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Started By
Message
Should I be eating later?
Posted on 5/27/26 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 5/27/26 at 2:19 pm
For years I did intermittent fasting, or more accurately I just didn't eat breakfast. Mid-morning I'd get a bit hungry but waiting until 11 to eat for the first time was never really a big deal.
Fast forward to present day and over the last ~6 months I've started getting back into working out. And lately I've found that as soon as I wake up I am STARVING. I've changed my eating schedule big time compared to before and it now looks something like this:
-Get up 5:30. Workout around 7am and finish that with a protein shake (milk/water/protein/peanut butter)
-Around 8:30 cottage cheese and nuts
-11am eat a good lunch
-Around 2:30pm yogurt and a canned protein drink
-Around 5:30pm eat a good dinner
For lunch and dinner I'm not eating like a bird where I'm still hungry after, I'm definitely full after eating. I always thought you weren't really supposed to eat too late in the day or right before bed....is having my last food at 5:30 hurting me here? Like as soon as I wake up I'm hungry as shite.
Fast forward to present day and over the last ~6 months I've started getting back into working out. And lately I've found that as soon as I wake up I am STARVING. I've changed my eating schedule big time compared to before and it now looks something like this:
-Get up 5:30. Workout around 7am and finish that with a protein shake (milk/water/protein/peanut butter)
-Around 8:30 cottage cheese and nuts
-11am eat a good lunch
-Around 2:30pm yogurt and a canned protein drink
-Around 5:30pm eat a good dinner
For lunch and dinner I'm not eating like a bird where I'm still hungry after, I'm definitely full after eating. I always thought you weren't really supposed to eat too late in the day or right before bed....is having my last food at 5:30 hurting me here? Like as soon as I wake up I'm hungry as shite.
Posted on 5/27/26 at 3:00 pm to WG_Dawg
I'm not a big proponent of intermittent fasting so my answer to this may be different than others, but you pretty much have like 80% of your eating crammed into 1/4 of the day. Feeling very hungry in the morning isn't necessarily a bad thing per se. It is usually the sign of a well functioning metabolism and hormonal balances.
However, going that long between meals and then doing a workout on basically an empty tank probably has some impact on the workout quality as well. It wouldn't hurt to push the dinner back some and see how you feel in the morning. Or move something to the morning prior to the workout.
Ultimately, I don't think we are truly discussing anything that is going to make some monumental difference. I think it is always pretty good advice to just listen to your body. if it is telling you it is starving, probably a good idea to give it what it is asking for at that time. If you push the meal back another hour or two and notice no difference, then go back to how you were if you want to or don't.
While it does make a difference, if your last meal is like 2-3 hours prior to going to bed, that is fine. Majority of this is because your sleep will be impacted by your body having to digest something you just ate. Your insulin resistance does rise some when you sleep, so eating a large meal right before going to bed have you process your food less efficiently and impact blood sugar levels.
What time you are normally going to bed?
However, going that long between meals and then doing a workout on basically an empty tank probably has some impact on the workout quality as well. It wouldn't hurt to push the dinner back some and see how you feel in the morning. Or move something to the morning prior to the workout.
Ultimately, I don't think we are truly discussing anything that is going to make some monumental difference. I think it is always pretty good advice to just listen to your body. if it is telling you it is starving, probably a good idea to give it what it is asking for at that time. If you push the meal back another hour or two and notice no difference, then go back to how you were if you want to or don't.
quote:
I always thought you weren't really supposed to eat too late in the day or right before bed
While it does make a difference, if your last meal is like 2-3 hours prior to going to bed, that is fine. Majority of this is because your sleep will be impacted by your body having to digest something you just ate. Your insulin resistance does rise some when you sleep, so eating a large meal right before going to bed have you process your food less efficiently and impact blood sugar levels.
What time you are normally going to bed?
This post was edited on 5/27/26 at 3:22 pm
Posted on 5/27/26 at 3:34 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
quote:
I think it is always pretty good advice to just listen to your body. if it is telling you it is starving, probably a good idea to give it what it is asking for at that time.
This is how people do 30 minutes on an elliptical and then complain and ask why they’re 50 pounds overweight
Posted on 5/27/26 at 3:44 pm to CPA Yung Boi
So, you shouldn't listen to when you body tells you it needs energy? Interesting theory. Tell me more. I've never known a single person to get overweight giving their body what it needs, only giving their body more than what it needs.
This post was edited on 5/27/26 at 3:51 pm
Posted on 5/27/26 at 4:57 pm to CPA Yung Boi
quote:
This is how people do 30 minutes on an elliptical
Depriving your body of nutrition is not the answer.
If you’re hungry, eat. Eat the appropriate amount and get as much healthy, low calorie volume you can. Drink lots of water. Fiber. All positive things.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 11:07 am to WG_Dawg
i would personally eat dinner a little later but thats more of my preference. You dont have to over complicate it like some people will do about anything fitness related. Eat the right food, at the right amounts, dont worry about timing too much. Do what works for you. For the average Joe trying to make some type of hardcore set schedule isnt going to matter.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 12:04 pm to WG_Dawg
I follow about the same schedule as you. I find that eating my last meal between 530-6 helps me sleep better. I go to bed between 830-9.
None of what you posted gives any insight into your diet. How many calories are you consuming daily and what do the macros look like? Hit those targets then figure out the timing of when you eat.
Peanut butter and nuts are calorie dense and not filling.
None of what you posted gives any insight into your diet. How many calories are you consuming daily and what do the macros look like? Hit those targets then figure out the timing of when you eat.
