Does timing matter?

lorib642
lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I hear people say not to eat after a certain time of night or that nutrient timing is important. I am not an athlete of any kind. Does timing of eating/exercise have anything to do with weight loss?

(I was not sure where to post)

Replies

  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    For weight loss, not at all. You can eat all your calories at 8 am or spread them out all day, right up until you go to bed or even snack while you're in there. If you are doing any intense exercising, then it can matter for that, but not for overall weight loss.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    lorib642 wrote: »
    I hear people say not to eat after a certain time of night or that nutrient timing is important. I am not an athlete of any kind. Does timing of eating/exercise have anything to do with weight loss?

    (I was not sure where to post)

    Not particularly for weight loss. Picking a time to exercise that works best for you and you can stick with over time is most important. Same with meals, whatever works best to keep you satiated and establish a consistent routine.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It might make it easier or harder for you individually. In terms of silly things like "eating after 6 is bad for weight loss for all," no, but some find it easier to control cals if they eat at specific times and not at others or have a more narrow eating window or avoid snacking or plan to snack a bunch so they aren't tempted to overeat because they think they are super hungry. It varies by person.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    nope. im eating chocolate every night 30 minutes before bed.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited May 2018
    For weight loss or maintenance generally, it doesn't matter but, if you weigh yourself everyday in the morning, as I do, eating late at night can show up as a 1+ lb weight gain if you haven't digested and passed the food eaten the night b4 prior to stepping on the scale in the morning. ;)
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    For me it matters. If I want to stay off medication I have to be really careful with what I eat at night. I have acid reflux. I don't eat heavy fat or heavy fiber within 4 hours of going to bed. I am not sure if eating that way caused it or if I was always doomed to have it. Use the information in any way you want.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    In terms of weight loss, no. I personally find that if I eat right before bed, I'll wake up starving (wtf, body?). Others get acid reflux if they do. So, you might want to take those types kind of things into consideration. But for weight loss, meal timing doesn't matter at all, as long as you're keeping a consistent calorie deficit.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    In terms of weight loss, no. I personally find that if I eat right before bed, I'll wake up starving (wtf, body?). Others get acid reflux if they do. So, you might want to take those types kind of things into consideration. But for weight loss, meal timing doesn't matter at all, as long as you're keeping a consistent calorie deficit.

    Me too! So weird :lol:
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Two things don't work for me on timing. I can't eat a big meal after 7 ish as I normally go to bed 8:30-9 and I'd get acid reflux. Same for eating before exercise. Had a light dinner tonight (salad and prawns) and tried to go for a run about a 1/2 hour after and it just hurts my stomach so it was a short run. But I can have oatmeal and then go for a run in the morning (as long as I've had coffee) and be fine.

    There is no "rule" you need to worry about. Just find what works for you.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    In terms of weight loss, no. I personally find that if I eat right before bed, I'll wake up starving (wtf, body?). Others get acid reflux if they do. So, you might want to take those types kind of things into consideration. But for weight loss, meal timing doesn't matter at all, as long as you're keeping a consistent calorie deficit.

    Me too! So weird :lol:
    IKR? And paradoxically, when I go to bed a little hungry 4-5 hrs after my last meal of the day, I have no morning hunger until 10-11. Weird.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    In terms of weight loss, no. I personally find that if I eat right before bed, I'll wake up starving (wtf, body?). Others get acid reflux if they do. So, you might want to take those types kind of things into consideration. But for weight loss, meal timing doesn't matter at all, as long as you're keeping a consistent calorie deficit.

    Me too! So weird :lol:
    IKR? And paradoxically, when I go to bed a little hungry 4-5 hrs after my last meal of the day, I have no morning hunger until 10-11. Weird.

    I always thought it was just me, lol!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Timing can affect your hunver/satiety, which can cause you to want to eat more of less. The extra cals affect weight loss, but for the same calories to img doesn't matter .
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    lorib642 wrote: »
    I hear people say not to eat after a certain time of night or that nutrient timing is important. I am not an athlete of any kind. Does timing of eating/exercise have anything to do with weight loss?

    (I was not sure where to post)

    Nope! Not in my experience anyways. I exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but that's just what I prefer. And love snacking and often have a snack right before I go to bed. No trouble losing weight here. I just make sure that I have room in my calories for the snack.
  • rosehnas
    rosehnas Posts: 2 Member
    Hey everyone - I"m new! I try to avoid eating 3 to 4 hours before I go to bed. If I feel hungry by then, I'll try to find a snack that will benefit me "healthy wise". Mostly because of 1 reason.

    1. I am diabetic (although I've maintained 5.9 A1C for almost a year without medication) and I find my blood sugar will barely move during sleep, so I try to avoid eating big sugary meals several hours before and will attempt to walk if I can before bed.

    And as some mentioned, eating before bed can cause a person to have stomach gas and acid reflux. Based off of my research, it's not really healthy to eat before bed because it can cause digestive issues.

    However, if you do find yourself munchy or a little hungry, then find something that you can have that isn't heavy and won't promote digestive issues while sleeping.

    For instance, I've done a couple celery sticks and peanut butter. Last night was pickles (which I found a jar that didn't have any sugar, sweetener, and preservatives and only had 1 carb and 0 sugar in the nutrient section).
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    https://newatlas.com/circadian-stress-weight-stanford/54087/
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
    It’s upto what suits the individual for when they eat. However, the body needs time to shut down and rest, which it can’t do if as efficiently if it’s still digesting, and only getting 4/5 hours of rest.
  • BarneyRubbleMD
    BarneyRubbleMD Posts: 1,092 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    In terms of weight loss, no. I personally find that if I eat right before bed, I'll wake up starving (wtf, body?). Others get acid reflux if they do. So, you might want to take those types kind of things into consideration. But for weight loss, meal timing doesn't matter at all, as long as you're keeping a consistent calorie deficit.

    Me too! So weird :lol:
    IKR? And paradoxically, when I go to bed a little hungry 4-5 hrs after my last meal of the day, I have no morning hunger until 10-11. Weird.

    Same here!

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