eating for 12-16 hours and i think this is too long as you body is under pressure

    someone else might know all the technical jargon, but i think this is the idea :heart:

    calories are calories so i dont think it makes much difference, unless you eat like 20 minutes before you go to bed, i think maybe leave an hour in between, this is enough

    :flowerforyou:
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    I've read that it doesn't matter when you eat its the amount of calories. I have to stop eating 3 hours before bed because of acid reflux. I hope this helps :)

    I've been told the same thing. My Dr. said that it's more about WHAT most people tend to eat after 7pm...I know I'm much more prone to grabbing some ice cream or chips or something that's chock full of empty calories than carrot sticks or celery when I'm munching at night. I also know that I do my night time eating in front of the TV, when it's SO easy to eat a whole roll of thin mints or an entire bag of chips without even realizing it.
  • quinnybear
    quinnybear Posts: 243
    I've read that it doesn't matter when you eat its the amount of calories. I have to stop eating 3 hours before bed because of acid reflux. I hope this helps :)

    my mom's a dietitian. it doesn't matter the time you eat. its about eating 5-6 smaller meals spaced throughout the entire day rather than 3 large meals. keep your body supplied with steady/constant nutrition.
  • get_fit2009
    get_fit2009 Posts: 827 Member
    It certainly helps me to sleep better when I am not full at bedtime. Better sleep = more energy to get in my workouts. :smile:
  • LivyJo
    LivyJo Posts: 355 Member
    I've heard it doesn't matter what time, but that calories are calories. I try to eat around 7ish (sometimes its later) and then have a later snack of popcorn (100 cal bag) and I always end my day with hot herbal tea w/ splenda. gives me a little sweet before bed, and its great for digestion.
  • exermom
    exermom Posts: 6,550 Member
    I think everyone is an individual. Some people it doesn't bother if they eat after 5p.m. Now me, I know my body well enough to know that if I eat later at night, I will show a gain the next day. Usually not much, but a gain all the same. That's just me. Try not eating one night after 5 and then weigh youself the next day. The next night have something to eat after 5 and weigh yourself the next day, see what your body is like.
  • rubyredrage
    rubyredrage Posts: 3
    I totally agree with red01angel! I think it's because by that time of night you are most likely to have already used up your calories for the day so you could go over easily, and really, who craves a salad and beans at 9pm, it's all about chocolate and chips!

    About the sleep thing - I really think working with your body's natural rhythms aids weight loss. I vaguely remember reading something about hormone levels such as serotonin and melotonin affecting how much energy your body uses and stores, and those hormones are affected by sunlight/darkness. Personally, going to bed earlier has made a huge difference for me with weight loss. Because I'm on 1200 a day (plus exercise calories) if I have a low cal dinner at 6 and stay up until 12 I am going to bed hungry and find it difficult to sleep, so it works for me to go to bed earlier.
    Just as a side note, my friends and I have been all trying to go to bed earlier and some have been struggling because they are just not tired at 10pm. I was feeling the same but when I started turning off the computer at 7 and putting it away I noticed a huge difference! Apparently the brightness of the screen can really mess with your melatonin levels (which help you sleep).
    So if anyone is in the same position I suggest turning the computer and tv off a few hours earlier and see if you notice a difference.
  • dukelarue
    dukelarue Posts: 1
    Yes and no. 1: It depends on what you eat throughout the day, obviously. If you eat garbage up until twilight it doesn't matter what time of day you eat unless you train like a professional athlete and require a caloric intake of 5500-6500 like NFL wide receivers and defensive backs intake. 2: Italians and Spaniards eat dinner around 9-10 pm on a consistent basis and, while there are fat people all over the world, they are by far leaner people than Americans on the whole. I know this because I lived in Italy for 4 years.

    It's not what time you eat, it's WHAT you eat and how much you eat of it. Moderation in everything.

    The term "diet" is used to sell products. What loosing weight requires is not a diet, but a lifestyle change. Improve your eating habits and you improve yourself. It requires sacrifice and self discipline which, let's face it, a lot of people do not have. In a society of instant gratification people are constantly looking for the magic pill that will allow the to continue to hit up the drive through at The King, The Clown,and The Colonel (Burger King, McDonalds, and KFC) because it would be easy.

    The excuse that someone may have a medical condition that causes them to gain weight is just that, an excuse. Yes, there are some conditions where an individual's body may retain sugars or a thyroid, or whatever else midnight weight loss pill commercials are telling people they should ask their doctor about. In this case, these individuals need to take greater steps to insure they eat right. So the late night eating theory should be thrown out the window. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Those are the magic pills that will help you bring sexy back.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    It doesn't matter when you eat. It doesn't matter what you eat. For weight loss, it's calories in/calories out.....Period.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I think everyone is an individual. Some people it doesn't bother if they eat after 5p.m. Now me, I know my body well enough to know that if I eat later at night, I will show a gain the next day. Usually not much, but a gain all the same. That's just me. Try not eating one night after 5 and then weigh youself the next day. The next night have something to eat after 5 and weigh yourself the next day, see what your body is like.

    Well, it is not a fat gain so I do not really see the reason for doing this. Actually it seems a bit silly as it would be considered a normal, daily fluctuation which is, again, NORMAL.

    Meal timing and frequency have NO impact on metabolic weight or weight loss. Just ignore those myths. You can eat in bed if you want. You can skip meals if you want. You could eat all your calories in one meal minutes before bed and you will STILL lose weight. Why? Because you are restricting your calories.

