I've always preferred to eat late. My housemate and I, our usual routine is to START cooking dinner at 7 pm. Mostly cause that's when we can turn on Scrubs and watch while we're cooking, but yeah.

I think the "no eating before bed" thing is just another works-for-some-but-not-for-others thing. Like pretty much everything else in weightloss.

I agreee w/most of the thoughts in this thread. I also did what you did and no matter how hungry I was I wouldn't eat cause it was after 7pm. I gained most of my weight by gorging at night while watching tv, so I had that "all or nothing" mentality. What I noticed when I was really , truly hungry at night but refused to eat anything (no, not even a grape!) was that I had tremendous trouble falling and staying asleep, that I was cold and that the next morning I was so freakin' hungry that I could have easily eaten 1/2 a cow -- raw!

I needed to stop the mindless consumption of mega calories at night. It's still something I would enjoy doing but know that if I do, then all my hard work will be for nothing. I have also found that as time goes on, my desire for nibbling at night is diminishing.

I think that whole Oprah/Bob thing about not eating after 7pm should have been stated as "no eating entire bags of doritos, oreos or ice cream type foods" after 7pm but if you are truly hungry, by all means eat something!! Also, I found that if I'm truly hungry, eating a piece of fruit or some sugar free thingy just doesn't cut it. Pretzels, rice cakes, even banana w/peanut butter and a glass of skim milk -- the carbs help induce sleep.

Jo

I agree that in principle the not eating at night is more of a mind trick than an actual metabolism booster.

However, for me I try never to eat after 6 or so on weekdays. Mostly because when I come home from work I sit down and stuff and stuff. I will have 2 helpings of leftovers or a whole bag of chips, etc.

I take my snacks,lunch and breakfast to work now in measured portions and eat there and when I come home I busy myself because right now I don't have the will power to eat a reasonable portion when a whole kitchenfull is available.

So far I have lost about 5lbs...so maybe as I lose more I will get my will power back and be able to eat a reasonably sized dinner afterwork at home.