What time of day would you consider "right" to stop eating

Dimplez1518
Dimplez1518 Posts: 8
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
just wondering what would you consider reasonable time to have dinner and stop having snacks?
I've been told eating late as Hispanic families tend to do makes it easier to gain weight...
Wanted to know if it was true? Thanks for your opinions :)
Going to plan to eat earlier and have fruits if in need of a late night snack !
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Replies

  • CodyD18
    CodyD18 Posts: 161 Member
    It really depends on what time you get up. I don't think it really matters THAT much anyway but probably a few hours before you go to bed. I usually stop eating at 6-7 and then go to sleep at 9 or 10.
  • zml_mom
    zml_mom Posts: 270 Member
    I stop eating by 7 if I can help it, no snacks or anything unless I am starving.
    I have heard most people stop after 8
  • CoachMaritova
    CoachMaritova Posts: 409 Member
    It is best to stop eating three hours before going to bed.
  • ladyphoebe
    ladyphoebe Posts: 46 Member
    I have always been told to stop eating a mimimum of 2 hours before you go to bed
  • DKev
    DKev Posts: 266 Member
    I guess I break all the rules and eat right up until I go to bed if I still have calories left at the end of the day that I need to use to meet my net.
  • Bellyroll
    Bellyroll Posts: 316
    It really depends on what time you get up. I don't think it really matters THAT much anyway but probably a few hours before you go to bed. I usually stop eating at 6-7 and then go to sleep at 9 or 10.

    Yup totally agree with this. I usually stay up late at night because I did over nights 7pm till 7 am so If I stop eating after 8 would not make work out.
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
    I have a hard time with this... as I am usually eating my night time snack AS I am getting into bed.
  • lindahavard
    lindahavard Posts: 25
    Hi,
    i am new to this but my doctor said 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed.
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
    I stop eating.... (drum roll please).... when I reach my goal. Who cares what the clock says?
  • Deva1026
    Deva1026 Posts: 29 Member
    I try to stop at least 2-3 hours before bedtime ( as it causes me to have nightmares :devil: ...no joke!). I tend to go to bed aroun 10-11 so my last snack would be around ...well now, 8 pm.
    If you snack late, go for something healthy and filling.... OR what I do- glass of water with a tablespoon of psylium husk ( fiber). It's filling and ... by morning it will be out of your system :wink:
  • DKev
    DKev Posts: 266 Member
    I stop eating.... (drum roll please).... when I reach my goal. Who cares what the clock says?

    Me too!
  • brknllama
    brknllama Posts: 113 Member
    good rule of thumb... a couple hours before you go to bed so the food has time to digest

    if you go to bed at eight then stop at six.... if your like me and go to bed at midnight or 1 then you would stop at about 10 or 11
  • radio_flyer
    radio_flyer Posts: 85
    I read an article on WebMD last night that for some people eating after 8 pm causes weight gain regardless of how much you've eaten during the day. I don't know if I'm one of "those" people or not. I eat late because I'm up late and I sleep in until 10ish. So I don't know. It's nearly 8 now and I haven't had dinner yet. I also haven't lost a lot of weight, so there might be some merit to that study. It was done at Northwestern Univerisity in Chicago.
  • paigeasaurxx
    paigeasaurxx Posts: 5
    I asked my doctor this exact question and she said that it really doesn't matter what time you stop eating as long as during the day you burn more calories than you eat.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    There is no research based evidence that I have ever seen that says it makes any difference as long as you don't eat more than the calories you are allowed for the day. The problems with eating at night are for some people it leads to mindless eating, so they eat too much. For others is causes indigestion overnight keeping them from a good nights sleep. As far as whether eating even right before bed in and of itself cause problems for weight loss, it won't. I often have eaten just before bed, and it has not ever been a problem. What it will do if you eat late enough, is have you weigh more first thing in the morning because the food has not digested and passed yet, but that is just the weight of undigested, unpassed food.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    When you're asleep!
    Do what works for you. If it is easier to control snacking by giving yourself a cut off time then do it, but your body doesn't care what the time is.
  • kristiteeter
    kristiteeter Posts: 12
    I totally agree that 3 hrs before bed is a good time to stop eating, however I take my vitamins prior to bedtime so I have a cracker or something with it.

