Not eating past 8 pm

changingL1sa
changingL1sa Posts: 54 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,

I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to snack in the evenings. I'm so good all day and then I end up blowing it at night after dinner when I seem to want to eat EVERYTHING. I've been thinking about not allowing myself to eat anything after 8 pm. Teeth brushed, nothing else in my mouth. Has anyone on here done this before? Did you find it helped?
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Replies

  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    I don't eat after 7pm. It helps tremendously as I wake up the next morning feeling light and refreshed. It's hard after the first bit but after a while you get used to it. Just a matter of mentally thinking "kitchen is closed" after this time like at an actual restaurant. Sleep earlier if you have to!
  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
    I eat early and goto bed early. I have made it my routine and night time snacking has ended. once i'm done with my dinner and snack for the night. I finish my logging and thats it. The extra sleep leaves me energized in the mornings and its helped me lose 17 pounds so far, that and staying with a deficit.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    If you eat something really satisfying and have your last meal be at like 7 or 7:30 I could see this working. My eating pattern changes every semester based on when my classes are and when I can get food in my mouth.

    I do the teeth brush thing though. That helps!
  • jojo28012
    jojo28012 Posts: 26 Member
    I don't eat past 7:30 and it has really helped me! Brush your teeth, like you said, and after that you won't want anything else to eat (or at least let's hope this happens :)

    Good luck~ you can do it!
  • Ldenzel
    Ldenzel Posts: 91 Member
    I found that it definitely helps to brush/floss my teeth when I'm done eating for the night. I'm a lot less tempted to eat something that way.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Hey everyone,

    I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to snack in the evenings. I'm so good all day and then I end up blowing it at night after dinner when I seem to want to eat EVERYTHING. I've been thinking about not allowing myself to eat anything after 8 pm. Teeth brushed, nothing else in my mouth. Has anyone on here done this before? Did you find it helped?
    Grand scheme of things it is how many calories you eat and burn more than the timing of your meals.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
    I don't cut myself off at a certain time, but I have turned to brushing my teeth just to avoid the mindless snacking.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Allow yourself more calories at the end of the day and eat something after 8pm. It doesn't matter when you eat your calories, only the sum total of them matter in terms of weight loss.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    If I'm awake, I'm eating. I have a banana right before bed because I hate waking up hungry. I lost weight doing this, and I've maintained. Not eating after a certain time gives zero benefit and is Dr. Oz malarkey.
  • whovian67
    whovian67 Posts: 608 Member
    If I do, it's crunchy radishes... wont change blood sugar much and I like the texture . But I really try not to eat anything so late. Brushing my teeth doesn't amke a difference. I am a teeth fanatic and no matter what I'll still brush them again before bed ...
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,265 MFP Moderator
    I find that as I get tired, I get 'munchie'. So, in the evenings when I really start wanting to indulge in something to eat, if having a cup of tea doesn't assuage the notion, I go to bed. Your body craves sleep when you're tired. If you don't give it sleep, it wants fuel so it can keep going. :)
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Allow yourself more calories at the end of the day and eat something after 8pm. It doesn't matter when you eat your calories, only the sum total of them matter in terms of weight loss.

    This, I just leave some calories for the end of the day, maybe plan a snack for later.
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
    I don't believe that the timing of the meals really matters in the grand scheme of weight loss - it's about your net calories over time. However, if you eat a heavy snack like an In-and-Out burger right before bedtime, it may be uncomfortable going to sleep! :)

    I like some of the tips people mentioned such as brushing your teeth. Since you mentioned feeling really hungry by nighttime, perhaps you should eat more calories for breakfast, lunch, and snacks... or fit in more healthy fats which will prolong the feeling of satiety so you won't be ravenous by dinner. Examples include avocados, hard boiled eggs, nuts, and low-fat string cheese. I try to go by the saying, "Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a pauper." It makes a lot of sense esp since breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will influence how much you eat for the rest of the day.
  • theostlerscat
    theostlerscat Posts: 13 Member
    I would beg to differ. I find that when I eat late, I make poor choices; more like snacking than a meal. I find that I eat more carbs and fats when I eat late, regardless of meeting the calorie goal. It isn't always as simple as calories in v. calories out. Late night eating tends to accompany TV watching and is disorganized and mindless (in general). I have always thought that it didn't make a difference, but every time I test it, by that I mean stopping eating at 7 and being sure that my goals have all been met by then, I loose weight. One exception to this theory would be that when people work a night shift, their days are not organized the same as the 9-5 person. So for them, all of this just doesn't apply. Maybe the rule of thumb is don't eat for the last 3 hours or so before you go to sleep (whenever that is).
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    I did it for a week and it really broke the habit for me to mindlessly crave snacks after supper. Now I'm working until 10pm so I have to eat something small before bed or I'll wake up starving. But since I don't feel the 'need' to cram unhealthy snacks inside me any more, it's a lot easier to make a better choice. So I wouldn't do the 'not eating past 8pm' rule forever, just for as long as it takes for you to feel more in control of your choices :)
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    The time of day you eat has no impact on weight loss, so there is no reason not to eat past 8pm.

