Is this myth about eating late at night true....

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  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
    The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com


    You may benefit from the below research on meal frequency. Diet induced thermogenesis is not frequency based.


    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html
    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#frequency
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    I have one golden rule for my clients when it comes to eating late... Do not eat starchy or sugary carbs. Only lean sources of protein and veggies should be eaten late in the day if fat burning is the goal. Another rule of thumb... If you're awake, you should be eating every 3 hrs, including late night, right up until the minute you go to bed. So eat away.

    You couldn't be any more wrong.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
    The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com


    You may benefit from the below research on meal frequency. Diet induced thermogenesis is not frequency based.


    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html
    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#frequency
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

    Thanks Sidesteel. Trumping bro science with actual science!
  • WendySue67
    WendySue67 Posts: 17 Member
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    I don't eat two hours before going to bed because if I do I wake up in the morning with a super foul disgusting taste in my mouth. It's disgusting...but it's the only reason.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    Given equal calorie intakes in both scenarios it is entirely false.

    ^This.

    I eat almost all my calories at night.
  • Cranktastic
    Cranktastic Posts: 1,517 Member
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    I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
    The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com

    have you studied nutrition?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I have one golden rule for my clients when it comes to eating late... Do not eat starchy or sugary carbs. Only lean sources of protein and veggies should be eaten late in the day if fat burning is the goal. Another rule of thumb... If you're awake, you should be eating every 3 hrs, including late night, right up until the minute you go to bed. So eat away.

    Why?
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com


    yeah,,,, no.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
    The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com

    This is just wrong.

    Also, personal trainers generally have very little education in nutrition. Did you study nutrition at all?
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    I have been a personal trainer and in the fitness field for over 30 years in addition to having a degree in the field. With that being said, when someone tells me that they don't eat past 6 pm, I don't buy it. Calories in have to be equal to calories out no matter what time you eat them.
    The problem with consuming them all at night is that you don't have time to use them and take advantage of them. You go throughout the day without any energy (you may feel like you have it but you could have more if you ate during the day) . Also, if you eat too many calories at once, then your body stores more as fat as it cannot handle digesting all of those calories at once.

    Finally, small meals spread throughout the day keep your metabolic rate going. If you eat the majority at night and little during the day, over time your body feels that it is in starvation mode. Hence, your metabolic rate lowers to conserve food energy that you do have in your body.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Ellen Yates
    ellen@n2shape.com
    N2SHAPE, Inc.
    n2shape.com

    Did you had a tall glass of brotein with that bro-science, bro?
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    Do not eat starchy or sugary carbs. Only lean sources of protein and veggies should be eaten late in the day if fat burning is the goal.

    why? what's the science behind this??
    If you're awake, you should be eating every 3 hrs

    again why? what's the science behind this??

    not trying to be argumentative, but i see stuff like this written all the time as if it's fact, but without any sort of supporting evidence that is not anecdotal.
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
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    Thank you everyone for you helpful replies, nice to get some advice from people in the same boat and other's tendancies. I am finding it hard because I want to lose around 8lb and because it's so small i'm trying to make little changes for it to come off and thought maybe the eating at night was stopping this but it doesn't seem right. I guess more exercise and more protein is the way forward.
    To go into a bit of detail about this idea:


    Change in fat stores is the difference between acute fat storage and acute fat oxidation. You're essentially going through periods of fat storage and fat oxidation and the difference between the two determines how much fat you gain or lose. If fat oxidation exceeds fat storage, you lose fat. If fat storage exceeds fat oxidation, you gain fat. Looking at this net difference over the course of several weeks or months is what matters. Looking at what happens overnight, or during a few hours, is very misleading and often results in people making decisions for themselves or their clients that simply isn't necessary.


    As it pertains to eating during the day or night, looking at the endpoints for purposes example:


    Suppose you eat all your calories during the day and lets further suppose that most of your intake is in the AM and none of it at night. In this example, you are blunting fat oxidation during the day and increasing fat storage during the day. You eat nothing before bed so fat storage goes down and fat oxidation goes up.


    Suppose you eat all of your calories at night: Fat storage goes up while you sleep because you've got a gut full of food. Fat oxidation drops. However, during the day (prior to you eating all your food at night) fat oxidation goes up (you're fasted) and fat storage goes down.


    The differences in fat loss or fat storage between these two scenarios will be dictated by energy balance (calories in vs calories out).


    I would suggest that people choose whatever method gives them the best:


    1) Dietary adherence (personal preference)

    2) Gym performance


    The above two factors matter a GREAT deal.


    But the other stuff, like "Oh no I'm eating a carb and then not burning off, I'll get fat!" is complete nonsense and you should ignore it.
    Thank you so much for explaining this, very helpful. :)
  • freddykid
    freddykid Posts: 265 Member
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    I am glad to see more people with my same worries about that. I haven't gained more weight when I eat late, but I feel much more guilty about it.
  • lenoresaari
    lenoresaari Posts: 500 Member
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    I have to eat when I am hungry or I can sleep; I just log it all no matter what time of day or night
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    As I posted on the other thread started today, I eat whenever. How about a cake before bed? Yes, please!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I haven't read the comments, so maybe someone already said this, but I'm pretty sure that if you eat past midnight you will turn into a gremlin.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    I am glad to see more people with my same worries about that. I haven't gained more weight when I eat late, but I feel much more guilty about it.

    never feel guilt or shame about eating. especially not WHEN you eat. your body needs fuel. would you feel guilty about fueling up your car at 9PM? then why would you feel guilty about fueling up your body at 9PM?
  • Cranktastic
    Cranktastic Posts: 1,517 Member
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    As I posted on the other thread started today, I eat whenever. How about a cake before bed? Yes, please!

    IN for cake.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    I haven't read the comments, so maybe someone already said this, but I'm, pretty sure that if you eat past midnight you will turn into a gremlin.

    i see you used your "wayback" machine for that clever comment. good job. +1

    :bigsmile:
  • dougt333
    dougt333 Posts: 697
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    Depends, the theory is if you break your fast, it's bad for you weight wise. LeanGains teaches that all your eating should be done in about an 8 hour time frame and the rest should be fasting. If your trying to avoid breaking it late night then the recommendation is to eat a high protien dinner so it digests slower and keeps you full, and also to eat a later dinner (even if this means eating a later breakfast) to keep the 8 hour rule.
    The sheer lack of sunlight while eating will not magically give the food more calories. I actually work night shift so my entire eating schedule takes place at night.

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