Eating before bed

aubtimusprime
aubtimusprime Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!
I've been trying to lose some weight for the past few weeks and I just had a question - is eating before bed a big no-no or is that just an online myth? I heard you're not supposed to eat in the two hours (at least) before you go to sleep. My schedule is all messed up because I'm in nursing but I figure I should be able to stop eating around 9pm before I go to bed at 1130. Thanks for your input!
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Replies

  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
    It really depends on the person but for the most part I try to finish eating 3 hours before bed and taper off my carbs after lunch. I tell my team to do the same thing and it has worked for them as well
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    myth, meal timing plays no part. i find i sleep much better if i have a pre-bedtime snack, and sleep plays a big factor in weight loss/gain, so if anything i would say personally it helps
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
    I say it is better to have a healthy snack b4 bed so you don't feel deprived. Like a banana or fruit. Keep it smart-make smart choices is my humble opinion
  • joepage612
    joepage612 Posts: 179 Member
    i work out in the eurly mornings so that i can eat a bunch of food late at night right before bed. unhealthy things like cheese pizza and television.
    It seems to me that resting or sleeping after a heavy meal is normal. its what cats do right?
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Oh, I eat upward of 1400 calories sometimes right before bed.

    It's personal preference. It has zero bearing on fat loss.

    It's all about calorie deficit.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    The only time not to eat is when you're sleeping as you'll choke
  • aubtimusprime
    aubtimusprime Posts: 35 Member
    The only time not to eat is when you're sleeping as you'll choke

    I appreciate this advice! I've never tried eating WHILE I slept but now I know better! :D
  • sriley7682
    sriley7682 Posts: 48 Member
    I eat most of my carbs for the day, and most of my calories for that matter at NIGHT (because this is when I like to eat and when I'm most hungry) and I've lost 112 pounds because I'm eating the right things, eating at a calorie deficit, and being physically active. It doesn't matter when you eat what you eat. (Within reason, of course!)
  • sriley7682
    sriley7682 Posts: 48 Member
    The only time not to eat is when you're sleeping as you'll choke
    This is wise advice. LOL
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    I see this posted (and repeated) quite a bit regarding meal timing. I'm curious to know if that's based on some scientific study or if the act of calling meal timing a myth turned into its own myth.

    Not trying to start a fight, am just honestly curious. I know for my part, eating right before bed makes me feel like crap and was probably the #1 reason for me developing GERD.
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    Mostly myth. Meal timing plays an extremely minimal role in weight loss and shouldn't really be considered in one's weightless journey. Eat when you want, just maintain that deficit and you'll lose weight.
  • feralkitten1010
    feralkitten1010 Posts: 219 Member
    If you're hungry before bed, there isn't any harm eating. The only problem I've ever had is that it seems to mess with my dreaming. Creepy, creepy dreams. :tongue:
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    I see this posted (and repeated) quite a bit regarding meal timing. I'm curious to know if that's based on some scientific study or if the act of calling meal timing a myth turned into its own myth.

    Not trying to start a fight, am just honestly curious. I know for my part, eating right before bed makes me feel like crap and was probably the #1 reason for me developing GERD.

    Yes, there are studies that say meal timing influences calorie burn, however, this is such a small infinitesimal scope of the picture that it shouldn't be taken to heart and considered when deciding when to eat.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    That's my ice cream time. :drinker:
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Here's a good post with links to studies, etc on meal timing.

    The take away is eat in a way that makes you feel best and that you perform best with. Maintain a calorie deficit.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Mom-science
  • RawIndian
    RawIndian Posts: 90 Member
    If you are nursing, you can eat healthy foods at anytime you feel hungry. Nursing alone will burn so much calories.

    My wife lost 35 lbs on just nursing alone.
  • rileyleigh
    rileyleigh Posts: 106 Member
    The major contributing factors are what you eat, and how much you eat. Studies have shown that not eating before bed can result in some fat burn over night after you body has used all its normally available resources to maintain functions, but its impact is really quite minimal compared to simply making sure you are not eating too many calories. I personally don't eat after 8:00 when possible because it does seem to give me the results i like to see, but i wouldn't claim it will give great results to everyone.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
    Myth. Eat when you want!
  • HardyGirl4Ever
    HardyGirl4Ever Posts: 1,017 Member
    Some studies say it's bad because you're not burning very many calories while you sleep, so you won't burn it off very efficiently. Others say it's fine. Some studies say if you eat before bed, you can exercise before breakfast because what you ate before bed will fuel your workout. I eat before bed all the time. Can't say I'm a big success though. My mom never eats after 7, but she's losing around the same as me.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Here's a good post with links to studies, etc on meal timing.

