Why can't I eat at night?

Duck_Puddle
Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
I've spent WAY too much time on these forums today, but I've seen at least 7 people emphatically state that you shouldn't eat x number of hours before you go to bed (x being 2/3 hrs or a cutoff of 7/8pm which I'm assuming translates to 2/3/4 hrs before bed). I will eat a total of 1500 calories today. I'm eating about 650 of those now (it's 9pm where I am), and I'll probably have another 200-300 in my pj's in my bed in a couple of hours. I'll go to "bed" around 11.

This is my daily routine-except I'm eating dinner earlier than usual. I'm not terribly interested in changing my schedule (unless there is a compelling reason to do so)-I'm just curious why I "can't" successfully lose weight eating at night. Since I've seen it posted several times today-I'm hoping someone can chime in and let me know the physiological reasoning behind why eating at night is bad for me.
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Replies

  • toysbigkid
    toysbigkid Posts: 545 Member
    hmm, (fingers to chin) not sure!
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
    I'm very interested in the response to this. Thanks for asking it!
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Blame her:

    33jjzfa.jpg
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I'm pretty sure it has to do with your activity level during those hours. During the day when you're up and moving around, your body allows you to burn the calories that you're consuming. At night, most people just sit around and then when you go to bed your body is completely still and shut down. That was always my take on it.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    There is absolutely no reason you can't eat at night.

    I wouldn't recommend eating while sleeping though...it's messy, and very difficult to log properly.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    There is absolutely no reason you can't eat at night.

    I wouldn't recommend eating while sleeping though...it's messy, and very difficult to log properly.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5-BGyx-RNg
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    There is absolutely no reason you can't eat at night.

    I wouldn't recommend eating while sleeping though...it's messy, and very difficult to log properly.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5-BGyx-RNg

    :laugh:
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    You CAN eat at night. Many people do. They don't gain weight while doing it unless they are eating very bad things and going over their calorie limits. I usually don't eat dinner until 9-11pm. I've lost 20lbs. Just make sure you are in your calorie intake and you will be fine!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'm pretty sure it has to do with your activity level during those hours. During the day when you're up and moving around, your body allows you to burn the calories that you're consuming. At night, most people just sit around and then when you go to bed your body is completely still and shut down. That was always my take on it.
    Your body does NOT shut down at night, if it did, you wouldn't wake up.
  • Smiley1Q
    Smiley1Q Posts: 2
    I'm pretty sure it has to do with your activity level during those hours. During the day when you're up and moving around, your body allows you to burn the calories that you're consuming. At night, most people just sit around and then when you go to bed your body is completely still and shut down. That was always my take on it.

    I thought this to be true untill I thought about it. its more like calories in and calories out. Even if your body stores up food at night, the next morning/day you will still burn off more then you ate the day before (assuming you dont binge eat before bed). I think that if you stick to your goal and add in a little exercise you will be ok.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    thank you for your EXCELLENT smart *kitten* input. I realize that.... I think you know what I meant. you're sleeping, not running a marathon.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    thank you for your EXCELLENT smart *kitten* input. I realize that.... I think you know what I meant. you're sleeping, not running a marathon.

    He wasn't being a smart *kitten*...promise. You may have understood what you meant...but there's a LOT of people on this board who would have taken you literally.
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    This only applies to people who watch Oprah and/or read fashion magazines and have had the ability to think critically or seek out updated information surgically removed from their brains. I vividly remember Oprah on with her trainer guy saying "the reason you don't eat breakfast in the morning is you're still full from all that food you done ate last night!" Lulz. Anyway, even in that show it was 1 hour or something. This whole don't eat for 4 hours before you sleep thing represents a need to "know" a lot even if you don't know anything so as to tamp down the anxiety and insecurity one has in embarking on a difficult goal: losing significant weight.

    You won't find people on here who are here to manage macros and gain muscle/body recompose/get lower body fat say those silly things.

    Just the folks trying to lose a lot of weight. You have done them a great service by being a target of their "informed" advice, as being able to repeat it over and over makes it seem like it is true (ask Karl Rove about that) and that lowers their stress hormones, which really DOES have an influence on weight.

    You appear to have your ability to think critically and deeply fully intact and robust, so don't worry about it, this particular brand of ho-science does not actually work for you.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!

    When you're at rest, is when your body actually does the majority of its repair work. Trust me, this isn't a 'low calorie usage' process.