    Myself, especially when starting a diet, my problem is that I run out of calories for the day at dinner time, and the 4-5 hours following I don't have any calories left for the day so I'm hungry. Sometimes I go to bed early to escape the hunger.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    have a planned snack at say 9pm of something that will fit into your calorie goal. then slowly move that 9 pm earlier and earlier (say 10 mins/day) until it is close enough to your last meal that you can cut it out completely. eventually your stomach will get used to not having food at that time of the day and you wont get hungry near as often at those times
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I would beg to differ. I find that when I eat late, I make poor choices; more like snacking than a meal. I find that I eat more carbs and fats when I eat late, regardless of meeting the calorie goal. It isn't always as simple as calories in v. calories out. Late night eating tends to accompany TV watching and is disorganized and mindless (in general). I have always thought that it didn't make a difference, but every time I test it, by that I mean stopping eating at 7 and being sure that my goals have all been met by then, I loose weight. One exception to this theory would be that when people work a night shift, their days are not organized the same as the 9-5 person. So for them, all of this just doesn't apply. Maybe the rule of thumb is don't eat for the last 3 hours or so before you go to sleep (whenever that is).

    Poor choices is a habit. Calorie in v calories out still applies.
    If I let myself get hungry during the day, I make poor choices. i have learned to make sure I have meals/snacks on a regular basis to keep myself from getting too hungry, therefore avoiding poor choices.
    If mindless eating is a problem, you can either avoid snacking at night, or take the mindless part away by leaving calories, planning snacks, etc.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    On some days, I will hold off eating until sometime after lunch, then eat all my cals between say, 2-8pm. I go to bed satisfied. I don't do this every day, but on the days I don't mind "skipping" a meal until later.
  • sw33tp3a11
    sw33tp3a11 Posts: 4,646 Member
    I'm the same way but I have tried not eating after 8pm. It took a strong will on my part to stay in check but I was able to do it and It helped with my results. Try eating a light snack before 8. Good luck!
  • Murphy0126
    Murphy0126 Posts: 84 Member
    I've been eating something high protein (protein shake, cottage cheese, small chicken breast, tuna, etc), every single night RIGHT before I hit the bed since I started this journey 18 weeks ago.

    I've never felt better or looked better, and according to my doctor, my blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and body fat percentage are all continuing to improve.

    I've been on high BP meds for years now, but since I've started this journey I've been taken off them because my BP is perfectly perfect.

    Do I feel this is directly related to my body remaining in a high metabolic state after I sleep due to digestion? Of course not.... But I'm not willing to stop to find out.

    So, load me up with protein before bed. Because I LOVE IT!
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I have a peanut butter and honey sandwich right before I go to bed...around 9 or 930 every night. Like others have said, there is no reason to cut yourself off at a specific time. If it's easier to stop at 8 and brush your teeth do that. If it's easier to allot the calories for a snack right before bed, do that. But it's up to you.
  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
    I get terrible GERD symptoms in the AM if I eat at night so I take 2 tums and stop solid, acidic, or dairy-rich food at 8pm (so... pretty much most food though sometimes I will have a banana if necessary. I wake up at 5am most days for training and have something when I get up so I never feel hungry or anything.
  • runner475
    runner475 Posts: 1,236 Member
    Do what works best for you. Every person's body reacts differently. Jus' observe how you feel the next day. If you feel better then follow the plan.

    However remember it takes sometime to form a habit. Any decisions you make try to confirm them after maybe a month of sticking to the plan.

    All the best. Good Luck.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    Hey everyone,

    I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to snack in the evenings. I'm so good all day and then I end up blowing it at night after dinner when I seem to want to eat EVERYTHING. I've been thinking about not allowing myself to eat anything after 8 pm. Teeth brushed, nothing else in my mouth. Has anyone on here done this before? Did you find it helped?

    Meal time and weight loss are not related. When we eat is a personal preference and we all have to do what works for us. I don't start eating until 2 pm and usually have the big meal of the day between 8-9 pm and go to bed around midnight. It works for me....and it seems to work well.
  • maryh4844
    maryh4844 Posts: 3
    If you get munchie, try drinking some water. Sometimes hunger is actually thirst in disguise! If you aren't satisfied after drinking it (wait 20 minutes) then try a little snack.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I don't eat after 7 pm. Not as a point, I just eat dinner from 5-6:30ish. What are you normally doing after 8 pm? Is that when you normally watch TV? I know some people have the urge to snack while watching tv/sitting, no matter what. If that's your issue, I recommend adding some activity in the time that you would normally eat. Heck, you could even earn some more calories for the day for a snack slash keep yourself busy.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    I have snacks after 8pm if I am truly starving, its not harmful at all if you are eating the right food. Try 4-8 almonds-eat them very slowly one by one, or a cucumber or a mushroom. Those all fill me right up! :D
  • mmickk67
    mmickk67 Posts: 8 Member
    When i'm being good I have a fat free yogurt with frozen berries which is 300g 150 calories. But I know where your coming from I am just the same. I find its when I have had caffeine during the day it triggers me wanting to munch at night!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I find that as I get tired, I get 'munchie'. So, in the evenings when I really start wanting to indulge in something to eat, if having a cup of tea doesn't assuage the notion, I go to bed. Your body craves sleep when you're tired. If you don't give it sleep, it wants fuel so it can keep going. :)

    That's been my experience too.

    Lately I've been getting home late and so eat dinner late, always after 8 pm during the week. Not saying this is a good plan for people with small children or other schedules, but one result is no temptation to snack after dinner.

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