Bad to eat close to your sleep?

[GatorChomp3]

I always wondered about this. My dad told me when I was little that it's bad to eat close to sleeping time because your stomach is supposed to relax when you sleep but then it has to work and you get indigestion and other bad stuff. Seemed right when I was a kid but now that I look back, is it one of those old wives tales?

[oI2ange]

Usually doesn't matter. The problem with this myth is that most late night snacks are generally pretty awful for you- chips/other processed foods. The bottom line is calorie intake- the actual time when you eat does not matter much. Your metabolism is always working, even when you're sleeping. If you're hungry before bed, try to snack on healthier meals/items.

[Dreamliner]

The only reason it's bad for me is that I have acid reflux. I do tend to eat until about two hours before bedtime.

[LeafUF]

Depends on what is bad to you and bad to someone else. From a comfort aspect there are people who have trouble sleeping on a full stomach and others who probably sleep better. I mean those post Thanksgiving naps are for real.

Now when it comes to weight gain or weight loss it really doesn't matter. Nutrient timing is not important next to calorie consumption.

[your_perfect_enemy]

Does it change how your body does its routine nighlty repairs, at all? If your body is working to digest food, would it limit the amount of energy to do other things?

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by your_perfect_enemy

Does it change how your body does its routine nighlty repairs, at all? If your body is working to digest food, would it limit the amount of energy to do other things?

It probably does at least to a certain degree. Although I'm not sure that a snack would impinge repair. But seriously, there is no need to eat right up til bedtime.

[slmdLS1]

eating causes a bump up in your metabolism...i couldn't see it hurting me, as long as its not unhealthy food or too much. If anything, my resting metabolism is a little higher...burning a few more calories, which may or may not translate into weight gain or loss considering how negligible the numbers are...

[LeafUF]

Originally Posted by slmdLS1

eating causes a bump up in your metabolism...i couldn't see it hurting me, as long as its not unhealthy food or too much. If anything, my resting metabolism is a little higher...burning a few more calories, which may or may not translate into weight gain or loss considering how negligible the numbers are...

Eating does not cause a bump in your metabolism. Your metabolism is what it is. When you eat your body requires energy to digest food and that burns calories. This is the thermic effect of food and on average is about 10% of the calories consumed. Some foods require more and others less so just as a guess if you eat a 2000 calorie diet you burn an extra 200 calories a day just by digesting.

[slmdLS1]

thermic effect, good catch...i havent even been dieting or reading up on this stuff in a while.

[Dreamliner]

Thermic effect is such a non-issue I never mention it anymore.

[LeafUF]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Thermic effect is such a non-issue I never mention it anymore.

And you are probably right not to. For most people its more detail than they need and might even give the false sense that they can eat more. Its really only worth mentioning when discussing what determines the total calories burned.

[Dreamliner]

Slightly on topic, a new study shows that people who cut out 'junk food' don't lose weight. Saw it in the Orlando Sentinel.

Thought it bore mentioning because some are captive to the notion of food replacement as a means of enhancing thermic effect.

[Gatormb]

According to Dr. Oz (tape it) you should restrict carbs late at night since you don't get a chance to burn them before the insulin turns them into stored fat. Carbs in the morning and afternoon get a chance to be burned off.

[LeafUF]

Taking health and fitness advice from Dr. Oz is not a smart decision.

[Dreamliner]

You dare to question the great and powerful Oz ?!?!

[LeafUF]

[ATL_Gator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Slightly on topic, a new study shows that people who cut out 'junk food' don't lose weight. Saw it in the Orlando Sentinel.

Thought it bore mentioning because some are captive to the notion of food replacement as a means of enhancing thermic effect.

This seems odd to me, to a point.

On one hand, all comes to calorie balance. If I were to cut out junk food and replace it with other calories, well, you get the point.

To the study, curious what the study group cut out, and if they continued to drink stuff that is advertised and/or thought to be healthy but is really a calorie bomb. I know people who have quit drinking coke and started drinking more juices. Uhh. You haven't done anything, except maybe spend more money because the healthy fruit juice sells you on the "healthy" bit.

On the other hand.... I believe that part of eating/over eating is not only a calorie problem, but a volume problem. A person's stomach is only so big, and at some point, they are going to get tired of pushing food in. So...

Let's assume we have a person who substituted a king sized snickers bar for raw broccoli.

King Sized Snickers: 537 calories. At least for me, can easily be eaten, and qucikly.

Broccoli: A cup of broccoli cooked and drained runs 30ish calories... so you are looking at 18 or so cups of broccoli to be calorie neutral with the Snickers. Besides the taste side of things... there is a physical volume issue. That is a lot of food, that a lot of people just can't consume (mentally either).

[your_perfect_enemy]

Is the Thermic effect part of your resting BMR?

[LeafUF]

Originally Posted by your_perfect_enemy

Is the Thermic effect part of your resting BMR?

No its not. Your bmr is how many calories you burn if you were basically bed ridden.

On top of that there are 3 other factors that determine how many calories you burn a day. Exercise activity, non exercise activity, and the thermic effect of food.

Dream can correct me if i have missed something.

[your_perfect_enemy]

Originally Posted by LeafUF

No its not. Your bmr is how many calories you burn if you were basically bed ridden.

On top of that there are 3 other factors that determine how many calories you burn a day. Exercise activity, non exercise activity, and the thermic effect of food.

Dream can correct me if i have missed something.

Thanks. Just curious, not planning on adding an extra couple hundred calories to my intake, but good to know there's a little extra wiggle room.

I'm guessing I'm not this lucky, but does beer produce the same thermic effect?