    The take away is eat in a way that makes you feel best and that you perform best with. Maintain a calorie deficit.

    The studies cited here are related to meal frequency; not timing.

    I'm looking for the studies/peer reviewed articles that look specifically at nighttime calorie consumption. I'm not 100% sure that is the myth everyone seems to claim it is.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    If you are nursing, you can eat healthy foods at anytime you feel hungry. Nursing alone will burn so much calories.

    My wife lost 35 lbs on a caloric deficit while nursing

    FIFY
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Here's a good post with links to studies, etc on meal timing.

    The take away is eat in a way that makes you feel best and that you perform best with. Maintain a calorie deficit.

    The studies cited here are related to meal frequency; not timing.

    I'm looking for the studies/peer reviewed articles that look specifically at nighttime calorie consumption. I'm not 100% sure that is the myth everyone seems to claim it is.

    How are timing and frequency different? I lost 53 lbs eating the bulk of my calories right before bed. It made zero impact on my loss.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    urban myth.

    i eat a bowl of cereal every night before bed. since that bowl of cereal is included as part of my daily calories, i lose weight consistently AND get my bedtime snack :)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    For the most part, if you avoid eating before bed you'll likely increase fat oxidation in your sleep but this is meaningless without considering what happens to fat oxidation and fat storage over larger periods of time.

    Just for example if you were to eat all your calories at night then you'd store more fat in your sleep (fat storage would exceed fat oxidation) but you would also increase fat oxidation during the day because you're not eating then (during the day, fat oxidation exceeds fat storage).

    Holding total calories constant and shifting them between AM and PM isn't likely going to have a significant effect on the net difference between fat storage and fat oxidation, and when we look at multiple studies on meal timing they don't tend to point towards one method being arbitrarily superior which is why we basically conclude that it's not going to be significantly important.

    Having said all of that mouthful, let personal preference, lifestyle, and gym performance primarily dictate your meal timing. Having an arbitrary cut-off for reasons outside of the previously mentioned factors is basically silly, and it's only going to serve to add additional nonsense to your plan.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Here's a good post with links to studies, etc on meal timing.

    The take away is eat in a way that makes you feel best and that you perform best with. Maintain a calorie deficit.

    The studies cited here are related to meal frequency; not timing.

    I'm looking for the studies/peer reviewed articles that look specifically at nighttime calorie consumption. I'm not 100% sure that is the myth everyone seems to claim it is.

    How are timing and frequency different? I lost 53 lbs eating the bulk of my calories right before bed. It made zero impact on my loss.

    Frequency is how often you eat, e.g. You must eat 3 meals a day vs. you must eat 5 meals a day.

    Timing is when you eat, e.g. It's okay to eat after 8pm vs. you must never eat before bedtime.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    Myth. Eat when you want!

    What do you base this on?
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    urban myth.


    What do you base this on?
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    Mom-science

    What do you base this on?
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Here's a good post with links to studies, etc on meal timing.

    The take away is eat in a way that makes you feel best and that you perform best with. Maintain a calorie deficit.

    The studies cited here are related to meal frequency; not timing.

    I'm looking for the studies/peer reviewed articles that look specifically at nighttime calorie consumption. I'm not 100% sure that is the myth everyone seems to claim it is.

    How are timing and frequency different? I lost 53 lbs eating the bulk of my calories right before bed. It made zero impact on my loss.

    Frequency is how often you eat, e.g. You must eat 3 meals a day vs. you must eat 5 meals a day.

    Timing is when you eat, e.g. It's okay to eat after 8pm vs. you must never eat before bedtime.

    But if it doesn't matter how often you eat, should it also be said that that means that timing is irrelevant as well? If timing mattered, I'd still be overweight. I can't always eat all my calories during the day. There's a lot of people who are too busy to eat at specific times, who've lost fat fine eating in a deficit whenever they will

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