Eating times

I stop eating a few hours before bed, because I can't stand the thought of going to bed with a guts full of food.

Eating too close to bedtime can cause acid reflux and erosion of the esophagus, which eventually can lead to cancer. But, does it affect your weight? No.

It depends on what you are eating and how much. I eat 6 small meals per day and my last one is scheduled for 9 or 9:30pm each night. I drink a green spinach protein smoothie as my last meal so even though it fills my stomach it digests beautifully and doesn't affect my sleep cycle. That's what I mean by it depends

Everybody is different. It's not an easy answer, and requires some personal reflection and investigation.

The idea behind not eating so late is that supposedly if you eat a "heavy" meal (as Americans tend to eat their biggest meal at night), and then go to bed soon after, it will not have a chance to be used before storage, so goes to fat. Whatever "soon" means... I guess most people go to bed around 10 or 11pm by this logic? I think usually people try to justify this with some b.s. about circadian rhythms or something, but... some people are naturally night people and stay up until 2am. Are they supposed to stop eating at 8pm too??

But the fat storage thing isn't necessarily true. If you exercise regularly, your body is using your sleep time to repair your tissues, build muscle, etc. So that nutrition is definitely getting used at night.

If you find you feel sluggish or have problems going to sleep on a full stomach, try eating sooner in the evening or reduce the size of your evening meal. Maybe settle for a small snack before bed if you feel hungry. It will take some experimentation to find out what works for you, but there's no hard and fast rule for not eating past 8pm.

I think it's OK to feel hungry sometimes and ignore it so if you get sudden hunger late at night, question if it's real hunger or programmed habit from eating at night (often "hunger" comes on from your body thinking it's time to eat, not really needing food). If hunger keeps you from sleeping, eat a little or have some milk, but otherwise ignore it; you won't starve over night.

malibu927 wrote: »

Only if eating late causes issues when you sleep. Otherwise, meal timing is irrelevant.

Yeah... like heartburn... ugh!! That'd be me.

But for weight loss? Nope. :flowerforyou:

christinev297 wrote: »

So our metabolism still efficiently digests our food when we're sleeping? It doesn't slow down and is less able to digest a big meal like it would when we are awake and active? Honest question

The body effectively digests and processes food whether we are sleeping or awake.
Our bodies work for us 24/7.

christinev297 wrote: »

So our metabolism still efficiently digests our food when we're sleeping? It doesn't slow down and is less able to digest a big meal like it would when we are awake and active? Honest question

@christinev297: Yes, intestinal motility is a very strong force and food still gets digested during sleep. It is in fact slightly more efficient as it moves slightly slower through the digestive system. But part of the digestive process - moving things down the road - does involve gravity and the level of activity that you have decreases transit time and makes things more regular.

People who are completely bed ridden still digest but may have issues with the process, constipation, diverticulitis, etc...

And certain drugs reduce muscular tone in the digestive track - muscle relaxers like cyclobenzaprine and many pain relief medications, in particular the opiate class, affect digestive motility and reduce transit and increase the risk of constipation. But even so, digestion still takes place.

It's just about midnight here. I've not long finished my dinner. I have no problem weight and eating at this time as long as I don't over do the calories for the day.

I eat this way because it suits me - it fits my way of life / daily activities. I want something I can live with. Others struggle eating so late because it keeps them awake etc. It doesn't suit them.

Find meal timings that suit you, stick to a sensible calorie plan and you will be good to go.

_Terrapin_ wrote: »

zotastic wrote: »

So ive heard we shouldn't eat after 8pm is this true? Thanks x

What would a shift worker do?

I've read countless posts from shift workers who struggle extra hard to lose weight. Whether this is due to CICO or shift working I do not know

EvgeniZyntx wrote: »

christinev297 wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

christinev297 wrote: »

So our metabolism still efficiently digests our food when we're sleeping? It doesn't slow down and is less able to digest a big meal like it would when we are awake and active? Honest question

The body effectively digests and processes food whether we are sleeping or awake.
Our bodies work for us 24/7.

yes but I was under the impression that our body slows down our functions when we are sleeping? ?

Your brain might actually be more active during REM sleep than when awake. But in general, yes, body functions and even body temperature decrease during sleep. But the don't turn off - liver is still busy, your tissues are still repairing, using energy, etc.

@EvgeniZyntx‌ thanks for your explanation