Hi everyone

A question for you :- I find I'm eating my evening meal quite late - thats because I'm not hungry and when I finally remember its usually around 9pm. But I cant go to bed until I've had some sf jelly and cream - otherwise I wake up through the night.

Is there a time at which I should say - no more food until the morning ?

BTW I dont eat during the night - I only drink water if I wake up.

Anyone any thoughts on this? Could this stop me from losing anymore weight?

I look forward to your replies

Yes, I think it is detremental to eat that late and not give your body the signal that the food needs to be used as fuel, not stored as fat.

I don't want to get controversial or start an argument or anything, but I do watch a fair amount of diet documenatries, mainly on Discovery health, the Health channel and Living TV. I have seen several times , only in the past few months mind, that Doctor have researched sleep and metabolism and have announced that it does not actually matter if you eat late in the evening.

They mainly indicate that although it does not affect our metabolism, it can effect us by giving us indigestion or heartburn. Also if you are eating quite a hit of carbs you might get a 'buzz' and may not be able to sleep. Your metabolism is not affected.

They doe reiterate that eating something in the AM is great because while you have been slepping your body has been fasting and that first meal with give you that metabolism kick.

Of course if you drink loads before bedtime you are going to have that peeing all night problem.......

I'm no expert at this, so I can only go by my own expirances. I very seldom eat anything before noon although I am an early riser. Just not hungery. My last meal is always between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. That's when I am hungery. I figure , feed my body the way it wants to get fed and don't fight it. I have been losing about 2 pounds a week since I started. So, I think it's working fine for me. If you are losing regularly, you may have answered your own question. Not sure how the release of growth hormone is affected by this type of eating.

Thanks for the replies Guys

I am still eating at odd hours I'm afraid, but maybe my body has got used to it now - as I'm still losing weight. My problem seems to be to eat at all - I still go for long periods without anything to eat, because I just dont get the hunger pangs at all.

Anyway thanks and happy LCing

Thanks for this thread. I am just back to LCing after a two-year stressful hiatus, and at the highest I've ever been. Was just discussing my late night eating with my husband as I get home 7:30pm two nights a week. Ideally I'd like to have my last meal finished before 7pm but that's unlikely at least 2, and more realistically, more like 3-4 nights a week.

I still haven't worked exercise, even just 10 minutes, into the day yet, but am hoping to add it--time, of course, becomes an issue again.

Healthy eating!
Annette

Tigra, I'm only just going back on a LC plan next week (gotta get supplements and foods or it'd be now), but I did a 3week "trial" of PPLP about 9 months ago.

I have the same problem -- I am so used to NOT eating that it was just damned hard to make myself eat. So in my trial, I spent far too much time without food, and then drinking 2-3 protein shakes instead of eating real food because I was busy or it was too late to spend time cooking or whatever.

But in retrospect, near the end of the trial, one thing SAVED me --

String cheese. The little individually wrapped pieces like for kids can be found in any store, and it is really easy to eat one, as there is hardly anything there. Yet, it has some protein and usually 1 carb. It's a great thing to have handy for eating 'between' the long stretches some people put between meals, or in the time between getting up and some people like me finally getting around to considering really eating.

Regards,
PJ

Dear PJ

Thanks for your reply to my thread - it seems forever since I posted that.

I'm glad your coming back to LCing after so long - obviously the trial stayed in your mind and thats a good thing I think.

Well I still eat late at night and sometimes through the night - although I have come to realise that I must stop this kind of eating. My body has got so used to it, that I now wake up as regular as clockwork at certain times of the evening.

Saturday just gone was the worst one yet and I ended up bingeing all day because of it. I am now trying to break this pattern, but I think its gonna take some doing. Also it might help my weight loss, as this seems to be slowing down somewhat - in fact this week I've put a pound on and there should have been no reason for it - cos I binged after weigh in.

Well I hope all goes well for you and keep posting - I think that helps tremendously - it keeps you focussed. Also its nice to know there is always help on hand if you have a bad day.

Take care and happy LCing

The book Protein Power says that when we fall asleep, about 40 minutes later our bodies start releasing Human Growth Hormone. This is a VERY important hormone. It is the thing that allows most teenagers to scrarf down everything in site, be real couch potatoes and not gain a pound.

We older people still have HGH, but we can't access it very well. One way of accessing it better is to workout (weight train). Another is by sleeping. However if we EAT LATE, we can interfere with the release of HGH in our sleep. Particularly if we eat carbs before bedtime.

So I would say that yes, it will interfere with your weight loss and muscle building efforts to eat too late and then go to bed with the food still undigested.

if your going to eat late make it a lean slow absorbed protein such as chicken breast

It's really a problem- I agree with Sherry about the theory, but also know I can't get to sleep if I am hungry..so what to do? I usually wind up having a small piece of cheese or something; don't know if that is right or not, but at least I can get to sleep without hearing the refrigerator calling all night!
Kat

I agree with utah. I do have those nights when I eat past seven or when I had supper at 6 and need something small around nine. Most nights I am in bed at 10 or 10:30. I think as long as its low carb and does the trick go with it. One thing I try not to do is not eat during the day. I think thats worse than eating late. I personally eat 6 small meals a day and its working for me. I also notice that with my increase in exercise with bfl my appetite has improved. In the beginning I had a problem because I was never hungry and some days I ate because my calorie intake was under 1000.
Laurie

I have been known to sit down with a "snack" LC now... but it was not always that way, once I got both kids into bed... I don't know if it affected my loss or not, as I didn't weigh in the morning... I think late night eating is an entirely different thing as opposed to night eating, i.e., getting up in the middle of the night and eating. There are many reasons for that, ranging from emotional to medical disorders. Sleep Eating Info & LC'ing(click here) Here is some info I researched on night eating.This following info I think is important for all LCers, just not on a specific plan... IMHO anyhow... Eating frequent small meals during the day beginning in the morning, reducing carbohydrate intake, and increasing protein intake before bedtime are diet patterns that may help. Protein metabolizes slowly and will stabilize blood sugar levels during sleep. Contrary to protein, sugary snacks raise the blood sugar quickly, then cause it to plunge. So, avoid sweet foods before bedtime. And one last thing to take note of... Sumo wrestlers specifically eat before going to sleep to help encourage weight gain~ Now that's a visual image I don't care to see myself as... a sumo wrestler