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    eating at night

    Posts: 34 Member
    edited February 1 in Health and Weight Loss
    Does the time of the day that you consume your calories really make a difference? I am a night eater.... Is this going to sabotage my weight loss?

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    • Posts: 8,701 Member
      Makes no difference at all as long as you stick to your calorie budget.
    • Posts: 8,980 Member
      no
    • Posts: 475 Member
      Agreed. If you try it and are getting results - and it works for you - then it was not broken. I say eat at night - count the calories - and if it works it works.

      It's an old diet myth IMO. I work late - so if I didn't eat after 6P or whatever the diet pumpkin hour is now - I'd be really hungry. I try to save calories towards my night so I can eat at night.
    • Posts: 833 Member
      Jesus ate at night and Jesus was RIPPED.

      146110069_5100727239_z.jpg?zz=1
    • Posts: 614 Member
      Personally, I don't think it's a great idea to eat at night for a few reasons.

      1.) Are you expending most of your day and your calories in the day time?

      If you're awake in the daytime and expending most of your energy, it should also be the time that you eat the majority of your calories. Waiting for late in the day/night seems like you're rewarding yourself with food or overeating for some other purpose.

      2.) Are you eating at night because you're bored or stressed?

      Why are you eating so much at night? Is it because you have a lot of time on your hands or are nervous? A lot of people eat because they're bored rather than have a hobby or some other activity to do instead. Do you sew? Embroider? Write? Draw? Latch-hook? Start a hobby to keep your mind and hands active and see if that stops much of the night eating.

      3.) Are you getting up at night to eat?

      This I think is the worst thing to do. If you're in bed, food time is over. Getting up at night to night isn't a good idea. I really think this is about stress-eating or compulsive eating.
    • Posts: 73
      Some people are just night owls. So what. If works for you, then great.
    • Posts: 16,913 Member
      I'm eating right now. I can't imagine why it'd suddenly have some kind of negative effect.
    • Posts: 1,941 Member
      It doesn't matter when you eat as long as you're within your calorie goal.
    • Posts: 287 Member
      If your gonna eat something sweet and then go to bed, then yeah it's a bad idea. If your a night owl who will be up for awhile after you eat then, there's wrong with it. I wouldn't recommend you eat a few hours before going to bed.
      that's just me!!
    • Posts: 486 Member
      I've seen studies saying you may lose 'more' weight eating earlier in the day, like eating a bigger breakfast and smaller dinner vs the other way around while eating the same amount of calories.

      But I eat most of my food later at night, like 2 am, and I am still losing just fine. If you are losing eating later at night, then I would keep up what you've been doing. As long as you are accurately tracking everything you are eating, you should be just fine!
    • Posts: 28,072 Member
      Does the time of the day that you consume your calories really make a difference? I am a night eater.... Is this going to sabotage my weight loss?

      No, you will not sabotage it. Eat when you wish, based on preference, adherence and energy levels. This will far outweigh any possible insignificant benefits that *may* result in manipulation of meal timing.
    • Posts: 1,026 Member
      Makes no difference at all as long as you stick to your calorie budget.

      ^^this
    • Posts: 5 Member
      It will. I eat at night also and I also am an emotional eater and I am having a real struggle with both of these habits. I tend to eat light during the day because I don't like to interupt what ever I am doing to eat and especially to prepare something healthy then I end up eating more at night and sometimes I end up going to bed with a full stomach which is a surefire diet no no. I am looking for someone to help me get motivated and to help me break these habits. I am staying close to my calorie limit but not exact. Sarildia
    • Posts: 1,606 Member
      Personally, I don't think it's a great idea to eat at night for a few reasons.

      1.) Are you expending most of your day and your calories in the day time?

      If you're awake in the daytime and expending most of your energy, it should also be the time that you eat the majority of your calories. Waiting for late in the day/night seems like you're rewarding yourself with food or overeating for some other purpose.

      2.) Are you eating at night because you're bored or stressed?

      Why are you eating so much at night? Is it because you have a lot of time on your hands or are nervous? A lot of people eat because they're bored rather than have a hobby or some other activity to do instead. Do you sew? Embroider? Write? Draw? Latch-hook? Start a hobby to keep your mind and hands active and see if that stops much of the night eating.

      3.) Are you getting up at night to eat?

      This I think is the worst thing to do. If you're in bed, food time is over. Getting up at night to night isn't a good idea. I really think this is about stress-eating or compulsive eating.

      This is just bull**** and flies in the face of basic science. If you put 50 bucks in your bank account, and withdraw 60 bucks, you are down ten dollars regardless of what time of day you pulled out the cash.


      Where do people come up with this stuff?
    • Posts: 28,072 Member
      Personally, I don't think it's a great idea to eat at night for a few reasons.

      1.) Are you expending most of your day and your calories in the day time?

      If you're awake in the daytime and expending most of your energy, it should also be the time that you eat the majority of your calories. Waiting for late in the day/night seems like you're rewarding yourself with food or overeating for some other purpose.

