Does not eating past 7pm help?

Nope. A deficit of calorie intake over an extended period of time is what helps.

I think one of the reasons this became a thing is because of the mindless eating people tend to do in the evening hours when they're relaxing in front of the TV or on the computer. It's often not eating out of hunger at that point, but habit or maybe boredom. So, if your boyfriend is one of those folks, being aware of why he's eating can be helpful.

You're right, there is no real research to back it up.

I get home late, too, several nights a week because I workout right after work. I eat when I get home. No impact on weight loss or bloating. If you're feeling bloated after eating later, maybe different foods? If you're ordering food, take outs/aways often have lots of sodium and that could be your bloating culprit. Eating right before bed can cause heartburn as well.

rose_lemonade wrote: »

I've heard some people swear by this rule but I don't know if there's any science to back it up. My boyfriend also wants to lose weight but he doesn't usually get in from work till 9pm or later and then I either cook or we order in. I wake up feeling bloated and I'm sure this is the cause, but in terms of actual weight loss/gain, does eating late make a difference?

If so then it means we'll only be able to eat together on weekends, which kinda sucks

There is no science behind it because it doesn't matter. What you have to realize is that a lot of "rules" like this...don't eat after x o'clock...no carbs at dinner, etc are simply ways of controlling calories. You have to remember that the vast majority of people aren't counting calories and when you're not counting calories you have to employ other methods of controlling calories.

I just finished cutting my winter weight and I'm considering a further cut...when cutting weight, I typically don't eat grains/starches with my evening meal...there's nothing magical about it, it's just an easy way for my to control calories. My wife and I eat dinner around 8:30 most evenings.

I eat at 11pm right before bed and snack on Bread and peanut butter around 3am,
Don't think I could cope without my early morning snack

Debbie_Ferr wrote: »

It takes up to 3 DAYS to digest food. So it hardly matters if you consume some of them after 7pm.

It's all about calories in, calories out.
So once you meet your calorie intake goal, STOP EATING.
Mindful eating, peeps.

I think where people get into trouble, is the graze in the evening, and go over their DAILY calorie targets.

"Digestion can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, during which time the food you've eaten travels down your esophagus to your stomach, then to your small intestine, your large intestine, and out through the *kitten*."

The bolded is in my opinion is why so many people believe that eating late causes weight gain/stops weight lose. The problem is when people sit and mindlessly eat at night. I eat most of my calories after 6pm and as long as I log it and stay within my calorie goal it haa no effect on my weight.

TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »

The rule as I know it is "no eating after dinner". Not a specific time. I've also heard it called the 12 hour daily fast.

Whilst I understand what people are saying about pitfalls of mindless evening snacking - there is no actual rule that says 'No eating after dinner' either.
As long as the total is within your calorie allowance this will not matter.

OP, I nearly always eat dinner after 7pm and I nearly always have an evening snack after that too.

It has not stopped me reaching my goal weight.

Around that time of night is when my mindless munchies set in. I can set a cut off time, but unless my guardian angel whacks me over the knuckles when I'm pawing around in the pantry, then setting some random time that I'm well able to ignore will be of no help to me.

My solution. . I go to bed early (between 7-8pm. I get up at 4:30-5:30am), and watch tv or read in there. As once I'm in bed i just don't think about food.