Meal timing irrelevant or no

[icffedor]

So i thought meal timing was debunked 15 yrs ago but my girlfriend wants to argue what she learned in health class 20 years ago. Is it not common sense that calories in vs calories burned trumps what time you eat as over 24 hr day there's not much difference, maybe small advantages but if youre not making lifestyle changes meal timing will not help gains or weight loss. She thinks the top ten google searches are opinions so im asking sherbros for help

 

[wufabufa]

Does she really think that science/technology has stood still for 2 decades without any new information coming out? We've learned more about everything.

What and how much is more important. Meal timing becomes more important if you're doing fasted workouts. If that's the case then you probably want to get a bolus amount of protein(about 30 grams) quickly after you've exercised to kickstart muscle protein synthesis. There's a shit ton of nuance with nutritional science and a lot of data to support or dismiss all kinds of claims. Food is digested very slowly for the most part and nutrients are constantly trickling into your bloodstream throughout the day. For me timing only matters dependent upon what I'm doing because I want to feel good while I'm doing whatever activity I choose. For instance, if I ate a big plate of food 30 mins before I ran some sprints I don't think I'd have good workout. Barfing during a HIIT session will obviously affect your performance. Beyond that, if you're a healthy person with no metabolic dysfunction and you're getting sufficient marcos, nutrients, and calories throughout the day you're probably good to go.

 

[Blake_UK]

"Irrelevant" might be a bit strong, but generally it's way down the list in terms of importance.
Getting your daily macros through unprocessed good quality food is key.
I have had a lot of success with IF and fasted workouts. I honestly never feel drained/week as long as my overall eating has been good the day/s before. Pre-covid I would often do 2hrs of boxing at midday then break my fast.

 

[deadshot138]

I believe eating before bed is a no-no otherwise it's largely irrelevant

 

[Robocok]

Omad is good for autophagy and resetting your insulin sensitivity. As for my own meal timing. I eat when I'm hungry. Makes things very simple.

I'm leaning out right now, not necessarily because I want to, but lately I have been on a more strict budget with a lot of my income going towards farming supplies, fencing, animal feed, tools, etc. I've already invested over 50k into it this year.

I can easily down 3 pints of ice cream a day if I don't restrict myself. Well, I only eat haagen daz which is $3.50+tax per pint here so I realized that my ice cream was costing me over $10 per day so that's a $300+ per month habit. It's been over a month without already. My abs are starting to pop a little now and my belt is tighter but fucking hell I miss ice cream.

 

[Badger67]

If you are not on the cusp of being an A level athlete i wouldnt pay attention to meal timing much beyond convenience or hitting macros/micros. Optimization is nice but to be too scientific in your day for net return other than maybe the mirror is not worth the hassle really.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Eat when hungry

 

[TitoSchaubHighIQ]

Meal timing is relevant for:

1. really top tier athletes envolved in endurance sports. They benefict from taking carbs post workout to recover slightly faster which can be a big deal for high level performance.

2. People having drastic caloric restriction, like MMA fighters cutting weight for a fight or bodybuilders before their show.

For the other 99% of the population meal timing is pretty much irrevelant

 

[The_mmadietitian]

Meal timing can be hard to debunk or prove. But what the science says is that overall yes calories and calories out for the most part as far as timing goes. But with performance this can change. As MMA athletes we compete in a glycolytic sport meaning we need carbs around training sessions. So for the general public meal timing doesn't matter as much as it does for us who train and need performance.

 

[M.U.S.C.L.E.]

I like what others have said, including eat when hungry. Should be emphasized that means ovewhelmingly hungry, not "wouldn't mind a snack."

Also should mention that it was very popular in the 20 years ago to recommend eating lots of small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 square meals. Turns out that was terrible advice. It causes blood sugar levels to remain high all day long, plus forcing the stomach to be in a constant state of digestion is overall negative for health. We're not cows. We're not meant to be eating all day long. Also, it is difficult for many people to control themselves, so for example, when having dinner with others, they couldn't just have a side salad. They'd want to eat like everyone else. So impractical and unhealthy.

Alternatively, intermittent fasting works for many people who like to eat big portions, because it limits the number of times in the day they do so. More practical, no major health drawbacks. In many parts of the world where people labor physically, it's customary for people to start the day with tea or something similar, work part of the morning, then have breakfast. So intermittent fasting is not radical, nor untested. There are also many countries where the majority of people don't do manual labor where both breakfast and dinner are light meals, but lunch is the big meal of the day. This is an example of an easy to manage cultural system that keeps caloric intake levels acceptable.

All this to say, yes, calories matter, as does where they're coming from (carbs/protein/fat/crap/healthy). Timing is largely irrelevant, as long as you're not eating too frequently.

 

[smithterry81]

I think that the meals are quite individual. Personally prefer to eat morning and afternoon. I never eat in the evening or at night.

 

[SeaBiscuit159]

So i thought meal timing was debunked 15 yrs ago but my girlfriend wants to argue what she learned in health class 20 years ago. Is it not common sense that calories in vs calories burned trumps what time you eat as over 24 hr day there's not much difference, maybe small advantages but if youre not making lifestyle changes meal timing will not help gains or weight loss. She thinks the top ten google searches are opinions so im asking sherbros for help

irrelevant. doesn't matter when you burn calories IF you burn calories

 

[The_mmadietitian]

irrelevant. doesn't matter when you burn calories IF you burn calories

We ALWAYS burn calories unless we are dead lol. I know what you meant I just felt like being a troll for a minute. Go about your day I apologize.

 

[TonyRolo]

Eat when hungry

I always eat a good meal soon after I wake up to start my metabolism. After that I eat whenever I feel like it, however much i need to.

 

[TeTe]

Pretty much pointless unless you are fasting. I usually eat at least five or six times a day, so I do space out space out every two hours or so but I'm never exact about it.

 

[SeaBiscuit159]

We ALWAYS burn calories unless we are dead lol. I know what you meant I just felt like being a troll for a minute. Go about your day I apologize.

 

[The_mmadietitian]

Pretty much pointless unless you are fasting. I usually eat at least five or six times a day, so I do space out space out every two hours or so but I'm never exact about it.

This can depend on the person as well as the amount of calories taken in compared to workout sessions. I have a couple athletes who have 2 training sessions plus s&c every day almost and they eat 6 times a day while I have other with the same schedule and only eat twice. Each person is different but ideally you need carbs and depending on what type of carb is when to eat it. And yes we must eat carbs. This is a glycolytic sport requiring sugar!