    Edit ~ Oh and Tigersword? He's one of the most naturally intelligent people I've ever known. When he says something, you can bet it's been researched...heavily...before he opens his mouth.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

    Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

    No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!
  • rsmithy89
    rsmithy89 Posts: 174 Member
    You can eat whenever you want. Cals in v cals out. I often eat at midnight.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

    Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

    No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!

    The "Logic." statement just wasn't necessary considering it was in response to my "logical" thinking, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I'm sensitive. So be it.
  • shaelataylor
    shaelataylor Posts: 224 Member
    no clue...i eat whenever i want and it hasnt hurt my weight loss yet.
  • niftyafterfifty
    niftyafterfifty Posts: 338 Member
    It doesn't matter when you eat; it only matters what you eat! The whole not eating after a certain time is a popular diet myth; it has been proven false.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

    Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

    No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!

    The "Logic." statement just wasn't necessary considering it was in response to my "logical" thinking, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I'm sensitive. So be it.

    Well, I still hope you have a wonderful night :).

    :flowerforyou:
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.
    Ok... I'm not seeing any smart-*kitten* attacks in this whole thread. Sorry if you took it that way. But you stated your opinion and I told you why I disagree. That's a conversation, not an attack.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I guess next time I will try to spell it out for people lol it sounded like he was being smart, but anywho! I always hear from doctors and online and whatnot that it isn't good to eat at night, but I don't think I've ever heard an actual explanation. Logically it makes sense that if you're sedentary at night you wouldn't burn them, but who knows!
    You burn quite a few calories just keeping your organs going, you know. Over 1400 a day for me.

    Then there's the fact that if you don't burn all the calories while you're sleeping, you will continue to burn them the next day.

    Logic.


    again, I don't need the smart *kitten* attacks. I was trying to explain my thought process, which I never said was correct, by any means. I'm done with this post.

    Ugh..thin skinned, this one.

    No smart assery there either hun...but have a wonderful evening!

    The "Logic." statement just wasn't necessary considering it was in response to my "logical" thinking, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I'm sensitive. So be it.

    Well, I still hope you have a wonderful night :).

    :flowerforyou:

    lol right back atcha, thanks.
  • builtforlife
    builtforlife Posts: 259
    You can eat at night, just stay under your calories.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    uh ... calories can't tell time.
  • nkyjennifer
    nkyjennifer Posts: 135 Member
    I've spent WAY too much time on these forums today, but I've seen at least 7 people emphatically state that you shouldn't eat x number of hours before you go to bed (x being 2/3 hrs or a cutoff of 7/8pm which I'm assuming translates to 2/3/4 hrs before bed). I will eat a total of 1500 calories today. I'm eating about 650 of those now (it's 9pm where I am), and I'll probably have another 200-300 in my pj's in my bed in a couple of hours. I'll go to "bed" around 11.

    This is my daily routine-except I'm eating dinner earlier than usual. I'm not terribly interested in changing my schedule (unless there is a compelling reason to do so)-I'm just curious why I "can't" successfully lose weight eating at night. Since I've seen it posted several times today-I'm hoping someone can chime in and let me know the physiological reasoning behind why eating at night is bad for me.

    Based on the weight you've lost, I would think you should just keep doing what you're doing. :flowerforyou:
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    So the nerd in me used the database from my university to do a quick literature search and off hand I couldn't find anything about time of meals and weight gain except for if individuals were binging late at night or have night eating syndrome/ nocturnal eating/drinking syndrome. I do remember reading an article a few weeks ago (can't find it now) that showed recent research that stated that it didn't really matter what time of day you eat, I usually eat my meals late, and always have, just because I've always worked in food, and I can definitely say my weight gain was NOT because of my meal time, but what I was taking in instead. I think for most people they say they stop eating at 6 or 7 so that they don't continue to consume calories. You've lost a ton of weight, so I would say keep doing what you're doing, because its clearly working!
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    I think it's a big fat myth- eat whenever you want as long as it is within your limits. If you read up on Intermittent Fasting (a.k.a. IF) you will find most people who eat that way consume the majority of their calories at night, and they aren't any fatter for it. I like to think of my calories in terms of the entire week rather than day-by-day. I might have a 2,500 calorie day, then 1.200 the next, so it all balances out.

    Also from personal experience I say this is BS. I used to work for a TV station and never got home until 11 p.m., stuffed my face with until about 1 a.m., then went to bed. I never got fat. I just didn't overeat.

    Eating at night and weight gain is correlation, not causation. Most people who eat late at night are overeating, so that's why they get fat, not because the time that they are eating.
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