Eating late at night does not CAUSE obesity.

longtimeterp
longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Eating late at night does not CAUSE obesity, though eating many meals may contribute to it...

It is amazing how a study can be misinterpreted. The data referenced in this article indicates a feeding window will provide for less fat gain than eating throughout the day, but nowhere does it indicate that eating at night is detrimental as the title would imply. An interesting read, it contradicts the age-old advice to eat many small meals throughout the day. Also, i have found very successful results with the 8 hour feeding window detailed in the article, though the timing of that window changes for me every day.

link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2145853/Eating-late-night-DOES-make-fat-researchers-say.html

Replies

  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    yes it does. it solidifes into fat when you sleep and it diffuses through the stomach lining onto your abdominal wall
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    What is "late"?

    Because I'm in bed by 9. Pretty sure that's not late by anyone's definition.


    Although, if I do stay up after 10, I start thinking about food. I'm with OP on the IF success. I do best with a nine hour eating window, and in bed by 9-9:30 at the latest. Of course, that means up at 4:30-5:00AM.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    yes it does. it solidifes into fat when you sleep and it diffuses through the stomach lining onto your abdominal wall

    if fat was solid and went through the stomach, i'm sure my abs would look a lot more like yours and not like a bowl of jello!
  • Arrofalcon
    Arrofalcon Posts: 5 Member
    It's all about energy in vs energy out. Basic thermodynamics. I'm doing IF right now for my cut, but that's only because it's convenient for me. I would never do a 16/8 or 20/4 or whatever variation of IF if I was trying to bulk.

    That being said, its a wonderful tool to control hunger! My off season calories were up near 3400. Using IF I was able to cut down to about 2200 in a week. Its fantastic ONLY if you don't abuse it!

    Also timing is irrelevant: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=123915821
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    yes it does. it solidifes into fat when you sleep and it diffuses through the stomach lining onto your abdominal wall

    if fat was solid and went through the stomach, i'm sure my abs would look a lot more like yours and not like a bowl of jello!

    this is what I been trying to tell people! no one believes me!
    "Its just how my body works"
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
    Then tell me why...when I eat the same thing every day...on weeks that I eat all my food by 4pm, I lose weight and when I experiment and eat at night, I gain weight? Same amount of calories for nearly 2 years now, pretty much the same thing every day (I hate variety) and I've tried different times and spreading it out into eating every 2 hours, or eating it all at once, or eating it all in the morning or eating it all at night and over the course of 2 years, I've totally figured out what works for me.

    Now I've heard many SCREAM, No you are wrong...it's funny how I've done this for 2 years and so you aren't going to change MY mind as to what works for me since I've been losing 2 pounds every week now, however, I'm just reporting what has worked for me.

    Eating every 2 hours starting at 8am until 4pm and nothing after that except water.

    I'm so glad for those that can eat right before they go to bed, but this just hasn't worked for me. I still say everyone is different, there can be things that work for one person that do not work for another. If there was ONE plan and ONE way to eat, we would all be thin and in shape. Figure out what works for you and go for it!!

    Commence with the telling me I'm wrong. I have my ear plugs in.:laugh: because arguing is stupid when no one on here is my doctor nor knows me.:yawn:
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Then tell me why...when I eat the same thing every day...on weeks that I eat all my food by 4pm, I lose weight and when I experiment and eat at night, I gain weight? Same amount of calories for nearly 2 years now, pretty much the same thing every day (I hate variety) and I've tried different times and spreading it out into eating every 2 hours, or eating it all at once, or eating it all in the morning or eating it all at night and over the course of 2 years, I've totally figured out what works for me.

    Now I've heard many SCREAM, No you are wrong...it's funny how I've done this for 2 years and so you aren't going to change MY mind as to what works for me since I've been losing 2 pounds every week now, however, I'm just reporting what has worked for me.

    Eating every 2 hours starting at 8am until 4pm and nothing after that except water.

