Eating Late At Night: Is It Bad For You? Posted: 03-14-06 15:48pm
Hey guys! First post! Woohoo!
I have a question that's been sitting in
my head for a while. :)
basically: is eating big meals at 10 or 11
---even midnight, or later--- bad for you,
or is it ok..?
my question is just the old "is it bad to
eat, then, go to sleep soon afterwards"
question.
I hear it's pretty bad for your digestion
and so on. What are the cons, if any,
of having late dinner?
Thanks!
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logicroad
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 21 Location: Greece, Salonica
Posted: 03-15-06 06:57am
Big meals just before sleep? Well if the
meal is a great variety of fruits or
calorie low food then, I think you can eat
as much as you want, but i'm not sure if
that's a "meal" for you.
Really this has been troubling me too. I
want to eat something but I never know
what, and end up eating some calorie high
stuff, which just leaves me with sleeping
problems.
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rsdude
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 1
Posted: 03-04-08 14:52pm
I will throw my 2 sense in here on this
one. The human body has evolved over
years... but the basis of our system is
still the same. Many many years ago we
gathered food one way or another during
the day, and ate and relaxed in the
evening. Our systems today will work on
the same method. We digest and absorb
nutrients and minerals better while
sleeping... thus vitamins are better
during the evening. Our body does not
store more fat in the evening than in the
day. Most people eat an extra meal at
night cauing too much calories over all...
but under control, the evening meal is
actually a great way to go. Most cultures
overseas like Europe eat much later in the
evening. They tend to be more healthy, of
course the food is more pure too.
Finally, I had a issue of controlling my
fasting sugar levels. I would have a
level of below 140 by 8 pm, and not eat
after 7. But I would always wake up
between 150 and 200. My liver was pumping
out sugar to compensate. Not i eat 4
regular meals a day, about 2000 calories,
and the last one being around 10 pm before
bed. I wake up below 120 every morning
now. (and no I am not gaining weight).
But I was never over weight to start with.
So there you go. An over explained
answer for you... I hope it helps. One
last tid bit. Keep that last meal pretty
controlled on the carb side. I have more
protein with it and less carbs... eating
fruit that late causes a lot of sugar...
and since you are not active... you do not
burn as much. So you may end up with a
higher fasting level.
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DPGfitness
Supporter
Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 59 Location: DC Metro Area, USA
Posted: 05-07-08 10:10am
eating at night is a must if you want to
properly repair your body after a long day
that involves workoing out. Your body
burns more calories at rest than at the
gym. That is why you should have aprotein
drink or protein meal before hittin the
sack. no carbs or sugars or fruits just
straight up protein to help build up the
muscle repair process and making sure you
body has enough amino acids to build them
back up. so yes you must eat before bed
just be careful what it is you eat!
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Mikolas
Moderator
Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 589 Location: Buffalo University, Hands off! My trained killer kitten has its aim set upon you!
Thanks: 17
Thanked:1
Posted: 05-13-08 03:42am
DPG is correct. Your resting metabolic
rate, which is to say your energy
expenditure when you go to sleep/rest, is
actually higher then if you were to
exercise and pump up those arms and legs.
Unusual yes, this is one of the unknowns
that most people do not know, which is
understandable so because it seems
illogical. But if you may have heard a
lady friend commenting about their summer
or something of the sort, you may hear
"all I did was sleep during the vacation
and I still lost weight!", well now you
know why. I account the famous "freshman
15" for this reason as well, why college
students gain weight, because of poor
dieting, AND the lack of sleep.
Even if you were to lets say just sit down
at your chair and stare at this screen and
do nothing else for a full day, you could
be burning anywhere from 1000-2000
calories.
As the first two above me stated, stay
away from the carbs, simple carbs at least
such as fruits (fructose), dairy products
(maltose), etc.
The downside of eating late? If you went
to sleep soon after eating, you will have
increased chances of indigestion and poor
absorption. This is obvious and you may
have already experienced it. The simple
explanation would be that the way your
gastrointestinal system works, gravity is
an essential part to bringing the food
into the system. The hydrochloric acid in
your stomach can go into places that you
may not want them to enter, thus the
"heart burns".
Hope we have answered your questions.
Don't go stuffing yourself with midnight
snacks now just because we said its ok =P
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Captain Pooka
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 9 Location: , Texas
Posted: 05-16-08 12:26pm
Wow, that's good to know! I'm pretty
skinny about 170.. but I eat a lot and I
sleep ALOT. Every time I'm somewhere I'm
sleeping lol.. makes people wonder.
Now I have an explanation!
I love you guys
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adeslead
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 2
eating late at night Posted: 08-07-08 14:00pm
though eating too late in the nigth is not
a bad habit,because there are some people
that do get hungry in the late nigth or
even in the mid-nigth.but if u want to do
that try take some thing like soft food or
multivitamin and some fruit so that your
body will be very okay in the morning.
