Is it ok to eat after Dinner?

manic4titans
manic4titans Posts: 1,214 Member
edited December 16 in Food and Nutrition
Does it really matter when your calories are consumed? You know we have been told all our lives to not eat after supper/before bedtime.

I know we shouldn't allow too many hours in between eating during the day. But what about nighttime?

THANKS!
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Replies

  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
    As long as you're eating healthy and have a calorie deficit a loss of weight will occur :)
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    If you're hungry, eat!

    The rule of no eating before bedtime happens for two reasons. 1. This is when people do most of their mindless eating. 2. Sometimes a full belly will interfere with good sleep.

    But never go to bed with your stomach growling! That's the worst thing for sleep!
  • Hernandeak11
    Hernandeak11 Posts: 351 Member
    I call shenanigans on this notion!

    As long as you maintain your deficit, feel free to eat at any time of day!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    3 meals a day, 6 meals a day, eating after 8:00PM etc etc - as long as you're within your target caloric intake and meting your other nutritional requirements it all comes down to a matter of choice.
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
    Personally I don't eat anything after dinner....
    but I suffer from acid reflux so it's safer for me not to
    but if you're hungry and have the calories...then go for it!!!
  • boggsmeister
    boggsmeister Posts: 292 Member
    I only eat after dinner when I have a calorie deficit, often whether I am hungry or not. I'm losing weight. So there's that little bit of anecdotal evidence.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Meal timing does not matter
  • Alexstrasza
    Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
    I always have a little night time snack. I do something "sweet".

    Last night it was greek yogurt.

    Tonight it'll probably be a banana with my green tea. =D
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    I sure hope so...I have an ice cream cone ever night after the kids go to bed! LOL And yes, it's within my calorie budget!
  • CheleLynn44
    CheleLynn44 Posts: 339 Member
    I think whatever works for you!!!

    When I loan my day I almost always plan in an evening snack fir when we are watching TV as a family. And if I know I wont have a lot of calories left we just eat dinner a little later and I'm good to go!!
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 615 Member
    Eating after dinner is called dessert! Personally, I'm all for it. As long as it fits into your calories and macros. Oh and don't forget the after dessert/before bed snack. That's a favorite of mine too.
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    Meal timing does not matter

    +1
  • billthekill
    billthekill Posts: 90
    Does it really matter when your calories are consumed? You know we have been told all our lives to not eat after supper/before bedtime.

    IIFYM (If it fit your macro) it doesn't matter when you eat.

    I know we shouldn't allow too many hours in between eating during the day.

    ^^^^^^^
    This is also not true. You can have one gigantic meal each day and that would be OK.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    It's up to you. I used to be a late eater - like 7-9pm. Now, I try to eat right when I get home from work which is around 5 by the time it's made. I always need a snack so I save enough calories for something small every night. I usually reserve 90-200 calories for this.
  • bikermike5094
    bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
    no and Obamacare has mandated that as well...
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
    Doesn't really matter when you eat...it's about the cumulative total at the end of the week. The key is to eat enough food, frequently enough that you never feel *too* hungry. The hungrier you are when you eat, the more likely you are to overdo it. I'll frequently have a late snack just to have something for my stomach to work on before I go to sleep. I've still seen success doing this.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Calories in...calories out. It doesn't matter when it is consumed. That said I limit my eating to dinner and not after (most nights) because I tend to snack and crave empty calories that late.
  • Sarahmeridith
    Sarahmeridith Posts: 298 Member
    I always do!!!! I have to I get hungry at night and eat almost all my calories after 5pm, lost 20lbs so far! I dont think it matters what time you eat, just do what works with you. I know for mw if I tryed to eat my calories earlier in the day I would never suceed because I would blow it everynight.
  • manic4titans
    manic4titans Posts: 1,214 Member
    Thanks for all the replies!!!!!
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
    As long as you don't go over, it doesn't matter. Your body doesn't stop functioning after dinner.
  • laurencode
    laurencode Posts: 3
    I've heard the suggestion not to eat late at night, but I was never clear on the reasoning behind it. The only reason I personally don't eat late at night is because of acid reflux. So if it doesn't cause you any discomfort I would think eating after dinner would be fine. However, most of the articles I've read online suggest eating every 4 hours (and not inbetween) to allow ample time for digestion.
  • mmstgr
    mmstgr Posts: 578 Member
    I pretty much always have something to eat after dinner.
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    I have an evening snack, which is usually dessert every night! Hasn't hindered me yet.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    I eat whenever. I have never had a problem.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    Personally I don't eat anything after dinner....
    but I suffer from acid reflux so it's safer for me not to

    Same here. If I eat much of anything after 8pm, I'm awakened by the acid reflux around 3am. Avoiding late large meals has helped a lot.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    It doesn't matter. By that logic, if I decided to eat dinner at breakfast, I'd never eat after that. And that's just blasphemous. Eat what you want when you want, as long as it fits within your planned nutrient and calorie intake, depending on your goal.
  • busterduke
    busterduke Posts: 1
    While the magic formula might be "total calories in < total calories burned" for weight loss, I would have to disagree somewhat that meal timing doesn't matter. Spreading your calories out evenly over the whole day is going to boost your metabolism. This in turn burns more fat. Spreading your intake out to 6 smaller meals a day or 3 meals with adequate snacks in between is much better than just eating all of your calories at one time.
  • SofaKingRad
    SofaKingRad Posts: 1,592 Member
    It doesn't matter. By that logic, if I decided to eat dinner at breakfast, I'd never eat after that. And that's just blasphemous. Eat what you want when you want, as long as it fits within your planned nutrient and calorie intake, depending on your goal.

    So I can have pizza for breakfast, and eat again later that day? Can I have waffles for dinner?
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    As long as you're within your calorie limit for the day, it should be fine.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    It would be hard for most people to lose weight on a diet of pizza and waffles. But i agree with the other poster, people should eat when they want, so long as they stay within their calorie range.

    I've even read an article that said that starting with dessert helps some people. I've read more than one article saying that people do not need to eat six times a day, although if that works for you, fine.
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