There are loads of common myths out there, all of them promise to be the holy grail in helping you lose weight. So it’s no surprise that you won’t need to delve very far into the world of the fitness industry before you come across some of the most common myths, that unfortunately all too often get passed off as fact.
And this brings me to my first myth buster: “DON’T EAT AFTER 6PM”
Firstly, let me start by saying that I do believe certain fitness myths, like this one, have the best intentions at heart. I mean, you can even see some reasonable logic behind it ... but I’d be lying if I said that the inaccuracy behind it doesn’t get to me - it really does!
Now let’s look at the logic behind the 6PM myth. We normally view the evenings as a chance to slow down after a hard day at work. We end up moving less, so surely that means that we should be consuming less? Makes sense, right? A little, but quite frankly I cannot stand the idea of someone telling me that I can’t crack open the custard creams with my nightly cuppa’. So when clients ask me if eating only within a time window will help them lose weight, the answer is - it might.
What we are really talking about here is the introduction of a restrictive eating window - or as it’s officially known - Intermittent Fasting. This is where we only consume food during a set time period and restrict ourselves the rest of the day. This is sometimes known as ‘16:8’, where you eat from 10am until 6pm and then fast the rest of the 16 hours.
The main reason I dislike this myth is because although it may suit a select few, it doesn’t work for everyone. To consistently adhere to a time frame doesn’t suit everyone. Everyone has different lifestyles. But most importantly, it wont be the sole reason for you losing weight.
For example, it’s very easy to deviate away from this “standard” structure. Say you have an after-work function to attend at 7pm. Everyone is raving about it, how good the food will be and how they can’t wait to kick back and let their hair down. Sounds good until you find yourself sat at the table watching everyone else chow down on their meal while you slowly sip away at your water because it’s after 6PM, smiling away through gritted teeth.
Or you could even be travelling to Europe for whatever reason. Just hear me out. Europe is an hour ahead of us, so do you eat before 6PM our time ... or theirs? I actually have been asked this many times before.
So here I am to give you an answer, and my answer is that it simply boils down to how many calories you consume within a 24 hour time - not the time of day you consume them. Granted, it might be a little different for high-end sports performance in regards to meal timing but for mere mortals like me and you, it’s all about the amount calories you consume.
I personally know that I am more than capable of consuming too many calories within an 8 hour window ... or before 6PM. I’m sure we all could! So do you see why following this fad alone wont make you lose weight?
So, to sum up, will eating after 6PM cause you to gain weight? NO. Will consuming too many calories within a 24 hour period cause you to gain weight? YES!
By all means go for it if intermittent fasting is your bag! Im glad that it works for some. But please remember it is just ONE tool used to combat the issue. You still need the rest of the tool box. You still need the key component - The Calorie Deficit.