Eating at night

Now we all hear of the calories in/calories out theory and what matters is the balance of this equation to decide the weight gain/loss. However, it is also known that mealtime before sleeping is somehow important. For example, a study found that eating before bedtime has increased the weight gain twice as much when controlling for total calories [(source)](https://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2009/09/turek.html). However, this study was done on mice and not humans and doesn't apply to trained individuals as well. So what are your thoughts about this? Some of us might be forced to eat a meal before bed (basically the third meal of the day which is the dinner can be delayed to after exercise) and they would still be within their calories. Theoretically, does this mealtime have an effect on where these foods are going too? Do hormones get affected with the meal prior to bedtime too?

Answer

From experience, it truly does not matter what times you eat, in what quantities, or any other variable that isn’t overall calories. I’ve gone months eating breakfast and thru till ab 5pm not sleeping until 10:00, and I’ve done months not starting my first meal until half my day is over but eating rite up to 45 mins before bed. I’ve done one huge meal a day, I’ve done 10 very small meals a day. It truly is just overall calories

Answer

Just a fun fact: recent research has shown that eating beef later in the day has significantly worse effects then eating beef earlier…

I imagine that 20 years from now it will be common knowledge that all eating should be done between \~10am and 5pm (time restricted diet, not too late in the day) else a person suffers. Nutritional nonsense like eating-in-the-zone and pastries for breakfast will be poo-pooed upon.

Two plant-based meals, not late in the day, that’s most of the story right there.