Is eating late at night bad for you?

The idea that nighttime noshing can derail your weight-loss efforts seems like a no-brainer. But how does it? And what are the other effects of late night eating?

Sure, it’s common to eat more — and choose junkier fare — in the evening. Even if you’re content to nibble on yoghurt for breakfast or salad for lunch, a big bowl of ice cream or chips can become pretty appealing once you’re vegging out on the couch after a hectic day. “A lot of us use food to help us relax when we’re tired,” says Kelly Allison, PhD, director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania. “After a long day, we’re in the mindset of treating ourselves.”

It’s that kick-back-and-snack mindset that can spell trouble. The food we reach for when we eat late at night tends to be higher in calories than the stuff we eat during the day. And if you’re zoned out in front of the TV, it can be easier to polish off more than you might have planned to. Add it all up, and it’s no wonder that several studies have shown that eating more of your food later in the day is linked to weight gain.

But there might be a lot more to it. Even if you pick wholesome foods and keep your portions in check, eating late might still be making it harder to lose weight, emerging findings suggest.

Of course, these are just two small studies, and experts still have much to learn about optimal meal timing. Still, both Peterson and Allison agree that limiting late-night eating is a smart move for weight loss. “The findings aren’t definitive, but there’s growing evidence to suggest that not eating after 7:00 p.m. would be helpful,” Allison says. Even if that just means cutting out your after-dinner or late night snack.

And if that’s not realistic for your lifestyle? Consider keeping your eating schedule the same, but eating more of your calories at breakfast and lunch and fewer at dinner. “Studies show that when men and women follow this strategy, they lose more weight,” Peterson says.