Should you not eat past a certain time?

Options
2

Replies

  • _Witsy_
    _Witsy_ Posts: 609 Member
    Options
    If you are hungry, eat. The time does not matter. Weight will fluctuate from day to day so those saying you eat late, and weigh more the next day...well of course...that's science. But the way you lose weight is purely through a deficit...so be cautious of that, not the time. Plus, who sleeps well when they're starving?!
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
    Options
    Eat at natural times.Your organs are "asleep" and do not function optiamal efficiency at different times.


    THIS very recent study showed mice who ate during sleeping hours BECAME OBESE WITHOUT consuming any more clasories than the control mice

    http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/11/fitzgerald/


    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101011173249.htm

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903110800.htm



    There are at least 4 other studies like this on ScienceDaily demonstrating that you can fatten mice WITHOUT feeding them any more calories. Obesity is extremely complex.

    WHEN YOU ETA MATTERS. This is the message from science.


    The commercial weight loss industry is FRAUD. The caloric hypothesis is much too simplistic to explain obesity by itself. Science does not even understand the chemical behavior of fat cell receptors.


    I am in contact with genuine obesity researchers from mainstream science.

    cool, but I'm not a mouse. I eat whenever it fits in my schedule and I've lost 130 lbs, so something is clearly working
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Options
    Eat at natural times.Your organs are "asleep" and do not function optiamal efficiency at different times.


    THIS very recent study showed mice who ate during sleeping hours BECAME OBESE WITHOUT consuming any more clasories than the control mice

    http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/11/fitzgerald/


    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101011173249.htm

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903110800.htm



    There are at least 4 other studies like this on ScienceDaily demonstrating that you can fatten mice WITHOUT feeding them any more calories. Obesity is extremely complex.

    WHEN YOU ETA MATTERS. This is the message from science.


    The commercial weight loss industry is FRAUD. The caloric hypothesis is much too simplistic to explain obesity by itself. Science does not even understand the chemical behavior of fat cell receptors.


    I am in contact with genuine obesity researchers from mainstream science.

    Good thing no one here is a mouse and therefore the above studies are not applicable. When you eat has no changes on weight loss/weight gain. There have been actual studies on humans to prove it.

    Post studies where it shows these results in people, not mice and maybe it will be credible.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Eat at natural times.
    Define "natural times". The times that humans normally eat are artificially determined by their daily schedule. I've worked mostly graveyard shift (8 pm - 6:30 am) for the better part of the last thirty years. "Natural" eating times for me were completely opposite of somebody who works a 9-5 Monday-Friday schedule.

    I could be mistaken, but I assumed that's what was meant. Eat at what is natural for you.
  • tgotthold
    tgotthold Posts: 7
    Options
    I was wondering if there is any benefit to not eating past a certain time at night...
    Yes. It's generally a good idea to ensure that the last bite is chewed and swallowed before you fall asleep, to alleviate choking hazards.

    Other than that, meal timing is irrelevant as long as you maintain a calorie deficit. Eat whenever works best for you in the context of adhering to your calorie intake, satisfying your hunger and maximizing your workout performance.

    This ^^

    If you are staying under your calorie goal, currently losing weight, and it doesn't bother you to eat late...then go for it. I wouldn't worry about meal timing unless you are trying to break through a Plateau (that works for me).
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    Options
    I don't even care. All I'm thinking of is that Aziz Ansari joke in his standup routine.

    When I'm drunk and it's 2 AM, a quesadilla tastes like the best thing ever. There's no way I'd ever give that up.
  • wrotruck
    wrotruck Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    Umm Kay... Gonna take a swing at this 'cause I don't think that everyone looking at this the same way.

    1. If your goal is weight loss, if you finish each day with a net calorie deficit you will lose weight. Period. It doesn't matter what you eat. Calories Consumed < Calories Burned always = Weight Loss. So long as you do not send your body into a "starvation mode” this will work.

    2. If your goal is body composition at a sustained weight. (ie: change my body fat percentage and not my weight.) The research in the previous post is accurate. If you have a surplus of sugars (carbs) in your system as you enter your sleep cycle your body composition can change. Even if your calories in = your calories out. That doesn't mean that you'll gain weight, it means that you run the risk of a change in body make-up.

