Is it bad to eat before you go to bed? Will you gain weight?

Question

If you eat before you go to bed, can you gain weight? For example eating cereal, nuts, and pretzels etc

Answer 1

When I took a nutrition class, it was common knowledge that the time you eat is NOT as important as how many calories you take in vs. how many you burn during the day...

Answer 2

The time at which you eat is totally irrelevant.
You will gain weight when the amount of energy-food (sugars, starch & fat) you eat exceeds the energy (calories) your body uses. When this occurs the extra energy-food is not wasted but converted into adipose tissue (body fat).
To lose weight you must use more energy (calories) than you gain from your food.

The most important factor in losing weight is eating less energy-food. Exercise has many benefits but you will probably give up due to exhaustion before you notice much weight loss. To understand this do a little investigating - look up the energy supplied (either in calories or kilojoules) on the packaging of, say, a chocolate bar or Pot Noodle and compare it to the energy used (cals or kJ) during various exercises here:
http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/energyex...
http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/...
Make sure the foods you eat (over the week) make up a properly balanced diet. Do not be tempted to eat extra protein (meat, eggs, fish, etc.) since any above what your body needs at the time is converted to carbohydrate and either used as fuel (energy) or further metabolised into adipose tissue (fat).

Incidentally, the traditional meal late at night is called supper - many generations have enjoyed this meal. It is only in the recent decades that some people have been over-eating and suffering the consequences.

Answer 3

Weight gain occurs when you take in more calories than you burn. Calorie count is more important than the time you eat as far as weight gain is considered. However, it's healthier to not eat right before going to bed because your body is trying to sleep and digest at the same time... this MIGHT lead to indigestion.

Answer 4

YES
do not eat stuf before bed.. at least three hours before actually
this is because when you start to get sleepy your body closes down and your heart only pumps the amount of oxygen around the body that it needs to . this therefore means that certain parts of your body do not function as well when sleeping or resting . if you digestive system is not working to its fgull potential then there is alot more time for fats to be absorbed into your blood stream and therefore you do actually end up putting on weight . try and make a rule that you dont eat after 5.30 or something and you will notoice the difference definatly , even if you just **** more regulary lol

hope this has helped
xxx

Answer 5

I've been on a very good healthy diet since the beginning of February, I eat whatever time of day I choose and have a snack and fruit every night before I go to bed and have lost 2 stone, ok its not supposed to be good for you to eat before you go to bed but it has never harmed me.

Answer 6

no it's bad bad it all depends on the food items that are consumed. you don't want to consume carbohydrates before bed. too many carbs before bedtime can decrease growth hormone secretion and GH is the most powerful fat burning compound that the body produces.

at night you want to switch to proteins, veggies and healthy fats. and the protein sources should be easily digestible like eggs, cottage cheese, sugar free yogurt, fish and protein powders. try to eat no later than 30 minutes before bedtime. if the calories consumed during late night meals are with in the limits of the daily caloric intake there will be no fat gain. the metabolic rate actually increases during the first sleep stage. and the difference between the sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) depends on the amount of body fat that a person has. the greater the body fat percentage the greater the difference between the RMR and SMR.

Answer 7

I agree that you shouldn't eat just before bed because it just 'sits there' in your intestines.

I'm bad about eating late almost every night because my husband and I work (together) and sometimes get home late. I cook every night, by the time dinner's ready it's at least 7:00, sometimes 9:00. If I eat extra late and go to bed within an hour, especially if it's spicy food, I'll have the craziest dreams! Not to mention indigestion and heartburn.

Answer 8

I was always told not to eat after 6 o clock but in reality I think its an old wifes tale. I always eat my dinner and more after 12 o clock at night and it doesnt seem to have done me any harm. The thing is though at dinnertime I dont eat anything, I just prefer to eat at night. Contact me if you would like as I have always been paranoid about my weight. Tel No 01698384179, my name is Claire.

Answer 9

Well it may be bad to eat b4 going to bed but on the other hand it's horrible to lie in your bed and listen to your tummy rumble. I'm sure there would be something you could eat just to tide you over till breakfast.

Answer 10

Yes defiantly,
You should have your
tea between 5 to 6pm the latest
and if your still peckish late in
the evening have couple of biscuits
with any hot drink about half an hour
before bed.
Good night.