Eating at night

azdaisy2
azdaisy2 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am wondering how late at night is too late to eat......or rather how close to bedtime. Also what to eat and what to avoid. I go to the gym 3 nights a week and school 2 nights. On these nights I don't get home to eat dinner until 730ish and I usually go to bed around 9. I am looking for some info on how late should I eat so that I don't impact my ability to lose weight. I am also looking for recommendations of things to eat and things to avoid.

Replies

  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    i dont eat a fter 9 pm
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Some say a calorie is a calorie no matter what time you eat it. Others say don't eat 2-3 hours before bed. Still, others say eating late is okay as long as it's not carb-heavy.

    I say you do what works for you. If you can't eat until late, eat when you can. It's better than not eating dinner at all.
  • jkmiller82
    jkmiller82 Posts: 214 Member
    As long as you're at a calorie deficit it should be fine to eat at whatever time you want. Some people believe you should stay away from carbs/fruit late at night though, due to bloat. I don't know if you like cottage cheese, but that's a good choice for a late night snack.
  • cupcakes_and_cardio
    cupcakes_and_cardio Posts: 369 Member
    I've heard to not eat 3-4 hours before bed. Most people don't know when they're going to bed, like myself, but I try to quit eating after 8, since I am a night owl anyway. If I want to snack, I eat the 100 cal packs and it's enough to satisfy my hunger.
  • DitchTheMcFlurry
    DitchTheMcFlurry Posts: 56
    Meal frequency and or timing is totally irrelevant for body composition.

    The words of this guy:

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=143295933
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Provided you are not overconsuming calories in total, it doesn't matter.

    You can literally eat all of your food at night and if you're in an overall energy deficit over time, you will lose weight just as you would eating it in the AM.

    I would suggest that you structure your meal timing and frequency around personal preference and gym performance and disregard any supposed hard-and-fast rules.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Meal Frequency will have no bearing on weight loss as long as you are eating in a caloric deficit and have no issues with eating before bed (acid reflux, etc) then eat whenever you can get your calories in.... Best of Luck.... I eat in bed normally 500-700 calories and hasn't hindered my weight loss or I don't think it has..... lol
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    It's a wive's tale. Some people believe that working out on an empty stomach is good too. Both are without merit. Personally, I can't sleep hungry - if I need calories and don't feel like stuffing myself, I'll just pop some almonds and be done with it.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Meal Frequency will have no bearing on weight loss as long as you are eating in a caloric deficit and have no issues with eating before bed (acid reflux, etc) then eat whenever you can get your calories in.... Best of Luck.... I eat in bed normally 500-700 calories and hasn't hindered my weight loss or I don't think it has..... lol


    Listen slacker, I see a mere 312lbs lost. You know darn well you would be at 313lbs lost if you would have eaten those 500 calories an hour earlier.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Meal timing and number of meals doesn't matter

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1905998

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15085170

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8399092

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8383639

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21123467

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Meal Frequency will have no bearing on weight loss as long as you are eating in a caloric deficit and have no issues with eating before bed (acid reflux, etc) then eat whenever you can get your calories in.... Best of Luck.... I eat in bed normally 500-700 calories and hasn't hindered my weight loss or I don't think it has..... lol


    Listen slacker, I see a mere 312lbs lost. You know darn well you would be at 313lbs lost if you would have eaten those 500 calories an hour earlier.

    Lol So now you tell me!!! :drinker:
  • skinnydreams19
    skinnydreams19 Posts: 282 Member
    It doesn't matter when as long as you stay within your calorie limits. They recommend not to eat late at night only because people often have a hard time keeping to healthy eating at night (that's when a lot of ben & jerry's pints and whole boxes of brownies get devoured, lol). If you're still eating healthy, you're fine!
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    I eat whenever I want. Sometimes, I eat dinner at midnight...lol. Many times I skip breakfast. Hasn't affected me.
  • peachykeek
    peachykeek Posts: 19
    i think you need to experiment and find out what works best for you. i know some people on here make generalizations and assume that what works for them (or what they read about) works for everyone, but i don't believe there is just one way. personally, i have the most success when my nighttime eating is super light. i'm a big fan of the "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper" idea. after 3:30 or 4, i try not to eat a whole lot. veggies (any, really) are good... a small amount of fruit (a few strawberries, for example).. cottage cheese... popcorn... (i make mine on the stove and add just a bit of salt)

    if i want to have something sweet, i try to keep it under 150 calories. (if i want to enjoy a sweet that has more than 150 calories, i do it earlier in the day.)

    maybe this way will work for you, too... but maybe not. like i said, i would try some different things and see what brings the best results for you. maybe come up with a few different plans and spend a week with each one to see how your body responds.

    good luck!
  • krisjohnson121
    krisjohnson121 Posts: 87 Member
    I cannot say that I know for sure. The 'a calorie is a calorie' logic makes sense but if you are looking for a holistic health view this article sounds pretty reasonable as well:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/454480-how-many-hours-before-bed-should-you-stop-eating-for-healthy-digestion/
    (long story short - stop eating 2-3 hours prior to sleeping to ensure proper digestion)

    I know that its tough. Most nights we eat dinner between 6:30 and 7:30 but I also stay up till 11 or 12 every night.

    When I did WW one of our instructors had always suggested that you include a protein if you have a late night snack. It will keep you fuller through the night. He also mentioned that eating sweet leaves you to crave more sweet - so if you have some fruit late at night you are more likely to crave another sweet snack.

    With that being said - when I have a late night snack my favorite on a warm summer night is watermelon - at only 45 calories per cup you can have a nice serving size for a small number of calories - Good Luck!

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