    I'm so glad for those that can eat right before they go to bed, but this just hasn't worked for me. I still say everyone is different, there can be things that work for one person that do not work for another. If there was ONE plan and ONE way to eat, we would all be thin and in shape. Figure out what works for you and go for it!!

    Commence with the telling me I'm wrong. I have my ear plugs in.:laugh: because arguing is stupid when no one on here is my doctor nor knows me.:yawn:
    we had this conversation already. you are the person who follows off old studies and somehow associates all weight with energy store loss
  • Dewdropps
    Dewdropps Posts: 111
    You are right. Fat doesn't discriminate/favor any particular time frame. I've always believed this. When you boil it down, the people who swear they gain 2 lbs overnight are the ones who preach that you can't eat 2, 3, 4 or sometimes even 5 hours before you go to bed.

    Seriously, a deficit is a deficit for losing, and for maintenance, it's pretty much the same thing.

    Now.. I will say, it is very easy to underestimate/overestimate if you are very tired and not bothering to really pay much attention, and that could very well add up over time.

    However, people need to realize that unless they had a 7,000 calorie binge late night.. that 2 lbs you see that you gained literally overnight is NOT fat. It's most likely A.) Water.. or.. quite possibly, you are in dire need of emptying your bowels.

    Feel free to add me <3
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    Eating more calories than needed = weight gain. Nothing wrong with eating late night as long as it meet your calorie goals.
  • rohanpinto31
    rohanpinto31 Posts: 4
    yes you are right eating late does not cause obesity but what generally happens is that people eat late night and directly go to bed which is not good .it is always advisable to to take a walk to help digest your food and then go to sleep
  • SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel
    SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel Posts: 434 Member
    Bump for later :)
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Because of my schedule (working 12+ hours a day, six days a week), I only have a small window to eat and exercise. Since I don't want to cramp up and vomit during Insanity, I eat after I exercise, which means that I always have to eat within about a half an hour of bed. Even so, I'm losing inches. Your metabolism does not shut down while you sleep, so you still burn calories. I do notice an increase in water retention when I eat too close to sleep, but I have never seen any long term impact to my fat loss.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Then tell me why...when I eat the same thing every day...on weeks that I eat all my food by 4pm, I lose weight and when I experiment and eat at night, I gain weight? Same amount of calories for nearly 2 years now, pretty much the same thing every day (I hate variety) and I've tried different times and spreading it out into eating every 2 hours, or eating it all at once, or eating it all in the morning or eating it all at night and over the course of 2 years, I've totally figured out what works for me.

    Now I've heard many SCREAM, No you are wrong...it's funny how I've done this for 2 years and so you aren't going to change MY mind as to what works for me since I've been losing 2 pounds every week now, however, I'm just reporting what has worked for me.

    Eating every 2 hours starting at 8am until 4pm and nothing after that except water.

    I'm so glad for those that can eat right before they go to bed, but this just hasn't worked for me. I still say everyone is different, there can be things that work for one person that do not work for another. If there was ONE plan and ONE way to eat, we would all be thin and in shape. Figure out what works for you and go for it!!

    Commence with the telling me I'm wrong. I have my ear plugs in.:laugh: because arguing is stupid when no one on here is my doctor nor knows me.:yawn:

    Didn't we cover this in our back and forth PM session?
  • lairyliam
    lairyliam Posts: 33 Member
    This is from ask men.com

    Metabolism Myths - Eating before bed will lead to fat gain
    The first metabolic myth that many people fall for is that foods eaten before bed will automatically turn to body fat. The truth is that it’s the total calorie intake over the course of the day that determines whether a food will turn to body fat or not. It doesn’t matter when the calories are eaten, just that they don’t put you over your total daily calorie intake.

    Spreading your calories out evenly throughout the day will help maintain a stabilized energy level, but from a fat gaining perspective, eating before bed won’t cause weight gain in and of itself.

    Read more: http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_250/285_metabolism-myths.html#ixzz2W6OjK6Kz

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