Best Dinner Time?

[Mondsee]

Hey there!

I used to be a gigantic mess at going to bed on time and having prepared for that... it was horrible, but I've changed that FOR GOOD!

It's been more than a month I guess, that I have a strong night routine and I'm sleeping super good! (if you want me to share more details on that, I might start another post) But now I'm wondering... what is the best time to have dinner?

The internet is flooded with different information. Apparently most of the sources agree that it is preferable not to go to sleep just after having had dinner but do you know a reliable source, maybe a scientific study, about the optimal time to have dinner?

I go to bed every day at 22:30, how many hours before that should I schedule my dinner time?

[Garuda]

No optimal time. 

Depends on the person. Also it depends what you eat. All about trial and error. 

[Voyager]

@Mondsee From memory you want to eat your last meal > 3 hours before bed in order to best keep your circadium rythum in its natural cycle. The other reason would be to ensure you are not digesting whilst sleeping because your body needs to be fasting ( in ketosis) whilst you sleep in order to repair the body effectively. (less ATP is generated if your still burning sugars whilst sleeping = less electron flow)

[pluto]

I try to keep food 2-4hours away from bedtime and only consume light teas afterwards or closer to bedtime. This way i restore better and dreams become more insightful and clearer. If you are really hungry, light foods like bananas and honey and simple stuff that digests fasts should be okay.

I believe if there is food in the body you wont be able to restore optimally and enter deeper stages of sleep for e.g REM sleep until everything else is digested and absorbed properly and once the body is done with that it can rest more deeply.

[Siim Land]

I finish eating about 30 minutes before bed. The reason it works for me is that I eat only dinner and spend the rest of the day fasting. Those nutrients will be used for recovery and anabolism during sleep. If you were to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner then it wouldn't be optimal. It seems counter-intuitive but I've never felt better.

[Vytas]

@Siim Land How are you managing all your protein and calories intake in one dinner? I mean for a person who wants to gain/ at least maintain muscle mass, is it possible to eat everything in one go? Would love to hear about your case

[Dan Arnautu]

29 minutes ago, Vytas said:

@Siim Land How are you managing all your protein and calories intake in one dinner? I mean for a person who wants to gain/ at least maintain muscle mass, is it possible to eat everything in one go? Would love to hear about your case

If meat is the primary source of protein, eating all the daily calories in one go would be very hard. After 2 steaks you are done. Meat is highly satiating.

Pastry products are perfect for bulking as they are calorically dense and don't stave off your hunger for long. Even chocolate is highly satiating and you can't eat too much of it also. Donuts on the other hand don't fill you up as much and you can hit 1000kcal easily without feeling too stuffed.

[Vytas]

@Dan Arnautu Thanks! Btw I started using that app MyFitness Pal - great app. I began to write my training and food daily reports. I now count all the calories and other substance intake. Thanks really  Talking about protein, yes I noticed the trend, if I eat more plant based diet it takes a lot to reach that 160g/day mark, and if I eat lets say chicken breasts or cottage cheese than its pretty easy as you said.@Siim Land I might try this one meal a day thing in the future, sounds interesting

[Siim Land]

@Dan Arnautu @Vytas I eat a protein shake intra-workout before dinner but during dinner I eat plenty of eggs and some meat with other keto foods. This "one meal" actually lasts for several hours so I won't stuff myself full in one go. In my experience, I've actually managed to build about 7kg of lean muscle mass with minimal fat gain. Keto and fasting make your fat burning engine so efficient that you reduce muscle catabolism to a bare zero during the day. 

[ElenaO]

On 20/03/2017 at 7:43 PM, Mondsee said:

If you want me to share more details on that, I might start another post) 

Please do share more details, I would be mos def interested! 

Related to your question, I would say it's individual. I try not to eat anything after 20.00. Else I'm going to have a stomach pain. I have a mild gastritis. I also feel much better if I follow the rule. 

[Vytas]

@Siim Land  So lets say during that dinner interval of 1-2 hours you eat pre-meal after some time main meal? How about carbs/protein/fat, what ratio do you follow and amount you try to consume? Sorry for the questions, but I am really interested in this thing, mainly because I feel as if a lot of energy is unneceseraly wasted when having 3 or 4 meals a day? Generally I have not the most restful sleep as well as feeling exhausted during the day. Although going to the gym or doing cold showers do make me feel more alive.

@Mondsee I would also love to hear more about ir

[Dan Arnautu]

12 hours ago, Siim Land said:

@Dan Arnautu @Vytas I eat a protein shake intra-workout before dinner but during dinner I eat plenty of eggs and some meat with other keto foods. This "one meal" actually lasts for several hours so I won't stuff myself full in one go. In my experience, I've actually managed to build about 7kg of lean muscle mass with minimal fat gain. Keto and fasting make your fat burning engine so efficient that you reduce muscle catabolism to a bare zero during the day. 

I do fasting too (when I cut and maintain). When I bulk I find it hard to eat that much in such a short window, even with more than 1 meal. Protein shakes definitely help.

[Siim Land]

@Vytas I don't really count the exact macros I eat, but I follow a low carb ketogenic diet. So, maybe about 1g of protein per pound of bodymass, around 50g carbs and close to 200g fat or so. 

In my own experience, eating too much food can slow me down. Digestion is a parasympathetic activity, which ought to make you drowsy and relaxed. That's why I prefer to eat at night. Fasting on the other hand is sympathetic dominant, which increases adrenaline and makes you more focused. That's perfect for daytime and roaming around. Small snacks can work to push off hunger as well but I don't need them anymore because of keto-adaptation.

[Mondsee]

@Garuda Yeah... so many variables here...

On 21 de marzo de 2017 at 0:20 AM, Voyager said:

you want to eat your last meal > 3 hours before bed in order to best keep your circadium rythum in its natural cycle. The other reason would be to ensure you are not digesting whilst sleeping because your body needs to be fasting ( in ketosis) whilst you sleep in order to repair the body effectively. (less ATP is generated if your still burning sugars whilst sleeping = less electron flow)

@Voyager I'm definitely failing at that... I'm having diner about one hour before going to bed... 

@pluto Tea after dinner sounds like a great idea, thanks!

On 21 de marzo de 2017 at 11:01 AM, Siim Land said:

I finish eating about 30 minutes before bed. The reason it works for me is that I eat only dinner and spend the rest of the day fasting.

Hey @Siim Land, I'm not a nutrition expert, and if its working for you, fine, but it doesn't seem likea very good idea to spend the entire day fasting; the fasting time for your body is precisely while sleeping. For how long have you had this habit? Maybe give it a try to have several light and healthy snacks during the day, you may find out you feel even better! In any case, don't forget to keep well hydrated  

On 21 de marzo de 2017 at 1:38 PM, ElenaO said:

Please do share more details, I would be mos def interested! 

@ElenaO I will! I haven't had time for it, and I want it to be a rather detailed and quality post so that it is actually helpful, but if I don't forget, I'll tag you when I do so you don't miss it... for me it has really worked, I think I can state now that it is a sustainable permanent change

On 21 de marzo de 2017 at 1:53 PM, Vytas said:

I feel as if a lot of energy is unneceseraly wasted when having 3 or 4 meals a day? Generally I have not the most restful sleep as well as feeling exhausted during the day. Although going to the gym or doing cold showers do make me feel more alive.

@Mondsee I would also love to hear more about ir

@Vytas Try having lighter meals more regularly. And I'll tag you too when I have my going-early-to-bed post