Day 11: No eating past 9 PM

[zapleahy]

A new challenge will be published every day. Follow along and motivate others here in the community or by using this calendar.

Here at Fitbit, we’re all about making small changes to your everyday life. Whether you’re swapping in some healthy snacks or finding ways to fit more steps in throughout the day, it can add up to big changes over time. So today’s challenge, coming to you from Erica Steinz of Barry’s Bootcamp, is a simple one: No eating past 9 PM. Erica writes:

This is a big challenge for me, but it’s important to give your body a rest at night with your last meal ending by 9pm at the latest. This gives your body 10-12 hours of rest until breakfast in order to produce the proper hormones that help you sleep and metabolize food for energy instead of storing most of it as fat.

If you tend to be a night-time snacker, try Jenny Slayton’s tip of having tea before bed instead (and definitely go for decaf!).

So try it tonight, or for the whole week, and let us know how you did in the comments or by using the hashtag #30DaysToSummerFit!

If you're just joining, you can catch up on past days in the lead topic: Recommit to your Goals with 30 Days to Summer Fit. This post was originally published on the Fitbit Blog.

[thabigdaddy]

Wow, This is a hard one for me.  I work 7 am to 7 pm so often have dinner around this time. But I think it's one of my biggest issues eating late and then going to bed.  I also tend to eat a big dinner and not just a snack.  So this will be a good one for me to try to incorporate.

[zapleahy]

@thabigdaddy This is a tough one for me, too. Switching your biggest meal to lunch or opting for a few mid-size snacks in the afternoon can help curb the craving for a big dinner. It might also have a positive impact on your energy levels throughout the day. If you can, fill a coworker in on your plans and get a lunch buddy to keep you honest!

[Rv22]

My days start at 5 a.m. in the morning. I need to go to bed by 9:00 p.m. Normally eat dinner between 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  I started to stop eating anything after 7:00 p.m. I used to have a small portion of nuts before bed time, but cutting that out now. I'm having breakfast around 7:00 a.m. in the morning. Thanks for the great tips.

[EmersonFitbit]

@Rv22 Same here! I've been into berries lately, and it's been tough cutting those out for the past two days. Hooray for being early-birds!

[HelenaFitbit]

Tough one, after work I go to uni and end up at my house at 9-10pm . I've been getting granola bars or jello cups to munch on while I wait for class. 

[SunsetRunner]

O.. so much willpower.. yesterday didn't eat 'nearly' anything past 8pm 'cause of feeling full. Always need to eat something when watching tv (even when feeling full, old habits kicking in?). Tummy was still growling a little so ate a little yoghurt, but if not careful, could end up to take some more food, and then maybe something extra so it can add up quickly.

[Draca]

eating after 9pm does not make you fat.. the myth was debunked through a medical study that was published last year.

[zapleahy]

@Draca Can share a link to the study? I'm sure others would be interested (and perhaps comforted) to read this!

I always felt it was about metabolizing food best when you're awake, so if you're up 'til midnight, eating at/after 9pm might not be as big a deal as if you're eating right before bed.

[Draca]

I'll see if I can find it again,
I agree however that eating just before going to bed is a bad idea, for more than one reason.
Or like some people who go fridge raiding in the middle of the night.

[supermom56]

I ususally eat dinner at 6 or 6:30 and go to bed around 10:30 or 11. If I don't have a small "bedtime snack" such as crackers and PB, I wake up hungry at 5:30 a.m. and can't get back to sleep. Lack of sleep contributes to weight gain. This appears to be a Catch-22 situation.

[GerriD]

I hear it no eating after 7, I really think it makes a difference but I have  a hard time sometimes. I will have a glass of skim milk heated before bed, helps with sleep and the calories are not that bad. I have low blood sugar so it prevents me from waking in the middle of the night hungry.

[GerriD]

I don't think it is the time, it is the time you are  consuming additional calories late in the day. 

You should have your calories earlier, as they suggested eating a larger lunch.

[descart]

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@thabigdaddy wrote:

Wow, This is a hard one for me.  I work 7 am to 7 pm so often have dinner around this time. But I think it's one of my biggest issues eating late and then going to bed.  I also tend to eat a big dinner and not just a snack.  So this will be a good one for me to try to incorporate.

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