eating late at night. options?

dancer4275
dancer4275 Posts: 149
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
6 days a week, I dance from 2-4 hours every evening. I usually don't get home until 9/9:30. I hate eating that late, but that's the only time. What would be the best dinner options for me? What are the best foods to eat that late?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I eat late at night and leave calories for just that. It has not hurt my weight loss. :drinker:
  • PBJunky
    PBJunky Posts: 737 Member
    Well if it was me I would be too tired to cook so I would end up making one killer of a protein shake.

    Whey + casein mixture
    Peanut Butter
    Olive Oil
    Oatmeal
    Banana
  • Eve53
    Eve53 Posts: 178 Member
    I would think that anything that was protien and not so many carbs would be good. Just my guess.
  • Laylasmom77
    Laylasmom77 Posts: 42 Member
    I eat late on the nights my son has football practice and when I have class at night. As long as I'm within my calorie range for the day I still lose.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    During the work/school week, I am so busy that I have divided my big dinner into two small dinners, one I eat on the road around 5, and the second one is whenever I get home from class, usually around 9.

    Tonight I'm having veggie patties on the road and a baked potato with steamed veggies when I get home.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I would think that anything that was protien and not so many carbs would be good. Just my guess.

    I recently read an article in Self or Health or one of those magazines that talked about a study showing it's better to eat carbs at night.

    Of course, I think a few months earlier, I read an article saying you should eat carbs in the morning.

    So, I say eat what you want and don't overthink all of this. You'll just make yourself crazy.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    Everything I've read says it doesn't matter what time you eat as long as your calorie deficit is there. If you're dancing 2-4 hours, you should be burning a good bit of calories, so you should be able to eat well. If you don't like sleeping on a really full stomach, try eating a larger lunch and eat a light dinner instead. You could also eat several snacks throughout the day, including a heavier snack right before you dance, then a light dinner.

    You can pretty much arrange your meals/snacks any way you want as long as you're burning more than you take in for the day. I can understand not wanting to sleep on a really full stomach, so I'd eat heavier the rest of the day and leave 400-500 calories for dinner.
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    I drink a warm cup of chocolate whey protein.
    Mix 2 full scoops of chocolate whey protein with tapped water, then heat up in Microwave for 1 min 30 sec.
    It is just like hot chocolate, but creamier, and you would think mixing with milk would tast better, but it makes it clump, so be sure to mix it with cool or room temp water then heat it up to avoid clumping.

    It is light non fat very low carb and full of protein. It will keep you full all night without the risk of feeling too full or heartburn.
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    I would think that anything that was protien and not so many carbs would be good. Just my guess.

    I recently read an article in Self or Health or one of those magazines that talked about a study showing it's better to eat carbs at night.

    Of course, I think a few months earlier, I read an article saying you should eat carbs in the morning.

    So, I say eat what you want and don't overthink all of this. You'll just make yourself crazy.

    :drinker:
  • gracielee1
    gracielee1 Posts: 71 Member
    it's best to just not eat that late. Because no matter what you eat the night before, your stomach is going to expend a lot of energy all night trying to digest it when your metabolism is at its lowest, and youre just going to feel nasty in the morning. I say just drink a warm herbal tea and go to bed.
  • gdb86
    gdb86 Posts: 126 Member
    I have read and heard from many weight loss specialists/nutritionist/personal trainers that the time you eat has nothing to do with weight loss overall. As long as you are concerned with how much your putting in and how much your putting out (exercise vs. food) you should be fine. Not eating a few hours before bed is good so it's not just sitting in your stomach while your laying stagnant sleeping, but it won't deter you from weight loss if you're keeping it in check.

    As others have said though, I would stick to the quote of, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." That way your lightest meal is at the end of the day anyway. (And stick with eating something w/ protein if you just worked out) Hope that helps!

    Happy Losing! :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    it's best to just not eat that late. Because no matter what you eat the night before, your stomach is going to expend a lot of energy all night trying to digest it when your metabolism is at its lowest, and youre just going to feel nasty in the morning. I say just drink a warm herbal tea and go to bed.
    Maybe you will, but I don't have this problem.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I have read and heard from many weight loss specialists/nutritionist/personal trainers that the time you eat has nothing to do with weight loss overall. As long as you are concerned with how much your putting in and how much your putting out (exercise vs. food) you should be fine. Not eating a few hours before bed is good so it's not just sitting in your stomach while your laying stagnant sleeping, but it won't deter you from weight loss if you're keeping it in check.

    As others have said though, I would stick to the quote of, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." That way your lightest meal is at the end of the day anyway. (And stick with eating something w/ protein if you just worked out) Hope that helps!

    Happy Losing! :)

    I eat about 80% of my daily calories after 8pm.

