Eating late at night? Y/N? Why?

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  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    http://www.livestrong.com/article/489157-does-your-metabolism-slow-down-at-night/

    Time of Day
    The time of day may also affect your metabolism, whether you are asleep or awake. A 2011 study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University demonstrates that there is a link between your body's circadian rhythm, or the natural wake/sleep cycle that humans experience, and your metabolism. Your body is hardwired to gear down at night, which lowers your metabolism whether you are awake or asleep. A disruption in your natural wake/sleep cycle also has an effect of slowing your metabolism by causing your body to produce more hormones that are related to feelings of hunger and weight gain.


    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/489157-does-your-metabolism-slow-down-at-night/#ixzz2HxslZe00

    nowhere does that article state by how much. does it slow by 50%? or 30%? or 15%? or 5%? or 3%?

    isn't it interesting how a crucial detail like that has been omitted?

    Additionally it wouldn't matter. Even if it slowed in half and you ate all your food at night, you are then oxidizing fat during the day since you're not eating.

    Overall difference between fat storage and fat oxidation is what matters. This is controlled by energy balance.
  • glamouritz64
    glamouritz64 Posts: 85 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    I completely disagree with this statement. Every person's body composition is different, and the way our bodies breakdown calories is different. Also, depending on WHAT you eat before going to bed (and how often you do it) can be problematic.

    You can disagree, but medical conditions aside we are all very similar in the biological processes that happen. We all gain weight from energy surpluses and we all need a deficit to lose weight because thermodynamics.

    We certainly have different preferences so in that regard you might feel a certain way about when you eat, but simply put: you don't gain weight from eating at a specific time if you're eating in a calorie deficit.

    So I guess "slow metabolisms" are a myth. Gotcha.
    What does this have to do with eating at night? Yes we have different total energy requirements but this has absolutely nothing to do with nutrient timing.

    My comment regarding metabolism was in response to your comment regarding "we are all VERY (emphasis added) similar in the biological process...."

    There are many variables as to why certain things work for some people, but are detrimental to others. If our bodies worked exactly alike, then we'd all look alike if we all did the same exact things (i.e., nutrition and exercise).

    If the OP eats at night and is still losing weight, then great for the OP (or anyone else this works for). This, however, does not work for me, no matter how many deficit calories I may have for that particular day. I ALWAYS see a gain the morning, no matter what I eat, if I eat late at night.

    So, I maintain my disagreement to the sweeping statement that "Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry." This DOES NOT work for SOME people.

    Judgmental much?
  • Moviegal77
    Moviegal77 Posts: 65 Member
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    In my opinion, you should try to have your last eats about 3 hours before bed. You will have a better nights rest because your body will not be in the processing what you just ate mode. Mind you if you are truly hungry, don't suffer, eat something to tide you over.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    I completely disagree with this statement. Every person's body composition is different, and the way our bodies breakdown calories is different. Also, depending on WHAT you eat before going to bed (and how often you do it) can be problematic.

    You can disagree, but medical conditions aside we are all very similar in the biological processes that happen. We all gain weight from energy surpluses and we all need a deficit to lose weight because thermodynamics.

    We certainly have different preferences so in that regard you might feel a certain way about when you eat, but simply put: you don't gain weight from eating at a specific time if you're eating in a calorie deficit.

    So I guess "slow metabolisms" are a myth. Gotcha.
    What does this have to do with eating at night? Yes we have different total energy requirements but this has absolutely nothing to do with nutrient timing.

    My comment regarding metabolism was in response to your comment regarding "we are all VERY (emphasis added) similar in the biological process...."

    There are many variables as to why certain things work for some people, but are detrimental to others. If our bodies worked exactly alike then, we'd all look alike if we all did the same exact things.

    If the OP eats at night and is still losing weight, that great for the OP (or anyone else this works for). This, however, does not work for me, no matter how many deficit calories I may have for that particular day. I ALWAYS see a gain the morning, no matter what I eat, if I eat late at night.

    So, I maintain my disagreement to the sweeping statement that "Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry." This DOES NOT work for SOME people.

    Judgmental much?

    Why do you assume I'm judging you? I'm disagreeing with you and it isn't personal.
    If you gain weight and it is not fluid or internal contents, you are not in a deficit. It is not possible because you cannot manufacture matter out of nothing unless you are a wizard.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    i'm not trying to be snarky, but i think you're misunderstanding what "metabolism" truly means. when you breathe, you burn calories. when you keep a constant body temperature, you burn calories. there are hundreds of other chemical and biological processes (i.e. metabolic processes) going on inside your body whether you are awake or asleep, that all require energy, which is the burning of calories. these include the processes related to digestion. you spend roughly 1/3rd of your life sleeping. you burn roughly 1/3rd of your daily energy expenditure while you are sleeping. unless you believe that you stop breathing while you are asleep and that your body temperature drops to room temperature while you sleep and that all of those other constant metabolic processes come to a screeching halt while you sleep, then there's no way you can disagree with the statement you disagreed with.

    wait so you think you burn exactly the same amount of calories sleeping as you do going about your day?
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    wait so you think you burn exactly the same amount of calories sleeping as you do going about your day?

