Cut off time on eating?

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Evanstl
Evanstl Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
hey I am just wondering if any of you have good advice or proof of the theory of not eating after a certain time at night. I was thinking about not eating after 6 or 7pm. Would that be much of a benefit?

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  • ritafay2011
    ritafay2011 Posts: 85
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    MY DOC:::::SAYS NOT TO EAT @ 8PM......THAT WRKS FOR ME!!!!!! HE SAID IT WAS LIKE A BANK DEPOSIT IF YOU DO...LOL:flowerforyou:
  • dHowe4406
    dHowe4406 Posts: 114
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    Late-night calories won't change your metabolism or magically count more than calories eaten during the day. However, limiting late-night meals and snacks may be an effective weight management strategy for some because it helps them to control their overall calorie intake
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    I heard it is just a rumor.. You can eat after a certain time just give your body about 2 hrs. to digest it.
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
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    There is no hard cut off time. All depends on schedule. Try to finish eating about 2-3 hr before bed. People like me, around 6pm I barely get off work.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    It makes no difference. In countries like Canada and the USA people usually stop pretty early, in many European countries they eat until quiet late a night with no real increase in obesity. The key is how many calories you eat total, not when you eat them. For some people eating late causes them to eat too much. I have eaten late the entirety of my weight loss and it has not hindered me at all. Remember that you body burns your BMR through the whole of 24 hours, not just while you are awake. Thus you body is still burning calories while you sleep both to digest food (yes even if you stopped eating at 7 you will be digesting food most if not all the night) and repairing and building up your body.

    Here is a link on how long it takes food to digest. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/digestive-system/an00896 It is a lot more than 2 to 3 hours. Try all night and you a getting closer.
  • makena78
    makena78 Posts: 162 Member
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    I think it depends on when you go to sleep. The same cut off can't be for everyone. I eat dinner anywhere from 6-8pm. And I still have a post workout snack after that. I workout sometimes at 10-11pm. sometimes earlier if I'm lucky. I just make sure after my shake that I don't get to bed for at least an hour after that.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Myth. How many calories you eat matters, not when you eat them. I eat right up until I go to bed, I have a lot of energy and a fast metabolism. It works for me. Just don't cut yourself off "just because".
  • jbucci1186
    jbucci1186 Posts: 440 Member
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    i don't have a cut off time, but i try not to eat after midnight (but sometimes i do).

    i personally don't think it matters what time you eat, as long as you're within your daily limit. i asked a nutritionist about this and she said it's calories in vs. calories out and that you're body doesn't know what time it is. i try to avoid a high number of carbs for my nighttime snack though and go more for protein. also, i don't eat fruit after dinner.

    i think it's really different for everyone though, because my dad can't eat after 9pm. i can't handle this cut off rule. i think it would make me want to eat more haha... if i'm hungry, i eat, as long as i'm not going over my calories for the day. you can experiment for a week or two and see how you feel/what the scale reads. i've been eating at night since before i lost weight and i haven't experienced anything negative EXCEPT when i was eating cream of wheat... for me, less carbs more protein.

    hope that helps!
  • mynika
    mynika Posts: 312 Member
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    Wow that means that I just deposited a Magnum Dark Chocolate Ice cream bar... Oh my goodness... I can't do that again. LOL
  • Gettinfit2
    Gettinfit2 Posts: 254 Member
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    Most of my pounds were lost during the weeks that I had my last meal/snack no less than two hours before I went to bed.
  • boizmom
    boizmom Posts: 3
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    I don't buy into the don't eat past a certain time idea. I recently saw an article that explains that a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time you eat it. The reason why this notion of not eating past a certain time came about is that eating at night tends to lead to over eating. Think about it. You are hungry so you sit down with a bag of chips or heck even a bag of carrots and get engrossed in a show or film. Next thing you know you've eaten the entire bag of whatever it was you were eating. Many people tend to eat more then they normally would at night.

    I don't cut myself off. If I still have about 400 calories to go before the end of the day, then I portion out a snack for myself and eat. If I am hungry I certainly don't want to go to bed hungry and be miserable.
  • monniemon
    monniemon Posts: 10
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    the cut off time would change according to the time you go to bed. I dont usually get in bed til 1am so my cutt off time would be a little later than 8pm, the norm is that you would stop eating 2 to 3hrs before your bedtime.
  • sunrise84
    sunrise84 Posts: 18
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    I normally get in the bed around 1:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m., so I don't eat anything after 12:30 a.m. However, I'm normally not asleep (insomnia and pain). I read until I fall asleep, then I wake up and start a new day. I have to agree with everyone that says it doesn't matter what time unless you've some health condition like GERD.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    This message thread contains a link to a summary of the research out there on this topic. It makes a very interesting read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/276535-for-those-who-worry-about-eating-late-at-night

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