Late night eating?

[HostingOfDawn]

SO 

It is around 7 oclock and I have found that I am in a 1000 calorie deficit. I know I need to get those calories in in order to maintain. 

\WIll eating the rest of my calories for the day for dinner (this late at night) cause weight gain? 

[Esya]

Well, that is a tough question to answer and we cannot predict the future. If you are looking to maintain, you want to eat as much as you burn. If you are 1000 calories short for today, you can eat them that late in the evening or you could eat them back in the coming days. If you eat them back in the evening, it might cause some weight gain, but then I would think that would only be temporary. Or it might not cause any weight gain at all. Managing weight is always adjusting to the current situation. If you find you gained a bit, you can eat a little less that day. If you find your weight is under, you can eat a bit more.

[MagsOnTheBeach]

How many calories did you eat all day?  Personally, if I was at or under the 1200 mark, I would have a small snack if I was hungry, not a full meal if it was the evening.  It's not an everyday thing - just plan better tomorrow.

[jk17]

I would eat a protein and something light. Enough to hold your insulin till morning and not get famished, then make up the calories the next day.  

[emili · Accepted solution]

I don't consider 7 late- I eat dinner that late every single day and then a huge bowl of popcorn at 9. I do not eat by the clock, I eat by habit and calories. I have eaten dinner as late as 9 and popcorn at 11. I do not have weight gain. you can eat all your calories in one sitting if you choose to - as long as you don't eat over, it usually doesn't matter when or what. The exception of course is salt. that will retain water which will show as gain the next day. it will be gone the day after. at least this has been my experience