Eating late at night?

[ptouch]

I did not read anything in the book about eating late and if that affects your weight at all. I have heard your not supposed to eat to late or you will gain weight. I usually have dinner around 8pm or later. I do eat every 6 hours as suggested.

[Isabeau]

My understanding is because we're burning fat for fuel, that rule doesn't really apply to those of us following Atkins. We won't get the insulin spikes that others get eating late at night, then overeat, etc. You're right, follow Dr. Atkins advice and eat a little something every six waking hours.

[Erin K]

I agree with Isabeau. You are not restricted to time on this WOE. Just be sure you are following the Acceptable foods list and you should be OK!

[ttdriver]

Actually not eating within 3 hours of going to bed is very effective ...

You should attempt to eat your biggest meal of the day at brekkie, medium meal at lunch and the smallest meal at dinner ..

I've heard it put this way: BREAKFAST LIKE A KING, LUNCH LIKE A PRINCE, DINNER LIKE A PAUPER.

No snacking either............

Betty

[Lori41]

I do agree that most people say don't eat after six but when I'm stalled I have found that to add just one hard boiled egg before bed, good protein, I would wake up skinnier most of the time. Then after a week or so I would quit this and continue on. I know your body uses protein to repair itself at night.

[not2late]

Personally, I have a sensitive digestive tract and if I eat anything after 8 or 9 PM, I'm up all night with indigestion :sadblinky

[2big4mysize]

our bodies do not shut down when we fall aspleep and continue to burn food for fuels during this time so if you are hungry eat any time you are but only eat enough to satisfy your hunger when you are eating and stop. Just about every person in the world goes into ketosis during there sleep as they have burned their food and need more fuel which comes from those fat cells we are trying to shrink. that is another reason Dr Atkins suggests you not test if you are going to be a tester for ketones in the AM.

HAppy low carbing.

[sassygoddess13]

I eat when I'm hungry, period. Last night, I got home from work (1 am) and was starving. So I made a couple of scrambled eggs.

I think we're all different as far as our schedules and that said, not everyone is on the b/l/d 9 am/noon/6 pm schedule, you know?

I'm no expert but I believe in eating when I'm hungry. Even if it's at 1 am.

[cleochatra]

I eat when hungry, too! Atkins said to eat every 6 hours, so if you're hungry, grab that bit of roast beef and eat until satisfied--even if it's midnight!

[artgirl7]

While many will say it does not matter, personally I feel that eating after 9pm can affect me negatively. Do what feels right for your body.

[JESTER]

My concern about eating late at night during this diet - is the long term effect it will have.

Let's face it - A LOT of people who do this diet lose weight, and even reach ther goal weight - and then leave the diet in the dust. For these people, getting into a habit of eating late at night will come back to haunt them when they are back to eating in the world of carbs. It is a bad habit, and I know for myself, eating late at night - all that snacking - is part of the reason I am overweight today.

If you are willing to take that step to change your life - how you eat, exercise, break the food addictions - why not also take that opportunity to change your eating habits. ( I know some people absolutely have no choice, those people who work overnight shifts. But for those people, there body has already adjusted to this reverse eating schedule - as most of these people work all night and sleep all day. ) But for those others, who do have control of when they eat, I would say they should attempt to change their eating habits - cut out the late night snacking, binging, all of that badness that just leads to other addictive behaviors and pitfalls. I know sometimes it is impossible to not eat late - as life happens to us all. But for those days when you do have control - why not try to stop eating after 8 pm or so. There is nothing worse than laying down in bed, after eating recently, and having that stuffed feeling - not to mention laying there thinking - I shouldn't have eaten that! Also, over time, laying down to sleep within 2 or so hours of eating - has the potential to do damage to your esophagus via gastric reflux.

[2big4mysize]

There is nothing worse than laying down in bed, after eating recently, and having that stuffed feeling - not to mention laying there thinking - I shouldn't have eaten that!

the only thing wrong with your arguements is folk properly doing Atkins NEVER ever have that stuffed feeling as we only feed our hunger not our empty belly space.

Doing Atkins correctly is all about listening to our bodies signals that it is hungry even if that is 2 AM and then listening very carefully and practinging techniques with our eating that allow us to know when that hunger has been satisfied even if we still have food on the plate, room in the belly, or carbs in our budget.

HAppy low carbing