Not eating after 6pm or 7pm?

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minally
minally Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard that not eating after 6pm or 7pm helps you lose weight because your food is fully digested when you are about to sleep.
Is this true?

But what if you get hungry like around 9pm? Is it unhealthy to eat at that time? What if you sleep late or have a late shift at work and have no choice but eat after you get home.

Thanks for your help! I appreciate it. :)
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Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    It's complete myth given a comparison with equal energy balance. If not eating late at night causes you to EAT FEWER CALORIES for the day, then of course it would work, but that has nothing to do with timing and everything to do with calorie intake.

    Short answer: Control your TOTAL FOOD INTAKE. Do this, and you can eat whenever the hell you want, even if it means eating IN bed.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I've heard that not eating after 6pm or 7pm helps you lose weight because your food is fully digested when you are about to sleep.
    Is this true?

    But what if you get hungry like around 9pm? Is it unhealthy to eat at that time? What if you sleep late or have a late shift at work and have no choice but eat after you get home.

    Thanks for your help! I appreciate it. :)
    Everything Sidesteal said.

    Also, it takes 3 days to fully digest food. The body burns fat 24/7, when you choose to eat doesn't make a difference.
  • Tanisha1014
    Tanisha1014 Posts: 34
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    It's mainly bogus because that doesn't work for everyone. I go to bed late often so for me to stop eating at 6 wouldn't make sense.. just don't eat too close to bed time.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    just don't eat too close to bed time.

    You can actually eat right up until bed time if it doesn't disturb your sleep.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    just don't eat too close to bed time.

    You can actually eat right up until bed time if it doesn't disturb your sleep.

    Truth. :)
  • ZeroWoIf
    ZeroWoIf Posts: 588 Member
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    You can eat close to bed time but that doesn't mean you need to pillage a whole food court if it was open at night lol.
  • ZeroWoIf
    ZeroWoIf Posts: 588 Member
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    It's mainly bogus because that doesn't work for everyone. I go to bed late often so for me to stop eating at 6 wouldn't make sense.. just don't eat too close to bed time.

    I usually have my dinner at 7:30 or so.
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
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    You can eat close to bed time but that doesn't mean you need to pillage a whole food court if it was open at night lol.

    There are food courts open at night? Must locate and pillage! Who's with me? :tongue:

    Joking aside, I live with the rule of "I eat when I'm hungry". If this means I ate my last meal at 4pm (like today) but don't go to bed until midnight, that's the way it goes. Sometimes, my last meal is eaten right before I go to bed...like when I hit up Denny's after a night out at the club and then go home and crash from exhaustion. Seems to be working for me thus far. :drinker:
  • VogtAndrea
    VogtAndrea Posts: 236
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    If what you're eating after that time period is a proper meal, it's fine. If its a snack that's still within your goal, that's fine too.
    I don't even get home most nights till almost 7 and have to make sure to eat a proper meal after that. Not every rule of thumb works in every situation. It certainly doesn't in mine.
  • TrinaJ11
    TrinaJ11 Posts: 159 Member
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    It's complete myth given a comparison with equal energy balance. If not eating late at night causes you to EAT FEWER CALORIES for the day, then of course it would work, but that has nothing to do with timing and everything to do with calorie intake.

    Short answer: Control your TOTAL FOOD INTAKE. Do this, and you can eat whenever the hell you want, even if it means eating IN bed.

    This.
  • mccbabe1
    mccbabe1 Posts: 737 Member
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    It's complete myth given a comparison with equal energy balance. If not eating late at night causes you to EAT FEWER CALORIES for the day, then of course it would work, but that has nothing to do with timing and everything to do with calorie intake.

    Short answer: Control your TOTAL FOOD INTAKE. Do this, and you can eat whenever the hell you want, even if it means eating IN bed.

    LOL.. love this.. and i trust him.. look at the bod in the profile pic.. NICE! lol
  • shaelataylor
    shaelataylor Posts: 224 Member
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    i eat a big bowl of popcorn around 11 or so all the time...it hasnt hurt me yet :)
  • rawhidenadz
    rawhidenadz Posts: 254 Member
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    I usually eat my biggest meal right before bed. It's awesome :)
  • crystal_darling
    crystal_darling Posts: 53 Member
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    I don't believe it. If that was the case I wouldn't be able to eat from 6 or 7pm to midnight. Thats about 6-7 hours before I slept. Doesn't sound accurate at all.
  • wowza1
    wowza1 Posts: 16
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    funny as i always have blamed by weight on LATE TIME EATING, have done tons of research and have had so many professionals from doctors to personal trainers say very much different about glycemic sugars at night time turning into fat easier especially if it is a carb high meal? battling this for many years i do agree, however, if i was eating healthy all day and exercising enough, i wouldn't be eating so late at night "hiding it"..
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    Don't blame your weight on it. I eat ice cream in my bed almost daily.... late. :)
  • grizbear1225
    grizbear1225 Posts: 10
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    Definitely can't apply to me either...I work 12 hours shifts during overnight hours so I have to eat food later than 6 PM and throughout the night and it didn't cause me any issues with losing my weight. As long as you maintain a steady routine and get in the exercise, everything will be fine..
  • InvidiaXII
    InvidiaXII Posts: 315 Member
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    I almost always eat dinner around 9 pm and consume a large percentage of my daily calories in the evening/at night. I lost weight this way and have been maintaining for a couple months now. The key to it is that I stay within my calorie limits. Eat on whatever schedule works best for you, and if that involves eating late at night, just make sure you save the calories for it.
  • sexikc
    sexikc Posts: 153 Member
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    I think the only people who need to avoid eating late are the ones who have no self control and eat terrible food all the time....If you are eating healthy foods...eat whenever you want....
  • jessjpjb
    jessjpjb Posts: 38
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    bumping to read later

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