Eating 5-0 minutes before you go to sleep?

RichGebs
RichGebs Posts: 345
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
is it bad or good to eat a few snacks about 10 minutes before you fall asleep?

Replies

  • kelsey054
    kelsey054 Posts: 110 Member
    Very bad, because the food you eat will be laying in your stomach and not be burned because you'll be asleep. People trying to lose weight should always put a time where they can't eat after. For ex. I don't eat after 7:00 pm- the kitchen is closed for me!
  • christy_frank
    christy_frank Posts: 680 Member
    Depends on what you eat. My trainer wants me to eat cottage cheese (1/2 cup) right before bed. He says it has the right amount of protein & sugar to do this, and not do that. I don't remember exactly but I do it.
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
    If I'm hungry before bed time I'll have a small snack. Usually 4 wheat thin crackers and a glass of water hits the spot. Sometimes I'll have a 1/2 cup of warm milk. I try to keep what ever snack I choose under 100 calories and not something that's going to give me much energy (no sugary sweets). I seem to be doing fine. And if anything at least your body doesn't release the stress hormone that causes it to store fat. So I say, eat up... but keep it small and mindful. I also notice that when I stay up too late I get hungry. That's my cue to get that small snack and get some shut eye. Adequate sleep is equally important.
  • smithda86
    smithda86 Posts: 10
    keep to protein sources right before bed if you must. avoid any sugary or high carb/fat foods.
  • CallejaFairey
    CallejaFairey Posts: 391 Member
    it's fine, your digestive system stiill works while you are asleep, hence the morning bathroom trip and weighing less each morning :P

    i wouldn't recommend anything huge or heavy of course, cause that just doesn't feel good as you are trying to relax to fall asleep. also, nothing that peps you up energy wise, cause that is kinda defeating your thought of going to sleep.
  • RichGebs
    RichGebs Posts: 345
    But I'm starving!!! Lol look at my diary ud see why
  • aimee0515
    aimee0515 Posts: 67
    Depending on your training regimen...it is good to eat a source of protein right before bed (casein). Casein is a slow digesting protein which helps ward off starvation mode and feeds your muscles while you sleep (typically during this 8 hours you are fasting). Low sodium cottage cheese is a good source or a casein protein shake supplement. You should not eat anything high in carbs before bed though.
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
    Your body has NO idea what time it is. It doesn't know if it is 6pm or 8pm or 1am. The only time I get to eat some days is at night and sometimes right before I collapse on the couch after a long day and a night Zumba class...and I've lost 27 lbs. Keep your cals in order and you'll be fine.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I heard eating a snack is fine (like under 100 calories). Hand full of nuts, piece of cheese etc. That it will actually help you feel satisfied and not super hungry when you wake up.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    As long as you don't go over your calories there is not problem with it. I eat late at night quite often and it has not negatively effected my weight loss. To the best of my knowledge there is absolutely no evidence that eating close to bed time has any effect on weight loss. This is yet another one of those diet facts that has been repeated so long that everyone assumes it is true. To the best of my knowledge there is absolutely no evidence for it. I would focus on some lean protein in whatever you eat as well.
  • tawojcik
    tawojcik Posts: 67
    For what it's worth, I was seeing a licensed nutritionist and she was under the same opinion as some of you other guys that your body doesn't know or care what time it is and digestion works when you are asleep. "Minute by minute" metabolisim has very little to do with it. Bottom line (according to her) is that a Calorie at 3pm is the same as a calorie at 10pm, and if you burn 1300 a day (or whatever), it doesn't mater what time you burn them.

    Moderation though....
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Up to you, if it doesn't' make you uncomfortable then I think it's fine as long as you account for the calories.
  • RichGebs
    RichGebs Posts: 345
    Up to you, if it doesn't' make you uncomfortable then I think it's fine as long as you account for the calories.