Peanut butter and nuts are calorie dense and not filling.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:08 pm to WG_Dawg
I don’t sleep well if I don’t get something within an hour or so of bed, usually protein Creami does the trick, but if your concern is that your body is eating your gains cause you wake up hungry, that’s a myth as long as you’re overall in a small surplus and hitting protein targets for the day.
As long as you are sticking to your macro targets, this is all gonna be massively subjective. There is nothing magic about fasting, it’s a technique some people need to stick to their goals. Experiment and see what works for you.
Honestly just sounds like you need to do a free trial of macro factor and weigh everything for a week. Most people overestimate how much protein they’re getting and eye balling the peanut butter is a great way to add 500 cal you didn’t want.
As long as you are sticking to your macro targets, this is all gonna be massively subjective. There is nothing magic about fasting, it’s a technique some people need to stick to their goals. Experiment and see what works for you.
Honestly just sounds like you need to do a free trial of macro factor and weigh everything for a week. Most people overestimate how much protein they’re getting and eye balling the peanut butter is a great way to add 500 cal you didn’t want.
This post was edited on 5/28/26 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:19 pm to idontyield
quote:
None of what you posted gives any insight into your diet. How many calories are you consuming daily and what do the macros look like? Hit those targets then figure out the timing of when you eat.
tbh I don't really keep track of that, although of course I know it'd probably be beneficial to. My diet is a healthy one I just don't know the specific macro numbers. It's high protein and relatively lower in carbs. Other than the snacks I already mentioned in the OP, my daily lunch consists of ground beef, grilled chicken, broccoli, sausage, and some meatballs in a round medium sized tupperware container (just to give a general idea on portion size). For dinner it's whatever we have at home, or just a repeat of lunch.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:21 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
if your concern is that your body is eating your gains cause you wake up hungry,
no that never crossed my mind. I'm going to assume for now that the simplest answer is probably correct, which is that I'm simply eating dinner too early. I'll try moving it back closer to the 6pm range and see what happens
quote:
Most people overestimate how much protein they’re getting and eye balling the peanut butter is a great way to add 500 cal you didn’t want.
I do 1 scoop with a small spoon. Same portion everytime. I know it's maybe not the healthiest food out there but I just like the flavor (and small bit of protein) it adds to my post workout shake. That's the only time I ever eat peanut butter.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:39 pm to WG_Dawg
There’s nothing wrong with eating peanut butter if you like it, the point is just that you’re spinning your wheels until you at least have an idea of what your macros and calories are. You may find that you’re in a deficit and it has nothing to do with when you’re eating.
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:42 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
eye balling the peanut butter is a great way to add 500 cal you didn’t want.
I did want them
Peanut butter really is one of my biggest calorie busters if I don't pay attention. A single serving is such a small amount. You can almostly universally say that probably 90% of people that aren't measuring it, routinely will use 2.5-3 servings at least when the are using it. When i'm making a pb&j sandwich that i'm rewarding myself with, it is easily like 4 servings worth of peanut butter if not more.
I wish the powdered peanut butters were better. They just suck. I've tried all hacks to make them "closer" to the real thing and they just don't scratch the itch. They are great for adding into a protein shake or overnight oats though. I do an overnight oats with brownie protein powder and some pbfit in there and it is fantastic in the morning.
This post was edited on 5/28/26 at 1:47 pm
Posted on 5/28/26 at 1:46 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
There’s nothing wrong with eating peanut butter if you like it, the point is just that you’re spinning your wheels until you at least have an idea of what your macros and calories are. You may find that you’re in a deficit and it has nothing to do with when you’re eating.
This. I eat penut butter all the time (obviously
Any of the free tracking apps are great. Something like MyFitnessPal is super easy. Just plug in what your typical days look like and you'll get a big picture of where you are at, any deficiencies or places you are overdoing it. I don't use them a ton now, but early on it gave me my baseline so I knew where I had room to indulge and where I didn't.
This post was edited on 5/28/26 at 3:06 pm
Posted on 5/28/26 at 9:48 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
hitting protein targets for the day
Actually hitting your protein targets for the day will make anyone hate eating. It's easy to eat Doritos non stop, it's hard to shovel down 180g of protein a day. You're like, "fark, a spoon I need to use." This is the easiest answer.
Posted on 5/29/26 at 8:05 am to WG_Dawg
If your current schedule works for you, just eat a preworkout meal.
Posted on 5/30/26 at 11:57 pm to WG_Dawg
I hear you. Our dinner is around 6:30 and I’m a,ways hungry around 9:30.
It’s not about eating it’s about when you go to bed. If you’re getting up that early then go to bed before hunger becomes a problem. If your staying up later then eat some cashews or pistachio nuts
As long as you’re not hitting the Cheezits or wine to fill that void you’ll be fine.
ETA..I found a guy online that had a high protein quiche recipe that was awesome. I make it and have a slice of that with a Greek yogurt around 3pm. It was a game changer. 50g protein and close enough to dinner where I didn’t go over board.
It’s not about eating it’s about when you go to bed. If you’re getting up that early then go to bed before hunger becomes a problem. If your staying up later then eat some cashews or pistachio nuts
As long as you’re not hitting the Cheezits or wine to fill that void you’ll be fine.
ETA..I found a guy online that had a high protein quiche recipe that was awesome. I make it and have a slice of that with a Greek yogurt around 3pm. It was a game changer. 50g protein and close enough to dinner where I didn’t go over board.
This post was edited on 5/31/26 at 12:04 am
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