Eating Later in the Evening

AndreaArchambault · September 2010

I've always been a big believer that the scale won't be very nice to you in the morning if you ate late in the evening the night before.

This past week has been incredibly frustrating because I've been watching and logging everything I eat (and have been under the calorie goal almost every night) and have been working out pretty hardcore every single day - sometimes twice a day.

Problem? I'm up 5 lbs in one week and the only thing I can think of is that I've eaten dinner between 8 and 9 PM for the past 4 days.

Is there some truth to this logic or do I need to start taking a look at other areas of my diet/working and see what's going on? I'm just not one of those people who can say "oh it's just muscle!" Ya know?

Thanks!

WarmDontBurn · September 2010

I am not sure but I eat at night and have been able to lose. I eat popcorn around 9 or 10pm nightly and if I have a bunch of calories left will eat a sandwhich, yogurt...whatever just to make sure I am not too far under. Maybe it is an individual thing?

Sorry not very helpful I know but that has been my experience.

mom2zacka · September 2010

I would definately try and have supper eaten by 7 pm if I were you. See if that helps.

vencellia · September 2010

I don't know for sure but I can say I gain weight if I eat really late at night or I don't lose at all. That's why I have My Dinner at Lunch time and eat light before going to bed and I have done this on and off for 2 yrs and I am down almost 157 pounds. So I do better with this!

andreahanlon · September 2010

If you are always under your calorie goal and exercising hardcore, your body may be rebelling against you. Are you eating the calories you are exercising? Are you way under your caloric needs?

Have you ever heard the term "survival mode"? The premise is that over the last few millenia, food sources have been unstable. The people who surivived and reproduced (our ancestors) were the ones who conserved calories and fat during times of scarcity. If you are exercising a ton and not eating enough, your body may have gone into this "survival mode" and lowered your metabolism, stubbornly holding on to fat. Make sure you are giving your body what it needs (eating when you are hungry) and eventually your metabolism should fire up.

This is just an idea to consider if you have been highly restrictive in your calorie consumption.

I also saw that you're only about 10 lbs from goal, so that is a pretty tricky time as far as how your body will react. If this continues, you may want to consult an expert because from what I have heard, there are a lot of factors involved when you get to that level. Maybe a certified personal trainer at your gym (if you go to one) would have some good ideas for you.

blueeyeddragon2115 · September 2010

So I have been reading on here that a lot of people don't eat their exercise calories and so i was like well then i won't eat mine. I thought what could it hurt? I'd only lose faster but i have been working out extensively the past week and not eating them and i haven't gained a pound but i haven't lost one either. So starting yesterday i decided to eat all my exercise calories and take one day a week where i don't watch my calories. Yesterday i ate my exercise calories and i'm down today. Its a crazy thought but if you aren't eating those calories try eating them. I've seen many a post where 20-30 people can say that eating those calories or eating more calories in general has helped them lose weight.

jrich1 · September 2010

Your body doesnt know the difference in using or burning a calorie at 7pm or 11pm, I always eat snacks right up until bedtime, so it doenst matter what time you eat.

shaybook · September 2010

Maybe it's an old wives tale, but my mother always closed the kitchen at 7. She said the calories you eat before bed don't get burned so they turn in to fat... true or not, my mother has always been very thin.

MzBug · September 2010

It will also depend on how late you are staying up at night. On a normal schedule I might not have dinner until 8-9. But I also stay up until 2-3 in the morning! My boyfriend works the 3-1130pm shift and is always hungry when he gets home. I fix him something and I will have a snack (usually yogurt and fruit) with him around 1230-1. I get up between 8-10 and he gets up 1130-1230. I have my coffee until he gets up and we both have breakfast around 1. After that I eat every 3-4 hours until I go to bed. And before everyone jumps on me for not eatting w/i an hour of getting up...I know! I know! No need to beat that dead horse please. I am doing what works for me.

Good Luck!

cdane · September 2010

I JOINED A GYM AND MY TRAINER SAID , IF YOU EXCERCIZE AND IT BECOMES ROUTINE YOUHAVE TO CHANGE IT AND SHOCK YOUR BODY, BY DOING SOMETHING ELSE.... CHANGE UP YOUR EXCERCIZE!! ITS TRUE IF YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH CAL. YOUR BODY GOES INTO STARVE MODE, AND WILL HOLD ON TO THE FAT! HOPE THIS INFO, HELPS !! :

Bigsammy · September 2010

Your key to success in dieting is getting your metabolism somewhat constant and higher. The best way to do so is to exercise early in the morning and eat shortly before hand. By getting your metabolism started early you will burn more calories throughout your day. And yes its not an old wise tale eating late is bad... when sleeping your bodies natural metabolism is reduced severely. So by eating late, your letting more calories go unburnt and storing them. You should be eating 5 small meals a day, not 3 large ones. If having a larger meal try having it at lunch so your body has plenty of time to burn calories before sleeping.

