question about eating late a night?

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JenBrown0210
JenBrown0210 Posts: 985 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am starting a new shift where I will be working 330pm to midnight. My lunch at work will be around 8pm. I am thinking on my break around 6pm I will have my dinner then. I normally have tuna on a flatbread or spinach wrap with turkey, something like that. Right now I eat my lunch at 3 and then have a snack at 6 and I'm done for the day, because I don't want to eat to late at night. But since I am going to be having to stay up later will it be ok to do lunch around 6 and then a snack at 8pm and then be done for the day? know that your not supposed to eat late, but since I will not be going to bed right after, I was thinking that would be ok. Does anyone work a similar shift and have any suggestions? Please feel free to let me know.


Thanks in advanced,
Jen

Replies

  • Gossamer5
    Gossamer5 Posts: 12 Member
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    It's not so much when you eat but what you eat. As long as you stick to a low calorie intake you should be fine. It's when you start indulging that puts the weight on.
  • ThatDollSally
    ThatDollSally Posts: 473 Member
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    The "don't eat past X o'clock" thing is in relation to when you go to sleep, so since you'll be going to bed later you'll be alright to push that time back.
  • formytwins
    formytwins Posts: 106
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    I would think it would be fine. I would just stay away from carbs. I was told no carbs after 4:00??
  • TheWatchStander
    TheWatchStander Posts: 120
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    You will find X number of people saying the eating late is a myth and you will find the same X number of people who say its legit. There are studies proving both sides I am sure. I have seen Dr.Oz advocate not eating too late.

    As long as your active you should be able to adjust your eating times to reflect your new work shcedule. But if your dedicated and motivated I would say eat your big meal early like you used to and add a few fiber bars or light *healthy* snacks to sustain you till the end of your new shift.
  • jkim80
    jkim80 Posts: 7
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    I agree, it's not about not eating past an arbitrary time, it about not eating or taking in lots of calories in the three hours before you go to bed. Calories that you taking in, by food or drink in the three hours before bed tend to be stored away as fat, since by the time your body is done digesting and dealing with it all you are inactive and not in immediate need of the calories.

    You need to adjust your eating times according to your new waking and sleeping times, and of course eat healthy well balanced meals and snacks :)

    Good luck!!
  • JenBrown0210
    JenBrown0210 Posts: 985 Member
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    Thank you all for the advice. Just to be clear, I'm not planning on eating more, just pushing back the time I'm going to eat. I'm still going to have my normal foods that have worked me so far. I just wasn't sure if the eating late was because of when I go to bed! I will still be exercising, even more now with this shift because it allows it!
  • singer201
    singer201 Posts: 560 Member
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    I've worked an evening shift similar to yours for over 30 years. I don't think it matters WHEN you eat as much as HOW MUCH and WHAT you eat. Since starting MFP, I've been eating "brunch" around noon, my main meal at work about 5:30 or 6 p.m., and something around 300 calories (Greek yogurt and fruit, fruit and and a glass of milk, almonds and a bit of dark chocolate, hard-cooked egg, whatever complements the rest of my meal plan) when I get home around 12:30 a.m. In earlier times, my downfall was eating too much of the wrong stuff when I got home from work.

    Your plan for a 6 p.m. dinner and 8 p.m. snack sounds perfectly fine.
  • meghanner
    meghanner Posts: 180 Member
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    I know how you feel. I work nutty hours as a on call health care provider. When I'm up late, I keep eating. If you are awake, moving and using your brain you need to keep eating, regardless of the time. Just make healthy choices and make sure that you count these calories. I always keep a few 100 calorie protein bars in my on call bag and am sure to drink lots of fluids. Best of luck.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
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    My brother works really late. From about 7 or 8 pm until either 3 or 4 in the morning. He gets a lunch break somewhere around 2 or 1 and it is just fine. It is bad to eat when you go to bed partly because it is not good to lay down after eating and your body needs to process it. But as long as you are up for a little bit before you go to bed i think it would be just fine because it did not cause my brother any problems. He seemed to get hungrier at that time.
    Hope this helped
    -Ellie
  • just4laughs
    just4laughs Posts: 44
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    I like to work out late in the day (between 7-8pm), and I do get hungry after that. I'll try and have some high protien foods in small amounts. Tonight I had 8 oz. of lettuce with a can of tuna. No carbs in the tuna and very little in the lettuce. I battle with that too though, I don't want to eat that late, but I figure anything very low in carbs would be ok. Does anyone have any thoughts on this, please share.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    eating late at night is a myth. calories are calories. and even if you eat late at night and go right to bed, your body is still burning calories. you metabolism doesnt 'slow' down when you sleep. because you are still using calories to make your body function.

    i work night shift. 7p to 7a. i eat all night long, and i eat breakfast when I get home. I go workout after I eat breakfast, then come home and usually eat again or have a whey isolate drink. then i hit the bed. i dont know about you, but i can NOT go to bed hungry, as i cant sleep. and being that you still burn calories sleeping, your body requires proper rest to recover and burn fat.

    ps http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm
  • TheWatchStander
    TheWatchStander Posts: 120
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    eating late at night is a myth. calories are calories. and even if you eat late at night and go right to bed, your body is still burning calories. you metabolism doesnt 'slow' down when you sleep. because you are still using calories to make your body function.

    i work night shift. 7p to 7a. i eat all night long, and i eat breakfast when I get home. I go workout after I eat breakfast, then come home and usually eat again or have a whey isolate drink. then i hit the bed. i dont know about you, but i can NOT go to bed hungry, as i cant sleep. and being that you still burn calories sleeping, your body requires proper rest to recover and burn fat.

    ps http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm

    Not eating after a certain time can still be a useful tool by limiting late night grazing and helping you focus on your plan.

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