	AllExperts > Nutrition & Dieting
	Search

About Laurie Beebe, MS, RD, LD
Expertise
As a registered dietitian I am fully qualified to accurately answer questions regarding weight loss, including those from people with health conditions requiring dietary restrictions (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc) who want to lose weight, or who have been advised to do so by their physician.

Experience
I have been a registered dietitian for over 25 years and am certified in Adult Weight Management through the commission on dietetic registration. I also have training in coaching through Coach U and currently work as a diet coach to help people lose weight the healthy way.

Organizations
American Dietetic Association, Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group, Nutrition Entreprenuers, St.Louis International Coach Federation, Toastmasters

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Florida, 1983; Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from Case Western Reserve Universitiy 1985; Certification in Adult Weight Management 2006; CoachU core essentials grad 2007.

You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Eating Disorders > Nutrition & Dieting > what time shouldnt you eat after when trying to loss weight?

Nutrition & Dieting - what time shouldnt you eat after when trying to loss weight?

Expert: Laurie Beebe, MS, RD, LD - 11/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi i want to know how many hours before going to bed should be my
last meal? im drinking grean tea, is there any special brand i should buy and how many times a day should i drink the grean tea. Is casein protein good to drink before going to bed and how long before going to bed should i drink it . please help thank you

ANSWER: Dear Alex,

While many are advocates of not eating after a certain hour, the body does not actually alter digestion and metabolism by the clock!
The important thing is not to snack heavily in the evening and ingest hundreds of extra calories you aren't going to use if you're trying to lose weight.

There's nothing wrong with having a healthy snack in the evening, or even a small serving of ice cream (1/2 cup) if it's within your daily calorie allowance. In many countries, dinner is not eaten until 10 pm, yet we don't see an obesity problem in Spain like we do in the US. So it's obviously not the time a meal is eaten that leads to weight gain.

Green tea may be healthy for the antioxidants it contains, but there is no magical qualities that would have me advocate someone to include it specifically in their diet.

I don't know of any reason that casein protein would be of any benefit to you for either weight loss, or what the benefit would be to drink it in the evening.

It's always best to focus on eating a well-balanced diet and eating foods in moderation, than looking for a specific item that will help digestion, weight loss, or any aspect of health. There is no proven food that has benefits above any other--rather, it's the combination of eating healthy in general and being physically active that can give you the best chance for maintaining a healthy life.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi thank for your help let tell you a little about myself im 5ft8inches tall i weight 190 pounds and i have like 16 percent body fat and all my fat is in my stomach area i want to loose the gut i work out 5 days a week i weight train and i also do cardio so what can i do to loose the gut is the anything that you know of and this imformation maybe your past answer may be different if it is please advice thank you again

Answer
Dear Alex,

If this is a program you just started, it sounds like it will definitely work to get the weight off!
You'll want to take a look at your calorie level and try to reduce your intake to 500 calories below your needs. I would estimate that 1700-1800 calories would be a good weight loss level for you.
There are many websites (livestrong.com, my-calorie-counter.com, fitdaycom, myfooddiary.com) you can use to track your intake. They will add up your calories during the day as you log your food intake, and let you know how many you have left to eat, and how much your exercise has burned.
It helps to keep us in line with our program when we log what we're doing regularly.

Let me know how this goes for you!

Add to this Answer Ask a Question