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Is not eating at night good for weight loss?

Although some research suggests that your body may metabolize food differently during the day versus the night, there's no scientific consensus on the best time to stop eating. Some evidence suggests that eating late may negatively influence weight and metabolic risk factors.

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This article examines the best time to stop eating and the health effects of eating late in the day. The primary concern for most people is that eating too late may contribute to weight gain. Everyone has an opinion on the best time to stop eating, but you may wonder whether any of it is based on scientific research. Many factors influence when a person stops eating, such as appetite, habits, culture, work schedules, personal preferences, and social settings. The exact time you should stop eating for the day has been debated for some time. Many people are interested in when they should stop eating at night due to the perception that late-night eating causes weight gain. It’s well established that eating more than your body needs contributes to weight gain. Thus, if you’re doing a lot of late-night eating on top of your regular meals, you may gain weight ( 1 ). Recently, research has examined the timing of meal intake and its effects on health ( 1 ). This means that it may not only be what you eat but also when you eat that affects your weight and health. Though there’s no established time when you should stop eating at night, various approaches outlined below may help you find a time that works for you.

Circadian rhythm

The 24-hour body clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, may influence the best time to eat based on its effects on hunger, nutrient absorption, insulin sensitivity, and metabolism ( 2 , 3 , 4 ). To match your body clock, the recommended eating window is less than or equal to 8–12 hours a day, during daylight hours. Eating outside of this window may lead your body to process calories less efficiently, which may contribute to weight gain ( 5 ). One study found that when mice were fed a high fat meal according to their circadian rhythm, they had significantly lower weights than mice fed the same high fat meal outside of their circadian rhythm ( 6 ). Furthermore, eating over a period greater than 12 hours a day may increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease ( 3 ).

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In a small study including 8 men with prediabetes, eating within a 6-hour window from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. resulted in improvements in blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and appetite ( 7 ). In another study, fasting blood sugar levels adults in adults with prediabetes were lower when they ate within an 8 a.m.–5 p.m. window than from 12–9 p.m. ( 8 ). This may be why shift workers — whose hours are likely to be irregular — may be at a greater risk of chronic conditions like high cholesterol and diabetes. However, these claims are inconclusive ( 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ). However, the associated increased risk of chronic disease may be due to a combination of poor quality sleep, irregular eating patterns, and other factors ( 14 ).

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting involves eating within a specific window — often 8–12 hours — over any time during the day. Thus, it differs slightly from eating according to your body clock. Intermittent fasting has been linked to improved levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, body fat, and inflammation (15). Many intermittent fasting regimens suggest skipping breakfast and having most of your meals later in the day ( 16 , 17 , 18 ). However, some studies note that eating a bigger breakfast and smaller evening meal may lead to better blood sugar control, decreased body fat, and lower hunger levels (15, 19 ). Reducing your eating window to 12 hours or fewer may minimize mindless snacking, thus lowering your overall calorie intake and preventing weight gain ( 20 ).

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