      2.) Are you eating at night because you're bored or stressed?

      Why are you eating so much at night? Is it because you have a lot of time on your hands or are nervous? A lot of people eat because they're bored rather than have a hobby or some other activity to do instead. Do you sew? Embroider? Write? Draw? Latch-hook? Start a hobby to keep your mind and hands active and see if that stops much of the night eating.

      3.) Are you getting up at night to eat?

      This I think is the worst thing to do. If you're in bed, food time is over. Getting up at night to night isn't a good idea. I really think this is about stress-eating or compulsive eating.

      When you expend your energy is irrelevant when looking at net fat oxidation over the whole day/night.

      I eat at night as I prefer it that way and I hit my calorie and macro targets easier.
    • Posts: 28,072 Member
      It will. I eat at night also and I also am an emotional eater and I am having a real struggle with both of these habits. I tend to eat light during the day because I don't like to interupt what ever I am doing to eat and especially to prepare something healthy then I end up eating more at night and sometimes I end up going to bed with a full stomach which is a surefire diet no no. I am looking for someone to help me get motivated and to help me break these habits. I am staying close to my calorie limit but not exact. Sarildia

      There is nothing wrong with going to bed full unless it affects your sleep. In fact, it helps many people sleep. I know I will not get to sleep easily if hungry.
    • Posts: 28,072 Member
      If your gonna eat something sweet and then go to bed, then yeah it's a bad idea. If your a night owl who will be up for awhile after you eat then, there's wrong with it. I wouldn't recommend you eat a few hours before going to bed.
      that's just me!!

      Why?
    • Posts: 1,606 Member
      show previous quotes

      There is nothing wrong with going to bed full unless it affects your sleep. In fact, it helps many people sleep. I know I will not get to sleep easily if hungry.


      Exactly THIS. I can normally put myself down for the night by concentrating my carbs in the evening meal. I get a food coma right on time.

      Do my progress pics look like this is a problem?
    • Posts: 366 Member
      I'm frequently still eating at 1AM, and this is generally Magnum Ice creams and protein bars
    • Posts: 614 Member
      show previous quotes

      This is just bull**** and flies in the face of basic science. If you put 50 bucks in your bank account, and withdraw 60 bucks, you are down ten dollars regardless of what time of day you pulled out the cash.


      Where do people come up with this stuff?

      So, people don't eat because they're bored or out of habit?
    • Posts: 28,072 Member
      I'm frequently still eating at 1AM, and this is generally Magnum Ice creams and protein bars

      Just had my evening ice cream and it's past midnight here! :flowerforyou:
    • Posts: 449 Member
      show previous quotes

      So, people don't eat because they're bored or out of habit?

      What does that have to do with anything? The question was about meal timing, not about overeating out of boredom. If you're eating at a caloric deficit, you will lose weight regardless of when you eat your meals, or the emotions that accompany them.

      EDIT: 3AM here and I'm stress-eating a bunch of empty carbs because my wife's got a fever and I can't sleep. Still under my calorie goal.
    • Posts: 850 Member
      I work overnight 10pm-6am five nights of the week and I eat while I'm at work. I also a lot of the time wake up on my nights off and eat around the same time I eat during the week. I log my meals and go back to bed and I'm still losing weight. When you eat does not matter.
    • Posts: 5,754 Member
      I work overnight 10pm-6am five nights of the week and I eat while I'm at work. I also a lot of the time wake up on my nights off and eat around the same time I eat during the week. I log my meals and go back to bed and I'm still losing weight. When you eat does not matter.

      Same here, just minus the days off. I switch back to sleeping at night and staying up during the day on my days off. The only time that timing of your meals matter is if you know it will mess up your sleep. I can fall asleep immediately after eating and have no problems but others can't. Upset tummy, have to go to the bathroom, etc etc.
    • Posts: 3,024 Member
      You must stop eating at 6PM, or you will turn into a pumpkin
    • Posts: 1,941 Member
      You must stop eating at 6PM, or you will turn into a pumpkin

      QFT
    • Posts: 850 Member
      show previous quotes

      Same here, just minus the days off. I switch back to sleeping at night and staying up during the day on my days off. The only time that timing of your meals matter is if you know it will mess up your sleep. I can fall asleep immediately after eating and have no problems but others can't. Upset tummy, have to go to the bathroom, etc etc.

      I switch back to sleeping at night too but my eating doesn't really change, I'm hungry enough to wake up most of the nights I'm off by 3am. I also go right to sleep after eating and have no problems. The only time I hesitate to eat is before I go walking/jogging only because I don't want to have to use the bathroom and be several miles away from home : )
    • Posts: 1,606 Member
      You must stop eating at 6PM, or you will turn into a pumpkin

      No, no. You have to stop eating by 6, or play squash.
    • Posts: 243 Member
      Come on, isn't it a common sense? If you eat your calories during the day, you will burn them all. If you eat them at night, everything will be stored as fat forever. Because, you know, if you don't eat your breakfast, your body isn't fueled by calories, but by magic.





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