    The timing of when you eat is totally irrelevant. You could, in theory, eat all your calories right before you go to bed. It makes no difference. This "late night eating is bad" thing is just a myth. What happens normally is people eat their daily calorie amount during the day, THEN eat late at night, thus creating a calorie excess and gain weight, and they blame it on the late night eating, when it was simply that they made a calorie surplus.
  • W0zzie
    W0zzie Posts: 262 Member
    2nd kmbrooks15 - I average night-time meal around 9.30/10pm. I allow somewhere between 500-800 of an evening. Mostly the food itself is a balanced dinner & quite often even a hot choc & luxury snack of around 150cal late. It hasn't done my progress any harm at all.
  • Kimbers70
    Kimbers70 Posts: 102 Member
    Eat what makes you happy and stay within caloric range. Win-win!:drinker:
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    Time of day has never interfered with my weight loss as long as I was within my allotted calories.
  • AngelaeLebron1
    AngelaeLebron1 Posts: 171 Member
    I would think that anything that was protien and not so many carbs would be good. Just my guess.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    it's best to just not eat that late. Because no matter what you eat the night before, your stomach is going to expend a lot of energy all night trying to digest it when your metabolism is at its lowest, and youre just going to feel nasty in the morning. I say just drink a warm herbal tea and go to bed.
    Maybe you will, but I don't have this problem.

    I eat late a night often without this problem. In fact the metabolic slow down at night it minimal as while you are sleeping is when your body repairs the damage of the day (which by the way is what it does with those nutrients it is digesting). The only problem I have heard with eating late at night is that it causes some people heart burn. Maintain your calorie deficit and you will be fine.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Eat what makes you happy and stay within caloric range. Win-win!:drinker:

    Spot on! :drinker:
  • dancer4275
    dancer4275 Posts: 149
    okay. here is my plan for today. is this pretty good? for dinner, and how I spaced everything out?

    Breakfast
    Eggs - Whole, raw, 2 medium
    Cream - Half and half, 2 tbsp
    In the Raw - Stevia, 2 packet
    Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original, 1 packet (28 g)
    Green Mountain Coffee - Keurig - Caramel Vanilla Cream - Coffee, 12 oz
    Bakers & Chefs - Light Brown Sugar, 2 teaspoon
    Land O Lakes - Sweet Cream Salted Butter, 0.5 tbsp

    total cals: 352

    Lunch
    Aldi - Southern Grove - Deluxe Dry Roasted Almonds - Salted, 1/4 cup (30g) 22 pieces
    Grimmway Farms - Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots, 3 oz.

    total cals: 205

    Dinner
    Green Tea - Green Tea,
    Blueberries - Raw, 1 cup
    Maranatha - Natural Almond Butter - Creamy, 2 Tbsp.
    Blue Diamond - Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk, 2 cup
    Abbott Eas - 100% Whey Protein - Vanilla, 1.5 scoop (30 g)
    Castle Wood (Sam's Club) - Oven Roasted Turkey Breast - Sliced, 56 gram (2 oz.)

    total cals: 648

    TOTAL TOTAL CALS: 1205
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    That sounds great to me, very healthy!

    Try to feel your body after you eat night. If ti feels heavy and like it is struggling to digest, then change something, if not then why fix what is not broken?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    it's best to just not eat that late. Because no matter what you eat the night before, your stomach is going to expend a lot of energy all night trying to digest it when your metabolism is at its lowest, and youre just going to feel nasty in the morning. I say just drink a warm herbal tea and go to bed.
    Maybe you will, but I don't have this problem.

    me neither

    on saturday night i had my dinner (pate with toast and steak & chips) at 10pm, and went to bed at 11.30pm and felt just fine!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    okay. here is my plan for today. is this pretty good? for dinner, and how I spaced everything out?

    Breakfast
    Eggs - Whole, raw, 2 medium
    Cream - Half and half, 2 tbsp
    In the Raw - Stevia, 2 packet
    Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original, 1 packet (28 g)
    Green Mountain Coffee - Keurig - Caramel Vanilla Cream - Coffee, 12 oz
    Bakers & Chefs - Light Brown Sugar, 2 teaspoon
    Land O Lakes - Sweet Cream Salted Butter, 0.5 tbsp

    total cals: 352

    Lunch
    Aldi - Southern Grove - Deluxe Dry Roasted Almonds - Salted, 1/4 cup (30g) 22 pieces
    Grimmway Farms - Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots, 3 oz.

    total cals: 205

    Dinner
    Green Tea - Green Tea,
    Blueberries - Raw, 1 cup
    Maranatha - Natural Almond Butter - Creamy, 2 Tbsp.
    Blue Diamond - Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk, 2 cup
    Abbott Eas - 100% Whey Protein - Vanilla, 1.5 scoop (30 g)
    Castle Wood (Sam's Club) - Oven Roasted Turkey Breast - Sliced, 56 gram (2 oz.)

    total cals: 648

    TOTAL TOTAL CALS: 1205

    you eat 1205 cals and then dance for 2-4 hours?
  • miseducation1327
    miseducation1327 Posts: 29 Member
    I am a huge fan of Isagenix. It is a meal replacement shake full of all of the nutrients and protein you would need after your workout. They even have extra whey protein you can add to your shake to help restore your muscles after your workout. It is very easy to digest and won't leave you feeling full before bed. Feel free to message me if I can tell you more.
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