Should I stop eating after 6 pm?
fz2285
Posts: 1 Member
I am curious if I should end my meal at 6 pm or it’s matter the time as long I am counting the calories
0
Replies
-
Meal timing is irrelevant. Remember - it's always 6pm somewhere!
Some people choose an eating window to help fit their calorie goal, but it is the calories that do the job.7 -
it's only about calories.4
-
No. It’s fine. Overall weekly calories are what matters plus your body rebuilds when you sleep so feed it accordingly2
-
I agree with above posts. When I was actively in weight loss I did stop eating after evening meal(6:30-7) but really because after that I tended to make poor choices, like too many sweets, snacks.3
-
If you want to weigh less tomorrow morning, it matters.
If you want to weigh less the rest of your life, not so much.4 -
If you want to stop eating at 6PM, or doing that makes it easier to reach your goals, or eating later than 6PM reduces your sleep quality, then yes, stop eating at 6PM.
If your only goal is weight loss, or stopping at 6PM makes it harder for you to reach your goals, then don't stop eating at 6PM.
There is some evidence that limiting eating hours may have some health benefits, but the research is still quite young IMO. For me, limiting eating hours would make my life less enjoyable in ways that subjectively wouldn't be counter-balanced by my personal speculation about those potential health benefits, so I don't limit my eating hours.
I lost weight fine, eating from shortly after I got up in the morning, to very near bedtime . . . sometimes actually in bed. (Yes, I got up and brushed my teeth after! ) I've maintained a healthy weight for 8+ years since eating the same way (after about 3 decades of overweight/obesity pre-loss, BTW) and all my health markers are solidly normal and healthy since reaching a healthy weight. YMMV.
Always, my general advice is not to make weight loss any more difficult than it minimally needs to be, and instead focus on finding sustainable routine eating/activity habits for the long run, rather than jumping on the "lose weight fast" bandwagon, but that's just my opinion/experience.
I'm cheering for you to succeed no matter what you decide, because the quality of life results are more than worth the effort!5 -
Figure out what makes you happy.
I have a constant slow drip of food from 6:23 am (I’m very consistent with breakfast lmao!) until 9:30 pm.
I’d climb the walls unless there was a snack or meal coming up every hour or two.
You may be completely different.
If you try it and it works, booyah! If it doesn’t, learn and move on.
As long as we are under our calorie goal, it doesn’t matter a single iota.
(Unless you’re one of those who’s deep into studies and arcania which indicate that you may save, what? 5-10 calories a day doing intermittent fasting. I’d binge waaaaaaaaaay more than those few calories if I had to wait for a single morsel.)2 -
I work night shift. 3 days a week, 1/2 to 3/4 of my intake is after 6pm. Timing, as others have said, is really irrelevant.2
-
There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.1
-
tomcustombuilder wrote: »There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.
I find his thought process intriguing.0 -
springlering62 wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.
I find his thought process intriguing.
same, especially because I don't sleep well when I'm hungry!3 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »springlering62 wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.
I find his thought process intriguing.
same, especially because I don't sleep well when I'm hungry!
Really? I skip dinner relatively often, if nothing sounds appealing to eat I usually just go to bed. Seems like I get some of my best sleep on those nights. I always figured that it was because my calories (and likely blood sugar) are low enough that it’s easier to get into a really good deep sleep.2 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »springlering62 wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.
I find his thought process intriguing.
same, especially because I don't sleep well when I'm hungry!
I’m the same. Absolutely cannot sleep when hungry and will feel dreadful, shaky and sweaty all night if I don’t get up to have a snack.0 -
claireychn074 wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »springlering62 wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »There was a well known fitness trainer/fitness model named Greg Plitt awhile back. When he was dieting down for a shoot he wouldn’t eat at night because he said if I’m gonna be hungry I wanna be hungry when I’m asleep.
I find his thought process intriguing.
same, especially because I don't sleep well when I'm hungry!
I’m the same. Absolutely cannot sleep when hungry and will feel dreadful, shaky and sweaty all night if I don’t get up to have a snack.
Seems like these things can change, too. I have sleep interruption insomnia (for decades now, since chemo - pretty much used to it). Right now, I'm healing from an annoying injury (small skull fracture and brain bleed). Bizarrely to me, I'm finding that I sleep better overall if when I wake up at night, I drink some water and eat some carbs (dried fruit, banana) before going back to sleep.
It looks like these things can not only be individual, but situational? Bodies are weird. Glad I have one, though.5 -
Just have to add my 2 cents. I usually sleep better if I have a string cheese, hard cooked egg, or small piece of (bland) jerky 1/2 hour before bed.
Yes, we're all a little different.1 -
Greek yogurt before bed gives you a nice protein bump to help with rebuilding during sleep with around 90 calories.0
-
I have maintained my goal weight or close to it for many years - would be an extremely rare day when I do not eat something after 6pm - and nearly always that includes my main meal of the day - which I would have, on average, around 7:30 but sometimes later, sometimes earlier0
-
We are individual.
My 9 pm snack is three large, sugar and carb laden meringues. I’m usually in bed by 9:30.
If, however, I have one of my occasional off-the-chain nights and devour bakery cookies, a rich dessert, or a plank of chocolate (we’re not talking “Hershey bar” 😳), I’m restless and toss and turn lots more than usual.
For me, it’s a lot of unfamiliar (these days, anyway) carbs in that hour before bedtime that’ll get me every time.
You gots to learn your own self and what works for you.
I also find that earlier to bed and earlier to rise helps me sleep better, too.
Talking cats aside. 😣1 -
If I did that I would never eat. I fast all day, and don't get home from work until 5:30 or so. By the time food is made it is usually 6:30 to 7PM. Eating that way I lost the 100 pounds I needed to, and continue to maintain. The only relevance is if eating later negatively affects your sleep.3
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions