Does eating at night make me fat?

Here is a question that I hear frequently. Does eating at night make me fat? The answer? It depends.

Weight gain is something that happens when you eat more calories than you burn on a consistent basis, not what you eat before bed. Some people due to schedule or preference do not eat until late hours of the night.

Our bodies do not have an enzyme that has us store fat if we eat past 8 pm.

Lets imagine this scenario:  There is a 150lbs 5'4 female whose calorie intake to maintain weight is 1950 calories.  Lets say she gets off of work at 8 pm and eats a huge 1000 calorie meal after only having the chance to eat a 350 calorie breakfast.  Will she gain weight? No. She is under her daily calorie budget.

On the other hand, lets say that she comes home, eats the same 1000 calorie meal, but after she has eaten a 500 calorie breakfast, a 500 calorie lunch, and 200 calorie snack.  Will she gain weight? Yes. She has exceeded her daily calorie budget.

Moral of the story? Eating at night will not make you fat. What you need to do to lose weight, or maintain your current weight is set up a food schedule that will meet your target calorie budget and allows you to distribute those calories in a way prevents hunger and makes you feel your best.

Stay healthy, fit and pretty.

Wishing you luck in reaching your fitness goals.

XO
-Carmen