Eating late. Bad for you?

wewon
wewon Posts: 838 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Does the time of day that you stop eating matter versus the caloric intake?

Would eating a dinner at 9PM be detrimental to your goals if you are eating healthy and staying within your budgeted calories?

Replies

  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    I eat dinner every night after 8pm and I'm still losing! Do I think it would be better to eat earlier? Probably, but my schedule is what it is so I’m not going to fret too much over it
  • seleck05
    seleck05 Posts: 74 Member
    I am the same way. I eat dinner around 8 or 9 o'clock. I read an article recently de–bunking the eating late is bad for you myth, but I don't remember the name of it. Plus, I can't do anything about it. I work late.
  • lhuber1105
    lhuber1105 Posts: 72 Member
    I seem to get most of my daily intake in the evening--I work second shift so I usually don't get dinner until at least 9pm. So far I am down 17lbs in a month and a half. I think as long as you are within you food goals you should do fine. I try not to eat anything too heavy later at night. I make my big meal lunch. Good luck on your journey:smile:
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
    I eat dinner every night after 8pm and I'm still losing! Do I think it would be better to eat earlier? Probably, but my schedule is what it is so I’m not going to fret too much over it


    I agree I try to eat earlier but on most nights it can't be helped. I think as long as your not going right to bed on you should be okay.
  • cast59
    cast59 Posts: 77 Member
    It's never a great idea to eat just before you go to bed, but i know there are times that a person can't avoid it.
    I guess the best would be to eat more of your calories during the day and have a lighter supper when you are going to eat late.
    But at the end of the day if you are losing weight and inches and feeling good that is all that matters. Good luck
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
    I read it doesn't really matter when you eat your calories. If your under you are under, not matter what time. I will try to find the article I read this in.
  • PenguinPrincess
    PenguinPrincess Posts: 101 Member
    What I was told is that not necessarily eating late is bad for you, but what you eat late. I was told you aren't supposed to eat a lot of Carbs at night. "Nothing white at night" was how he put it because they take longer for your body to metabolize them or something. So like no bread, potatoes, that type of stuff. I don't know if that is what they have proven not true, but that is what I was told.
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    I've heard from a couple sources that it doesn't matter. Your body uses the calories the same regardless of when you eat them and as long as you're creating a calorie deficit, you will still lose. Sometimes I don't get dinner until late and it has not hampered my success. I enjoy evening snacks frequently and have not had problems as long as I don't go over my calories.

    I think we often hear "don't eat after Xpm" because lots of people overeat when snacking in the evening. For those people, setting a cutoff time has immediate results because they are suddenly reducing calories.

    If you're counting everything you eat, you'll be fine no matter when you eat it :)
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    I don't think there's been a single night in the past 50-100 days where I didn't NOT eat before 10PM. Usually I'm eating up until about 11pm and go to bed around 12am. But I have no problem eating, brushing my teeth and going straight to bed, if the timing ends up that way.

    Usually it's a protein heavy meal, but I don't believe there's any harm in carbing up at night either. In fact, when I do, I seem to have more energy the next day.

    Eat up, and don't create senseless restrictions. :smile:
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    Metabolism doesn't stop working just because it's past 9PM or even when you're sleeping. I still have post-workout snacks after 1AM and I lose weight. I also wake up between 6:30 - 7:00AM. It doesn't matter what time of day you eat. The only difference is that you will have to take note of it and allow a period of time where your body is metabolizing it at those different times of the day, so the scale may reflect a bit differently for some people.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    I am a late night snacker and it's never hindered my weight loss. I have heard some arguments that it's easier to over eat at night...but if you are good at sticking to your plan I wouldn't worry about that. I have also read some arguments that it's harder on the digestive system if you eat at night.....I haven't had any issues myself, but *shrug*
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