    Yes, I said carbs... The science says eat your carbs early and your proteins late. You want your body to use the sugars during your periods of high activity and the proteins during the long fast and repair cycle. Proteins are better building blocks than sugars.

    Does this matter in a weight loss situation? It depends on your goals and expectations. Personally, I want to gain muscle while losing weight so I try and keep my dinner time carbs low and I finish each day with a Casin Protein shake (Slow release protein). I'm not losing weight as fast as I could but I am gaining the desired strength.
  • christie1124
    christie1124 Posts: 3
    Options
    Thank you everyone for all of the great info! Really appreciated.
  • BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY
    BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY Posts: 666 Member
    Options
    My teachers always got on me about eating paste at any time, but I usually ate it in the afternoon during free time.

    Oh, wait...
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
    Options
    The time to stop eating is when you've reached your calorie allotment for the day.
  • caitconquersweight
    caitconquersweight Posts: 316 Member
    Options
    Your body doesn't know or care what time it is. Eat a little every few hours, or when you're hungry.
  • JadeZaragoza
    JadeZaragoza Posts: 49
    Options
    The reason we don't tend to eat past 9 pm in our home is because we usually feel sick in the morning, it almost feels like the food didn`t go down and just stayed there, but that may just be us.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    Options
    If you have cals left, eat em! Your body doesn't say *whoops, it's 8, I have to shut down now*
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Options
    Have a pickle and some cottage cheese or yogurt if you're still hungry before bed. Or some string cheese.
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
    Options
    In general you don't want to eat right before bed - and the further from bedtime that you eat (up to a few hours) the better. But, given you are losing I wouldn't worry about it - the number of calories you eat is more important then when you eat them so if say you ate diner at 6 and used up your calories for the day and then had a snack later that pushed you over that is worse then waiting to eat until 8 and not having a snack that pushes you over. Again, since you are losing now I wouldn't worry about it. If/when you hit a plateau later maybe revisit the topic.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    Options
    In general you don't want to eat right before bed - and the further from bedtime that you eat (up to a few hours) the better...
    Why? And exactly how long before bedtime is optimal? Is 4 hours before better than 3 hours before? What about 6 hours?

    If someone goes to bed at 8:00, does that mean they shouldn't eat dinner at 6:00? What if they get off work at 5:00 and have an hour commute home and that's the only time they can eat dinner?

    What if someone gets off work at 9:00 PM and goes straight to the gym afterwards and gets home at 10:30? Should they not eat because it's too late?
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Options
    In general you don't want to eat right before bed - and the further from bedtime that you eat (up to a few hours) the better.

    Why? Unless eating at night gives you indigestion or causes sleeping problems, there's no reason not to eat at night. I eat the VAST majority (like 1000+) of my daily calories in the hour or two before and up to bedtime (carbs and all). As long as I keep to my calorie goals-I'm golden. See ticker for how that's working out for me.
  • CarlieeBear
    CarlieeBear Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    I'm sure you'll get a lot of varied answers. I don't worry about when I eat as much as what and how much. Last night my bf and I were exhausted, so slept from around 5:30 p.m. to midnight. So, we went to IHop at 1 a.m.

    In the past, I've lost weight by not eating past a certain time. My guess is that it limited how much I ate, but I'm no expert. If I'm physically hungry, I eat as long as I have calories left :-)
  • daysl33per
    daysl33per Posts: 1
    Options
    Oh my God. All these people saying that it's a myth are comepletely giving the wrong advice. I mean, it's true that your digestion doesn't slow down, but after 7pm most people are done being active for the day. Which results in not burning off as many calories from that meal as if you would have if you've eaten earlier. So it's just recommended not to eat as much carbs at night because carbs is what most people need to BURN and work off to actually lose weight. Carbs puts weight on.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    Options
    Oh my God. All these people saying that it's a myth are comepletely giving the wrong advice. I mean, it's true that your digestion doesn't slow down, but after 7pm most people are done being active for the day. Which results in not burning off as many calories from that meal as if you would have if you've eaten earlier. So it's just recommended not to eat as much carbs at night because carbs is what most people need to BURN and work off to actually lose weight. Carbs puts weight on.


    umm no

Categories