Just changing when you eat can has a big effect on how much you weigh. At least if you are a mouse. A new study is the first causal evidence connecting meal timing and increased weight gain. The journal Obesity on September 3 published "Circadian Timing of Food Intake Contributes to Weight Gain" onl...
When You Eat Has an Effect on Your Weight: What Diabetics Should Know
9/13/09 6:44pm
And then there's this study that says it doesn't matter when you eat.
http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/landingpages/latenighteating.cfm
"We've all been told at one point in our lives that we should avoid eating meals late at night as it will lead to weight gain. However, our research in rhesus monkeys, which are considered an excellent model for studying primate (man and monkey) obesity issues, showed that eating at night is no more likely to promote weight gain than eating during the day."
9/15/09 1:49pm
Maybe it's true as far as weight gain goes......BUT
eating late plays havoc with your blood glucose during
the whole night and may even cause the "dawn" phenomenon.
This is important since your night BGs will have a
big impact on your A1C. Don't forget the hours involved
here- about 1/3 of the 24 of the day.
JG
9/15/09 1:56pm
9/15/09 6:25pm
My original request to David was for his suggestion on what
we could possibly eat at night that would NOT affect our
BGs for the whole night and still provide a "sense" of being
satisfied and make those hunger pangs go away. Alas -he only
suggested a bigger low-carb dinner!
If you have such suggestion on that, I would like to hear eat(it)
(provided it's not fish or meat).But it's been my experience that
eating anything more than a single bite (ie. low carb AND light)
will bring your middle-of-the-night BGs up( yes I have measured those) . Remember, for 8 hours after eating those things you are
getting absolutely NO exercise (except breathing), and in the
morning you will not like your BG level.
Thanks
JG
9/16/09 5:22pm
there are 3 issues here: 1- we aint monkeys
2- we aint monkeys that have had our ovaries taken out
3- we snack at nite- i presume this to be in addition to daytime feeding, whereas it's not clear that the monkeys were not eating a baseline amount regardless of time
i think the common sense problem is that we tend to snack at nite, after we've already eaten our day meals, which leads to weight gain- the other problem is that we are more insulin resistant at nite (from circadian rhythm), so it's not an optimal time to snack- my opinion is that the largest meal of the day should be lunch, with not alot of CHO at nite
9/30/09 6:53pm
I struggle with the dawn phenomenon in which my fasting blood sugars are always
much higher in the morning. I found that if I eat a can of Amy's Organic
Lentil and Vegetable Soup for dinner, my fasting blood sugar will be under 100
(or just very slightly over 100) the next morning. Haven't the foggiest idea why
or how. I just know it to be true for me. perhaps the fiber in the lentils? Also
lentils are less inflammatory than other beans/legumes.
10/ 5/09 7:35pm
Glad you found something that helps-
Your problem might be WHAT you eat at dinner AND later, especially if you eat quite late. You should compare your BG right before going to bed, with the morning one. You may find the two to be similar (not that far apart).
If so, then you have to control what you eat and when you eat dinner so that those BGs dont get out of wack- good luck.
JG
9/15/09 7:54pm
Isn't it more likely you gain from eating at night because you aren't getting enough sleep? Didn't they already show that improving sleep helps with weight loss?
9/16/09 5:18pm
A good night sleep goes a long way to maintaining good health
overall- maybe even maintaining a healthy weight. But I think
when it comes to diabetes we have to study people's behavior,
rather than "related" species. I have never seen an obese monkey- they tend to be a bit more active than most of us humans.
JG
9/30/09 8:45am
9/30/09 7:04pm
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Do you have any suggestions for people like me-
who get hunger pangs at night and are not very
strong willed to resist. What' s relatively safe to
have, some lettuce, anise, cheese, cucumber,
watermelon? It seems I need a bite of something
but what?
thanks,
JG
Dear JG,
Two suggestions. First, to eat a bigger dinner, so you won't get hungry later.
Second, to eat a very low-carb diet. With you you won't have hunger pains even when you eat very little. I follow both strategies and know they work.
Best regards,
David