    On average, yes.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    I completely disagree with this statement. Every person's body composition is different, and the way our bodies breakdown calories is different. Also, depending on WHAT you eat before going to bed (and how often you do it) can be problematic.

    You can disagree, but medical conditions aside we are all very similar in the biological processes that happen. We all gain weight from energy surpluses and we all need a deficit to lose weight because thermodynamics.

    We certainly have different preferences so in that regard you might feel a certain way about when you eat, but simply put: you don't gain weight from eating at a specific time if you're eating in a calorie deficit.

    So I guess "slow metabolisms" are a myth. Gotcha.
    What does this have to do with eating at night? Yes we have different total energy requirements but this has absolutely nothing to do with nutrient timing.

    My comment regarding metabolism was in response to your comment regarding "we are all VERY (emphasis added) similar in the biological process...."

    There are many variables as to why certain things work for some people, but are detrimental to others. If our bodies worked exactly alike then, we'd all look alike if we all did the same exact things.

    If the OP eats at night and is still losing weight, that great for the OP (or anyone else this works for). This, however, does not work for me, no matter how many deficit calories I may have for that particular day. I ALWAYS see a gain the morning, no matter what I eat, if I eat late at night.

    So, I maintain my disagreement to the sweeping statement that "Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry." This DOES NOT work for SOME people.

    Judgmental much?

    Nothing like a passive aggressive dig at the end of a post to make sure everyone knows your level of maturity.

    FYI: "Some" people who have had gastric bypass and say things like this don't work for them are a minority, not a majority. Furthermore, based on your profile saying you feel about twenty years younger than you are, I'd say your metabolism sounds pretty good.
  • melinda3792
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    Eat all the way up to 11:59PM and then stop, any time after that you run the risk of turning into a gremlin.

    LOL!!
  • glamouritz64
    glamouritz64 Posts: 85 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    I completely disagree with this statement. Every person's body composition is different, and the way our bodies breakdown calories is different. Also, depending on WHAT you eat before going to bed (and how often you do it) can be problematic.

    You can disagree, but medical conditions aside we are all very similar in the biological processes that happen. We all gain weight from energy surpluses and we all need a deficit to lose weight because thermodynamics.

    We certainly have different preferences so in that regard you might feel a certain way about when you eat, but simply put: you don't gain weight from eating at a specific time if you're eating in a calorie deficit.

    So I guess "slow metabolisms" are a myth. Gotcha.
    What does this have to do with eating at night? Yes we have different total energy requirements but this has absolutely nothing to do with nutrient timing.

    My comment regarding metabolism was in response to your comment regarding "we are all VERY (emphasis added) similar in the biological process...."

    There are many variables as to why certain things work for some people, but are detrimental to others. If our bodies worked exactly alike then, we'd all look alike if we all did the same exact things.

    If the OP eats at night and is still losing weight, that great for the OP (or anyone else this works for). This, however, does not work for me, no matter how many deficit calories I may have for that particular day. I ALWAYS see a gain the morning, no matter what I eat, if I eat late at night.

    So, I maintain my disagreement to the sweeping statement that "Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry." This DOES NOT work for SOME people.

    Judgmental much?

    Nothing like a passive aggressive dig at the end of a post to make sure everyone knows your level of maturity.

    FYI: "Some" people who have had gastric bypass and say things like this don't work for them are a minority, not a majority. Furthermore, based on your profile saying you feel about twenty years younger than you are, I'd say your metabolism sounds pretty good.

    Well, it's a good thing I don't give a damn what people think about my maturity level, huh? Nor do I give a damn about people judging my choice to have a procedure done that has helped me achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

    Like I said...not everything works for everybody. Not even gastric bypass.

    Your comment is not meant to be constructive AT ALL. At least the dialogue between me and SideSteel pertained to the original subject. Your comment was solely meant to incite. But...you ARE only 23. So, I'll give you a pass. Stay out of grown folks' business.
  • SGT_Reg
    SGT_Reg Posts: 186 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    ^^^^True statement :)
  • BamsieEkhaya
    BamsieEkhaya Posts: 657 Member
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    Nope I'm sleeping :happy: plus a late dinner for me is 7pm, and I usually only eat after then because I'm bored, I wait an hour, if I'm still hungry I can have some crackers (I prefer dry crackers)...munchies usually happen between 2-4am so I try to sleep around 2am
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Nothing like a passive aggressive dig at the end of a post to make sure everyone knows your level of maturity.

    FYI: "Some" people who have had gastric bypass and say things like this don't work for them are a minority, not a majority. Furthermore, based on your profile saying you feel about twenty years younger than you are, I'd say your metabolism sounds pretty good.
    have you ever made a non-snarky, unsarcastic comment in your life?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    If I am hungry, I will eat something. Or I will have a cup of milk.
  • KickassAugust
    KickassAugust Posts: 1,430 Member
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    I'm a late night eater... So Yes! Sure! Make it ice cream!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry.

    I completely disagree with this statement. Every person's body composition is different, and the way our bodies breakdown calories is different. Also, depending on WHAT you eat before going to bed (and how often you do it) can be problematic.

