Eating after a certain time at night...

annamika510
annamika510 Posts: 30 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone stop eating after a certain time before going to bed at night? I find that right before I go to bed I want to eat a lot. But I have heard that one should stop eating after 6pm/ various other times to loose weight. What is everyones take on this? Is it a good thing? Does it help?

Replies

  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    I generally stop eating around 7pm - that gives me a couple of hours before I go to bed to digest my dinner.

    If eat before going to bed I either can't go to sleep or I sleep really poorly.
    It is a matter of getting used to it - I used to eat all evening.
  • courtneyjadee
    courtneyjadee Posts: 3
    In a matter of weight loss it doesnt matter what time you stop eating, you food in the end adds up to a total throughout the day and it has no impact on you weight. you maybe heavier in the morning but thats only because your food hasn't digested compared to if you have eaten it earlier.
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    The nutrition plan at our local hospital recommends 3 graham crackers and a cup of milk at bedtime. I think it is primarily for diabetic purposes - to keep the sugar steady.
  • srm1960
    srm1960 Posts: 281 Member
    :blushing: This is my biggest prob-It always has been-when my kids were young, it was my reward in the evening-but seriously i am trying to stop after 9:00 or 10:00-I'm trying to have a cup of tea to signal myself the kitchen is closed-In my OPINION (don't want to get slammed here)-its best not to eat late-you don't have a chance to burn it off late @ night-
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    Calories can't tell time. Most evenings of the year I spent losing weight (I'm now in maintenance) I had a 300 calorie snack about 30 minutes before bed... generally peanut butter and jelly on an English muffin. I can't sleep if I'm hungry so I had to make this part of my food routine.

    For some people, eating before bed gives them indigestion, so naturally that has to be factored in. But if you don't have any issues there, then it's really personal preference.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    As long as you're staying within your calorie goals, it doesn't matter what time you eat.
    /thread
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Does anyone stop eating after a certain time before going to bed at night? I find that right before I go to bed I want to eat a lot. But I have heard that one should stop eating after 6pm/ various other times to loose weight. What is everyones take on this? Is it a good thing? Does it help?
    I try to at least chew and swallow the last bite before falling asleep - keeps you from choking.

    Meal timing is completely irrelevant as far as weight loss goes. Your metabolism works 24 hours a day (yes, even while you're sleeping). If there are other reasons (indigestion, discomfort, etc.) that make a person choose to stop eating earlier, nothing whatsoever wrong with that - but there's no "magic hour" to stop eating that will help or hurt weight loss.
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    When I brush my teeth, I quit eating for the night. That is my "kitchen closed" signal.
  • GMorrisUK
    GMorrisUK Posts: 64 Member
    Ben Davis always says, "Nothing good happens in the kitchen after 8pm.." I am sure it is a generalisation but I for one feel I sleep better and wake more refreshed if I dont eat or drink too late.

    The worst thing is the "midnigh snack..." - try and avoid at all costs!

    Best of luck!
  • Dave619
    Dave619 Posts: 1 Member
    I don't know about losing weight, but my sleep is SO much better if I stop eating at 6pm and give a few hours to digest than if I have a late meal. No gastric problems at all if I give my body enough time before bed.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    It doesn't matter - there used to be a myth floating around that you keep extra calories if you ate before bed - but its not true. If you don't get acid reflux if you lie down after eating - then go ahead and eat.
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    When I brush my teeth, I quit eating for the night. That is my "kitchen closed" signal.

    Me too, until i wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep...that's when the snacking begins....
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Does anyone stop eating after a certain time before going to bed at night? I find that right before I go to bed I want to eat a lot. But I have heard that one should stop eating after 6pm/ various other times to loose weight. What is everyones take on this? Is it a good thing? Does it help?
    I try to at least chew and swallow the last bite before falling asleep - keeps you from choking.

    Meal timing is completely irrelevant as far as weight loss goes. Your metabolism works 24 hours a day (yes, even while you're sleeping). If there are other reasons (indigestion, discomfort, etc.) that make a person choose to stop eating earlier, nothing whatsoever wrong with that - but there's no "magic hour" to stop eating that will help or hurt weight loss.

    That is why ice-cream is good to have in bed - no choking.

    Oh, and ^^this
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    When I brush my teeth, I quit eating for the night. That is my "kitchen closed" signal.

    Me too, until i wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep...that's when the snacking begins....

    lol...to funny! So what causes you to wake up? I usually stay asleep once I go down for the night....
  • amruden
    amruden Posts: 228 Member
    Does anyone stop eating after a certain time before going to bed at night? I find that right before I go to bed I want to eat a lot. But I have heard that one should stop eating after 6pm/ various other times to loose weight. What is everyones take on this? Is it a good thing? Does it help?
    I try to at least chew and swallow the last bite before falling asleep - keeps you from choking.

    Meal timing is completely irrelevant as far as weight loss goes. Your metabolism works 24 hours a day (yes, even while you're sleeping). If there are other reasons (indigestion, discomfort, etc.) that make a person choose to stop eating earlier, nothing whatsoever wrong with that - but there's no "magic hour" to stop eating that will help or hurt weight loss.

    That is why ice-cream is good to have in bed - no choking.

    Oh, and ^^this

    And ice cream does not leave crumbs in the bed. *glares at boyfriend who is eating chips in bed*
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    From a weight loss perspective, you will not find a significant difference in weight gain or loss related to meal timing. You may find a short term gain in the AM weigh in if you weigh daily, but this will be water and bulk and not a true fat gain. It may have some mild glycemic effect but I really don't think you will find a significant difference on the long term. That being said, froma digestive standpoint and ability to rest, etc, I would encourage you to not eat heavily right before bed.. Then again, if you are hungry, I would eat a little something to keep you from being up all night and not resting well.
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    Time of eating doesn't affect weight loss.
    It is recommended to eat your dinner 2-3hrs before going to bed. It improves digestion. You will generally sleep better too, because you're body can rest instead of focusing on digestion. Note digestion slows down at night in relation to circadian rhythms.
  • roiLEI1554
    roiLEI1554 Posts: 143
    i agree with those that say it doesnt matter
    i think its most important to get your body accustomed to eating at a regular schedule so that it expects food at a certain time; eating regularly is more important than eating late or early
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    When I brush my teeth, I quit eating for the night. That is my "kitchen closed" signal.

    Me too, until i wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep...that's when the snacking begins....

    lol...to funny! So what causes you to wake up? I usually stay asleep once I go down for the night....

    I seem to wake up when I try to hit the hay too early. Like tonight, I went to bed much earlier than usual because I have to get up early....but now i'm up again in the middle of the night so lot of good it did me.....

    Just had some pretzels so yeah, clearly i'm ok with eating anytime of the night or day :)
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    Time of eating doesn't affect weight loss.
    It is recommended to eat your dinner 2-3hrs before going to bed. It improves digestion. You will generally sleep better too, because you're body can rest instead of focusing on digestion. Note digestion slows down at night in relation to circadian rhythms.

    This doesn't work for me. After several hours with no food I usually get hungry, that will keep me up for days. I can't fall asleep when i'm hungry.
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    @marvybells - Going to bed too early has never been a problem for me! Night owl all the way. But I can brush my teeth at 9pm and still be up at 2 am and not hungry. Maybe I am just to lazy to get up and grab a snack. I also don't like eating in the bed....maybe that's part of it.

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