What is the latest time i should have my dinner?

aedw1122
aedw1122 Posts: 8 Member
edited October 2019 in Food and Nutrition
Some people have been saying that a late dinner is a no-no for weight loss.
What is the latest time i should have my dinner?
5pm? 7pm?
Share with me your meal schedule!

Replies

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    I try to eat my last meal of the day at least 2 hours before bedtime because of nighttime heartburn. I can’t tell I lose any more weight or lose any faster. I just feel better.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Doesn't matter unless it affects your sleep negatively.

    I work late and sometimes workout before coming home if I get off earlier, so my meal schedule most of the time I was losing weight (my weight loss of 90 or so lbs occurred in 2014-15) was 7 am (after a morning workout), around noon, and 9 pm (sometimes even later). I consistently lost more than predicted.

    Between Monday and Thursday I typically have the same schedule now, at maintenance.

    When people insist dinner should be completed by some super early hour like 5 or 6 I wonder how they think most working people would manage that. Plus, it's irrelevant.
  • unstableunicorn
    unstableunicorn Posts: 216 Member
    In terms of weight loss, timing only affects whether or not you’re weighing undigested food in the morning.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    Personally, I try not to eat anything past 7 pm, but only because of digestion. I used to have extreme acid reflux and since losing a significant amount of weight, it is gone or at least in remission! I just don't take any chances and it works for me.
  • RovP6
    RovP6 Posts: 108 Member
    edited October 2019
    In terms of weight loss, timing only affects whether or not you’re weighing undigested food in the morning.

    But if you always weigh yourself at the same time of the day then that is irrelevant.

    I have my last meal of the day at around 9pm and have never had a problem with fat loss or sleep. Do whatever works for you.
  • tryingagain5
    tryingagain5 Posts: 1,037 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    "Don't eat after X o'clock" is one of the silliest weight loss myths. A calorie is calorie no matter what time of day it is eaten.

    I agree! I work 3rd shift so not eating after 6pm wouldn't work for me at all.

    Even when I worked during the day there were many times I didn't eat until 9pm.

    Pretty sure that a calorie can't tell time.😉
  • cacarrollkral
    cacarrollkral Posts: 2 Member
    I don't eat after a certain time - but it is not related to weight loss. People who are diabetic may find they have issues with blood sugar regulation if they eat too much too late. So it's more about maintaining a healthy blood sugar for me.
  • FireyChimera
    FireyChimera Posts: 155 Member
    Well I usually eat dinner at 10 pm and dessert around 11 pm
  • unstableunicorn
    unstableunicorn Posts: 216 Member
    RovP6 wrote: »
    In terms of weight loss, timing only affects whether or not you’re weighing undigested food in the morning.

    But if you always weigh yourself at the same time of the day then that is irrelevant.

    I have my last meal of the day at around 9pm and have never had a problem with fat loss or sleep. Do whatever works for you.

    Totally agree! 😃 I simply meant that a spaghetti dinner right before bed might skew a weigh-in the next morning. One of my husband’s friends swears that timing of dinner matters because he weighs more the next morning, and I can’t get him to understand the problem is that he probably hasn’t taken a crap yet. 🙄
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,281 Member
    Worrying about when you eat a meal because it might cause a temporary fluctuation in weight next day is silly.

    Everyone's weight fluctuates anyway and temporary fluctuations are irrelevant to the big picture.
  • teresa19622015
    teresa19622015 Posts: 34 Member
    Whenever you like seems to be the consensus! I try and limit eating window as I’m not that hungry in the morning but as soon as I have breakfast I do get hungry! So breakfast 9 or if weekend 11, lunch about 1 or 2 (or not at all on weekends so I can have fewer but bigger meals). I eat with my kids in the evening so that means around 7pm. Then my daily treat of a latte around 9pm. Trying to get that minimum 12 hour overnight fast, 16 on weekends.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    For weight loss, no minimum fast is required either. Longer fasting periods help some people manage cravings/appetite more effectively, which helps them stick to a calorie goal. It's the calorie intake/output balance that determines weight loss/gain/maintenance, not the timing.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Whoever those people are, if they are real life acquaintances, stop talking to them about anything weight loss, health or fitness related. If this was a website, stop visiting it for reliable weight loss info.
  • kiddycat73
    kiddycat73 Posts: 67 Member
    Mine is all over the place when I’m working. I work 3 days a week night shift, which is 4p-4a at my clinic. On those days I eat dinner around 10-11pm. On my off days I eat with my family at 6-7pm. But right now I’m on medical leave so it’s 6-7pm every day for the next few weeks.