Is it OK to Eat After 8 p.m.? (Ask the RD) | MyFitnessPal

Eating at night won’t technically make you gain weight, but it’s still good to be cautious about snacking after dinner.

Do you worry that eating late at night will cause you to gain weight? Registered Dietitian Whitney English shares why, even though that theory is technically inaccurate, it’s also not completely off base.

Research shows that eating late at night does not put you at any greater risk for gaining weight than eating the same meal earlier in the day. It’s the amount of calories you consume, not the time of day you consume them that affects weight gain or loss.

However, the time of day you eat can result in weight gain for other reasons:

- People tend to eat more late at night than they would at other times of day.
- People don’t always choose the most nutritious late night snacks.

Studies show that when people are restricted to a set period of time to eat, like 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. rather than around the clock, they tend to eat less overall. This may have other benefits, like:

- A better metabolic profile
- Reducing the risk of chronic disease

So, while a calorie is a calorie no matter what time of day it is consumed, it may still be beneficial to limit those late night snacks.

LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR HABITS & REACH YOUR GOALS

MyFitnessPal has a complete set of tools to help you practice healthy habits, meet goals and track your progress along the way. Start your journey or keep it going. Go to the app and log a meal: https://myfitnesspal.app.link/YT-Ask-The-RD-log-meal