FACT OR FICTION?

EATING AFTER 7PM MAKES YOU PUT ON WEIGHT

With the rise in popularity of intermittent fasting, this question is often asked. But it is fiction! There is no set time after which foods are more or less likely to make you gain weight, as a calorie is a calorie (and by calorie I simply mean unit of energy), whatever time you eat it. The time you eat does not affect your metabolic rate in any way.

However, eating late makes it more likely you will get indigestion later in the night, especially if you lie down soon after a meal. And this could affect how much sleep you get, which may make you snack more the next day. Some people find not eating after dinner helps them to lose weight, but this is simply because they are eating less.