late night eating

[sammyrobo]

Hiya, I was just wondering whether it is healthy to eat your tea later on a night. I was having a discussion with a friend earlier today and they said that they have their tea around 4:30. I was quite shocked by this as out usual time for eating tea is about 7:00 onwards. She said that eating this late is unhealthy becase your food doesnt digest properly. However, I believe that it doesnt matter what time you eat becasue most of your energy is used during sleep anyway. Please could people tell me what time they eat their evening meal and also if eating later on is unhelthy. thankyou!

[netibiza]

It is supposedly unhealthy to eat late at night, but then how come over here in Spain they eat a huge dinner at 10pm and seem OK

[Doll]

I'm in the middle og reading Paul McKenna's - I Can Make You Thin Book and he says it doesn't matter what time you eat as long as you only eat when you are hungry not fot the fun of it. As soon as you are feeling full just stop eating - don't eat to the stage when you feel really full. Plus we've all gone to bed on a really full stomach (well I have anyway) and its not nice.

[Morrisonker]

In Spain and generally in most of Europe they stay out really late.  I've been in cafes at midnight and there are still children up.

 

I think 7pm is a reasonable time to eat, gives you time to digest before going to bed.  Eating at 10-11 is too late for me, but like Doll said, eat when you're hungry and you can't go wrong.

[KittyGlitter]

'They' always say (whoever they are!) that you should eat your meal 3 hours before going to bed, allowing time for digestion. 4.30 sounds really early to me, surely they're hungry before bedtime? Sometimes I get peckish late at night, so I'll have some toast or cereal and I can go to bed ok on that. I don't think lying down after a proper meal is a good idea though, a recipe for indigestion.

[natalie_1982]

I thought as you use most of your energy throughout the day you need a bigger meal in the morning/ lunchtime but I look forward to a big dinner after a long day!  I eat between 6 and 7, and I'd have to agree that as long as you are not sleeping on a full stomach and only eat as much as you want/ need to then I shouldn't think it'd make too much difference.

[Octavius]

Because of getting home from work, I usually eat at about 7.30.  I think my body gets used to this pattern and adjusts accordingly.  If I eat an hour earlier than this I find I get hungry just before I go to bed!  I imagine that whatever time you eat, your body will still be doing it's normal work in digesting food, whether you are asleep or awake....?

[Scarlett]

Dr. Gillian McKeith maintains that when you sleep, your body needs to be repairing itself, not concentrating on digesting food. I think 4.30pm is WAY too early. 10pm is too late. 6-7pm sounds about round I would guess. However by the time I get in (5.30pm) and have done all my work for the next day (8pm) and cooked (9pm) and eaten (9.30pm) it is always far later than I intended...

[undercovers]

its healthiest to eat a large breakfast and medium sized lunch and a small dinner and try to get 80% of your calorie intake consumed before 3pm as the body needs the energy during the day and can burn it off while you are active. If you eat a large dinner before you sleep, the body will not need this level of energy and will spend the night converting the extra to fat.

Having said all that I eat dinner at about 8.30 - 9 and then hardly ever have time for cereal in the morning let alone a feast...  

[netibiza]

Morrissonker - they stay up late in the summer because it's so hot and sleep in the afternoon - but now in the winter they still eat late but are in bed much earlier

[GucciGal]

Hello everyone, just had to reply! I'm lucky enough to have a nutritionist and trainer and he has always told to not eat later than 7pm.

[Octavius]

Well I'm b*ggered then.