    I guess I'm a rule breaker as well. :)
  • d_llopez
    d_llopez Posts: 167 Member
    I don't believe that the night matters. I've always been told that. I think it how much you eat during the day. I love to eat late. I eat a small meal for brkfast, bigger meal for lunch, and then a larger one for dinner and add snacks in throughout the day. Roughly about 1200-1300 calories.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I read an article on WebMD last night that for some people eating after 8 pm causes weight gain regardless of how much you've eaten during the day. I don't know if I'm one of "those" people or not. I eat late because I'm up late and I sleep in until 10ish. So I don't know. It's nearly 8 now and I haven't had dinner yet. I also haven't lost a lot of weight, so there might be some merit to that study. It was done at Northwestern Univerisity in Chicago.

    I would like to see a link to the article. I know that many (I am tempted to say all) of the studies I have seen that show that have major methodological flaws that render their results out right wrong. I would like to see this one because I am not familiar with it.

    Edit: I just found the report on it at WebMD. Two comments first the study referred to has not actually been published or peer reviewed so at best the results should be considered possible. Second, even the authors call this a correlation. If you have taken statistics correlation does not mean causation. The illustration my statistics prof would use is that a large majority of lung cancer sufferers drink coffee. That is a correlation, but it is not causation, because it is a matter of many smokers also drink coffee. There may very well be something else causing this that is correlated to eating late at night beyond the factors they allowed for. This is especially the case since the article itself mentions that in many European countries eating late at night is very common, and their does not seem to be a higher amount of obesity. I do know the one question I have is my concern about BMI being an accurate measure for this sort of study. I know that the more I read about BMI, the more I find there are major shortcomings in it as a measure.
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
    Do you poo every night before you go to bed? If not, then your food will be there digesting all night regardless of what time you stop eating. Unless you have nightmares or indigestion that bothers you at night, it does not matter. For weight loss it does not matter.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
    just wondering what would you consider reasonable time to have dinner and stop having snacks?
    I've been told eating late as Hispanic families tend to do makes it easier to gain weight...
    Wanted to know if it was true? Thanks for your opinions :)

    Myth, myth, myth!!! It does not matter when you stop eating as long as you are within your allotted calories for the day....you'd be surprised how many calories you burn just while sleeping! Eat when you are hungry & have the calories to do so...the end.


    http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/TherapeuticCenters/WeightManagement.aspx?ChunkID=156995
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    I stop eating.... (drum roll please).... when I reach my goal. Who cares what the clock says?

    Me too!



    Me THREE!! If I have food available, I still eat!! I make sure I have all of my fruits, veggies, protein in for the day, then I will have a fun snack, skinny cow ice cream, popcorn, or a pb2/sugarfree sandwich......I usually eat my snack between 8:30 and 9 and go to bed at 10. I get up at 5 am to work out.....
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    When you fall asleep.
  • hgellings
    hgellings Posts: 295 Member
    I have a hard time with this... as I am usually eating my night time snack AS I am getting into bed.

    Lol, me too! :)
  • blockhead922
    blockhead922 Posts: 23
    I would suggest about 2-3 hours before you go to bed. Food should be almost completely out of your system by the time you go to bed because while you're asleep your body needs to use it's energy to do things like boost your growth hormone, leptin, and ghrelin levels ((all good things when you're asleep)). If you still have food in your system then your body won't get a significant amount of time to go through those super important hormone surges.
    ---- I read Jillian Michael's MASTER YOUR METABOLISM and that's what she said haha
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I would suggest about 2-3 hours before you go to bed. Food should be almost completely out of your system by the time you go to bed because while you're asleep your body needs to use it's energy to do things like boost your growth hormone, leptin, and ghrelin levels ((all good things when you're asleep)). If you still have food in your system then your body won't get a significant amount of time to go through those super important hormone surges.
    ---- I read Jillian Michael's MASTER YOUR METABOLISM and that's what she said haha

    It takes a lot longer that 2-3 hours for food to be out of your system. It really depends on what you have eaten for how fast food digests. It could be 2-3 or it could be 6, 8, 10 or more hours.
  • kathy1117
    kathy1117 Posts: 27
    ive always been told 4 hours b4 u go 2 bed
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    ive always been told 4 hours b4 u go 2 bed

    I keep reading that this kind of thing is a myth. If I had to stop eating four hours before bed I wouldn't get any dinner.
    Find what fits into your schedule and calories allowance and don't be worried about myths.
  • Dimplez1518
    Dimplez1518 Posts: 8
    Yeah I sleep around that time but im going to try to cut back the time I have dinner with time.
  • theflyingartist
    theflyingartist Posts: 385 Member
    It really depends when you go to bed -- my general rule is no later than 2 hours before expected sleep time.
    So.. I eat breakfast around 7:30 every morning and finish my last bite of food by 7 (on a good day), more likely 8:30 though... those chocolate cravings really like to creep up ;P
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