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Eating before bed = weight GAIN

Microscopes
Microscopes Posts: 92 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My wonderful mother keeps telling me this thing she heard on Oprah 10 years ago. Apparently a doctor on that show said if you eat right before bed, all those calories will go towards fat.

Is there any truth to this?
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Replies

  • kirstenb13
    kirstenb13 Posts: 181 Member
    Nope, your body doesn't operate on a 24 hour schedule for energy consumption. What matters is a calorie deficit over a larger amount of time, not what time of day these calories are eaten.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    I nearly always eat before bed. It has made no difference to my weight loss.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Was it Dr. Oz by chance? He was wrong.
  • joncooper1980
    joncooper1980 Posts: 96 Member
    Quite the contrary, if you are following a weight training program its actually beneficial to eat something directly before you go to bod to help your body repair muscle damage.
  • abhijeetchar
    abhijeetchar Posts: 20 Member
    Its all about calories. Eat less than your daily goal, you wont gain. Before or after does not really matters.
  • brynnaewilliams
    brynnaewilliams Posts: 3 Member
    So I don't quite understand the goals here . Are you supposed to eat less then the goal? If so why is it a goal ?
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    I sometimes eat 1200 cals before bed....weight will still go down as long as I'm in an overall deficit. You metabolism doesn't shut down when you go to sleep
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    brynnaewilliams wrote: »
    So I don't quite understand the goals here . Are you supposed to eat less then the goal? If so why is it a goal ?

    You don't want to go over your goal or you won't lose weight.

    You don't want to be too far under your goal or you risk health problems and burnout.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    Nope.
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

    Stop living in the past.
  • Shrinking_Erin
    Shrinking_Erin Posts: 125 Member
    @Mavrick_RN Right on. ; )
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    People need to understand that their food does not digest immediately upon being swallowed. Most people are constantly digesting food from prior meals, morning, noon, and night. Eating right before bedtime doesn't change that process to put the food toward fat stores.
  • Dreven1989
    Dreven1989 Posts: 17 Member
    This did work for me for a while, but purely because that meal before bed was an extra meal. Which obviously meant extra calories.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    I like to eat at any time. B)
  • tkphotogirl
    tkphotogirl Posts: 245 Member
    Nope. I snack before I sleep most nights.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    The only time eating right before bedtime causes weight gain is if you weigh yourself first thing the next morning (while the food/waste is still in your body). Completely artifactual.
  • Microscopes
    Microscopes Posts: 92 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.

    Did you read my original post? I said in the first sentence that my mother told me this. She means well.
  • Microscopes
    Microscopes Posts: 92 Member
    Mavrick_RN wrote: »
    Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

    Stop living in the past.

    Sort of an odd response.

    Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    edited March 2016
    Microscopes wrote: »
    Mavrick_RN wrote: »
    Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

    Stop living in the past.

    Sort of an odd response.

    Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.

    Editing because I clearly can't forum before coffee.

    The post was a joke because you referenced dated weight loss advice.

    Tell your mom to stop watching Oprah reruns. Eating before bed doesn't hinder weight loss.

  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    No, it isn't true.

    In fact, sleep could be classed (loosely) as a low intensity form of exercise and as such burns a greater % of fat to carbs so is good for fat loss ;)
  • Microscopes
    Microscopes Posts: 92 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Microscopes wrote: »
    Mavrick_RN wrote: »
    Saddam Hussein was still alive and Twitter was just being born. A lot has changed in 10 years.

    Stop living in the past.

    Sort of an odd response.

    Nothing to do with living in the past. Simply asking if it was true.

    Editing because I clearly can't forum before coffee.

    The post was a joke because you referenced dated weight loss advice.

    Tell your mom to stop watching Oprah reruns. Eating before bed doesn't hinder weight loss.

    Ok.

    I guess the "stop living in the past" part sounded a little harsh to me. Didn't sound jokey.

    But it's alright.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    oprah had a lot of advice but not all of it was true. She used to listen to dr oz. she tried fad diets.
    i wish it were true. i think it was an idea originally based on late night snacks are frequently high calorie-like ice cream or pie
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited March 2016
    My mom says the same thing and ya it's not true. She is stuck in that mindset and I don't think it will change anytime soon.

    You would think my little brother who has always bordered on being underweight would be enough proof for her (he always eats a big meal before bed). Nope. She just says he has a freakishly fast metabolism.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I always have a snack before I go to bed! If you have stomach issues with food when you lie down that's a different story.
  • Wickedfaery73
    Wickedfaery73 Posts: 184 Member
    My husband tried to tell me that the other day... the guy that cant(wont) try to lose a pound and has researched nothing...lol
  • RobD520
    RobD520 Posts: 420 Member
    For some people, late night eating is unplanned extra eating that brings them to a calorie surplus. This will lead to weight gain; but it would lead to just as much gain if it was done at 11:00 A.M. The time one eats does not matter.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    It could be, if eating late means eating lots of calorie dense foods, and if that isn't balanced by eating less during the day, so that you all in all eat more calories than you burn.

    It has nothing to do with timing of intake. The body burns calories round the clock.

    Calorie counting makes that kind of strategies redundant. It's so strange to see these ideas put forward here ALL THE TIME.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited March 2016
    Microscopes wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    OP--where are you coming up with these myths? This is the 2nd one. No, it's not true. I advise you to follow the boards on MFP and learn a few truths instead.

    Did you read my original post? I said in the first sentence that my mother told me this. She means well.

    I'm talking about your other post--"can't lose weight eating carbs+sugar". Another myth in one day. And I'm sure your mother is lovely and means well.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Utter tosh!! if you keep to your calorie allowance it does not matter one bit what time you eat.
This discussion has been closed.

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