    It makes me beyond uncomfortable going to sleep with a big belly... And that's why I'm stuck... Don't eat enough during the day because I'm scared I will always over do it at dinner or desert but when that's not the case, I eat about 1000 calories a day which isn't the best.. Ugh
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
    Stop being scared about going over. The goal is to meet your target calories after exercise. Right now I am eating a bowl of yogurt because I didn't meet my calories. I don't want to lose the strong sleek muscles I've worked so hard to get, so I am eating the calories my body deserves. So if you didn't eat enough at dinner, find something to fill in with healthy calories. Milk is a good one. So are nuts. Cheese is good too. It might help if you set yourself up with mini target calorie goals for each meal so that it comes to around what you need each day.
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    But I'm starving!!! Lol look at my diary ud see why

    Maybe you should try eating the correct amount of calories throughout the day and then you won't be starving at night? The foods you are eating are great and very healthy, but you are eating wayyyy to little - it looks like you are regularly about 1000 calories under what you should be consuming each day, so yes, your body is starving and sending you a signal :-) The question here isn't really about eating right before bed (which I'm not a huge fan of - like some of the others have posted, something light is ok, but stay away from sugary or starchy snacks, and go for higher protein snacks if possible), but about eating right throughout the day. You're actually hurting yourself and your weight loss more by eating too little - you may lose initially, but your metabolism will slow down, your body will start burning muscle, and you set yourself up for binge cycles because you can only willpower yourself through real hunger for so long (or you develop an eating disorder).
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    Okay some of the things I seen on this are SOOOOOO misinformed. I do agree, eating "TOO MUCH" before bed can be uncomfortable.

    People use logic sense, THINK about things, don't just blindly agree to them and accept them as facts. A common theory is "it's bad to eat before you go to bed because you will gain the weight, because your metabolism slows down." If you burn 3000 calories a day... from the time you go to bed, till the time you wake up. That's 3000 calories TOTAL" if you eat 1,500 in the morning, or at night, how many calories do you burn???? once again 3000 calories total.

    SO it's not bad to eat before bed. I eat about 1,500 - 2000 calories at night time. I don't eat anything all day, the reason for this is to take advantages of biochemicals and how they work. The first week I got good results like this...and I lost 20lbs in the past eating like this. SOmething happened and I didn't keep it up. So i am back. This goes again 90% of what you have ever been told.
  • jataijah
    jataijah Posts: 192 Member
    I eat a snack every night while in bed then roll over and go to sleep. I've consistently lost weight. I personally don't think it matters as long as you stay with your allowed calories.
  • bbbbb33333
    bbbbb33333 Posts: 1,107 Member
    It's total calorine, not when. I ususally have 6 almonds before I go to bed.

    Brush you teeth.....
  • gperera
    gperera Posts: 1
    sometimes if you feel a bit hungry before bed brushing your teeth might be the cure, especially if u have a sweet tooth, if you stick to your calorie intake per day, make sure u save a bit a space near the end of the day, as smithda says a protein shake is perfect.
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    Very bad, because the food you eat will be laying in your stomach and not be burned because you'll be asleep. People trying to lose weight should always put a time where they can't eat after. For ex. I don't eat after 7:00 pm- the kitchen is closed for me!

    This is not true. Your body doesn't stop working when you sleep. Your metabolism still demands energy to repair muscles, breathe, maintain normal brain function, keep your heart beating, and maintain organ function. Depriving your body of energy to complete these tasks while you sleep may lead to a lowered metabolism.

    Eating 10 minutes before you go to bed is fine. The person above who said their trainer told them to eat cottage cheese is spot on. High protein and a little carb (and if you're needing more calories, add some walnuts or fruit) will carry your body through the night without sacrificing your metabolic rate.
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
    It won't hurt you as long as you're not going overboard. A calorie is a calories, no matter when you eat it, so as long as you're accounting for them, it won't hurt you. Some people do this following their trainers recommendation, already discussed, some of us do it on our doctors recommendation. I'm iron deficient anemic and either diabetic or hypoglycemic. If I don't eat before bed I feel exhausted in the morning, no matter how much I sleep, no matter how well I sleep.

    And I can't sleep if I'm hungry. Which is almost always the case since I've just gotten off work and haven't been able to eat for at least 4 hours, sometimes more.
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