Does eating at night make you fat?

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littlegirlwithprettybrowneyes
littlegirlwithprettybrowneyes Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Yes, again me :)

I'm a college student. So far, I had a steady life, but now I have a part-time job. I feel too tired & sleepy in the evenings while dieting. What happens if I eat 500 calories all morning and 1000 calories at night?
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Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    A calorie surplus = weight gain.
    A calorie deficit = weight loss.
    Meal timing is personal preference.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Eating at night does not make you fat, just as eating in the morning does not make you thin.

    You gain weight by eating more calories than you burn. These overabundance of calories can be eaten in one sitting or eaten in small meals throughout the day.
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
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    Is it an either/or choice? If you're hungry and tired at the end of the day, why dont you try to keep a constant blood sugar level by eating more frequently?
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Makes no difference whatsoever, as long as you are eating in a caloric deficit then meal frequency will have no bearing on weight loss. I take a 500 calorie snack to bed (literally) every night and have managed to lose a few pounds..... Best of Luck
  • wertgirlfor
    wertgirlfor Posts: 161 Member
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    I used to have school 10 am to 3 then work 4 - 9 (no lunch break) almost every day so I ate very little all day, then a lot in the evening. I lost probably 10 pounds unintentionally in 6 months. so yes, you will lose weight not matter when you eat as long as you're under calories.
  • littleburgy
    littleburgy Posts: 570 Member
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    I've always been told that it is better to try to spread the calories/meals evenly throughout the day. Though I've also heard that it's better to consume more calories earlier in the day rather than later if you are more sedentary at night. Some will say this is more "optimal" but I think what makes people fat is simply a matter of eating more calories than what is being burnt off.

    If you need more calories for the evening, so be it. See how you feel!
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    Eating too much and doing too little makes you fat. It's very simple.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Eating too much and doing too little makes you fat. It's very simple.

    This!

    I personally prefer eating more throughout the day, but that's only because I will overeat if I don't eat all day AND if I'm not logging my food. However, that has absolutely nothing to do with the time of day.
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
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    No, it won't affect your weight loss, BUT saving most of your calories for nighttime might be the reason you're so tired.

    I used to do the SAME thing- I was so afraid of overeating at night that I'd save lots of calories, but then I just obsessed about food all day and it made sticking to my diet MUCH harder. I never lasted very long eating that way because I was miserable all day and looking forward to eating a lot at night. What I do now is a 300-375 cal breakfast, 400 cal lunch salad, 100 cal afternoon snack (almost always apple slices). I end up with about 550 cals left for dinner. Dinner is usually protein like fish, or a wrap sandwich or a tortilla pizza, plus a HUGE amount of veggies. Like, an entire cauliflower roasted or a pound of stringbeans. Whatever your favorite veg is. I roast the veggies until yummy and crispy, and I eat them in front of the TV like popcorn. I get the same satisfaction of snacking all night long but I stay in my calories. I have no problem fitting in a 1/2 cup serving of ice cream some nights too :)
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    Go ahead and eat at night! Makes no difference. Graze, eat big meals, whatever. As stated it's all about totals.

    One meat tip though: carb heavy meals make some people sleepy a couple hours later (the 4pm feeling). So if you concentrate your carbs at night, you sleep like a baby, and since they can trigger an urge to eat more, you're skipping that danger by being asleep.
  • littlegirlwithprettybrowneyes
    littlegirlwithprettybrowneyes Posts: 17
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    Thanks for the replies!
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    Im going to have to say from experience, eating late at night does affect your weight loss. Try to eat most of your calories in the first half of your day.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Im going to have to say from experience, eating late at night does affect your weight loss. Try to eat most of your calories in the first half of your day.
    Really? In my experience, it does not.
  • lexibelk
    lexibelk Posts: 83 Member
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    Go ahead and eat at night! Makes no difference. Graze, eat big meals, whatever. As stated it's all about totals.

    One meat tip though: carb heavy meals make some people sleepy a couple hours later (the 4pm feeling). So if you concentrate your carbs at night, you sleep like a baby, and since they can trigger an urge to eat more, you're skipping that danger by being asleep.

    I had never heard that before, but it makes sense! I was always worried heavy night carbs were bad.
  • stormyinfinity
    stormyinfinity Posts: 12
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    Im going to have to say from experience, eating late at night does affect your weight loss. Try to eat most of your calories in the first half of your day.
    Really? In my experience, it does not.

    Didn't you hear? Nighttime calories are actually smaller. Same rule applies if they're eaten while standing or if it's past noon on Saturday.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    yes. if you eat anything after 6 you will instantly gain 100lb!
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    What happens if I eat 500 calories all morning and 1000 calories at night?

    Well, it adds up to 1,500 cals
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    If it puts you over your TDEE (the calorie amount needed to maintain your current weight AFTER your activity level, including workouts, is factored in) then yes. If it doesn't, then no.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    When you eat, how many times you eat, and all the rest make no difference except in how it affects your overall ability to stick to your calorie goals. Personally for me starting to eat later in the day, skipping breakfast time and sometimes even the typical mid-day lunch time works fine. I prefer the large meals and have no issue with energy. Others prefer eating a bunch of small meals spread throughout the day. Others prefer eating bigger meals in the morning. As long as whatever pattern you use keeps you eating the number of calories you should, they all work fine.

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