Eating before bedtime

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egill0607
egill0607 Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
I will do great during the day as far as eating goes, but before I go to sleep (always happens in the bedroom) I want something to eat. I know it's better not to so the body has longer to recover, and I know it's a conditioned craving. Besides just arguing with myself or giving in, what other tips/alternatives do you have? Thanks.

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  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,370 Member
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    There is nothing physically wrong with eating right before bed - as long your food doesn't put you over your calorie allowance - and as long as eating and then laying down doesn't cause issues like acid-reflux.

    A lot of folks on the site will reserve 'x' number of calories for a treat before bedtime and they have been successful at weight lose... I am 1 of those peeps.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,853 Member
    edited May 2023
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    Yeah, I eat right up to bedtime often, lost weight fine, have maintained a healthy weight fine.

    People who practice time restricted eating (TRE) or intermittent fasting (IF) believe that there are health benefits to limiting eating hours. Since I can achieve my personal goals for health, fitness, and healthy weight without restricting eating times, I haven't pursued those strategies because they'd make my life less pleasant, and I'm pretty much a hedonist. (What's pleasant or worthwhile varies individually, of course.)

    I haven't seen much persuasive evidence that calorie-equated, protein-equated eating has a materially different effect on weight loss, between variations on eating timing. If timing has an effect on compliance with calorie goal or energy level, that's an individual issue that might matter. As noted above, acid reflux would matter, too, as would effect on sleep quality.
  • BrightEyedAgain
    BrightEyedAgain Posts: 256 Member
    edited May 2023
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    I sleep better with a small snack before bed, so I normally eat a bit of yogurt or a small spoonful of peanut butter just before bed. It's never made a difference in my weight loss. However, when I've been fasting for some reason, it helped me to drink a glass of water before lying down. Yes, you may wake up to pee in the night, but the full feeling in my belly helped me fall asleep. Another thing is to change your sleeping position. I notice my empty stomach more lying on my back than I do lying on my side or on my stomach.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Recover from what exactly? If you're within your calorie needs, there's nothing wrong with eating at night or before bed, etc. You burn calories 24/7. Your alternative really is to just not do it and draw that line in the sand if it's important to you.

    My wife and I typically eat dinner between 8 and 8:30PM and I'm usually just finishing my desert right before I head to bed to read at around 9:30. I'm no worse for the wear. Some people do experience digestive distress eating close to bedtime, but that's another matter.
  • deedra5933
    deedra5933 Posts: 4 Member
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    So, eating at bedtime is okay? o:)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,853 Member
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    deedra5933 wrote: »
    So, eating at bedtime is okay? o:)

    If your key goal is weight loss, and it helps you comply happily with your calorie goal for enough weeks/months/maybe years to lose a meaningful total amount of weight? For sure yes.

    If it gives you acid reflux overnight, or impairs your sleep quality, it might not be ideal for other reasons.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,256 Member
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    I prefer to eat later and dinner is the last thing I do before I go to bed (except brushing my teeth, lol). I doubt I stay up more than half an hour after I finish dinner and it’s never made any difference to me in weight loss or in maintenance.
  • fishbonz3497
    fishbonz3497 Posts: 13 Member
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    I save calories for a snack before bed an apple or something small just to not crave

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