    It really is that easy.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I think it works!! For a week or so I ate dinner at about 5pm (instead of 7-8) and then would try to go to bed early (thanks tylenol pm!) and i lost a lot of weight that week!! Then I got back in the habit of eating at 730ish, which is better then 9 I guess!! but lately i've been trying to eat my main meal by 5:30 pm, and if im hungry later maybe a light snack by 730- then just water, i seem to notice it on the scale more when I do!

    perhaps a drop in the scale in this situation is more to do with going to bed early and getting a better nights rest!! people underestimate the importance of sleep in regards to weight loss. not eating too close to bed time may make sleep better too as your body wont be digesting what you've just eaten...

    eat when you like!! my biggest meal is dinner. after 7. it's not going to make me fat...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    the reason that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is because you may not have eaten for 8-12 hours, and this puts pressure on you pancreas, from what my health lecturer has told me

    your body works overtime as you have not eaten in so long, so its important to have a good brekkie

    so if you are not eating from 5pm, you may not be eating for 12-16 hours and i think this is too long as you body is under pressure

    someone else might know all the technical jargon, but i think this is the idea :heart:

    calories are calories so i dont think it makes much difference, unless you eat like 20 minutes before you go to bed, i think maybe leave an hour in between, this is enough

    :flowerforyou:

    Ask your health lecturer where they got this from. This makes no sense, especially when you actually are required to fast when you have issues with your pancreas.
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    It works for some people, particularly those who have a tendency to eat a lot in the evenings. It has no metabolic basis, but rather restricts the number of calories that evening eaters can consume in a day. Same as 'no carbs after 6pm'. It doesn't matter what time you eat, or whether you want to eat all of your calories in a 20 minute session per day, the important thing is that you are maintaining an overall deficit (well, if your goal is to lose weight anyway).

    For me it wouldn't work, because I tend to save up calories for dinner and if I applied that rule to me I'd struggle to consume more than 500 per day.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    No, no it does not.

    Your body is not on a precise 24 hour clock.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I lost 312 lbs. taking a 500 calorie snack (usually chocolate) into bed with me every night (and still do). Meal Frequency has absolutely no bearing on Weight Loss..... Eat whenever you can fit it in and allows you to adhere to your caloric intake and hitting your macros needs..... Best of Luck
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    I eat nearly half my calories within 2 hours of going to bed. Meal timing doesn't matter in the slightest. It's all about what works for you to hit your goal most days.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    Make it easy on yourself. Eat when you want, just stay in a daily caloric deficit and you'll lose. Night time is the slow time for me and that's when I tend to eat. So I eat much less during the day, knowing that I will stuff my face after dark. I lost plenty of weight doing that and have managed to keep it off following the same strategy

    In addition, smaller more frequent meals are fine, but don't feel obligated to do that. Some people may feel like they're denying themselves if they just nibble. If I ate like a bird all day long I would be less satisfied than eating fewer large meals. I actually like that "I'm stuffed" feeling.
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    Most of my calories are eaten between 5pm and 10pm. I eat light while at work because I work outside and it is a physical job which for me doesn't mix well with large meals. I have a large dinner and snack before bed. Meal timing doesn't matter. Eat at times that work for you. If I stopped eating by 5pm I would not be able to eat enough to sustain my activity level which would be detrimental to my goals just like eating too much would be detrimental to my goals.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I've read that it doesn't matter when you eat its the amount of calories. I have to stop eating 3 hours before bed because of acid reflux. I hope this helps :)

    my mom's a dietitian. it doesn't matter the time you eat. its about eating 5-6 smaller meals spaced throughout the entire day rather than 3 large meals. keep your body supplied with steady/constant nutrition.

    Half of this is correct- and I'm not sure how you can actually type those two sentences next to each other because they are completely contradictory. It's like saying jumbo shrimp- it's just illogical.

    It doesn't matter when you eat.

    And it doesn't matter if you eat 5-6 small meals either.

    If you want to eat all 2000 of your calories for breakfast- fine- go for it. If you want to eat all 2000 for dinner- fine go for it.

    You get XXXX calories- to consume in a 24 hr period of time. do it how it makes sense to you to do it. I personally eat toward the second half of the day- I usually have a late breakfast- a lunch, a 3-4 PM snack, and then I have a 6 PM snack and a huge meal when I get home at 1130 PM. it works for me


    If NOT eating after 5 PM works for you- go with it.
  • DMZ_1
    DMZ_1 Posts: 2,889 Member
    Calories in vs calories out, that's what matters.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Ridiculous. And I have a job - I'm at work at 5pm. These people who don't eat after 5 have too much free time on their hands.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    Calories can't tell time.


    And if I go to bed hungry, my stomach gets angry around 3AM and wakes me up demanding food.
  • DaveneGfit
    DaveneGfit Posts: 338 Member
    the reason that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is because you may not have eaten for 8-12 hours, and this puts pressure on you pancreas, from what my health lecturer has told me

    your body works overtime as you have not eaten in so long, so its important to have a good brekkie

    so if you are not eating from 5pm, you may not be eating for 12-16 hours and i think this is too long as you body is under pressure

    someone else might know all the technical jargon, but i think this is the idea :heart:

    calories are calories so i dont think it makes much difference, unless you eat like 20 minutes before you go to bed, i think maybe leave an hour in between, this is enough

    :flowerforyou:

    Ask your health lecturer where they got this from. This makes no sense, especially when you actually are required to fast when you have issues with your pancreas.

    Yeah i was wondering the same thing
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    If you eat more calories before 5 pm than you burned that day, it will not work.
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    The time of day you eat your food has such and incredibly small amount to do with weightloss. It's not even worth fussing over. Just maintain your deficit and ensure you are getting your macro and micro nutrients.
  • pierrena
    pierrena Posts: 37
    "The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
    ― Ann Wigmore
  • abickford82
    abickford82 Posts: 207
    I try to as much as possible, but I've eaten a banana to help me go to sleep and it doesn't seem to do too much harm carb-wise. It's more important to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep than not eating after a certain time.
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