How many hours between evening snack and breakfast?

SheGlistensasSheSings
SheGlistensasSheSings Posts: 278 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What have you sage people found works best for weightloss, digestion in regards to my question:

How many hours between evening snack and breakfast?

I have reactive hypoglycemia, and always eat a snack quite late as I go to bed late. Going from dinner all the way to the next day is not an option for me I wouldn't be able to sleep due to the hypoglycemia.

I've been in the habit of forcing myself to wait 12 hours for weightloss/digestion but when the snack gets very late or happens in the middle of the night that translates until not eating till lunch if not later and it would be awesome if the 12 hour rule I've read consistently everywhere was ok to break?

I've gained not lost weight lately so I'm trying to be healthy/stay on track with both hypoglycemia and recommendations for weightloss.

Thank you so much for all responses!
Bests

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    12 hour rule?? never heard of it??
  • RawCarrots
    RawCarrots Posts: 204 Member
    I have never heard of the 12 hour rule:wink: Break away!!:drinker:

    I had, however, noticed that if I eat late in the evening my weight is higher than expected in the morning (I weigh daily), this is marely some of the food still not being digested in your stomach and I just ignore it. The overall trend is consistently coming down regardless of early or late dinner as long as you stick to your calorie goal
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    Never heard of 12 hour rule. But I can tell you one thing for sure - when you ate will not effect your health or weight loss/gain. Just ate whenever it is necessary for your hypoglycemia and when it is convenient for you. Other than that don't worry about meal timings and digestion. Will you lose or gain weight is matter of total calories consumed that day. Meal timings is irrelevant.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i like to have a big dinner, skip breakfast, and then not eat until lunch time. i usually go about 16 hours without eating. then i have 8 hours where i eat most of my calories.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    Sounds like a wanky version of Intermittent Fasting

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
    http://www.leangains.com/2008/06/sure-fire-fat-loss.html
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Sounds like a wanky version of Intermittent Fasting

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
    http://www.leangains.com/2008/06/sure-fire-fat-loss.html

    In.... for wanky versions.

    But seriously, sounds like a mangled version of IF.
  • musicboxes
    musicboxes Posts: 133 Member
    Try drinking a glass of milk, that works for me when my sugar level is low.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It depends on the person. For me, I usually eat my last snack between 9pm and 10pm, then eat breakfast the next morning around 7:30-8:00am.
  • ldula88
    ldula88 Posts: 169 Member
    studies have shown that what time you eat has no noticeable effect on weight loss, nor does the amount of time between meals. Eat whenever you need to, as long as you don't go over your calorie goals :)
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    sorry...i totally misread post.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    With my hypoglycemia I do well eating steel cut oats before bed. Hours? Just depends how late I am up and how long I sleep in!
    I usually have my bedtime snack around 9-10PM. I wake up between 7-9 AM and have to eat immediately because. I usually wake up dizzy due to low blod sugar.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    What have you sage people found works best for weightloss, digestion in regards to my question:

    How many hours between evening snack and breakfast?

    I have reactive hypoglycemia, and always eat a snack quite late as I go to bed late. Going from dinner all the way to the next day is not an option for me I wouldn't be able to sleep due to the hypoglycemia.

    I've been in the habit of forcing myself to wait 12 hours for weightloss/digestion but when the snack gets very late or happens in the middle of the night that translates until not eating till lunch if not later and it would be awesome if the 12 hour rule I've read consistently everywhere was ok to break?

    I've gained not lost weight lately so I'm trying to be healthy/stay on track with both hypoglycemia and recommendations for weightloss.

    Thank you so much for all responses!
    Bests
    Gaining weight has nothing to do with when you eat your meals and snacks. For example, I had a 500 calorie meal last night pretty late, plus desert, because I got home late. I do this often and have been losing weight.

    If you are gaining weight, and you have no medical issues that would make you gain weight (I don't know if hypoglycemia causes weight gain in and of itself), I would first start looking at your logging. Are you weighing all solid food and measuring all liquids? Are you making sure that all your exercise calories are properly estimated and logged?

    To be careful of: MFP often over-estimates calories burned and many of the MFP entries for food are incorrect. Also, if you use machines at the gym, those are often over-estimated too.

    What works for me: log every single thing I put in my mouth. I read packages and research nutrition information on food if I'm suspicious or not sure of a calorie count. I bought a digital food scale just to stay accurate (I had one of those old dial ones, which did not satisfy my accuracy phobia).

    For exercise, I finally bought a heart rate monitor for my birthday last week.It was a bit pricey, even with a discount coupon, but it's worth it. I can now see my heart rate,monitor, and know how many calories I am burning. For sure it's different than the numbers on MFP and the gym.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member

    To be careful of: MFP often over-estimates calories burned and many of the MFP entries for food are incorrect. Also, if you use machines at the gym, those are often over-estimated too.

    THIS^^^^

    I just record 1/2-2/3 of my exercise. It works and is cheaper and easier than buying a HRm for me.
  • SheGlistensasSheSings
    SheGlistensasSheSings Posts: 278 Member
    Thanks!! This is so helpful. I bet I have been over tracking excersise and mistakenly thinking I had burned more/netted less.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    There does seem to be a lot of conflicting information on WHEN to eat (things that say to never skip breakfast, never eat after 6:00 ... then as people here have said that calories are calories no matter when they are consumed). I don't really pay specific attention to when I've eaten last in the evening, and I generally don't eat breakfast until late, but I just go by what I'm feeling more than trying to follow any specific "rules".

    It is hard to try and calculate everything correctly (eating/exercise) even with the best of intentions. It's all estimates. I have been tracking my workouts with my Fitbit/HRM and machine readouts and they can vary SO much, ending up with differences of hundreds of calories by the end of the day. Eating intake can so easily be off too, even if you take the time to measure and weigh (which admittedly, I'm not very good at doing). I try to make sure I have an extra large deficit just to provide a little wiggle room. It's still been so slow going these last couple months!

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