ebert5150 · September 2010

I tend to save calories to eat in the evening because I know I love to snack after dinner. As far as eating my exercise calories, I eat every one. I started my fitness program prior to starting fitness pal so I've managed to lose 30lbs so far doing this. Like a previous poster I take one meal a week and eat whatever I want and don't count it. I believe that making your weight loss program something you can live with for the rest of your life is key to long term success. If you exercise....you can eat more and still maintain or lose weight. I saw a great tshirt that said "I don't exercise because I like to sweat, I exercise because I like to eat." Honestly, one of the things that keeps me motivated about exercise is knowing I get to eat substantially more when I do. I go to the gym 5-6 days a week and usually burn about 900 calories per session. That adds up to quite a bit of food.

Oh...and the taking one meal a week thing is actually listed as a sucess strategy in a book called The Body Fat Solution. This trainer actually says that as long as you are eating properly 90 of the time and not binging out the other 10 percent you will still be successful. Im not sure if this works for everyone but it's worked for me so far.

Paige1108 · September 2010

Myth No. 10: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat

Four out of 10 Americans work evenings, nights or on shifts, and that means a lot of us are eating later. But won't eating late-night meals pack on extra pounds because we can't burn off the calories when we sleep?

"That is a myth," said dietitian Erica Blacksburg. "Eating late at night won't make you fat unless you go over your calorie load for that day."

But beware. People can gain weight eating late at night depending on what they eat. "A lot of people save their treats for the end of the day," said Blacksburg. "They feel like they deserve something special … They'll have ice cream, they'll have chips."

Whole article - http://abcnews.go.com/Health/2020/story?id=512095&page=1

I'm a math person. For me what makes MFP great is that it gives me the math tool, calories in - calories out = deficit = loss. (equation not to scale :laugh: ) I love it.

ysaidpie · September 2010

Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not- start doing that! Also, you said you started exercising hardcore this past week... is it a lot more than usual? I started running a month ago and my weight kept fluctuating up and down. I read that your body holds onto fluid while your muscles heal. Also, the sudden increase in exercise can boost your metabolism- meaning you will need more calories. My weight was going up and down (but not significantly down) for weeks after I started running daily. This past week I increased my caloric intake (nothing crazy- from 1200 to 1270, i also always eat back my exercise calories) and my weight has started dropping again. It's funny because i never really needed the 1200 calories before and would have to eat a tablespoon of peanutbutter at the end of the night just to meet the calorie goal- but since switching to 1270 I am getting hungry again and finding it hard to stay within that!! So I am making extra-wise food choices lol. I take it as a good sign- if I am feeling hungry, then my metabolism is working!

ysaidpie · September 2010

oh yeah- forgot to mention the late night eating thing! I don't think it matters too much what time you eat. It's still calories you ate in one 24 hour period whether it's at 5pm or 10pm. Just remember that the food may still be sitting in you when you wake up in the morning. Food holds onto fluids as it is digesting and breaking down. In your intestines the fluid and nutrients is absorbed out and into your body where it is excreted as urine and the food is expelled as waste. This takes some time for it to all happen... so if you eat late- you may still be in that digestion process when you wake up. If I eat late- my heavy weight for the day is in the morning, my low weight for the day may be a few hours later like at late-morning or mid-day (yes- i weigh myself several times a day sometimes, especially if my weight was unusually high in the morning!). So it's probably not "true" weight gain that you are experiancing. Take your measurments as well, so that as muscle develope and the numbers on the scale may not move that quick- you can see the change in inches!

Alioth · September 2010

I eat heavy meals late at night and it hasn't mattered one bit. That is, the days I eat late at night show no difference scale-wise the next day from the days I stop eating around 6 or 7. My workouts are often in the evening so I make myself eat those exercise calories before bed.

I think the key might be anaerobic training, which makes your body burn calories at an increased rate for up to 12 hours after your workout. I read an interesting article about it here>> http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/The-Myth-of-the-Fat-burning-Zone.htm?page=2

But then, like others have said you're way closer to your goal than I am. So maybe you need to experiment with different things to see what will break your plateau.

MystcDrmr · September 2010

try not eating after 7pm and if you do make it like a pple or carrot sticks something with no calories i have had popcorn around 9 sometimes n had no problems just a suggestion if you eat later at night you dont wear off the calories youve eaten n it just lays there on you ..give it a try

jcompton3821 · September 2010

I don't know for sure but I can say I gain weight if I eat really late at night or I don't lose at all. That's why I have My Dinner at Lunch time and eat light before going to bed and I have done this on and off for 2 yrs and I am down almost 157 pounds. So I do better with this!

UMMMM..... all I have to say to you is...............YOU'RE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

clipsychic · September 2010

Very helpful thread.

Eating Later in the Evening

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