How late is too late? (Eating at night)

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  • mollysonnotice
    mollysonnotice Posts: 140
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    "We've all been told at one point in our lives that we should avoid eating meals late at night as it will lead to weight gain. However, our research in rhesus monkeys, which are considered an excellent model for studying primate (man and monkey) obesity issues, showed that eating at night is no more likely to promote weight gain than eating during the day. Of course this research does not suggest that snacking at night after eating your normal daily ration of calories is a good idea, " said Judy Cameron, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the Divisions of Reproductive Sciences and Neuroscience at the OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center

    Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm

    Hope that helps :)
  • 2getgeorge
    2getgeorge Posts: 81 Member
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    no later than 7!

    that's based on 1950's myth. modern twist to that thought is to stop 2--3hours prior to sleep.

    that being said, I will eat until I go to sleep. In fact I drink a protein shake every night prior to sleeping.

    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23003124/ns/today-today_health/t/eat-your-way-good-nights-sleep/#.T4Zacqv8vKA
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
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    It's too late to eat when you are sleeping, you'll choke to death that way.
  • StrawberrySt
    StrawberrySt Posts: 235
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    no later than 7!

    :laugh:

    You are joking right? I don't even eat dinner until after 7pm!
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
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    I personally don't think it matters. My meal schedule is all over the place and I have been known to eat a full steak dinner at 9:30 or 10:30 at night, then have a small late night snack at 1230-1:00 if I am still up. If you stop eating at 7 and don't get up and eat breakfast until 7 that's a long time between meals.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    "We've all been told at one point in our lives that we should avoid eating meals late at night as it will lead to weight gain. However, our research in rhesus monkeys, which are considered an excellent model for studying primate (man and monkey) obesity issues, showed that eating at night is no more likely to promote weight gain than eating during the day. Of course this research does not suggest that snacking at night after eating your normal daily ration of calories is a good idea, " said Judy Cameron, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the Divisions of Reproductive Sciences and Neuroscience at the OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center

    Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm

    Hope that helps :)

    Here's something a bit more relevant (calorie controlled, humans):
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3508745

    Edit: also supporting the idea that late night eating is completely fine assuming calories are controlled.
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
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    After you fall asleep.
    Gets messy..
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I just had a snack 5 minutes ago and I'm heading to bed now.

    So my opinion -- after lying down is too late, unless you are an improbably neat eater :D
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    I am quite confused about this myself, but a very renowned yogi and naturopath in India preaches that it's better to eat your last meal 2 hrs before going to bed and it is best not to sleep with a full stomach. It is better to finish digesting the food before you sleep.

    The idea is that the human body renews/revives and repairs while sleeping. So digestion while sleeping (or the fact that the stomach is full) interferes with that process of repair. So he doesn't say it has anything to do with weight gain, but just for the normal/intended process of human bodily functions. He also preaches about the power of fasting when one is sick with, say, a fever. Again the same concept - human body has the power to heal itself provided we let it. Food or the process of digestion interferes or takes away some energy from the body when it is trying to focus on cleansing, repairing and healing. He says this is what animals do when they are sick. Anyway, seems to go with the popular belief "Feed a cold, starve a fever".

    Please take it with a grain of salt, I just wanted to give you another view point.

    ETA: This is only as a general rule. I am sure you can eat when you get home tonight and that should be fine. I do eat when I am hungry, sometimes that falls within an hour before going to bed :)

    I've heard of this as well. It's common with Ayurvedic diets. It's important to note that this practice does NOT have anything to do with weight loss, though. It's about giving your digestive system a rest to allow for restoration, not digestion. (i.e breaking the fast.) I think there's some merit to it, but again, not for weight loss purposes.

    In terms of losing the chunk, maintain a consistent calorie deficit and you're golden, if you wanna eat late, eat late.
  • wackedoutpet13
    wackedoutpet13 Posts: 72 Member
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    Don't eat right before bed. This is part of a documentary about sumo wrestlers and their weight gain. If you go to 5:30 in, you will see that eating right before you sleep will cause you to put on weight quickly.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSSeRp6Dtn0

    From a quick search, I'm seeing that an average Sumo wrestler can eat up to 8000 calories per day (another site said 20,000, but I'm skeptical). So you think it's the eating at night part that's significant, or the fact that they're eating 2+ times their TDEE?

    Time is obviously not the only factor. However, according to National Geographic, the time of day that food is eaten has enough of an impact on weight gain that is was worth including in their documentary.
  • ZumbaholicEmz
    ZumbaholicEmz Posts: 20 Member
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    This is all useful information! I always was taught that it was some kind of sin to eat late! So good to know. Thanks!
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
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    I did not read all of the replies, but from the first page you can get the idea that you can eat anytime. I used to lift heavy and follow bodybuilding heavily. Those guys get down to single digit bodyfat, and eat atound the clock. Becasue they have sooooo much muscle their BMR is through the roof, so they wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake or some other small meal becasue they need to fuel the engine and it definately does not turn to fat on them.
  • cgraziano1985
    cgraziano1985 Posts: 3
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    I began using this website approx 45 days ago and I eat all day/night at different times. If I am hungry, I eat. If I am hungry and am out of calories, I eat. Going over your calorie intake by a little or a lot does not make you a failure,. Eating late at night does not make you a failure. I have lost 12.4 lb's doing what I am doing and that is feeding my body when my body is hungry.

    Sometimes I don't eat later than 9:00 p.m. but most days I am eating 11 p.m., 12 a.m. or later.
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    There is no such thing as too late. Eat when you feel like it, your body doesn't care one way or another.

    ^^^This. As long as you're meeting your goals/staying within your limits during each 24-hour period, it doesn't really matter.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I eat a 1000 - 1200 calorie dinner within 1 hour of going to bed almost every night.

    Too late is when it would interupt your sleep (some people have trouble sleeping just after eating) or if it's so late that you fall asleep with food in your mouth (choking hazard).
  • Justapartyofone
    Justapartyofone Posts: 31
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    I would think if you were at risk of falling asleep and drowning in your soup then it is too late.
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
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    Yup. Eat any time; your body won't notice the difference. I make it a point not to eat within two hours of bedtime just because it helps me sleep better (since my body isn't attempting to digest something while I'm trying to sleep), but if I get home really late for whatever reason and need food to meet my calorie goals or because I'm hungry, I don't feel guilty about eating right before sleeping. Because it doesn't matter! Which is awesome. :smile:
  • erikapereira
    erikapereira Posts: 196
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    A doctor told me once that I should not eat al least 3-4 hours before going to bed because the digestive process is slower while you are sleeping and that food that you dont process it rots in your stomach and others complications comes with it like gas, constipation, etc etc etc plus calories that you dont use it storage as fat too.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    My favorite thing about this rule is that it is never related to the time you go to bed. Whether you go to bed at 7:30 or at 2AM the rule is still "no eating after 7PM!!!!"
  • chrisb75
    chrisb75 Posts: 395 Member
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    I think the reason that weight gain can be tied to eating late is pretty simple. It has NOTHING to do with the actual timing, or gaining fat in your sleep. People who eat a big breakfast tend to eat less during the day. If you eat late at night that may cause you to not be hungry in the morning. Its a vicious cycle. That being said I doubt a small snack is going to affect much one way or another.

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