Not eating after 6:00 pm or 8:00 pm?

buckeye213
buckeye213 Posts: 52 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Been trying to stick to the rule no food after 6:00 pm, but I have read other articles that state your body needs at least 12 hours to process the last meal or snack so best not to eat after 8:00 pm..I know it depends a lot on what you eat..what’s your thoughts and who struggles with this?

Replies

  • johnw83
    johnw83 Posts: 6,219 Member
    i eat at 7.30pm
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Thoughts are it doesnt matter...because it doesnt. Others will chime in better
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    It doesn't matter how late you eat. Unless you have a serious GI disorder your body digests foods 24/7. Not that it matters but most if your food passes from mouth to the end of your small intestine faster than that (6-8 hours) and only is in your stomach for around 4 hours.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,513 Member
    I eat right up until bedtime. I can't sleep on an empty stomach.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I never eat dinner before 7 and in the fall/winter often don't eat until after 9. Unless eating late causes sleep issues, there's nothing wrong with it. Your body is always digesting food.
  • elsie6hickman
    elsie6hickman Posts: 3,864 Member
    We eat between 5:30 and 6pm, but my husband likes his bedtime snack. I don't think it matters. I think the idea is that you don't want to eat a big, heavy meal late.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,106 Member
    The articles you've been reading are nonsense and counterfactual. For weight loss, it doesn't matter what foods you eat or when you eat them. What matters is your running (in the sense of ongoing) energy balance. If you're trying to lose weight, you need, over time, to be consuming less energy (calories or kilojoules) than your body is using.

    I don't struggle with this because it doesn't matter.
  • sdanemrtn
    sdanemrtn Posts: 187 Member
    I've been curious about this, as well, as I have heard varying times, as well. Glad to hear it doesn't really matter cause there are some nights that I'm not hungry till later. Thanks to the OP for throwing this out and everyone's advice.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    buckeye213 wrote: »
    Been trying to stick to the rule no food after 6:00 pm, but I have read other articles that state your body needs at least 12 hours to process the last meal or snack so best not to eat after 8:00 pm..I know it depends a lot on what you eat..what’s your thoughts and who struggles with this?

    Not aware there's such a rule. What time do you go to bed? It's not going to work unless you're asleep.

    I'm hardly ever in bed before 11:00pm or midnight. If my last meal was at 6:00pm, that's another 5 hours awake at least and I'd surely feel too hungry to avoid eating again.
  • buckeye213
    buckeye213 Posts: 52 Member
    It’s not a rule just a question and have read different articles about this subject
  • tishasall
    tishasall Posts: 3 Member
    I think it matters what time you go to bed. Eat your last meal a few hours before. I typically skip complex carbs during my last meal and stick to protein, veggies, and fat since I’m not burning many more calories before I go to bed.

    You may be referring to intermittent fasting where you don’t eat for 12 hours or so then eat for 8-12 hours. I can only speak for myself as I’ve tried it both ways. In the long run, I’m more satisfied and feel healthier (and lose weight or maintain better) if I eat smaller meals 5-6 times a day. Protein with a carb to balance my blood sugar always and I don’t get cravings! Good luck! 😊
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    tishasall wrote: »
    I think it matters what time you go to bed. Eat your last meal a few hours before. I typically skip complex carbs during my last meal and stick to protein, veggies, and fat since I’m not burning many more calories before I go to bed.

    You may be referring to intermittent fasting where you don’t eat for 12 hours or so then eat for 8-12 hours. I can only speak for myself as I’ve tried it both ways. In the long run, I’m more satisfied and feel healthier (and lose weight or maintain better) if I eat smaller meals 5-6 times a day. Protein with a carb to balance my blood sugar always and I don’t get cravings! Good luck! 😊

    It only matters for people who may develop acid reflux if they eat too close to bedtime
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    tishasall wrote: »
    I think it matters what time you go to bed. Eat your last meal a few hours before. I typically skip complex carbs during my last meal and stick to protein, veggies, and fat since I’m not burning many more calories before I go to bed. ...

    Contrary to what many people believe, your body doesn't shut down when you go to sleep. You're burning calories 24 hours a day. The biggest portion of calories burned comes from your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and the biggest contributors to BMR are your brain and liver - the two of which make up almost 45% of the calorie expenditure in your BMR. How long before bedtime you eat is entirely personal preference, it makes no difference to weight loss.

    And btw, most veggies are almost exclusively complex carbs.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I too struggled with nonsense tips and contradictory advice. My weight, and my horrid relationship with and behavior around food, bore witness to having assimilated so much BS through the years. Then I found MFP, got real information, solid explanations, and all that disappeared.

    Your body digests food non-stop.
    Boundaries should serve a purpose. Don't just pick and try to stick to random but specific rules.
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