    You can disagree, but medical conditions aside we are all very similar in the biological processes that happen. We all gain weight from energy surpluses and we all need a deficit to lose weight because thermodynamics.

    We certainly have different preferences so in that regard you might feel a certain way about when you eat, but simply put: you don't gain weight from eating at a specific time if you're eating in a calorie deficit.

    So I guess "slow metabolisms" are a myth. Gotcha.
    What does this have to do with eating at night? Yes we have different total energy requirements but this has absolutely nothing to do with nutrient timing.

    My comment regarding metabolism was in response to your comment regarding "we are all VERY (emphasis added) similar in the biological process...."

    There are many variables as to why certain things work for some people, but are detrimental to others. If our bodies worked exactly alike then, we'd all look alike if we all did the same exact things.

    If the OP eats at night and is still losing weight, that great for the OP (or anyone else this works for). This, however, does not work for me, no matter how many deficit calories I may have for that particular day. I ALWAYS see a gain the morning, no matter what I eat, if I eat late at night.

    So, I maintain my disagreement to the sweeping statement that "Time of day has nothing to do with it. If you have calories left, eat if you're hungry." This DOES NOT work for SOME people.

    Judgmental much?

    Why do you assume I'm judging you? I'm disagreeing with you and it isn't personal.
    If you gain weight and it is not fluid or internal contents, you are not in a deficit. It is not possible because you cannot manufacture matter out of nothing unless you are a wizard.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

    Wizadry!

    Yes, I used to believe that my issues were because of my food timing, but what I realized is that it's not that I ate, or what I ate, but how much I was eating. I'm a late day snacker and if I'm not careful my 200 calorie snack can easily turn into a 7 serving bag of chips. You're metabolism doesn't drop at night in a way that has any real impact (but if it makes you feel better then eat a hot pepper before bed, the indiscernible increase from the pepper may outweigh the indiscernible decrease of laying instead of sitting . . . added bonus it may help you void all that extra weight in the morning).
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Nothing like a passive aggressive dig at the end of a post to make sure everyone knows your level of maturity.

    FYI: "Some" people who have had gastric bypass and say things like this don't work for them are a minority, not a majority. Furthermore, based on your profile saying you feel about twenty years younger than you are, I'd say your metabolism sounds pretty good.
    have you ever made a non-snarky, unsarcastic comment in your life?

    Is "non-snarky, unsarcastic" considered a double negative? Let me think this one through.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
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    I don't eat at all before I go to bed because my body completely shuts down when I sleep. I mean it. It goes into a metabolic coma, I burn no calories, and I wake up much heavier every day. That's why I don't weigh myself in the morning; I gain a tremendous amount of weight the night before because my body did absolutely no burning of fat or calories. It was completely shut down.

    lol

    Unless you die every night, I can assure you this does not happen.

    Perhaps I do. La petite mort.

    La petite mort? If that happens while you're sleeping then you're a very lucky girl indeed!
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    i'm not trying to be snarky, but i think you're misunderstanding what "metabolism" truly means. when you breathe, you burn calories. when you keep a constant body temperature, you burn calories. there are hundreds of other chemical and biological processes (i.e. metabolic processes) going on inside your body whether you are awake or asleep, that all require energy, which is the burning of calories. these include the processes related to digestion. you spend roughly 1/3rd of your life sleeping. you burn roughly 1/3rd of your daily energy expenditure while you are sleeping. unless you believe that you stop breathing while you are asleep and that your body temperature drops to room temperature while you sleep and that all of those other constant metabolic processes come to a screeching halt while you sleep, then there's no way you can disagree with the statement you disagreed with.

    wait so you think you burn exactly the same amount of calories sleeping as you do going about your day?

    no, you probably burn at a slightly lower rate because your body is at rest while you are asleep and some of your metabolic processes will be affected due to that rest state, but i don't think it would be a significant decrease from your waking hours. keep in mind i'm not talking about energy expended from movement while awake vs. asleep (such as arm or leg movement and things like that). i'm talking about things such as respiration, brain activity, etc. probably alot of processes such as these are affected in a minor way that could be measured and could be added together to see a change in overall energy expenditure rate that is lower by a number on the order 10% or so.

    i would expect something like that to be plausible. but when you run the numbers for most people, we're probably talking 10-20 calories per hour. that's my guess.

    however, if you believe that it's much higher than that and have something other than broscience to support your belief, feel free to enlighten me.
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
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    First, no it doesn't matter when you eat.

    That said, people who eat in the evening often give in to mindless grazing and exceed their calorie needs. That's what causes a problem. Solution: Plan a snack in the evening and allow for it in your calories. I have a snack every evening. Either I plan it and it's no problem or I fail to plan it and then fail my plan
  • merzback
    merzback Posts: 453 Member
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    As a general rule I won't eat after 6pm, it seems my body stores it and I always gain weight...but that is me, and it may just be my perception, I don't really know, but I stick with my rule as best I can.

    This is really ridiculous for someone who doesn't go to bed until midnight. If someone has geniune hunger pangs, there's nothing wrong with eating healthy an hour or so before bedtime.