I hear it helps not to eat past 8pm

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2

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  • jennyrebekka
    jennyrebekka Posts: 626 Member
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    It's kinda like those terrible lies we were all told about having to WAIT 30 mins after eating, before going swimming. I know time stood still on many a vacation....under this rule.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
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    I eat whenever I'm hungry and some days that means an hour or less before bedtime.
  • PhyllisPerry
    PhyllisPerry Posts: 7 Member
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    I no longer eat past 7pm. I believe it does work because it makes sense. Many people are less active during this time. The more you eat during less active times , the more incline you are to gain weight!
  • SurfyFriend
    SurfyFriend Posts: 362 Member
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    It doesn't matter when you eat.
    It matters when you exercise.
    If you play sport at night then it wuld make sense to have a protein meal when you get home.
    If you have an active day ahead it makes sense to have a large carb based meal for dinner.
    If you have a slow day ahead, don't eat after 8pm because the food will be stuck in your gut and will digest too slowly.
    If you are a night shift worker and will be on your feet all night it makes sense to have a balanced meal to sustain you until you can have a snack in your break.
    So I believe it is more appropriate to think of how hungry you are, and how much activity will occur before you next meal.
    I wonder if anyone else thinks like this.
  • justicer68
    justicer68 Posts: 1,223
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    The only other reason I can think of as why not to eat later at night other than tummy issues is because generally people tend to gravitate toward the not so healthy snacks rather than the healthier ones. I had heard that somewhere. I know that's not the case for everyone but it happens.
  • foxro
    foxro Posts: 793 Member
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    Great question - if your body or muscles need rest for repair, does it make sense to fuel them with a protein snack before beddybye - just trying some logic here not being a biologist
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    It's just a shortcut for people that aren't counting calories. People starting teaching that as a sneaky means of calorie restriction. Basically it would cut out 500 or more cals of after dinner snacks and drinks. As long as you are under your total calories for the day you don't have to worry about it.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    If you're NOT tracking calories, it can be a helpful rule, because it will keep you from snacking aimlessly at night.

    If you ARE tracking calories (and since you're here, I assume you are), it's meaningless, because it doesn't matter when you eat your day's calories as long as you meet your goal.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I don't think it matters.
  • justicer68
    justicer68 Posts: 1,223
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    Great question - if your body or muscles need rest for repair, does it make sense to fuel them with a protein snack before beddybye - just trying some logic here not being a biologist

    When I first lost the bulk of my weight I drank a protein drink before bed every night. It worked too! :-).
  • angieleighbyrd
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
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    I stop at 7. but not for weight loss reasons. I can't sleep on a full belly and i'm an early bird.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Great question - if your body or muscles need rest for repair, does it make sense to fuel them with a protein snack before beddybye - just trying some logic here not being a biologist

    No difference to the body - the body needs protein to repair muscles damaged during exercise but it doesn't matter when you ingest it.

    The only thing I can think of about eating right before bed is that eating changes your metabolism slightly. Other than that, I haven't seen anything that's science based that indicates that this would be an issue.
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
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    A huge proportion of my calories are consumed within 3 hours of my going to bed and I've been losing steadily.
  • Minerva624
    Minerva624 Posts: 577 Member
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    Honestly, it doesn't matter....like at all. As long as you're within your calorie deficit then you'll be fine. I find it hard to sleep when I'm hungry so I eat I never gain any weight.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    Individual digestion issues aside, your body simply expects a certain amount of energy to be consumed - it doesn't matter when. Devour the foodz whenever it's convenient for you.
  • lesita75
    lesita75 Posts: 379 Member
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    I no longer eat past 7pm. I believe it does work because it makes sense. Many people are less active during this time. The more you eat during less active times , the more incline you are to gain weight!

    Nope. Eating at a calorie surplus causes weight gain. If someone is eating at a deficit or maintenance time of day has no bearing.
  • tejero1101
    tejero1101 Posts: 5
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    It doesn't matter long as it fit in your macro-nutrients for the day.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
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    No.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    After a designated deadline, a magical fat fairy appears, waving a wand to transform all calories into fat. It's a trap!
  • michelleavent1979
    michelleavent1979 Posts: 27
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    Just personal experience, I find that I sleep better when I don't have the really full belly, but there's no science behind it, but you have to find what works for you :)

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