EstimatedEst. Read Time: 4 minutes
FITNESS MYTH BUSTER – WILL EATING AFTER 6PM PREVENT FAT LOSS?

eating after 6 pmBack for another installment of “Fitness Myth Busters” to demystify perhaps the longest running misinformation in the world of health and fitness.  The real problem with these urban myths is that they tend to be so deeply rooted that changing the mindset of those who have followed this bad advice for years and years, is no easy task to overcome.

But that’s ok.  AthLEAN-X is ready…even if we have to stay here until 6PM tomorrow to get you to understand!

So, for those of you reading who aren’t already completely sure about this one…what I’m talking about is the idea that eating anything after 6PM is in some way a bad thing. Heck…those proponents of this idea will make you feel as if you might as well of just eaten a plate full of French Fries and washed it down with a triple cheeseburger if you dare put some food in you after the clock strikes six!

Well, for you late night noshers….I’m here to tell you don’t worry about it and in fact, if your goal is to build muscle, you better eat something after 6 PM!

 

Why You Should Eat After 6 PM

The rationale doesn’t even make sense.  All day long, it’s preached to you to get some food into your system every 2 and a half to 3 hours. But much like Cinderella, except only 6 hours too early, you are advised to stop that practice at the stroke of 6PM, almost as if you would turn into a pumpkin if you didn’t obey.  Why?!?

Your body, as always, craves routine and pattern. Developing a healthy pattern of nutrient availability by having something to eat every few hours is good.  Then stopping this pattern and putting the whole concept on hold for 12 hours is not good!  Really not good!

As a matter of fact, some bodybuilders have gone to the other extreme to reinforce this point.  They’ll keep up that metabolic pattern they’ve established by setting their alarm twice throughout the night so they can get up and go have a snack every 3 hours throughout their sleep.  And remember…these are guys that are trying to get absolutely shredded!

 

Still Think Eating After 6 PM Is A Fat Burning Sin?

You still think that eating after 6PM is a fat burning sin? So, have your dinner and then have something again later on, before bed.  I always recommend that in order to assist in protein synthesis and muscle regeneration over night, you add a bit more on the protein side.

Perfect examples of this are protein shakes, cottage cheese, yogurt and some berries, or a small bowl of high protein cereal with some skim milk. All of these will do the job equally well, but the point is mainly…you’ve got to eat something if you hope to continue to build muscle and burn fat while you sleep.

Listening instead to the urban myth and not eating after 6PM will be your quickest path to less muscle and a heavier version of the you you’re trying to become! Assuming you eat again in the morning (at 6 AM even), then you will have gone a full half of day without putting a log on your metabolic fire.  If you can convince me that that’s healthy and THE way to actually boost metabolism then I’ll buy whatever bridge you’ve got for sale as well!

So as you can see, I truly believe that it’s not only high time to stop fearing the past 6PM pudge and instead get in your head that if you DON’T eat after this time, then you’re putting yourself on the fast track to creating the kind of body that those who pass on this fitness myth are trying to protect you against.

Instead, keep that metabolism churning along with frequent deliveries of high quality nutrients to your working and recovering muscles.  Not only will you see yourself lean out considerably, but building new muscle may even become easier than you’ve ever felt it was before as a nice added bonus.

Stay Strong,

Jeff

Convinced now that eating after 6PM is not going to turn you into a pumpkin (or at least as round as one!) but not sure what you should be eating throughout the day to get you as lean and muscular as possible?  Then head to /best-workout-program-for-men and get your 90 day X-Factor Meal Plans as part of your AthLEAN-X Training System.  Let the system show you how to build lean, athletic muscle like the pros…from the gym to the dinner table!

Jeff Cavaliere Headshot

Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS

Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.

Read more about Jeff Cavaliere by clicking here

Popular & Trending
stop doing face pulls like this facepull mistake
1
How To Do Face Pulls
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
September 9th, 2019
Face pulls are one of the best corrective exercises to help offset poor posture and shoulder dysfunction.  They help strengthen the chronically weak...
Body Fat Percentage Men
2
Body Fat Percentage Men
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
July 11th, 2023
There are many ways to measure body fat percentage; some wildly expensive and most inaccurate. It's time to give you an alternative method that...
2 reasons your biceps aren't growing and 3 ways to fix it
3
Why Your Biceps Aren’t Growing
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
August 22nd, 2019
Have you ever felt that no matter how much you trained your biceps you’re left saying… “My Biceps STILL Aren’t Growing?” I believe I know...
The Perfect Abs Workout
4
The Perfect Abs Workout
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
July 31st, 2019
We’ll be following my ‘Six Pack Progression’ sequence as we choose each of the beginner and advanced ab exercises for each abdominal movement...
incline bench press avoid mistakes for upper chest
5
How To Incline Bench Press Correctly
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
January 16th, 2024
The Incline Bench Press is one of the best upper chest exercises there is, but there's one major problem preventing us from getting the maximum...
best dumbbell exercises for chest
6
The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Chest
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
November 6th, 2023
Today I’m going to share my favorite chest exercises… but there’s a catch. We can only use dumbbells! I’ll show you what to do whether you...
long head triceps exercises
7
Long Head Tricep Exercises
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
December 19th, 2023
The triceps make up two-thirds of the size of your arm so the bigger your triceps, the bigger your arm muscles. But not all muscle heads of the...
cable chest workout
8
Cable Chest Workout
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
November 2nd, 2023
Today, we're diving deep into the most underrated piece of equipment in your workout arsenal for chest workouts – the cable machine. The constant...
Cable Back Workouts
9
Cable Back Workouts
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
December 12th, 2023
If you want a versatile back workout that hits every angle, challenges muscle recruitment patterns, and provides consistent tension, then you can’t...
cable shoulder exerciees
10
Cable Shoulder Exercises
By Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS
November 30th, 2023
Unlike barbell or dumbbell shoulder workouts, cables offer consistent tension throughout the exercise, a key factor that can lead to better...