Do times of meals/exercise affect weight loss?

I was just thinking about my iifestyle and I eat breakast, a light lunch ie soup etc and a larger but healthy dinner. I do almost all my exercise during the day. I was just pondering whether it would make any difference switching my larger meal to my lunchtime and the lighter one to the evening one? Basically, I am pretty much sedentary in the evenings so worry that the dinner will just 'sit' there! Or am I talking rubbish?!

Replies

  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Your bodily functions(like digestion) work 24/7, 365... It's not like they magically shut just because you are not moving after dinner.

    Your dinner will digest just like all other meals, and when you weigh in the morning, unless you ate a high sodium meal, should reflect a downward loss on the scale.
  • trytbfit
    trytbfit Posts: 14 Member
    I have read you should eat your higher calories in the day, so try switching it up and see if it help you.
  • patentguru
    patentguru Posts: 312 Member
    Overall fat loss- doesn't matter when you eat- just eat less calories than burn for the time period you are looking to lose, i.e. day, week, month, etc.

    However, what you eat and quantity will greatly affect exercise. Long cardio especially. If you eat junk, especially no good carbs, you will have no energy. Further, if you spike your insulin spike before starting the cardio, it will be very difficult because during an insulin spike the body is removing carbs (sugar) from the bloodstream and making fat-and when you start the cardio the body will have to reverse to making sugar to fuel the muscles during cardio which feels like crap-no fun. Careful what you eat before cardio (i.e. apple, bananna immediately before cardio). In general, low glycemic carbs throughout the day, high glycemic carbs during cardio and maybe right after a hard lift.
    I was just thinking about my iifestyle and I eat breakast, a light lunch ie soup etc and a larger but healthy dinner. I do almost all my exercise during the day. I was just pondering whether it would make any difference switching my larger meal to my lunchtime and the lighter one to the evening one? Basically, I am pretty much sedentary in the evenings so worry that the dinner will just 'sit' there! Or am I talking rubbish?!
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
    I have reflux and was told to try not to eat before bed if possible but I have found it very difficult to keep that consistently. With reflux it's more that the acid from the food can travel back up and give heartburn or throat pain.

    However, aside from that I don't think it makes a difference. The dinner may "sit" there but I think it's more on how it feels in the stomach than making a difference in weight loss. As other poster said things like sodium and when you last went to the bathroom (etc) can make a diff on the scale, but there is nothing innately different about nighttime than day.

    Sometimes if I know I will have a big dinner I eat slightly lighter during the day... Other than that if you have something that is working for you, I don't think there's a reason to change it.
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
    Eat when you're hungry, don't eat when you're not, & I can't think of any time that's not a good time to exercise. Unless you have some diagnosed medical problem that prevents you from doing those things, any time is a good time. It's just about what you do within your time.
  • patentguru
    patentguru Posts: 312 Member
    I had major acid reflux problem and was on previcid for almost a year. I thought I was going to be on it forever. I was told the same thing, that I had a bad valve at the top of the stomach that did not close and if I ate before laying down I would vomit.

    I had huge reflux issues and would wake up with a mouthful. I did not want to be on the previcid because of the long term health issues with digestion. So I started experimenting with different foods. The food diary gives great feedback on this issue.

    I noticed the acid reflux was really bad with pizza before bed. Everyone said it was the acidic tomato sauce. So one day I ate an entire jar of hot salsa before bed. No acid reflux-so not tomato or hot pepper problem- not an acid problem which makes sense since even with an empty stomach- there is acid present and no reflux problem.

    I then tried cheese before bed- again no reflux problem.

    I tried the pizza crust- huge reflux problem. I then thought gluten problem. However, I also ruled out gluten by eating gluten (beer) before bed- no reflux. Something besides the gluten in the bread was causing the reflux- after testing-it is all types of bread for me are out.

    I have been off the acid reducers for over three years no and only had a few problems when I gave in and ate flour before bed.

    You may want try experimenting with different foods to see what is causing your reflux. Your body is telling you it does not like a particular food item you are eating. If you get pissed at my preaching here just tell me and I won't bother you.

    I have reflux and was told to try not to eat before bed if possible but I have found it very difficult to keep that consistently. With reflux it's more that the acid from the food can travel back up and give heartburn or throat pain.

    However, aside from that I don't think it makes a difference. The dinner may "sit" there but I think it's more on how it feels in the stomach than making a difference in weight loss. As other poster said things like sodium and when you last went to the bathroom (etc) can make a diff on the scale, but there is nothing innately different about nighttime than day.

    Sometimes if I know I will have a big dinner I eat slightly lighter during the day... Other than that if you have something that is working for you, I don't think there's a reason to change it.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I work nights. I eat/sleep/exercise at all kinds of different hours and losing just fine. Doesn't matter unless you have some medical thing, acid reflux, etc etc like others have stated.