How many times have we gotten home late from class or work and it was past 7pm?  Ever go out for a late night dinner with friends or your significant other?  Now imagine if your body shut down at 7pm and knew that any food you ate past this time should be stored as fat and not utilized.  Intense thought in my opinion.  So that means if you start eating a meal at 6:45pm and finish at 7:15pm, only half of the meal is digested?  You may be laughing and you should be. 

Many people may realize that not eating past 7pm is a diet myth but it is still rattling around in their brain causing doubt and that ugly word “guilt” keeps creeping in when they want to enjoy a late night fare.  Guilt has no place around food unless you stole it from a homeless man on the street. 

Let’s think about where and why this myth started.  Years ago we did not hear much about mindless or emotional eating but it existed.  Many people would eat less during the day due to busy schedules or attempting to control their food intake and then comes night time and they are reaching for the chip bag.  Increased hunger from a day of deprivation or overeating to avoid dealing with boredom or other emotions would lead to eventual weight gain.  Don’t eat past seven is an easy external rule to cut out these calories without having to do the real work in addressing other healthy ways to cope with emotions or food. 

Metabolism does have ups and downs depending on activity, it is true.  However, eating a meal in the hour after a workout does not mean it is canceled out!  So why would a meal eaten out of true hunger after 7pm count as extra?  It still comes down to calories in and calories out.  Do not limit your hunger to a time schedule, it is not necessary.  Do check in with your body and make sure the food is not being used to stuff down any uncomfortable feelings.