When to eat?

I've always heard that you're suppossed to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up to keep your metabolism firing. I've also heard that you're suppossed to stop eating (on a normal day) at 9.

Because of this rule, I always end up feeling guilty waiting for breakfast and eating after 9.

Thoughts?

My doc told me to eat my supper as close to 6 pm as possible, and then any snack before 8 pm, and nothing after that except water. I did hear that breakfast was extrememly important, but I never heard about the one hour thing.

Those 'rules' are to be followed to help give you the most efficient energy and avoid over-eating. If you're snacking at 9 at night, it's most likely that you're going over your calories.

But as far as weight loss goes, you can eat whenever you want - it just depends on your overall calories for the day. Because I work on most days from like 10 to 8, I eat the majority of my calories from 8:30 pm to when I go to bed. I've maintained my weight, maybe even lost. So trust me, as long as you keep under your calories, you're safe to eat at any time of the day. :)

Thats a load of crap not eating after 8. Some of you people just make me want to pull my hair out. Let me just say I eat my last meal between 10pm and 11pm. usually 350 calories and guess what I still lose weight. If it fits in with your daily intake then it doesnt matter..jeez people get a grip

i agree with paula i do the same as well

I think it's a load of crap too. I have this thing where I don't eat very much during the day, then at the end of the day I realize that I'm below 1000 calories and I should probably eat more, so I'll eat more at night.

I'm only repeating what's been told to me by trainers I know. Not my idea. :-(

I usually end up eating later, but the practical side of not eating late is so that you're less likely to skip breakfast, which I am guilty of.

I don't know. I guess there are several schools of thought on the subject.

I say eat when you are hungry. 

I do not eat on a set schedule of the same time every day. Mine varies depending on how my day is going. Like others have already said, as long as you are within your allotted calories, early or late, it doesnt matter. Sometimes I eat right up until going to bed, other times I don't, and I have managed to lose weight and maintain my weight when Im not trying to lose.

i stop eating after 7:30 only because if i don't i seriously won't be hungry for breakfast in the morning.